Manchester Super Giants (MSG) rebranded from the Originals, also changing their team logo and colours, after RPSG group – led by Indian billionaire Sanjiv Goenka – bought a 70% stake in the franchise, with Lancashire having 30% ownership.

Goenka’s Indian Premier League (IPL) side Lucknow Super Giants have yet to reach that competition’s final since being founded in 2022, but his Hundred investment has resulted in immediate success as Jos Buttler’s side sealed the Manchester franchise’s first title for either men or women.

Lancashire chief executive Daniel Gidney, also on the board of MSG, says there’s no choice but to be bold in a rebrand.

“If you’re trying to launch a new brand in a new market, in the UK particularly, in a city that is dominated by football, you’ve got to go big and loud,” Gidney told BBC Sport.

One daring ‘brand activation’ resulted in almost 30,000 free shirts being given to Super Giants fans.

“To give everybody a free jersey who bought a ticket is extraordinarily different,” said Gidney.

“You can’t normally do it because a kit manufacturer will go, ‘No, no, no. I’ve got to sell that kit for £60-80.’

“You never get anything for free. It’s had a massive impact, much more than I thought.”

The decision was made this first year to forego a potentially lower kit deal for the opportunity to build the MSG brand, get fans in the team colours, and then strike a more lucrative supplier deal in years to come.

But how does that benefit Lancashire more broadly? The county’s merchandise continues to be sold at Old Trafford on matchdays, while at the moment you won’t find MSG products in the club shop.

Gidney says Lancashire were able to “retain effectively 50% merchandise arrangements” with MSG, who they can use as a “bit of a pilot” – possibly bringing some of what they learn into the T20 Blast competition.

The franchise will now hope to have acquired new fans and take momentum from their first on-field triumph, while they also pocket £275,000 in prize money.

They were dealt the blow of losing captain Aiden Markram halfway through the group stage as he returned to South Africa for personal reasons, but Buttler seamlessly stepped up, while the appointment of Tom Moody as their director was another savvy decision.

Former Australia player Moody was at the helm for Oval Invincibles’ previous dominance in the men’s Hundred, with three consecutive titles. He will hope for further success at Old Trafford alongside compatriot Justin Langer, hired as coach from this season, the same role he has at Lucknow.

There are positives for their women’s side too, who just missed out on a knockout spot, but look likely to be in a good place if they can keep legendary former Australia captain Meg Lanning in charge.

Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the greatest soccer players to grace a pitch, believes this season will be his last.

During an interview with Vogue, the Portuguese superstar told the outlet this upcoming season will be “probably my last year of football.”

Ronaldo, 41, recently married longtime partner Georgina Rodríguez, and perhaps settling down with his family is what the legendary player wishes now.

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Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus poses with the Serie A trophy alongside his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez (L) and mother Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro after winning the Serie A Championship 2018-2019 (8th title in a row) at the end of the Serie A football match between Juventus FC and Atalanta BC. (Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Ronaldo currently plays for the Saudi Pro League’s Al-Nassr club, which he has been a part of since 2023. He has scored 102 goals through his 107 matches there.

He also completed his sixth World Cup with Portugal, though he wanted to lift the trophy. Instead, Portugal fell to World Cup-winner Spain, 1-0, in full time in the Round of 16.

CRISTIANO RONALDO SHUTS DOWN REPORTER’S LIONEL MESSI QUESTION IN AWKWARD MOMENT AFTER TWO-GOAL WIN

It’s safe to say that Ronaldo will no longer star for the Portugal national team, finishing his World Cup career with 11 goals across 27 appearances. He also has 146 goals across 233 international appearances for his country.

Ronaldo told the outlet he wants to “leave a spectacular legacy,” and he’s certainly done that over his many years in the game.

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo leaves the pitch after being substituted during the World Cup group H soccer match between South Korea and Portugal, at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, Friday, Dec. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Now, he looks ahead to what life will be off the pitch.

“I have my future all mapped out,” he explained. “I have so many things to keep me busy that to tell you just one thing is hard. Because football could leave a big hole, you have to fill your time in various ways, not just one.

