At Rosehill, Vauban looks to commence the autumn carnival identically to last year by capturing the Sky High Stakes.
Co-trainer Adrian Bott noted the choice to mirror the preparation from 12 months previous, particularly for the first couple of appearances.
“It’s the race he won twelve months ago, so we tried to do a similar prep for him,” Bott said.
“He is well placed, and he seems in good shape.”
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Vauban succeeded in the Sky High Stakes (2000m) last year, then was third behind Dubai Honour and Duke De Sessa in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m).
Both contests are planned again, alongside potential Brisbane winter carnival targets further ahead.
“Last year we went to the Tancred, which he was a touch unlucky in. If he resumes as well as he did last year, all things being equal we will look at that race again,” Bott said.
“If not, there are other targets we can look at.
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“He’s not confirmed for a Sydney Cup path this time through, we might just keep him at that 2000, 2400 and then potentially look at some options in Queensland as well.”
Vauban last raced when sixth in the Melbourne Cup but boasts three trials sharpening him for reappearance.
While spring Cup efforts test equine stamina, Bott reports Vauban has excelled afterward.
“It’s amazing. He has thrived off the back of it,” he said.
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“He has just looked looked tremendous this campaign, so hopefully that’s a good indication.”
In the Sky High, the stable runs Just Fine too, with Bott expecting fitter form than his midfield run in the Parramatta Cup (2000m) three lengths away.
After a 10-month layoff, his home efforts have been encouraging.
“He’d had a while off the scene so he will be better for that run,” Bott said.
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“He finished alongside Campaldino the other day, who then came out and won well.
“I was really pleased with him going into that run, and I still have been.”
Tulloch Lodge joins just one other stable in the Sky High Stakes, Chris Waller with seven entrants.
Benn has won 24 of his 25 professional fights, losing just one bout against Chris Eubank Jr before avenging that defeat in November, while Prograis is a two-time super-lightweight world champion.
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Prograis was last in action in August, when he claimed a unanimous decision victory over former world champion Joseph Diaz, and now JoJo has offered his take on his recent rival’s upcoming clash with Benn.
Speaking to MillCity Boxing, Diaz said he was leaning towards Benn, but admits that Prograis is more than capable of getting the win.
“Regis is a good fighter, he’s a slick fighter. He pretends he’s hurt sometimes, he lands good combinations. If Conor gets caught with a shot unexpectedly, Regis hits hard, he could really put some damage to Conor.
“It’s a good fight for both competitors and for boxing. It’s a fight that boxing needs right now. I’m giving the slight edge to Conor Benn because he’s fighting at a heavier weight, and if he lands some good body shots and a good shot up top, he could get Regis out of there.
“Regis is a slick fighter though, so if Benn is a little too wild like he gets sometimes and drops his hands and stuff and Regis catches and clips him, he can win the fight as well, so it’s a good fight.”
The rescheduled women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) is underway in Morocco, a year later than planned. The tournament sees some of the best players in the world fighting for glory, but as players and nations emerge, familiar problems linger that threaten to prevent the tournament from reaching its full potential.
While not a traditional powerhouse, Morocco is becoming the emerging epicenter of women’s football on the continent. Thanks to no competing bids and some of the best stadiums in Africa, Morocco has become a stable and safe choice for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to host the tournament. They are hosting again this time around, after having hosted in 2022. They are also set to host in 2026.
Recent investment in the women’s game in Morocco is clearly paying off. The women’s team unexpectedly reached the World Cup knockout stages in 2023 and have developed star players such as captain and legend Ghizlane Chebbak, who scored a hat trick against DR Congo in the group stage of this year’s WAFCON. Under Jorge Vilda, who was sacked as Spain’s coach after the 2023 scandal involving former Spanish Federation President Luis Rubiales, Morocco are daring to challenge the established football forces of Nigeria and South Africa. They also have the potential to deliver lasting cultural change to both northern Africa and the rest of the continent.
Elsewhere at WAFCON, Nigerian superstar Asisat Oshoala, Zambia’s striking duo of Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji and South Africa head coach Desiree Ellis are just some of the star-studded names that make this year’s tournament one of the most intriguing ever.
