France sent a clear message in their Six Nations opener, overpowering Ireland 36–14 at the Stade de France to collect a bonus point. Five tries, led by Louis Bielle-Biarrey, put the champions in firm control early, before Ireland’s late rally proved too little, too late on a rain-soaked night as their title defence began in emphatic style.
South African Premiership side Chippa United have confirmed the departure of Nigerian international goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali following his impressive performances for the Super Eagles at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
Nwabali was one of Nigeria’s standout players at the biennial tournament and played a key role in the Super Eagles’ campaign. His performances drew wide praise and increased attention on his future.
The goalkeeper produced one of the moments of the tournament during the third-place playoff against Egypt, where he saved two penalties to help Nigeria secure the bronze medal.
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His strong showing at AFCON, combined with his contract situation, had already sparked speculation about a possible move away from the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
Nwabali’s contract with Chippa United is set to expire this summer, which allows him to negotiate and sign with another club as a free agent.
The 28-year-old joined Chippa United in 2022 from Nigerian club Katsina United and quickly established himself as the team’s first-choice goalkeeper.
Scottish Muay Thai sensation ‘King of the North’ Nico Carrillo is proud of his achievements in ONE Championship, most especially coming back from the jaws of defeat to now being on the brink of winning the coveted gold.
Carrillo will challenge for the interim featherweight Muay Thai belt next week in what is his second opportunity at the ONE world title.
Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Carrillo looked back on his journey to reach this point in his career. And he says the setbacks he’s faced have made his time in the ring more meaningful.
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‘King of the North’ told the world’s largest martial arts organization:
“It doesn’t change anything. It just makes it feel sweeter for me. In the end, it’s to look back and tell people how epic [the story is] because it’s amazing coming up on ONE Championship, winning every fight, and then just winning the title. Yeah, that would have been an amazing thing.”
Needless to say, Carrillo is confident he will get the job done this time after missing the chance to win gold against Nabil Anane last year.
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Fans won’t have to wait long to see ‘King of the North’ Nico Carrillo back in action.
Nico Carrillo to face Shadow Singha Mawynn for interim featherweight Muay Thai world title at ONE Fight Night 40 on Prime Video
The two lock horns at ONE Fight Night 40: Buntan vs. Hemetsberger II on Prime Video, which broadcasts live in American primetime on Friday, Feb. 13 from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
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Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding Nico Carrillo’s next fight.
One of Indiana’s top high school senior basketball players is out for the rest of the season.
Noblesville guard Justin Curry, a Valparaiso commit, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament, torn meniscus and sprained medial collateral ligament to his left knee during Saturday’s game against Guerin Catholic, tests revealed.
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“It’s awful for him,” Noblesville coach Scott McClelland said. “I hate it for him, hate it for our guys, hate it for our team. He was less than 100 points away from 1,000 for his career. This year just hasn’t gone the way any of us had envisioned.”
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Noblesville’s Justin Curry poses for a photo Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, at Fishers High School.
Curry injured his knee in a Jan. 2 game against Warren Central, then missed the next five games before returning to play against Hamilton Southeastern. He suffered the ACL injury late in a 48-39 home loss to Guerin Catholic on Saturday afternoon.
A Junior All-Star last season, Curry was averaging 16.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals this season for the Millers, who are now 8-9 after a 54-35 loss to Mt. Vernon on Thursday.
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“He’s kept an incredibly positive attitude about it,” McClelland said of Curry. “It’s life. I’m optimistic that he’ll have surgery in the next few weeks and he’ll get it fixed and have a successful career at Valpo. He’s a good kid who we all really like and admire and respect. I told him he’s going to be an assistant coach for us now and we’ll try to find some answers in these last five games and at least one game in the tournament.”
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The 6-3 Curry averaged 15.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game as a junior, helping the Millers to a 19-6 season.
Noblesville’s next game as at home on Saturday afternoon against Center Grove.
It wouldn’t be a Battle of Florida without some chaos going on.
