FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Le’Veon Bell on Wednesday threw a flag on the NFL’s drug testing policy. The New York Jets running back said he is upset he has been randomly selected five times thi...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly one-quarter of the members of the U.S. House of Representatives asked Major League Baseball to reconsider its proposal for a restructuring of the minor leagues after the 202...

NEW YORK (AP) — The Yankees have given up on Jacoby Ellsbury, cutting the oft-injured outfielder with more than $26 million left in his $153 million, seven-year contract. Ellsbury, who has not play...

HONG KONG (AP) — The Hong Kong Open golf tournament has been postponed because of violent unrest in the city. The tournament was scheduled to be held at Hong Kong Golf Club from Nov. 28 to Dec. 1....

Boxing referees and judges involved in the Rio Olympics who were all suspended following the Games will not be allowed to officiate at Tokyo 2020, an International Olympic Committee task force said We...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson said 2020 will be his final season of full-time racing. The winningest driver of his era will have a 19th season in the No. 48 Chevr...

The National Doping Control Centre in Bangkok has been suspended for six months because of non-conformities, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Wednesday. The suspension, which took effect o...

JOHANNESBURG (AFP-Jiji) — Cote d’Ivoire and Egypt secured places on Tuesday at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after contrasting qualifying tournament semifinal victories in Cairo. Abdel Rahman Magdy s...

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Nearly everything about this Monday night game felt foreign to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, from the gasp-inducing altitude of raucous Azteca Stadium to the struggl...

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Browns defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson believes Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph deserved to be punished for his role in Myles Garrett striking him with a helmet. Garrett w...

NEW YORK (AP) — Derek Jeter is among 18 newcomers on the 2020 Hall of Fame ballot. He is likely to be an overwhelming choice to join former New York Yankees teammate Mariano Rivera in Cooperstown af...

Another name is being added to the deep free agent pitching class in baseball, as Japanese starter Shun Yamaguchi will reportedly be posted this offseason. According to local reports on Monday, the ...

HOUSTON (AP) — Yuli Gurriel has agreed to an $8.3 million, one-year contract with the Houston Astros, a $300,000 raise from his originally scheduled salary for next season. Gurriel hit .298 and se...

Spain’s top-flight women soccer players have temporarily suspended their strike after they edged closer to securing a collective deal with the government over pay and conditions, the Association of ...

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa and Alabama coach Nick Saban got some news Monday about the quarterback’s devastating season-ending hip injury that has cast an uncertain cloud over his foot...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) — Two-time Grand Slam semifinalist CoCo Vandeweghe and Marcos Giron, the 2014 NCAA singles champion for UCLA, have earned main-draw berths at next year’s Australian Open vi...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Boston Celtics were an unlucky bounce away from extending an historic start to their season. Instead, the Sacramento Kings walked away with a huge victory. Buddy H...

SAO PAULO (AP) — Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won Formula One’s Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday for his eighth career victory in a race which ended badly for both Ferrari drivers. It also finishe...

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (AP) — Brendon Todd was closing in on a second straight victory when he was slowed by two missed putts, and then by darkness Sunday in the Mayakoba Golf Classic. Now he f...

CHICAGO (AP) — Patrick Kane extended his goal-scoring streak to six games, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-1 on Sunday night for their fourth straight victory. Kirby Dach sco...

Odori Park in central Sapporo has been designated as the location for the start and finish of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic marathon and race-walking races, after the Olympic organizing committee reached an...

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (AP) — Harris English feels he got away from the basics that carried him to a promising start to his PGA Tour career. He hopes he’s headed in that direction again after Sa...

WELLINGTON (AP) — Former Washington Wizards guard Glen Rice Jr. has been arrested in Auckland after an altercation in a bar, 10 days after joining the New Zealand Breakers in Australia’s National ...

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (AP) — Danny Lee felt as though he could make everything Friday, and for the longest time he did. Already at 10-under par through 13 holes, Lee started thinking about a sub...

