Finn Russell will not feature in Scotland’s opening Nations Championship match of the summer series but could feature against South Africa, says head coach Gregor Townsend, who welcomes back Jonny Gray.

Fly-half Russell, 33, has not fully recovered from the calf injury that kept him out of the latter part of Bath’s domestic campaign and was not considered for the match at Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Cordoba on Saturday (20:10 BST). The Scots face the Springboks in Pretoria on 11 July then Fiji at Murrayfield on 18 July.

Tom Jordan starts at 10 in Russell’s absence, with Fergus Burke among the replacements.

Gray returns against the Pumas, having missed this year’s Six Nations, while fellow lock Scott Cummings, 29, and prop Pierre Schoeman, 32, will win their 50th caps.

“Great for [Jonny Gray] to be back in the squad,” said Townsend. “Since his move to Perpignan, he’s played very well so his form’s been rewarded with this opportunity. It’s nice obviously nice that him and Scott Cummings are playing together.

“Jonny was at Glasgow when Scott came through as an 18-year-old. It will be great to see them both back int he second row again.”

Overall, the XV in Cordoba shows eight personnel changes to the team that finished the Six Nations with defeat to Ireland in Dublin in mid-March.

Full-back Kyle Rowe, centre Rory Hutchinson, wing Jamie Dobie, fly-half Tom Jordan, hooker George Turner, prop Elliot Millar-Mills and Cummings are the players joining Gray in coming in to the side.

Kyle Steyn moves from left to right wing to accommodate Dobie. Prop Zander Fagerson and wing Darcy Graham, who started in Dublin, drop to the bench.

Gregor Hiddleston could make his Scotland debut off the bench.

“We’ll have to gel quickly,” Townsend said.

“It’s our first game since we played in Dublin. We’ve got a lot of evidence in the Six Nations and November that when we get our game in place in attack and defence, we can cause problems to any team in world rugby and do more than that, convert opportunities.

“I believe that our squad now is much deeper and we use that bench to continue what the starters are doing or actually raise the energy.”

Scotland: Rowe, Steyn, Hutchinson, Tuipulotu (capt), Dobie, Jordan, White; Schoeman, Ashman, Millar-Mills, Gray, Cummings, M Fagerson, Darge, Dempsey.

Replacements: Hiddleston, Sutherland, Z Fagerson, Samuel, Brown, Horne, Burke, Graham.

Risa Sato is the Akari Chargers’ latest signing ahead of the new PVL season. –AKARI CHARGERS

MANILA, Philippines — Akari has tapped 11-time champion Risa Sato ahead of the new Premier Volleyball League (PVL) season.

Akari on Thursday announced the comeback of the Filipino-Japanese middle blocker.

“Ready to bring in her championship experience and energy. Risa will be a huge boost for the Chargers. Let’s go!” Akari wrote.

Sato won 11 PVL titles. The first was with BaliPure in 2017 before winning 10 with Creamline.

The National University product transferred to Chery Tiggo last year before the club took a leave of absence last December.

Sato also announced her marriage to basketball player Enzo Joson and revealed their child last November.

Sato is reunited with former Creamline teammate Ced Domingo, fortifying the Chargers’ frontline with Fifi Sharma.

Akari also signed Galeries middle blocker Shar Ancheta and Farm Fresh libero Ann Monares.

Shakur Stevenson has never looked close to losing during his professional career but he thinks there is one fighter out there that could potentially push him to his limit.

Stevenson has become one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world after securing world honours in four divisions from featherweight to super-lightweight.

He has beaten fighters such as William Zepeda, Oscar Valdez and Jamel Herring, and last time out picked up his biggest win to date when he defeated Teofimo Lopez by unanimous decision to become WBO super-lightweight champion.

There has been much speculation since that win over who Stevenson may face next, and he has named who he possibly would like it to be if he had his way.

Posting on social media, Stevenson revealed his desire for a fight against Gary Antuanne Russell.

“I rather fight Antuanne Russell.. That’s a fighter who will bring the best out of me!!”

Russell is the current WBA super-lightweight champion, winning the belt with a win over Jose Valenzuela in March 2025 before making a successful defence against Andy Hiraoka in February.

A fight between Stevenson and Russell would present the fighters with a unification opportunity at 140lbs, but there are also a number of other options available for the current WBO champion.

One of those include WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney, who has been linked to a 144lb catchweight bout against Stevenson, but ‘The Dream’ also has a mandatory bout against Keyshawn Davis to contend with, along with a possible clash with Gervonta Davis.

Jubilee Stadium will play host to Saturday’s
Round 18 NRL game between St. George Illawarra Dragons and
Wests Tigers. The game kicks off at 5:30 pm with Wests Tigers heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the St. George Illawarra Dragons vs.
Wests Tigers
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Saturday July 4, 2026 at 5:30 pm

Where: Jubilee Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

St. George Illawarra Dragons vs Wests Tigers Odds

St. George Illawarra Dragons vs Wests Tigers Preview

St George Illawarra hosts the Wests Tigers on Saturday afternoon in a clash that could prove significant for both clubs’ finals aspirations. The Tigers receive a timely boost with the return of Adam Doueihi, whose versatility and attacking instincts add another dimension alongside halfback Jock Madden. The Dragons, however, have become one of the competition’s tougher sides to break down, consistently dragging opponents into low-scoring contests built on field position and defence. They pushed Newcastle all the way last week and will again back their ability to grind their way into the contest. With little separating the two teams, discipline and patience may ultimately decide what shapes as an evenly balanced encounter.

• Alex Eala continues her campaign in the 2026 Wimbledon Championships vs Maya Joint in the singles second round.