“And also have more fun, travel more, watch and play padel, which I really like, and continue to enjoy what I’ve earned – what we’ve earned. Because after all, it’s been 25 years with a lot of sacrifice.”

Ronaldo and Al-Nassr start their season Tuesday. If this is indeed his final season playing, his final match would be May 28, 2027.

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo leaves the pitch after the first half during the World Cup Group K match between Portugal and Congo in Houston on June 17, 2026. (Karen Warren/AP)

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Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or, the award given to the best footballer in the world each season, five times. He has been nominated for the award a record 18 times.

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Alas Pilipinas Girls end their FIVB U17 World Championship campaign with a win over Czechia.–VOLLEYBALL WORLD PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Alas Pilipinas Girls finished their FIVB Girls’ U17 World Championship debut with a historic 15th-place finish after nipping Czechia, 21-25, 25-22, 25-14, 25-22, on Sunday night (Philippine time) in Santiago, Chile.

The national youth team averted a slow start and turned to its best scorer throughout the campaign, Caera Celis, who capped her stellar debut with 25 points built on 20 attacks, four aces, and a block.

The Czechs erased Alas’ 23-19 lead in the fourth after Celis committed back-to-back errors that led to a one-point deficit, but the pride of Bacolod stayed determined to make up for her mistakes, sending her team to match point, 24-22.

READ: After another loss, Alas Girls aim to end U17 Worlds on high note

Celis delivered an off-the-block kill to seal the win, as Alas Girls placed 15th out of 32 nations — the best stint of a Philippine national volleyball squad in the World Championship.

Jhaynna Bulandres also dominated the frontline with six blocks to finish with 15 points. Setter Irish Mahinay fired five aces for nine points on top of her playmaking duty, while Sharina Lleses nailed the timely hits in the fourth set and ended up with eight points.

Alas ended a five-game skid to finish its campaign. The Philippines got a historic round-of-16 entry after a 2-3 record in Pool B, but fell to South Korea in the knockout round.

The young Nationals dropped their two classification matches to Japan and Venezuela.

Czechia placed 16th in the tournament, with Michaela Capova and Viktoria Mertova leading the way with 15 and 13 points, respectively. Eliska Mandova added 11.

The Grand National Hurdle and Grand National Steeplechase double, a feat not achieved in nearly a century, was completed for the third time in history by the Shane Jackson-trained Andy Win. The gelding recorded an emphatic 12-length win in the 2026 Grand National Hurdle at Ballarat.

While the racing environment differs significantly from when Mosstrooper achieved the same double in 1930 at Flemington, the elation felt by participants remains potent. This was especially true for Andy Win ($3.30 favourite), who managed to overcome a potentially race-ending injury sustained in the lead-up.

“I’m not an emotional sort of person but it has been a rollercoaster with this horse and it has been a stressful week,” Jackson said.

“I can tell people now that this horse schooled here on Monday when it was waterlogged and on Tuesday evening he’d come out with a bloody foot abscess.

“I thought, ‘I can’t tell anybody about this and I can’t tell jockey, for sure’.

“Thankfully I have a great farrier in Ballarat and my brilliant vets in Warrnambool. I’m lost for words. This is peak.”

With the Grand National Hurdle (4200m) at Sandown on August 2 and this 4600-metre contest now held a fortnight apart, Andy Win’s successful double places him in esteemed company alongside Tallyho Twinkletoe, who accomplished the same feat in 2019. This marks a significant change from the previous arrangement where the two feature races were run just one week apart prior to 2008.

It is noteworthy that Andy Win only made his debut over jumps in May of the preceding year.

Jockey Tom Ryan secured his second Grand National Steeplechase win, his first coming in 2011.

“I wouldn’t want to know, to be honest,” Ryan said when told of the horse’s injury prior.

“He was a bit flat over the third last fence but when I got stuck into him, he came alive.”

Earlier in the day, Ryan guided the heavily favoured The Cunning Fox ($1.60) to a thrilling victory in the JJ Houlihan Hurdle. The second betting pick had established a substantial lead of over 20 lengths with one circuit remaining in the 3250-metre race contested by only three horses.

“Horses like Andy Win and The Cunning Fox, they’re just warriors,” Ryan added.

Check out the latest racing betting markets for upcoming events.

