England fast bowler Ollie Robinson has been ruled out of the second Test against New Zealand after experiencing soreness in his right knee.

The 32-year-old seamer will play no part in the upcoming clash as the medical team continues to monitor his condition.

His absence deals a significant blow to the tourists’ pace attack as they look to secure a positive result.

Ongoing fitness struggles

The Sussex stalwart has endured a frustrating history of physical breakdowns throughout his international career.

Management have opted for a highly cautious approach to avoid aggravating the joint further during the demanding five-day format.

A direct replacement for the right-arm paceman has not yet been officially confirmed by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Pace bowling reshuffle

Head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes will now be forced to reconsider their tactical combinations.

The touring squad possesses several alternative bowling options who will be eager to stake their claim in the starting XI.

Further medical assessments will ultimately determine whether the afflicted player can return for any subsequent fixtures on the tour.

Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from the final round of the RBC Canadian Open with a hand injury, placing his participation in next week’s U.S. Open in significant doubt.

The five-time major winner was trailing leader Jackson Suber by seven shots before abandoning his final round on Sunday morning.

He attempted to warm up before his tee time but found himself unable to continue through the discomfort.

Major preparation suffers setback

The American struggled noticeably during Saturday’s third round, where he battled to a two-over-par 72 while receiving medical treatment on the course.

The former world number one revealed the issue severely restricted his ability to hold the golf club properly.

“I don’t know what it is. I’m struggling to grip the club with my ring finger and pinkie finger, so can’t grip it,” Koepka told reporters on Saturday.

Shinnecock Hills return in jeopardy

“The club is kind of just, my fingers would come loose. It was kind of numb. I don’t know what the deal was but hopefully we’ll figure it out.”

The timing of the ailment is disastrous for the 34-year-old as he prepares for the third major championship of the men’s golf season.

Next week’s U.S. Open marks a return to Shinnecock Hills, the historic New York venue where he successfully claimed the prestigious title in 2018.

Leigh Leopards winger Josh Charnley has broken the all-time Super League try-scoring record, securing a historic hat-trick to seal a 38-12 victory over the Bradford Bulls at Odsal.

The 34-year-old surpassed former Leeds Rhinos winger Ryan Hall to reach an unprecedented 272 career tries.

His treble helped the visitors secure a sixth win in seven matches, keeping their playoff hopes firmly alive.

Record-breaking treble at Odsal

Vintage finishing was on full display from the veteran back, whose illustrious career has included spells with Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves.

Adam Cook initially got the scoreboard moving with a penalty goal for the Leopards.

The Australian stand-off then delivered a perfectly weighted kick for his prolific team-mate to collect and cross the line for his first of the afternoon.

A moment of individual brilliance soon followed as the explosive runner side-stepped two defenders to dive over on the right touchline.

Leigh close gap on playoff spots

Bradford showed brief signs of resistance in the second half when scrum-half Chris Atkin broke the line to score.

However, the momentous milestone was reached shortly after as another precise pass from Cook allowed the unstoppable winger to complete his hat-trick.

Caleb Aekins managed a second consolation try for the hosts following a fine burst from full-back.

Late scores from Innes Senior, Bailey Hodgson and Louis Brogan ultimately added gloss to a dominant afternoon for the away side.

Injury concern mars historic afternoon

Despite the resounding triumph, Leigh remain in seventh place at the halfway point of the regular campaign.

They have now moved within just two points of St Helens, who currently occupy the final crucial playoff spot.

The only dampener on a celebratory afternoon was the sight of the newly crowned record-holder limping off the field with 15 minutes remaining.

Looking ahead, these two cross-Pennine rivals will make history next February when their corresponding fixture is staged in Las Vegas.

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez stopped Antonio Vargas with a brutal sixth-round knockout in Arizona to win the WBA bantamweight title and become a three-weight world champion.

The undefeated 26-year-old dropped his American compatriot in the fourth round before finishing the contest with a devastating straight left hand at the Desert Diamond Arena.

Victory elevates the San Antonio native to a flawless professional record of 24 wins, with 17 coming by way of knockout.