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A star of Asisat Oshoala’s caliber deserves to play in front of bigger crowdsImage: Justina Aniefiok/Shengolpixs/IMAGO
Familiar problems in play
The tournament is held back from reaching its full potential by off-field decisions. As a result of the delay, scheduling for the tournament only came out at the end of May, leaving promotion somewhat last minute, especially compared to the Euros. Furthermore, with three stadiums in Morocco being renovated for the men’s tournament, three smaller grounds are now being used, affecting attendance numbers.
“We don’t celebrate this team enough,” Ellis said of her players ahead of their opening game. “That needs to change because many of them are not full-time professionals; that’s what makes it the hardest part.”
Beyond the elusive recognition that many of these teams deserve is the question of fair financial compensation. South Africa’s tournament build-up has been hampered by financial issues, with reports that players were not training and sponsors hadn’t been secured. An agreement with the players has since been reached, but the team’s frustration is one that sadly many other nations competing this summer will likely be able to relate to.
“Women in sports, in general, are getting the leftovers,” Ellis said.
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Women’s football on the rise in Africa
Pay gap still wide
The prize money on offer is also a contentious issue.
On the face of it, the CAF announcement that the prize fund for this year’s WAFCON had been increased by 45% was positive, with the winners now receiving €853,000 ($1 million). But that total is not only less than the winners of the other two women’s competitions this summer — the Euros (€1.75 million) and Copa America Femenina (€1.3 million). It is worth noting that the Euros total prize money is up by 156% from the last edition. As is often the case for most women’s tournaments, the pot is considerably smaller than the men’s version. While €853,000 for this year’s WAFCON winners is obviously a step in the right direction, it is still a long way off the €6 million Senegal’s men got for winning the AFCON in 2023.
This pay gap marks a wider issue in the women’s game, which many players at this year’s WAFCON have to contend with. As FIFA’s annual report on women’s football in March this year revealed, sustainable income remains elusive for many in the professional game. In the report, FIFA highlighted that the global average annual salary for a woman playing professional football is €9,952 ($10,900). Players at teams given the Tier 1 designation were on an average salary of €20,492 but the average of those at Tier 2 and 3 clubs was €3,719 and €2,392 respectively. While many of the 288 players at this year’s WAFCON play their club football in Europe, only a handful play at top outfits. For example, only 10 play in the NWSL (top women’s league in the USA) or the WSL (top women’s league in England) and most of the South Africa, Botswana and Tanzania squads play domestically.
Despite the smaller crowds, the lack of adequate promotion and unique struggles of each nation, this year’s WAFCON already has the makings of being the best yet. But, as women’s football continues to grow in Africa, the hurdles — both globally and nationally — still hold women in professional football back.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The PGA Tour’s biggest event on its own calendar features some of the biggest names playing alongside one another this week just outside Jacksonville. Showcasing a field of 123 players filled with multiple-time major champions, FedEx Cup winners and past victors at TPC Sawgrass, the 2026 Players Championship will highlight the best that the PGA Tour has to offer, one of many massive storylines to follow as the tournament begins.
Among the headliners is Brooks Koepka, who makes his return to TPC Sawgrass in his first season back with the PGA Tour. He is paired with Arnold Palmer Invitational winner Akshay Bhatia and fan favorite Tony Finau in Round 1. The trio kicks off a run of sound groupings beginning at 8:28 a.m. ET off the 10th tee.
Following that threesome is Collin Morikawa, Ludvig Åberg and Si Woo Kim at 8:40 a.m with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler getting his Players Championship underway at 8:52 a.m. alongside Tommy Fleetwood and prior Players champion Justin Thomas.
As the play progresses into the afternoon with those early groups hitting the famed Island Green at the 17th hole, additional stars will step onto the golf course. A popular group on the grounds will be that of Sahith Theegala, Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler, who tee off No. 1 at 1:30 p.m.