Wimbledon 2026 schedule

July 2, Thursday – Singles second round

• 8:30pm (tentative) – Alex Eala vs Maya Joint

LIVE UPDATES: Alex Eala vs Maya Joint – Wimbledon 2026 second round

• Refresh this page for updates.

A mantra we can all live by 🇵🇭 pic.twitter.com/Xxido1LNF7

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 2, 2026

It’s heating up 🔥

Who’s ready for Day 4!? 🙋‍♀️#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/r9b2maOaqX

— wta (@WTA) July 2, 2026

Philippines’ Alexandra Eala returns to Mexico’s Renata Zarazua during their women’s singles first round tennis match on the second day of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on June 30, 2026. AFP

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Alex Eala collected a milestone—for herself and for the country—with her victory at Wimbledon. She also earned something else: A shot at redemption.

Fresh off her first main-draw win at the All England Club, Eala will face Maya Joint in the second round of the Wimbledon Championships, a rematch of a showdown that produced one of the most unforgettable defeats of her young career.

The two last met in the 2025 Eastbourne Open final, where Eala came within a point of claiming her first WTA title before Joint rallied to deny her despite the Filipino ace holding four championship points. The defeat stung, but it also marked history as Eala became the first female player from the Philippines to reach a WTA singles final.

“A really great match,” Eala recalled after her Wimbledon opener. “I’d love to have the chance to improve on some things that I could have improved from that match.”

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Suncorp Stadium will play host to Saturday’s
Round 18 NRL game between Brisbane Broncos and
Cronulla Sharks. The game kicks off at 7:35 pm with Cronulla Sharks heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Brisbane Broncos vs.
Cronulla Sharks
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Saturday July 4, 2026 at 7:35 pm

Where: Suncorp Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

Brisbane Broncos vs Cronulla Sharks Odds

Brisbane Broncos vs Cronulla Sharks Preview

Cronulla faces a crucial test of its top-eight credentials when it travels to Brisbane on Saturday night. The Sharks have remained competitive despite the absence of Nicho Hynes, with Braydon Trindall continuing to guide the side around the park, but consistency remains their biggest challenge. Brisbane has been hit hard by injuries throughout the season, yet Michael Maguire’s side continues to compete with determination and will relish the opportunity to test a fellow finals contender at Suncorp Stadium. Young playmaker Thomas Duffy has impressed in recent weeks, adding further intrigue to an attack searching for stability. With both clubs chasing momentum entering the final third of the season, this looms as a pivotal contest.

Folarin Balogun’s teammates came to his defense after the USA World Cup star was given a red card during the team’s 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday night.

Balogun received the red card after he stepped on defender Tarik Muharemovic’s right ankle. Brazilian referee Raphael Claus only gave Balogun the card after a VAR review. The red card meant Balogun will not be able to play in the team’s Round of 16 match against Belgium.

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United States’ Folarin Balogun, right, stands by after being issued a red card by Referee Raphael Claus, of Brazil, as United States’ Weston McKennie (8) looks on during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

A FIFA official told The Athletic a team cannot appeal against the red card or the suspension. The official pointed the outlet to a portion of the organization’s rules and regulations, which states, “A sending-off automatically incurs suspension from the subsequent match. The FIFA judicial bodies may impose additional match suspensions and other disciplinary measures.”

Balogun’s teammate, Weston McKennie, called the lack of an appeal process “bogus” and disagreed with the referee’s decision to issue the red card.

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Bosnia’s Sead Kolasinac (5) talks to United States’ Folarin Balogun after Balogun was sent off, as Christian Pulisic (10) watches during the World Cup round of 32 match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (Julio Cortez / AP)

“Obviously the ref made a decision that he made, but I think it’s questionable,” McKennie said. “I think there’s been many other plays like that throughout the tournament on other players that a card wasn’t given at all. It’s disappointing.”

U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said Balogun’s act “was never intentional.”

“It’s never a red card. Never. … If the intention is to damage the opponent, OK, I understand. But that never was. It was a normal action in football that you are fighting for the ball and your feet land,” he said.

Balogun is the third player to score in a World Cup knockout match and be sent off. He follows Brazil’s Ronaldinho in 2002’s quarterfinal match against England and France’s Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final against Italy.

Referee Raphael Claus of Brazil shows a red card to United States’ Folarin Balogun, right, during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

It’s the fifth red card handed to an American in the squad’s World Cup history.

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Eric Wynalda received one against Czechoslovakia in 1990, Fernando Clavijo got one against Brazil in 1994 and Pablo Mastroeni and Eddie Pope each received one against Italy in 2006.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

We have your 2026 World Cup anytime goalscorer picks for Thursday’s three knockout games

CommBank Stadium will play host to Sunday’s
Round 18 NRL game between Parramatta Eels and
Manly Sea Eagles. The game kicks off at 2:00 pm with Manly Sea Eagles heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Parramatta Eels vs.
Manly Sea Eagles
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Sunday July 5, 2026 at 2:00 pm

Where: CommBank Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

Parramatta Eels vs Manly Sea Eagles Odds

Parramatta Eels vs Manly Sea Eagles Preview

Manly heads to CommBank Stadium looking to overcome another setback when it faces a Parramatta side refusing to let its season fade away. The Sea Eagles must now adjust without experienced halfback Luke Brooks, placing added responsibility on young Joey Walsh as the club enters a critical stage of the campaign. Parramatta has consistently shown resilience despite an injury-ravaged season and continues to challenge more fancied opponents through effort and commitment. Manly remains the stronger side on paper, but the Eels have developed a reputation for making life difficult regardless of the circumstances. Another spirited performance would come as little surprise in what shapes as a dangerous assignment for the visitors.