This spectacular performance has immediately intensified calls for a highly anticipated superfight against Japanese pound-for-pound star Naoya Inoue.

Inoue superfight looms for undefeated champion

“I’m ready for whoever, whenever,” the newly crowned bantamweight king said following his sixth consecutive stoppage victory.

“Put them in front of me and I’m going to say yes.”

Trainer Robert Garcia had previously suggested a preparatory bout might be necessary before challenging Inoue, but promoter Eddie Hearn believes this dominant display accelerates the timeline.

Making his divisional debut, the former super-flyweight titleholder showed no reluctance to stand and trade punches with a naturally bigger opponent.

Rodriguez overcomes bigger opponent to secure stoppage

Despite absorbing accurate shots from a fighter who had suffered knockdowns in recent outings, superior footwork allowed the Texas-born star to systematically break down his opposition.

A short overhand left heavily floored Vargas in round four, though he gamely survived the count to briefly continue the contest.

The concluding sequence arrived two rounds later when Rodriguez unleashed a flawless four-punch combination to permanently end proceedings.

“He was tougher than I thought,” the victorious world champion admitted.

Hearn predicts victory against Japanese great

“Even after that first knockdown, he got up, and he was fighting like it never even happened.”

While unifying the division against WBO titleholder Christian Medina remains a viable option, Matchroom Boxing is firmly focused on securing a blockbuster clash with Inoue.

“After Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury, ‘Bam’ vs. Inoue is the biggest fight in the sport, no doubt.”

“There’s no one on this planet who’s beating ‘Bam’ Rodriguez at 118 or 122 pounds, not even Naoya Inoue.”

Eddie Hearn

Shemaine Campbelle struck an emotional, unbeaten 90 as the West Indies defeated defending champions New Zealand by seven wickets with just one ball remaining in their Women’s T20 World Cup opener in Southampton.

Chasing 163 for victory, the Caribbean side reached their target in dramatic fashion during a tense final over.

Experienced all-rounder Sophie Devine was tasked with defending six runs from the last six deliveries.

With the scores level, Campbelle handed the strike to 20-year-old Jahzara Claxton, and the pair scrambled a bye from the penultimate ball to seal a famous win.

Campbelle ends long wait for half-century

The match-winning knock held immense personal significance for the veteran wicketkeeper-batter.

Campbelle was visibly emotional upon securing the victory, having registered her maiden T20 international half-century after an astonishing 122 matches.

Her heroic innings was heavily supported by star captain Hayley Matthews, who capitalised on early fielding errors by the opposition.

The White Ferns will bitterly regret dropping the destructive opener on just nine, allowing her to build a crucial foundation with a rapid 48.

White Ferns falter despite competitive total

Earlier in the day, the defending champions posted a respectable 162-6 despite suffering a sudden top-order collapse.

The title holders slipped rapidly from 49-0 to 56-3 before middle-order batters Brooke Halliday and Maddy Green stabilised the innings.

Halliday top-scored with 40 and Green added 35, building on Izzy Gaze’s brisk 39 during the powerplay.

However, Aaliyah Alleyne proved to be the standout bowler for the Windies, claiming brilliant figures of 4-27 to restrict the scoring rate.

Group 2 blown wide open

This dramatic result immediately reshapes the landscape of Group 2, creating a highly competitive race for the knockout stages.

With tournament heavyweights England widely considered favourites to secure top spot, the battle for the second qualification place is now fiercely contested.

The Caribbean outfit have taken a massive step toward the semi-finals, leaving the reigning champions under immediate pressure in their title defence.

Exeter Chiefs have reached their first Premiership final since 2021 after overturning a 16-point half-time deficit to defeat defending champions Bath 27-26 at the Rec.

The visitors scored 17 unanswered points in a storming second-half revival to dethrone the title holders.

They will now face regular-season table-toppers Northampton Saints at Twickenham next Saturday.

A stunning second-half turnaround

The hosts appeared completely in control during the opening period, making light of Scottish fly-half Finn Russell’s absence.