MONTREUX, Switzerland (AP) — One of China’s biggest Olympic stars fought Friday for his right to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Games during a rare public hearing that turned combative at times, as cha...

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pirates have agreed to hire Ben Cherington as their general manager, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of ...

MADRID (AFP-Jiji) — Spain’s women’s soccer league launched an indefinite strike on Friday, seeking to double the minimum wage to €16,000 ($17,680), the players’ union AFE announced. The Ass...

CLEVELAND (AP) — Harrison Dillard, the only Olympic runner to win gold medals in both the sprints and high hurdles, has died at 96. Longtime friend Ted Theodore said Dillard died Friday at the Clev...

JOHANNESBURG (Thomson Reuters Foundation) — The Springbok women’s captain, Babalwa Latsha, has said that the rugby field is one of the few places she feels safe in South Africa, where a woman is ...

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Browns gave up on Antonio Callaway. The NFL is going to come down hard on him again. A person familiar with the situation said Callaway, who was released Thursday by Cleveland...

SUN CITY, South Africa (AP) — Louis Oosthuizen had to make a trip to the hospital this week because of kidney stones. He withdrew from the pro-am at the Nedbank Golf Challenge and was awake since 3 ...

The Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) has accepted a fine and “expressed its regret” for comments made at the Rugby World Cup in relation to the potential cancellation of its match against Japan in Yokoh...

MADRID (AP) — Spain’s national broadcaster said it will not bid for rights for the Spanish Super Cup because of human rights violations in Saudi Arabia. TVE sports chief Jesus Alvarez said Thurs...

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The state board that oversees Louisiana’s Superdome has approved a contract for the first phase of a $450 million renovation of the 44-year-old stadium. Thursday’s vote by th...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Mark Esper has opened the door for athletes at the nation’s military academies to play professional sports after they graduate, and delay their active-duty serv...

BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum was so disappointed in his last game that he went to the team’s practice facility later that night to work on his shooting. The Boston Celtics forward could go straigh...

HOUSTON (AP) — Not too long ago, the Houston Astros were the feel-good story of baseball. Led by their diminutive Venezuelan dynamo and featuring smart play on the field and in the front office, the...

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Adam Wainwright is guaranteed $5 million in his one-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals and can earn up to $5 million in performance bonuses, which allows the pitcher to matc...

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Adam Gase is staying put as the New York Jets’ coach. Not just this season. But, next season, too. Team chairman and CEO Christopher Johnson announced Wednesday that Gas...

ATLANTA (AP) — The billionaire owner of the Atlanta Falcons is making his first major drive into international philanthropy. The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation is expected to announce Thursday t...

CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the L.A. Galaxy are officially parting ways after two seasons. The 38-year-old Ibrahimovic and the Galaxy both announced the long-anticipated decision W...

FRANKFURT (AP) — Eintracht Frankfurt captain David Abraham was banned Wednesday for all the German soccer club’s remaining Bundesliga games this year after knocking over an opposition coach. The ...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Evansville showed no fear either of Kentucky or venerable Rupp Arena, where the Wildcats had been perfect at ruining visitors’ dreams of pulling off the seemingly impossible...

KOBE (AP) — Spanish striker David Villa says he will retire from J.League club Vissel Kobe next year. The 37-year-old Villa, who joined Kobe last December, said he plans to retire after the seas...

England coach Eddie Jones said he got his team selection wrong for the Rugby World Cup final and should have brought in fresh legs to face South Africa. Jones fielded the same starting 15 against So...

LOS ANGELES (AFP-Jiji) — NFL teams have been invited to attend a private workout by Colin Kaepernick as the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback bids to win back a place in the league, it was con...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry “definitely” plans to return this season from his broken left hand and is hoping to be back on the court at “some point in early ...

MILAN (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo walked off the field and glared at Maurizio Sarri, muttering something undiscernible. He then stormed down the tunnel. His replacement, Paulo Dybala, went on to s...