Reigning champion Rory McIlroy, two-time major champion Xander Schauffele and former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama follow immediately at 1:42 p.m., though it’s possible McIlroy never tees off at all. The career grand slam winner has been nursing back spasms that forced him to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week. McIlroy called himself a game-time decision on Wednesday, and given his afternoon tee time, the wait-and-see approach is appropriate.
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Scheffler is a substantial favorite at nearly 5-1 to win The Players, though Morikawa has moved behind him on The Players odds board at 15-1, per DraftKings.
Oleksandr Usyk remains adamant that, even after Terence Crawford announced his retirement last December, he is not the sport’s leading pound-for-pound operator.
Despite his humility, many would regard Usyk as the finest fighter of his generation, with the Ukrainian having become a three-time, two-division undisputed champion.
His professional accolades followed a distinguished amateur career, where he claimed Olympic gold in 2012, before defeating the likes of Mairis Briedis and Murat Gassiev to unify all four major belts at 200lbs.
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The 39-year-old then cemented himself as the greatest heavyweight of this era by securing two victories over Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois, respectively.
And yet, even during his reign as the undisputed king, Usyk always maintained his belief that Crawford was the number one pound-for-pound fighter.
Speaking with Inside the Ring ahead of his clash with Rico Verhoeven on May 23, Usyk named four-division world champion Shakur Stevenson as the man to replace Crawford.
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“Thank you so much [to] people who support me, but I cannot say [the No.1 pound-for-pound fighter is] me.
“Now, maybe it’s Shakur.”
While Stevenson is certainly a top five pound-for-pound star, some would argue that two-division undisputed champion Naoya Inoue deserves to be placed above him at this stage.
The Japanese ‘Monster’ has dominated several of the lower weight classes in recent years, notably defeating the likes of Nonito Donaire, Stephen Fulton and Luis Nery. His case will be made stronger if he defeats Junto Nakatani on May 2.
Stevenson, meanwhile, has terrific potential to become the sport’s flagship fighter. A three-division champion at the age of 28, the Newark southpaw comes off a dominant win over Teofimo Lopez and looks to push on by facing more big names in and around the 140 weight class.
Victor Osimhen has surprised his sister Blessing with a customised Tesla Cybertruck reportedly valued at about ₦400 million.
The luxury electric vehicle was revealed by car dealer Polanco Exotic Cars on social media, where photos showed the special version of the futuristic truck purchased by the Super Eagles striker.
Unlike the regular factory model, the vehicle comes with a matte-black “stealth” wrap designed to protect the body from strong sunlight and give it a bold appearance.
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The truck also carries a customised red “T” badge on the bonnet, making it different from the usual simple design seen on most Cybertruck models.
The high value of the vehicle is mainly due to the cost of bringing it into Nigeria, which includes shipping charges and expensive customs duties.
Reports indicate that the car may be the Cyberbeast version of the Cybertruck. The model is powered by a tri-motor all-wheel-drive system and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 2.6 seconds.
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Osimhen, who has played for clubs such as Lille OSC, SSC Napoli and Galatasaray, has often spoken about his difficult childhood and the important role his family played in supporting his football career.
The first round of the 2026 Players Championship has arrived. The best players on the PGA Tour are at TPC Sawgrass to take on the Stadium Course in Thursday’s first round. That includes World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and, barring a last-minute withdrawal, World No. 2 Rory McIlroy. Below, we’ll provide Players Championship live updates all day long on Thursday, including from our writers on-site at Sawgrass, as well as Players leaderboard updates and more.
Here’s a few things to know as you follow along on Thursday:
Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, co-owners of Wrexham, are set to provide commentary for their club’s Championship clash against Swansea this Friday.
This is everything you need to know about the show.
What’s going on?
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Wrexham AFC owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac are set to offer a unique, partisan commentary experience for their club’s upcoming match, airing this Friday on Sky Sports Football.
Sky is promoting the event as a “first-of-its-kind broadcast,” promising insights from the Hollywood duo that will be “anything but impartial.”
Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds (left) and Rob Mac celebrate their club scoring against Chelsea (Nick Potts/PA Wire)
The celebrity owners are also expected to host a number of guests during the live coverage.