St Jude Championship – round four leaderboard

-17 S Scheffler (US); -9 Kim (Kor); -8 A Noren (Swe), S Burns (US); -7 W Clark (US), Im (Kor)

Selected others: -6 L Aberg (Swe), T Fleetwood (Eng); -5 M Fitzpatrick (Eng); -4 V Hovland (Nor), J Spieth (US); -3 H Hall (Eng); E J Rose; +3 S Lowry; +8 R McIlroy (NI)

Full leaderboard

Rory McIlroy says “he felt lost” as he toiled to a 66th-place finish – 25 strokes behind champion Scottie Scheffler – at the St Jude Championship.

While world number one Scheffler was a cut above the rest at 17 under overall as he claimed his first victory since January, more concerning for McIlory was that his eight-over total left him ahead of just two players in the first of the three FedEx Cup play-off events.

The Northern Irishman, who won his second Masters title earlier this season had not played competitively since the Open Championship in July.

And it told at TPC Southwind, where he failed to record a single round under par across the four days and struggled to find the sort of rhythm that will be needed if he is to claim an unprecedented fourth FedEx Cup later this month.

“I’m so far away from where I need to be to even feel like I have a chance. I’ve just got to keep working and hope it turns around a little bit,” said McIlroy, who is 13th in the season-long standings.

“Obviously didn’t come in here with a ton of reps, (it) almost felt like the more the week went on the more I felt lost with my golf swing a little bit.

“I guess [it was] nice to shake the rust off a little bit but I’m going to have to work pretty hard between now and next Thursday to feel like I have any sort of golf game to compete next week.

“To me it’s more about the execution of what I’m doing right now, and the execution wasn’t there this week.”

McIlroy’s struggles were obvious particularly in from tee to green where he ranked 62nd out of 68 players for strokes gained.

However, he would at least have been able to take some comfort from a seven-hole stretch on the back nine where he knocked in four birdies, albeit he finished with successive bogeys to bookend a round which began with a six on the par-four opening hole.

Von Miller, the eight-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion, is heading to Jerry’s World for his 15th NFL season.

Miller announced he is signing with the Dallas Cowboys, though the specifics of the deal were not disclosed.

“Dallas ! Let’s make this one Special !” Miller wrote on X with a photoshopped picture of himself in a Cowboys uniform.

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FILE – AFC linebacker Von Miller of the Denver Broncos is seen during Pro Bowl NFL football practice, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020, in Kissimmee, Fla. The Broncos were left scrambling after losing star Von Miller to a season-ending ankle injury, denying them of the Super Bowl 50 MVP’s on-field brilliance and locker room leadership. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan, File)

Cowboys legend Demarcus Ware, who also won a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos alongside Miller, also posted a FaceTime screenshot of the two of them smiling together with the a smiling emoji and “#CowboysNation.”

Miller also won SB 50 MVP during that game against the Carolina Panthers as well.

Miller is coming off a nine-sack season for the Washington Commanders, where he also collected 26 combined tackles across 17 games with his fourth NFL franchise in his career.

QUINNEN WILLIAMS AGRESS TO $105.9M CONTRACT EXTENSION WITH COWBOYS, LOCKING HIM IN THROUGH 2030 SEASON

Now, Miller will be facing off against the Commanders, and other NFC East foes, with the Cowboys.

COWBOYS LEGEND RELISHES IN CALEB DOWNS PICK AS RIVAL TEAM MISSES OUT ON FILLING SECONDARY HOLE

Miller is a future Hall of Fame defensive end who has two first team All-Pro nods under his many accolades. He also heads into the 2026 NFL season tied ninth all-time in sacks alongside Ware with 138.5 for his career.

This is also a full-circle moment for Miller, who returns home. The DeSoto, Texas native starred at DeSoto High School before earning national recognition during his time with the Texas A&M Aggies.

The Broncos ended up taking Miller second overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, but now he heads to Dallas, which is less than an hour away from where he grew up.

Von Miller of the Washington Commanders looks on during an NFL game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Dec. 7, 2025. (Getty Images)

For the Cowboys, the addition of Miller runs with the theme they’ve had since trading away Micah Parsons one year ago. They have been trying to find that skilled pass rusher since Parsons landed with the Green Bay Packers.

