Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland dies at age of 24

The Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland has died at the age of 24, the team announced on Thursday.“It is with extreme sadness that the Dallas Cowboys share that Marshawn Kneeland tragically passed away this morning. Marshawn was a beloved teammate and member of our organization. Our thoughts and prayers regarding Marshawn are with his girlfriend Catalina and his family,” the team said in a statement.According to the Frisco police department, Kneeland appeared to have taken his own life after a late-night vehicle pursuit and multi-agency search

Ntamack and France aim to rid themselves of ‘trauma’ from World Cup defeat

Fly-half was not involved in heartbreaking quarter-final loss two years ago but is optimistic Les Bleus can exact revenge against South Africa – even without Antoine DupontRomain Ntamack was not on the pitch when Les Bleus last met South Africa just over two years ago, having been denied a starring role at the home World Cup by a knee ligament injury the previous summer. The Toulouse fly-half was nevertheless as affected as anyone by the one-point quarter-final defeat by the Springboks, which brought France’s ambitions to an abrupt and sobering end.“The trauma from that match went beyond the 23 players who were on the team sheet,” the 26-year-old said before this weekend’s rematch, which kicks off the autumn campaign for both sides. “We’ve moved on since then, though, and we’re fully focused on Saturday’s match.”After an underwhelming summer campaign in New Zealand that yielded three defeats in as many tests, France also have a more immediate point to prove

India beat Australia by 48 runs in fourth men’s Twenty20 international – as it happened

That’s all from me this evening as India’s depth continues to shine through especially as Australia’s lineup is weakened by the departure of several first-choice players to pre-Test duties. We’ll be back on Saturday for the fifth and final T20 as Australia chase a victory in Brisbane to level the series.But, for now, here is the full report from India’s 48-run win on the Gold Coast.Australia can still level the series in the fifth and final T20 on Saturday but Mitch Marsh can’t hide his disappointment at letting this game slip.We thought [India’s] 167 was par

‘What is rugby?’: New film Brothers on Three documents the game at West Point

With unprecedented access to one of the top US college programs, director Sean Mullin uncovers raw stories of love and lossAt the United States Military Academy at West Point, rugby has the best winning record of any men’s sports program. Brothers on Three, a new documentary about the team out this week, begins with scenes of wild joy from Houston, Texas in 2022, when the Black Knights beat St Mary’s, from California, to win their first US college title.And yet director Sean Mullin’s film is shot through with loss.There are losses, of course, on the field.Mullin and writer-producer Brian Anthony are West Point grads, rugby players too

WTA Finals tennis: Anisimova sends Swiatek out; Rybakina beats Alexandrova – as it happened

Amanda Anisimova fought past Iga Swiatek 6-7(3) 6-4 6-2 in a winner-takes-all match at the WTA Finals on Wednesday to join Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals and stay in the hunt for a first crown on her debut in the season-ending championship.The stage was set for the highly-anticipated clash between the pair after Swiatek routed Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 to lift her maiden Wimbledon crown in July, before the American gained revenge in the US Open quarter-finals in September.Following a fierce start to their latest meeting and 12 straight holds of serve, Poland’s Swiatek raised her level to seize control of the first set in the tiebreak, clinching it when Anisimova struck a forehand long.The war of attrition continued in the second set, before Anisimova ramped up the intensity on her forehand and earned the first break of the match in the 10th game to force a decider at the King Saud University Sports Arena.With confidence flowing, Anisimova carved out another break to surge 3-1 ahead in the third set and shift the pressure onto world No 2 Swiatek, and the resilient 24-year-old stayed firm from there and completed her comeback victory

McIlroy thanks PGA chief for Ryder Cup apology and questions LIV changes

Rory McIlroy says the PGA of America chief executive, Derek Sprague, apologized personally for the abuse directed at the world No 2 and his wife during Europe’s Ryder Cup triumph at Bethpage Black, and that the gesture helped to close the book on what had been a bruising week.“I got a lovely email from Derek Sprague apologizing,” McIlroy told BBC Sport ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. “Erica worked with Derek at the PGA of America back in the day, so we know Derek and his wife pretty well. He couldn’t have been more gracious or apologetic and he wrote us a lovely letter, which we really appreciated.”A beer hurled from the stands struck Erica’s hat during the fiery three-day contest, in which McIlroy became a lightning rod for a raucous home crowd

Venus Williams, 45, to open 33rd straight professional season at Auckland Classic

Tennis great Venus Williams plans to play for a 33rd straight season on the WTA Tour, starting in Auckland in January.Organizers of the ASB Classic in New Zealand said Wednesday that the 45-year-old Williams would feature at their 5-11 January event.It suggests the seven-time grand slam singles champion is preparing for the Australian Open later that month, a tournament she has twice lost in the final.“She is one of the great players in the modern era and her performances on the court speak for themselves,” said tournament director Nicolas Lamperin, who added that she was in “remarkable shape and form”.“Off the court she has made an equally significant contribution to the game and to the development of female players worldwide,” he said

Who is Joe Marler? From hair-raising rugby antics to breakout star of Celebrity Traitors

Viewers have been won over by the quick-witted and quirky former England international. But do they all know about the groin-grabbing and that ‘horse’ of his?It’s difficult to know where to begin with a not-so-quick guide to Celebrity Traitors’ breakout star, Joe Marler. The BBC series has introduced a wider public to the tattooed, 18-stone-plus former England rugby union player – fans won over by his quick-witted humour, allied to a direct, confrontational form of questioning and an uncanny knack for detective work.Not all viewers, though, will be au fait with his backstory; the 35-year-old dungaree-wearing ex-prop forward admitted he was mistaken for a sound technician by his fellow celebrities when first on set, and then asked whether he played rugby league when he revealed his previous 15-year career. For those who know rugby union, however, Marler’s style on the show has come as little surprise, save it being slightly toned down for a wider public audience

Fast-rising Fiji carry a nation’s pride in redemption match with England

True, they are the lowest-ranked team England will play this month, but it would be highly dangerous to underestimate Fiji. Coming between an opening victory against Australia and a box‑office encounter with the All Blacks, it might be easy to regard the Twickenham game on Saturday as a relatively straightforward assignment. Easy, but foolish.You don’t have to go back far – two years or so, to an autumn afternoon in Marseille and England’s 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final – to remember how potent Fiji can be.Picture the scene: with 10 minutes to play at Stade Vélodrome, Vilimoni Botitu’s attractive try has levelled the score at 24-24