Early in the third period of Thursday’s matchup between Florida and Tampa Bay, things boiled over after Panthers defenceman Niko Mikkola shouldered Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov to the ice.
13 penalties were issued as part of the mess. Lightning players Guentzel and Kucherov got 10-minute misconducts. The rest of the penalties issued were two-minute minors.
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A total of 124 penalty minutes were handed out on the play.
Tampa Bay went on to cruise to a 6–1 victory. This marked the two teams’ final meeting of the season, with the Lightning winning two of the three matchups.
The last time the two teams faced off, they combined for 136 PIMs. Thursday’s matchup had a total of 143 PIMs.
In a pre-season meeting in October, the Panthers and Lightning combined for an absurd 322 penalty minutes.
It took him 17 seasons, but Matthew Stafford has finally won an MVP award.
The Los Angeles Rams veteran quarterback was named the NFL’s most valuable player at the NFL Honors on Thursday night.
New England Patriots QB Drake Maye, Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence and San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey were the other finalists for the league’s top award.
Stafford led the NFL this season with 4,707 yards passing and 46 TDs. He threw eight picks and finished second to Maye with a 109.2 passer rating. Stafford was also first-team All-Pro for the first time in his career.
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His strong play led the Rams to a 12-5 record and the NFC’s No. 5 seed in the playoffs.
The Rams won their first two post-season games before falling to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship game.
Stafford did all he could in the loss, throwing for 374 yards and three touchdowns against the vaunted Seahawks D.
The 37-year-old pivot spent the first 12 seasons of his career, then was traded to the Rams in 2021.
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In his first year in L.A., Stafford led the Rams to their second Super Bowl victory in franchise history. After missing the playoffs the following year, the Rams have made the post-season the past three seasons.
What comes next for the QB remained to be seen before Thursday, but Stafford confirmed at the end of his speech that he would be returning for the 2026 season.
Still under contract for another year, Rams head coach Sean McVay and GM Les Snead were cautiously hopeful that Stafford would stick around to continue their five-year partnership for at least another season.
Stafford said after the NFC championship loss that he would take some time before deciding on his future.
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“He’s going to take his time, talk with (his wife) Kelly and the girls and see what’s best,” McVay said last week. “But man, is he still playing at an incredible level. Our hope is that he does (return), but with respect to his timetable … whenever he feels ready to make that announcement, we’ll let him be able to do that.”
Jan 30, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas (24) dribbles against the Utah Jazz during the first half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
The Brooklyn Nets ended their sometimes sour relationship with guard Cam Thomas on Thursday by releasing him to allow him to be a free agent, according to multiple reports.
Thomas signed a $5.9 million qualifying offer last summer after he and the Nets could not agree to contract terms. Brooklyn reportedly tried to shop him before Thursday’s trade deadline.
Now he is in an unrestricted free agent instead of being restricted, which would have given the Nets the right to match any offer sheet.
“Super excited, ready to actually help and contribute to another team,” Thomas, 24, told ESPN. “My next team is getting elite scoring, good playmaking and a good combo guard.”
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Thomas ranked second on the team with a 15.6 scoring average and averaged 3.1 assists and 2.0 turnovers per game in 24 contests (eight starts) this season after missing 20 games because of a strained left hamstring.
He was Brooklyn’s leading scorer in the 2023-24 regular season (22.5) and averaged a team-best 24.0 scoring average in only 25 games in 2024-25 before he was limited by hamstring issues.
For his career, Thomas averages 15.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 23.3 minutes in 239 regular-season games (88 starts).
Brooklyn selected Thomas with the 27th overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft.
RCB captain Smriti Mandhana after winning Women’s Premier League title. (PTI Photo)
NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru sealed a historic second Women’s Premier League title with a stunning win over Delhi Capitals in Vadodara on Thursday, but for spinner Shreyanka Patil, the triumph meant something far more personal — a tribute to skipper Smriti Mandhana, who delivered a match-winning performance after navigating a turbulent phase in her personal life.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Mandhana, who recently faced turmoil after her wedding was called off, responded in the most emphatic way possible — smashing 87 in the final, the highest individual score in a WPL title clash. Her knock, alongside Georgia Voll’s 79, powered RCB to a record-breaking chase of 204, sealing the trophy in dramatic fashion.
