‘Never, ever give up’: fighting for Afghanistan’s sporting future in shadow of the Taliban

“My message for all Afghan women who play is that if there is any small opportunity, do it,” Samira Asghari says. “My solid message is never, ever give up. Afghanistan was always a war-torn country, unfortunately. We have grown up in a war country. And we believe in a future Afghanistan, and the future of Afghanistan is the people

Former Rhondda roofer Harri Deaves to make Wales debut against the All Blacks

Harri Deaves began his working life as a roofer but on Saturday the Ospreys flanker will run out in the scarlet shirt of Wales against the All Blacks to complete “an amazing story” from club rugby player to international.The 24-year-old will win his first cap in a Wales side showing five changes from the one that edged out Japan 24-23 with a last-gasp penalty.Deaves’s ascent is one of the game’s more uncommon career paths in the era of professional rugby. He joined the Ospreys Academy from his local club, Pontyclun, in the Rhondda after a brief civil engineering course at Bridgend College.His early days at Ospreys, alongside British & Irish Test Lions Alex Cuthbert, Justin Tipuric and Rhys Webb, saw him turn up for morning training sessions in his van ahead of afternoon work as a roofer

Revealed: sports agent Jonathan Barnett’s three-year legal battle with John Regis and Jennifer Stoute

Special report: A leading agent and two Olympians fell out when their talent agency was sold, leading to ‘three years of torture’ which came to a sudden end after the emergence of text messages sent to a phone registered to BarnettA high-court claim that had pitted the leading sports agent Jonathan Barnett against his former business partners, the Olympic medallists John Regis and Jennifer Stoute, was withdrawn after an extraordinary three-year legal battle.A partnership of which Barnett was a member, the sports agency Stellar Athletics LLP, pursued a claim against Regis and Stoute for £1.2m after they left in 2021. It was settled by the ­parent company, CAA ­Stellar, in April 2024, shortly after Barnett himself resigned from the company.Speaking about the matter for the first time, Stoute described the case as “three years of torture”

Welcome to the Ashes, the classic cricket rivalry that never really starts or stops

Some say the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is now pre-eminent, but there is nothing more intense than Australia v EnglandIf it feels like the buildup to this Ashes series has lasted 842 days that is because it pretty much has. Test cricket’s oldest rivalry resumes on Friday inside Perth’s 60,000-seat thunderdome and with it, mercifully, comes fresh fuel for the ever-raging fire.Because on one level the Ashes never really starts or stops. Since Stuart Broad nicked off Alex Carey at the Oval on 31 July 2023 – the final act of a dramatic 2-2 draw – the sides have been tracking each other, all while their supporters chip away from afar.To the rest of the world this obsession must get a bit tiresome

Lewis Hamilton defends work ethic after Ferrari chief’s ‘talk less’ rebuke

Lewis Hamilton has insisted he does not believe he can work any harder to help improve Ferrari’s performance.The 40-year-old driver was reacting to a rebuke from the Ferrari president John Elkann, who had stated he should: “Focus on driving and talk less.” Hamilton however maintained pointedly that the issues at Ferrari would not be fixed with “the click of a finger”.Hamilton, who has yet to claim a podium for Ferrari in what has been an immensely trying first season with the team, was outspoken after another disappointing race at the last round in Brazil, after which he described his debut year with a Ferrari as “a nightmare”. Elkann responded equally bluntly with his riposte

The Ashes: what you need to know about the 2025-26 series in Australia

The first ball will be bowled in Perth on Friday at 10:20am local time, or 1.20pm AEDT in Sydney and Melbourne. In Brisbane, tune in just after midday.The Test schedule has shifted slightly this year. Adelaide no longer has a day-night Test, and instead the pink ball will be deployed at the Gabba in the second Test

Wimbledon’s expansion plans heading for court of appeal after judge’s ruling

Wimbledon’s battle to build 39 new grass courts on a nearby golf course has taken a fresh twist after local residents were granted permission to take a judicial review case to the court of appeal.Last year the All England Club (AELTC) was given approval by Jules Pipe, the London deputy mayor for planning and regeneration, to build the courts on what used to be Wimbledon Park Golf Club – a decision that was then endorsed in the high court on 21 July.However, the Save Wimbledon Park pressure group challenged that verdict and on Monday it was announced that Lord Justice Holgate had granted a judicial review of the court’s decision.Explaining the reasons for granting the order, Holgate wrote: “The grounds of appeal are arguable with a real prospect of success. The case law on scheme benefits, deliverability, relevance, material considerations and irrationality merits review

From the first ball to Bazball: everything you need to know about the Ashes

Can Ben Stokes really lead England to victory in Australia? Set your alarms and gird your loins, this one’s not just big, it’s positively BrobdingnagianEither it’s the start of the 2025-26 Ashes or Fred Dibnah’s Age of Steam on BBC Four is more watchable than we realised.England’s coach, the New Zealander Brendon McCullum, whose vibe is usually somewhere between Gen X slacker and Buddhist hippy, has called it “the biggest series of all our lives”. It could be career-defining for England – and career-staining for a great Australia side. All Ashes series are big; this one is positively Brobdingnagian.Well, England’s record on the last three tours is W0 D2 L13

Daly backed by Borthwick for long haul after England recall to face Argentina

Elliot Daly looks likely to remain a pivotal member of England’s squad through to the 2027 World Cup after being recalled to start the final autumn series game, against Argentina on Sunday.Daly is among six changes unveiled by the head coach, Steve Borthwick, who is backing the 33-year-old player to prolong his Test career for at least the next two years.Daly has not played any competitive rugby since breaking his arm against the Queensland Reds on the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia, but Borthwick has wasted no time reinstating him on the left wing and believes the versatile Saracens three-quarter still has plenty of international rugby in him.“I think he is in as good a shape as I have ever seen him,” Borthwick said, having announced a reshuffled selection with Henry Slade, Ben Spencer, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Ellis Genge and Luke Cowan-Dickie restored to the starting XV. “I think he hit very close to his fastest speed ever the other day in training … he can’t wait to go