Last season, the Cowboys had just 31 sacks, which was in the bottom third of the league. Of course, sacks are not the only statistic that matters, but as a defense, Dallas allowed the third-most yards (377.0) and the most points (30.1) per game of any team in the league.

COWBOYS LOCK IN GEORGE PICKENS WITH $27.3M FRANCHISE TAG DESPITE FAILING TO REACH LONG-TERM CONTRACT

The Cowboys have tried to shore up their defense this offseason, including the addition of Parsons’ old Packers teammate, outside linebacker Rashan Gary, ex-Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Otito Ogbonnia, and ex-San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dee Winters while using two first-round draft choices on defensive players — Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and UCF linebacker Malachi Lawrence.

Finally, with new defensive coordinator Christian Parker in place, the Cowboys want to see their defense keep opponents out of the end zone, while their offense continues to find it like they did at a high rate last season. The Cowboys had the second-best offense in terms of yards in 2025.

Can Miller be that much of a difference, though? Can he fill the sack void left when Parsons packed for Green Bay?

FILE – Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller warms up before an NFL preseason football game against the Indianapolis Colts in Orchard Park, N.Y., Aug. 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus, File)

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He had a solid performance in 2025, and perhaps the homecoming will add some extra juice for the future Hall of Famer as he joins his new team.

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Manchester City were not good defensively, their midfield was indifferent and up front there was plenty of room for improvement. Other than that, their Community Shield performance against Arsenal went well.

Enzo Maresca’s team were on the back foot from the opening minute when Riccardo Calafiori eased the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma from close range, and they never really recovered. Kai Havertz added a second after half an hour when taking advantage of more abject defending and Martin Odegaard poked in a third just after half-time.

The Arsenal fans who had come to Cardiff were still on the high of winning the league and could not believe what they were seeing. Having tasted defeat in their last two meetings with City, there were Poznans before half-time as Mikel Arteta’s side crushed City.

Avril Bron (No. 5) drills in a kill off a San Beda double block. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

University of Santo Tomas ushered in its post-Detdet Pepito era with a sweep of San Beda, 25–15, 25–16, 25–19, to open its 2026 V-League Collegiate Challenge campaign on a high note Sunday at the Gameville Central Park in Mandaluyong City.

The Golden Tigresses remained clinical on both sides of the floor, leaning on another product of their high school program in Kim Rubin to sweep the Lady Red Spikers.

Rubin, who came off the bench in the third frame, stabilized UST’s floor defense before eventually finishing the match in transition with the clinching kill.

The former Alas youth standout finished with six points, all from attacks, while also contributing three digs and two excellent receptions to bolster the team’s defense. Sandrine Escober, one of the squad’s new liberos, accounted for six of UST’s 17 excellent receptions in the one-hour, 16-minute match.

“I think this is a good and big opportunity that they gain tournament exposure,” coach Sahq delos Santos said with a mix of Filipino. “This is a big tournament for us, because we can see and hopefully address all our flaws.”

Middle blocker Em Banagua led UST’s balanced offense with nine points, while Ash Knop added seven. Angge Poyos and Marga Altea chipped in six points apiece.

Setters Cassie Carballo and Ar Waje combined for 16 excellent sets in the sweep.

Santo Tomas will go for its second straight win when it faces Arellano University on Aug. 22 at 3 p.m., still at the same Mandaluyong venue.

On the other hand, Aiezel Parumog heated up in the third set to finish with nine points for San Beda, while Daisy Cagas quietly ended with 13 points. The Lady Red Spikers, however, shot themselves in the foot with 25 errors.

San Beda will return to the court later that day at 5 p.m. against NCAA rivals University of Perpetual Help.

The Vikings defenders who are looking to shine against the Giants are ample.

In particular, there’s the cluster of rookie newcomers looking to prove they belong. So, too, is there a broader collection of depth players looking to prove to the coaching staff and front office that they’re deserving of one of those coveted 53-man roster spots. Check out players looking to prove they’ve got what it takes to earn a full-time job for the 2026 Minnesota Vikings.