T20 World Cup | ‘Our flight is booked and we are going’ – Suryakumar Yadav on Pakistan’s boycott
After the victory, Patil dedicated the title to her captain, underlining the emotional weight behind the win. “Would love to mention three people — number one, Smriti, because she has gone through a lot in the last couple of months. Would love to dedicate this win to her. Malo and Anya… Today is Anya’s son’s first birthday. And again, Malo — first time he’s the head coach and it’s a special win for all of us,” she said.Calling it a “very special” season after her comeback, Patil thanked fans for backing the team despite the daunting 200-plus target. She finished the 2026 campaign with 11 wickets in nine innings, playing a crucial role in RCB’s title run.
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Mandhana’s heroic innings not only anchored the highest successful chase in a WPL final but also reinforced her status as one of the league’s biggest match-winners. Delhi Capitals, meanwhile, were left searching for answers after ending their fourth straight season without a trophy.All-rounder Radha Yadav praised the management’s backing and the team’s situational training sessions, saying the hard work behind the scenes played a big role in the title run.For RCB, however, the night belonged to Mandhana — a captain who turned personal adversity into championship glory.
Aryna Sabalenka has sparked engagement rumours with her new batch of photos. As the Belarusian shared some snaps from her latest glam session, fans were quick to zero in on an crucial detail and speculate if she had gotten engaged to long time boyfriend Georgios Frangulis.
Sabalenka and Frangulis have been a power couple of the tennis world for quite some time now. The Brazilian is the four-time Grand Slam champion’s biggest fan and is a constant presence in the audience when she’s competing. Recently, Sabalenka took to Instagram to share some glammed-up photos from her time at the Crown Towers and eagle-eyed fans were quick to spot the flashy piece of jewelry she sported on her ring finger.
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The pictures were enough to set off some engagement rumours for the couple, with fans showcasing their curiosity in the comments section.
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“Babe is it happening??? 💍☺️,” one fan wrote.
“Wait….what’s that big sparkly yellow thing on your finger???? 💍😮,” another added.
Via @arynasabalenka on Instagram
Aryna Sabalenka and Georgios Frangulis first began dating in early 2024. Rumours of their relationship caught fire sometime in April after the duo were spotted together in Madrid. The speculation found further purchase over the next few months as Frangulis began making regular appearances in the World No.1’s player’s box. The couple made their relationship Instagram official in July, 2024 and have since been vocal about their love for each other.
Aryna Sabalenka reflects on the beginning of her relationship with Georgios Frangulis, reveals why she was hesitant to date the Brazilian
Sabalenka and Frangulis at the WTA Finals 2025 (Image Source: Getty)
Aryna Sabalenka recently opened up about the beginning of her relationship with Georgios Frangulis. In an interview with Alexandre Cossenza, the Belarusian revealed that the duo knew each other for some time before they went on their first date. She also revealed the reason she had been hesitant about dating the Brazilian, saying,
“We met actually long before we actually went for the first date. So I just knew him from (when) I started working with Oakberry. And then we met a bit later and went for dinner and I felt really connected. Because before I wasn’t sure if I can handle a relationship with someone who doesn’t speak Russian and then I felt really connected to him, his mentality. I think we are really similar. He’s very kind and I fell in love and somehow he got me.”
On the tennis end of things, Aryna Sabalenka was last seen in action at the Australian Open. The World No.1 claimed her second-consecutive runners-up finish at the event, losing to Elena Rybakina in the finals.
Harry Potter fans may have dreamed of soaring across a pitch on a broomstick, and while that fantasy remains out of reach, a close alternative is taking shape in Uganda, where a real-life version of Quidditch is being played in a village. Now known as quadball, the sport unites boys and girls around a shared ambition of competing in the Quidditch World Cup, as Clarisse Fortuné reports.
‘Locked On BYU’ host Jake Hatch joins to discuss.