They built a commanding 26-10 advantage by the interval, threatening to end their opponents’ proud flawless record in play-off fixtures.

However, the momentum shifted dramatically following the restart as the 2020 champions began a resilient fightback.

Tries from Ben Hammersley and Greg Fisilau brought the chasing side within touching distance of a remarkable upset.

Burger strikes late to seal Twickenham spot

Bath’s task grew significantly harder when winger Joe Cokanasiga was sent to the sin-bin during a crucial phase of the match.

Capitalising on their numerical advantage, Ethan Burger barrelled over the line to secure a stunning one-point victory.

The dramatic triumph maintains an incredible statistic for the triumphant club, who have won every play-off match in which they have featured.

They must now prepare for a formidable challenge at the national stadium against a Northampton team fresh from winning their own semi-final derby.

Rory McIlroy has opted to skip this week’s Canadian Open in Toronto to focus his preparations on the upcoming US Open at Shinnecock Hills.

The Northern Irishman has reversed his usual preference for playing a competitive tournament immediately before a major championship.

This decision aligns his schedule with world number one Scottie Scheffler, who traditionally avoids competing the week prior to prestige events.

Managing the major schedule

McIlroy has historically favoured staying sharp with competitive golf right up until a major begins.

“Before, I’m all for,” he said.

“After, I wouldn’t. I’m not a huge fan of it, but there’s only so many weeks in the year. I really like playing the week before if it makes sense.”

However, the four-time major winner is taking a different approach ahead of the action in Southampton, New York.

Scheffler has long maintained that rest is crucial for his tournament preparation.

“I typically don’t love playing the week before a major,” the American stated.

“It’s nice to have so many tournaments that are really good.”

“If y’all were to walk with me each day of the tournament and see what we have to do in order to play one week, having to do that four weeks in a row… I wouldn’t be able to perform my best.”

Driving improvements needed for Shinnecock

McIlroy recently secured a joint 12th-place finish alongside Scheffler and Justin Rose at the Memorial Tournament.

Following that result, he returned to his home on the Wentworth estate in Surrey to spend time with his family.

“I had a couple of weeks off and we got ourselves settled into our house in London for the summer,” he explained.

Despite the solid finish at the Memorial, the Holywood-born star admitted his game still requires fine-tuning.

“Off the tee still wasn’t where I want it to be,” he noted.

“Thankfully, the fairways at Shinnecock are a little wider than they are here. But, yeah, still need to work on that. I need to work on how I’m hitting it off the tee.”

British pole vault record holder Molly Caudery has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2026 season after undergoing emergency spinal surgery.

The 26-year-old world indoor champion required a microdiscectomy to address a severe back issue that rapidly deteriorated last week.

She will consequently miss the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the European Championships in Birmingham.

Diamond League success followed by sudden injury

The devastating setback comes just days after the British athlete secured victory at the Diamond League meeting in Rome.

She cleared a season’s best height of 4.80m in the Italian capital before experiencing the sudden flare-up.

Taking to social media, the European bronze medallist expressed her profound disappointment at missing out on major international competitions.

“And just like that, my season is over. Absolutely heartbroken to even be writing this, missing out on yet another major champs and home games.”
“Emergency spinal surgery wasn’t on my 2026 bingo card.”

A history of championship heartbreak

The surgical procedure was necessary to remove a portion of a spinal disc and prevent permanent nerve damage.

This latest medical intervention extends a frustrating run of bad luck at major events for the talented vaulter.

She famously failed to register a height during her opening event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Prior to that, the former Commonwealth silver medallist also missed the World Championships in Tokyo due to an ankle injury sustained during her warm-up.

“I had a back flare-up last week that got worse quickly and immediate surgical intervention was needed to prevent any further damage.”
“The surgery was a success and my road to recovery starts today.”

Focus turns to long-term rehabilitation

Despite the devastating interruption to her campaign, the national record holder is determined to mount a successful return to the sport.

“Really thought 2026 was going to be my year after heartbreak in Paris and Tokyo and everything in between, but just wanted to add another chapter in the autobiography before the comeback.”