GEORGIA: The World Rugby Junior World Championship 2026 will bring together 16 of the world’s top under-20 rugby teams from June 27 to July 18, with matches taking place in Tbilisi and Kutaisi, Georgia.

The expanded tournament returns to a 16-team format for the first time since 2009, featuring established rugby nations alongside returning teams Fiji, USA, Japan and Uruguay.

Defending Champions and Title Contenders

South Africa enter the competition as defending champions after defeating New Zealand in last year’s final. The Junior Springboks will aim to retain their title against strong competition from traditional rugby powers including England, France and New Zealand.

England and New Zealand remain the most successful teams in the tournament’s history, while France will be looking to add another title after several strong performances in recent years.

Tournament Format

The 16 participating teams have been divided into four groups of four teams each. Following the group stage, all teams will advance to placement matches based on their group rankings.

The winners of each pool will progress to the semi-finals, with the remaining teams competing for final positions from fifth through 16th place. Every team will play a total of five matches during the tournament.

Groups

Pool A

• South Africa
• Wales
• Georgia
• Uruguay

Pool B

• New Zealand
• Italy
• Scotland
• Japan

Pool C

• England
• Ireland
• Argentina
• USA

Pool D

• France
• Australia
• Spain
• Fiji

Venues

Group-stage matches will be played at Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi and Aia Arena in Kutaisi. The third-place playoff and championship final will take place at Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi on July 18.

Key Dates

• Round 1: June 27
• Round 2: July 2
• Round 3: July 7
• Semi-finals: July 12-13
• Finals and Placement Matches: July 17-18

Opening Round Fixtures

June 27

• Argentina vs USA
• Italy vs Scotland
• England vs Ireland
• New Zealand vs Japan
• Wales vs Georgia
• France vs Fiji
• South Africa vs Uruguay
• Australia vs Spain

Looking Ahead

With many of rugby’s most promising young players set to compete, the World Rugby Junior World Championship 2026 offers an important platform for future international stars. The tournament is expected to provide high-quality competition as teams battle for the championship title and valuable international experience.

The final will be played on July 18, when a new champion—or a successful title defense by South Africa—will be confirmed.

BANGKOK: Thailand recorded their first victory of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2026 campaign with a convincing 3-0 win over Bulgaria in front of home supporters on Thursday.

Backed by more than 5,000 fans in Bangkok, the Thai team delivered one of their strongest performances of the tournament, winning 25-22, 25-20, 25-17 to improve their position in the standings.

The result ended a difficult start to the competition for Thailand, who had lost their opening five matches. The victory lifted them to 14th place with six points.

Outside hitter Sasipapron Janthawisut played a key role in the success, leading all scorers with 21 points, including 15 attack points, three blocks and three aces. Opposite hitter Pimpichaya Kokram also contributed significantly with 18 points.

“We have worked very hard, and we are pleased to achieve this result,” Sasipapron said after the match. “The support from our fans motivates us, and we are happy to share this victory with them.”

For Bulgaria, outside hitters Miroslava Paskova and Aleksandra Milanova each scored 11 points.

In the other VNL match played in Bangkok on Thursday, Poland defeated Ukraine 3-1 (25-21, 25-13, 22-25, 25-23).

Poland’s Magdalena Stysiak delivered an outstanding performance, finishing with 29 points, including 27 successful attacks and two blocks, to help her team secure the victory.

The latest results strengthen Thailand’s confidence as they continue their VNL 2026 campaign, while Poland maintained its positive momentum in the competition.

PRAGUE: Canada, Chinese Taipei and Australia secured places in the playoff round of the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Group Prague after strong performances on Day 3 of the tournament.

World No. 4 Canada and World No. 5 Chinese Taipei remained unbeaten and currently lead the standings, while World No. 11 Australia confirmed its place in the next stage with two important victories.

Canada earned a convincing win over Cuba, completing the game in five innings to maintain its perfect record through three matches.

Chinese Taipei also continued its unbeaten run, defeating host nation Czechia in five innings under the run-difference rule.

Australia strengthened its position in the standings with victories against Italy and Cuba, securing qualification for the playoff round.

The final day of group-stage action will determine the finishing order among the top teams. Canada and Chinese Taipei are scheduled to meet in a key matchup, while Canada will also face Czechia and Chinese Taipei will take on Australia.

The race for the final playoff berth remains open. Italy can secure fourth place with a victory over Cuba. However, other results could still affect the standings and create additional qualification scenarios involving Cuba and Czechia.

With three teams already assured of progression, attention now turns to the final group-stage games that will decide playoff seeding and the remaining qualification spot.

LOS ANGELES: Switzerland boosted their hopes of reaching the FIFA World Cup knockout stage with a 4-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in Group B on Thursday.

Substitutes Johan Manzambi and Ruben Vargas made a significant impact after coming off the bench, helping Switzerland break open a closely contested match in the final stages.

The Swiss side controlled much of the possession throughout the game but found it difficult to convert their chances during the opening hour. Bosnia and Herzegovina defended well and remained competitive for much of the contest.

Switzerland finally took the lead in the 74th minute when Johan Manzambi scored with his first touch after entering the match as a substitute. The goal came after a cross from Ruben Vargas led to a loose ball inside the penalty area.