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The Court of Arbitration for Sport says it has registered an appeal by track coach Alberto Salazar against his ban for doping violations, though a hearing will take sev...

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — One game after a team-record comeback, the Denver Nuggets allowed the Minnesota Timberwolves to nearly do the same. Nikola Jokic saved Denver each time. Jokic hit a fadeaway ju...

SHANGHAI (AFP-Jiji) — Kento Momota won his 10th title of a remarkable year as Japan’s world No. 1 defeated Chou Tien-chen to retain his Fuzhou China Open crown on Sunday. Home hope Chen Yufei sim...

SAPPORO (Jiji Press) — The organizing committee of the 2020 Tokyo Games agreed on Friday with Sapporo and Hokkaido that the two local governments will not shoulder costs related to the Olympic mara...

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Olympic gold medalist Mizuki Noguchi is likely to be chosen as the first Japanese to carry the torch for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, in a relay in Greece, it was learned Frid...

ATHENS (AP) — Rick Pitino has agreed to coach the Greek national basketball team and lead the country’s effort to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Greek basketball federation said Friday...

With momentum growing for the Tokyo 2020 Games, now less than 300 days from its opening, sports organizations are making meticulous preparations to achieve good results. The Japan women’s handba...

SHANGHAI (AFP-Jiji) — The host nation celebrated a one-two in the men’s short program at figure skating’s Cup of China, with Yan Han returning from a year out to pip Jin Boyang on Friday. In ...

NAIROBI (AFP-Jiji) — Kenya’s world reigning 3,000-meter steeplechase champions Conseslus Kipruto and Beatrice Chepkoech said the decision to remove their race from the “core” events of the 20...

ROME (AP) — Mario Balotelli was again left out of the Italy squad on Friday, despite the Italian soccer federation president publicly calling for him to be included this week for upcoming European ...

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The elusive black cat from “Monday Night Football” is still on the run. MetLife Stadium officials said Thursday the search for the fleet feline that briefly delaye...

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — New coach. Same result. Carli Lloyd scored twice, Christen Press added a goal and the United States held off Sweden 3-2 on Thursday night at Mapfre Stadium, giving Vlatko And...

TORONTO (Reuters) — New Zealand center and two-time World Cup winner Sonny Bill Williams has agreed to join the Toronto Wolfpack rugby league team ahead of their debut in England’s top-tier Super ...

KATOWICE, Poland (AFP-Jiji) — Witold Banka was officially named the new president of the World Anti-Doping Agency on Thursday, with Poland’s current sports minister succeeding incumbent Craig Reed...

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Las Vegas Strip casino is suing San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane, alleging he failed to repay a $500,000 gambling debt racked up during a playoff series in Las Vegas last Apri...

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo’s lawyers won a courtroom bid Thursday to block a Nevada woman accusing the soccer superstar of raping her in Las Vegas in 2009 from digging into the validity of...

FIFA has told soccer’s biggest agents, who are resisting limits to their cut of player deals, that there is a need to “curb the excesses” of the $7 billion annual transfer market. Agent earnin...

SHIGA (AP) — Australian Hannah Green shot a 5-under 67 on Friday to finish the first round of the LPGA Japan Classic tied for the lead with local favorite Ai Suzuki. Green carded five birdies at t...

The curtain fell on the 2019 Rugby World Cup on Saturday after the final in which South Africa beat England and earned their third World Cup title following triumphs in 1995 and 2007. England had ear...

Through four unbeaten pool-stage matches, Japan demonstrated that it deserves to be ranked among the world’s top eight rugby nations by beating traditional European powerhouses Ireland, ranked first...

FUKUROI, Shizuoka (Reuters) — Australia made heavy work of it in difficult conditions but outlasted a tough Georgia team to round out their Rugby World Cup Pool D campaign with an unconvincing 27-8 ...