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While regular commentary will be provided by Daniel Mann and Andy Hinchcliffe, the focus will undoubtedly be on Reynolds and McElhenney.
The famous owners attended last weekend’s extra-time FA Cup defeat against Chelsea, with Reynolds also present at Tuesday’s 2-1 home loss to Hull.
What have they said?
Announcing the broadcast, Reynolds and Mac said: “As with our decision to take over Wrexham five years ago, we genuinely have no idea how this is going to go, but we will give it our best.
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“Neither of us have called a sporting event of any variety, let alone a sport we basically learned the rules of five years ago.
“Either way, it will be another unpredictable day at the Racecourse and we can’t wait. We’re grateful to our partners at the EFL and Sky Sports, the latter of which we hope is ready with the bleep button.”
What’s the background?
Hollywood stars Reynolds and Mac bought Wrexham for around £2million in 2021, and the club has undergone a transformation since then.
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Wrexham have made English football history with three consecutive promotions taking them from non-league football to the Championship, and they are in contention to make it four in a row (PA Wire)
Their progress has been documented in the popular series Welcome to Wrexham, which has won 10 Emmy Awards and put the club in the global spotlight.
All-Wales clash
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The match is Swansea’s first visit to the Racecourse Ground for a league fixture since Wrexham beat the Swans 4-0 in the old Division Three in 2002.
But earlier this season City beat Phil Parkinson’s side 2-1 in south Wales.
Swansea are the second Welsh side to visit the Racecourse this season after League One Cardiff upset them in the Carabao Cup in October.
No Snoop Dogg?
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Swansea have plenty of star power in their own boardroom, with hip hop star Snoop Dogg, AC Milan playmaker Luka Modric and American billionaire and television personality Martha Stewart all holding minority shares in the club.
Swansea co-owner Snoop Dogg caused a huge stir last month when he pitched up at the Swansea.com Stadium for their home game against Preston (PA Wire)
Snoop caused a huge stir last month when he pitched up at the Swansea.com Stadium for their home game against Preston last month, whipping up the crowd and, according to visiting boss Paul Heckingbottom, leaving the “smell of weed in the tunnel”.
But unless Snoop is one of the promised special guests, Friday night’s broadcast will be a one-sided affair.
Nigeria international Tochukwu Nnadi has said former Chelsea FC midfielder N’Golo Kanté is the greatest footballer in his opinion, placing him ahead of global stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 22-year-old midfielder, who currently plays for Olympique de Marseille, made the comment during a recent interview with the club.
Nnadi’s career has progressed quickly in the last two years. He moved from Botev Plovdiv to Belgian side Zulte Waregem before completing a reported €6 million transfer to Marseille in the January transfer window.
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Since arriving in France, the Nigerian midfielder has faced tough competition for a place in the team. Experienced players such as Pierre‑Emile Højbjerg and Geoffrey Kondogbia are also fighting for spots in midfield.
Nnadi, who plays mainly as a defensive midfielder and is known for his strong positioning, pressing and ball-winning ability, explained that Kanté remains the player he admires the most.
During his time at Chelsea, Kanté became known as one of the best midfielders in the world at recovering possession and breaking up opposition attacks. His tireless energy and smart reading of the game helped the club win several major trophies.
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For Nnadi, whose own role focuses on winning the ball and controlling the tempo from deep positions, Kanté’s style has been a big influence on how he approaches the game.
The young midfielder’s progress has also been recognised at international level. He received his first call-up to the Nigeria national football team for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and made his senior debut in Nigeria’s final group-stage match against Uganda national football team.
Since joining Marseille earlier this year, Nnadi has not yet become a regular starter. The strong competition in midfield means he may need more time to secure a consistent place in the team.
However, Marseille head coach Habib Beye has previously praised the Nigerian’s performances in training and believes he could earn more playing opportunities if he continues to improve.
Utah enters Year 1 of the Morgan Scalley era with a returning QB (Devon Dampier) and plenty of faces to replace from last year’s 11-2 team. 