Bosnia and Herzegovina faced an additional challenge five minutes later when defender Tarik Muharemovic received a red card, leaving his team with 10 players for the remainder of the match.

Switzerland capitalized on the advantage, with Vargas doubling the lead in the 84th minute after being set up by Manzambi. The pair combined again six minutes later as Manzambi scored his second goal of the evening.

Bosnia and Herzegovina managed to reduce the deficit in stoppage time through Ermin Mamhic, who scored from outside the penalty area following a corner kick.

However, Switzerland responded shortly afterward when captain Granit Xhaka converted a penalty to complete the scoring and secure a comfortable victory.

The result moves Switzerland to the top of Group B with four points after two matches, strengthening their chances of progressing to the next round.

Bosnia and Herzegovina will now focus on their final group-stage fixture as they seek to keep their qualification hopes alive, while Switzerland will look to confirm their place in the knockout rounds.

VANCOUVER: Jonathan David scored a hat-trick as Canada recorded their first-ever FIFA World Cup finals win with a commanding 6-0 victory over Qatar in Group B on Thursday.

The result moved the co-hosts to the top of the group with four points from two matches, strengthening their chances of reaching the knockout stage. Qatar remain at the bottom of the standings with one point.

Canada made an energetic start in front of their home supporters and took the lead in the 16th minute when Cyle Larin converted from close range after Qatar goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada had initially denied David.

The hosts doubled their advantage in the 29th minute as David finished a cross with a powerful volley.

Qatar’s task became more difficult later in the first half when Homam Ahmed was sent off following a VAR review. The original penalty decision was changed to a free kick after officials determined the foul occurred outside the penalty area.

David added his second goal before halftime, giving Canada a comfortable 3-0 lead heading into the break.

The match also saw concern for Canada midfielder Ismael Kone, who was forced off the field after an injury. Despite the setback, Kone later acknowledged the crowd from the sidelines, providing encouragement to teammates and supporters.

Qatar were reduced to nine players in the second half after Assim Madibo received a red card following an on-field incident.

Substitute Nathan Saliba extended Canada’s lead with a well-taken free kick before dedicating his goal to Kone. Qatar’s difficulties increased when an own goal made it 5-0, and David completed his hat-trick in stoppage time to cap an impressive performance.

Canada head coach Jesse Marsch praised his team’s display and the support from the home crowd.

“We wanted to play an exciting brand of football and showcase the quality and mentality of this team,” Marsch said after the match.

Marsch also expressed confidence that Kone would recover and continue to play an important role for the national team.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was among the spectators in attendance.

Canada will next face Switzerland in Vancouver, while Qatar take on Bosnia and Herzegovina in Seattle as both teams conclude their group-stage campaigns.

GUADALAJARA: Co-hosts Mexico became the first team to secure a place in the FIFA World Cup knockout rounds after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over South Korea in Group A on Thursday.

Luis Romo scored the decisive goal shortly after halftime, helping Mexico maintain their perfect start to the tournament and seal top spot in the group with one match remaining.

The breakthrough came in the 50th minute when South Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu failed to deal with a high ball, allowing Romo to calmly finish into an open net.

Mexico had to withstand late pressure from South Korea, with goalkeeper Raul Rangel producing a crucial double save in the closing stages to preserve the lead.

South Korea created the first notable opportunity of the match through captain Son Heung-min, but Mexico defender Edson Alvarez cleared the danger from the goal line. Mexico also threatened before the break, with Julian Quinones forcing a strong save from Kim.

After a relatively even first half, Mexico showed greater attacking intent following the interval and were rewarded with the winning goal.

The result moves Mexico into the knockout rounds as Group A winners. They will remain in Mexico for their Round of 32 match, where they are set to face one of the tournament’s third-placed qualifiers.

South Korea remain second in the group with three points and still have a chance to advance. The Czech Republic and South Africa are also in contention after their earlier 1-1 draw.

Mexico will conclude their group-stage campaign against the Czech Republic, while South Korea will face South Africa in a crucial final-round fixture.

US Open 2026 Starts Slowly as Fog Disrupts Play at Shinnecock Hills

The opening round of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills got off to a delayed and unusual start on Thursday morning after thick fog disrupted play just 30 minutes into the round.

Only 14 players were able to complete their early scoring attempts, and none managed to record a birdie before officials suspended play due to extremely poor visibility. Players were initially kept on the course for about 15 minutes in hopes that conditions would improve, but as the fog remained heavy, tournament officials decided to bring them back in.

Visibility issues were clear from the beginning. James Nicholas, scheduled to hit the opening tee shot, even checked with the starter before beginning play to confirm the schedule, saying, “I can’t see the fairway.”

Although Shinnecock Hills features wide fairways—averaging around 48 yards in width—players had difficulty seeing key landing areas, including the par-3 11th green. This made it unsafe to continue play under tournament conditions.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, aiming to complete the career Grand Slam with a U.S. Open victory, and Rory McIlroy were among the top players present at the practice range ahead of their scheduled tee times.

This is not the first time fog has impacted the U.S. Open. The last weather-related delay due to fog occurred in 2021 at Torrey Pines in San Diego, where “June Gloom” conditions halted play for about 90 minutes.

The USGA had prepared the course with expectations of strong winds reaching up to 40 mph, but instead, calm conditions allowed the fog to linger longer than expected.

Play is expected to resume once visibility improves.