#nrl-2026-season

#nrl-2026-season

With one in 10 global tourism dollars going toward sports tourism, Marriott Bonvoy has teamed up with Visa to bring its members exclusive access to this summer's biggest sporting event.

AC Milan, Juventus, and Inter will head to Australia for pre-season, marking an unprecedented collaboration among three of Serie A's biggest teams, aiming to enhance the league's visibility.

Traditional promotion and relegation to and from the top-tier Prem will be scrapped from the start of the 2026-27 season after landmark changes to English rugby were voted through. Instead of earning a play-off shot at replacing the Prem's bottom side by finishing top of the second-tier Champ and meeting the top flight's minimum standards, ambitious clubs will instead apply to join and be judged across a range of criteria.

As the official social media services supplier for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Meta has got the ball rolling by drumming up early enthusiasm ahead of the tournament, opening the eyes of fans to the role technology can play in heightening their appreciation of the game. A campaign developed by BETC Paris, Havas Play and Unit9 uses the event to showcase what the metaverse can do, with Meta harnessing its full suite of apps from Facebook to Instagram and WhatsApp to thrust spectators on to the field in virtual and augmented reality.

Changes galore, and notable ones at that, across both matchday squads. Steve Borthwick hands fan and media darling (and bloody good player) Henry Pollock his first start in the back row, where he will be joined by the returning Tom Curry. In the backs Tommy Freeman returns to a wing berth at the expense of Tom Roebuck, which brings Ollie Lawrence back into the centres. The bench is a 6:2, with Jack Van Poortvliet and Marcus Smith as the backs options.

It might be only 40 minutes by ferry from Brisbane, but when North Stradbroke Island, or Minjerribah, comes into focus - a soft line of bush, dunes and open water - and you roll off the barge, the city skyline feels like a sci-fi memory. It's no wonder that the locals and in-the-know Brisbanites guard this island with a conspiratorial hush.

England have called up uncapped 20-year-old prop Vilikesa 'Billy' Sela for the Six Nations to cover a crop of tighthead injuries, while Exeter number eight Greg Fisilau is rewarded for his fine club form with a place in a competitive back row group. Elsewhere, Gloucester second row Arthur Clarke, who was ruled out of last year's Six Nations with injury, but won his first cap against the United States in the summer, is included among the second rows.

Brisbane had cemented their spot as one of Australia's ultimate surprise packages. However, despite getting 2026 underway at the heart of a genuine play-off scrap, the Lions have come crashing back down to earth in an infamous fashion and they are suddenly once again battling it out at the foot of the table.

Apologies if you are just dipping into your morning muesli or evening meal but Marsh is suffering with testicular bleeding. Poor chap. He [Marsh] is experiencing ongoing pain and discomfort which is restricting his movement, say Cricket Australia in their statement. Scans have confirmed internal testicular bleeding, and he will require a period of rest and rehabilitation. His return to play will be guided by symptom resolution and medical advice.

Not all 49ers are looking forward to what could be a schedule with two international games on separate continents, which hasn't happened in NFL history. The 49ers are expected to host a December game in Mexico City, and although the NFL has yet to announce that, 49ers officials have indicated that is the plan. That's not fair. Then the NFL, I feel, is doing us a disservice, fullback Kyle Juszczyk said in an exclusive interview at Monday's Pro Bowl practice in San Francisco.

In likes of Tommy O'Brien, Robert Baloucoune and Jamie Osborne, Andy Farrell has a fresh crop of winners ahead of Rugby World Cup. As the man with the deaf dog says 'it can be hard to call it'. That has been the case in the majority of this year's Six Nations but when Ireland play Scotland we now expect Ireland to win.

The tournament was expanded to include 20 teams in 2024, and the number of competitors will remain the same this year. However, there was a late change in the team list as the ICC expelled Bangladesh from the tournament following a weeks-long impasse on their participation. Scotland replaced Bangladesh, who were kicked out due to their refusal to travel to India for the World Cup over security concerns.