3 Vikings Defenders to Watch Versus the Giants

Player No. 1 — DT Caleb Banks

Put a dent into the line of scrimmage: that’s the task ahead of Caleb Banks.

The towering defensive tackle is a massive presence, a truth that even applies to the NFL’s trenches. Mr. Banks moves well but is coming off injury. Some of the concern has to do with his need for added refinement — an issue connected to health since there are less on-field reps when a player is recovering (see: McCarthy, J.J.).

Seeing Banks reach his potential will mean that the Vikings boast somebody who is going to demand double teams, thereby opening further room for his teammates. Leaving him in consistent one-on-one battles should lead to the rookie winning a pile of his reps.

Caleb Banks is wearing #95.

Player No. 2 — CB Chuck Demmings

Currently, Chuck Demmings is listed as a third-string player. How long does that hold?

The long-and-strong rookie boasts plenty of swagger. He’s a very outgoing, charming young fella who boasts excellent wheels. Add it all together and it’s hard not to step away impressed by where he’s at and where he could still go.

Watch Demmings before the snap. He looks confident lining up directly across from the receiver. Getting directly over the receiver’s toes prior to the ball being snapped is a direct challenge to that pass catcher. Gotta love that swagger from a young lad. He’s the likely CB4 who will be pushing for a more prominent job.

The corner will be wearing the #20.

Player No. 3 — EDGE Bo Richter

Bo Richter is a depth edge rusher who has been employed for a pair of seasons already.

Originally, he arrived in the Twin Cities as an undrafted talent following the 2024 NFL Draft. He has since become a stalwart on special teams, as evidenced by his 639 combined snaps for Matt Daniels in these past two years. For comparison, he has only demanded 81 snaps on defense. Can that change going into 2026?

As things stand, the EDGE3 job is wide open. Most insist that somebody who isn’t an edge rusher is going to be that edge rusher. Think Ty Ingram-Dawkins, Eric Wilson, and/or Jake Golday. Richter is looking to show he can secure the job. He’s a really good athlete but there are concerns about him being just 6’1″, a decent step behind the normal length of an NFL edge rusher.

The depth edge rusher can be found inside the #98 jersey.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

Althoff, a less-heralded member of the Chris Waller stable, achieved a significant career highlight at Rosehill, outclassing the Group 1 performer Attica with a superb Zac Lloyd ride.

Patiently handled in the midfield, Althoff ($3.60) saved ground before unleashing a decisive run in the straight to cross the line 2-1/4 lengths ahead of Attica ($3.10 fav). The Epsom Handicap placegetter, Fully Lit ($7), secured third place, a short neck further back.

“They never stop surprising you,” Waller stated. “He’s always been a consistent horse. He’s had a few niggles with his knees, and he’s obviously matured now and put all those little things behind him. Beautiful ride. Zac is riding with confidence. Horses feel that and that’s how he won.”

The five-year-old had indicated his well-being when finishing second to Carbonados at Rosehill on August 1. Despite a history of inconsistency for punters, Waller believes Althoff is capable of succeeding in a lower-grade stakes race when conditions align.

“I know he’s not an easy horse to follow, but when they return like that you like to think they can build towards something, and he did,” Waller commented. “He’s never been one we’ve thought too highly of, but we’ve thought enough of him to keep him going. He’s a good, Saturday money-spinning horse and if he had the perfect conditions, a race at Newcastle like the Cameron Handicap, or those type of second-tier Listed or Group Three races (could suit).”

Attica, conceding seven kilograms to the winner, put up a valiant effort to finish second.

Stable representative Brave Pride noted that Attica’s trials had suggested a sharper turn of foot, but his performance indicated he would benefit from a middle-distance test.

“Just the way he trialled, we thought he might have been a bit sharper today,” Brave Pride said. “He ground away nicely. (Jockey) Adam (Hyeronimus) was happy with him. He just said he probably wanted to be in that rhythm a bit longer over 2000 metres. We’ll press on, probably with the idea of getting more towards a mile-and-a-quarter.”

Althoff’s victory marked the fourth winner for Waller on the day, while Lloyd celebrated a riding treble. Punters looking for the next opportunity might find value by checking Australian betting sites for early markets.