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Kevin Na made 10 birdies on Saturday, and the one putt that came to his mind after matching his best score was a par. Na was in a bunker right of the green on the par-3 fifth hole,...

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Sammy Blais had a goal and an assist, and his score midway through the third period was the winner as the St. Louis Blues beat the Dallas Stars 3-2 on Saturday. Jordan Binnington s...

OITA (AP) — Tevita Kuridrani and Dane Haylett-Petty crossed for two tries each in a 45-10 win over Uruguay on Saturday that did little to enhance confidence in Australia’s title credentials at the...

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Indians are exercising ace Corey Kluber’s $17.5 million option for next season. Kluber was limited to just seven starts after breaking his right arm on May 1, when ...

TOKYO (AP) — David Goffin’s impressive play at what is becoming one of his favorite tournaments continued Thursday at the Japan Open when he advanced to the quarterfinals. Goffin, who beat Denis...

SQUAMISH, Canada (AP) — Canadian ski cross racer Mikayla Martin died Tuesday after a mountain bike accident in her hometown of Squamish, British Colombia. The 22-year-old Martin, the winner of a wo...

NEW YORK (AP) — Oakland Raiders linebacker Vontaze Burfict has been suspended for the rest of the season for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle. NFL Vice President of...

SAO PAULO (AP) — A Brazilian judge said the model who accused soccer superstar Neymar of rape will face trial on charges of fraud. Another judge dropped serious charges that followed a decision to...

KOBE (Reuters) — Scotland’s limp defeat to Ireland in its World Cup opener prompted questions about the squad’s heart and desire, but coach Gregor Townsend said his players proved their mettle i...

ZURICH (AP) — Cardiff was ordered Monday by FIFA to pay €6 million ($6.5 million) to Nantes as a first installment of the transfer fee for Emiliano Sala, the Argentine striker who died in a plane ...

CHICAGO (AP) — The field of candidates to be the next manager of the Chicago Cubs is beginning to take shape. President of baseball operations Theo Epstein said Monday that former catcher David Ros...

Former U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic mowed down local favorite Yuichi Sugita 6-4, 6-4 on Monday to reach the second round of the Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo. The 31-year-old, beaten in ...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A distance runner has been killed by lightning as he was about to cross the finish line for a 50-kilometer race in southeast Kansas. Thomas Stanley, 33, of Andover, was less...

KUMAGAYA, Saitama (AFP-Jiji) — Georgia overpowered Uruguay at the Rugby World Cup for a 33-7 bonus-point win on Sunday, the popular South American underdog unable to repeat its heroics against Fiji ...

HAMAMATSU (Reuters) — Japan got a lift from their scrum in their shock victory over Pool A favorites Ireland and captain Michael Leitch said his team’s 8-on-10 drills in the lead-up had paid off....

TOKYO (Reuters) — Wales withstood a furious Australian comeback to secure a 29-25 win in a dramatic Pool D encounter in Tokyo on Sunday, recording their first victory over the Wallabies at the Rugb...

TOKYO (AFP-Jiji) — After Wales made their Rugby World Cup bow on Monday, the main contenders for the Webb Ellis Cup have taken to the field. AFP looks at the standout players from the opening exchan...

KUMAGAYA, Saitama (Reuters) — Georgia brought Uruguay back down to earth with a bump when they ran in five tries for a 33-7 bonus point victory in the Rugby World Cup Pool D clash at a sun-bathed K...

TOYOTA, Aichi (Reuters) — South Africa’s electric wing Makazole Mapimpi scored two tries as they eased to a nine-try 57-3 win over neighbours Namibia, but it was a far from polished performance i...

FUKUROI, Shizuoka (Reuters) — Japan’s players vowed to continue making headlines after their stunning 19-12 win over Ireland at the Rugby World Cup on Saturday. The Pool A victory, which put th...

FUKUROI, Shizuoka (Reuters) — Jamie Joseph praised the courage of his Japan players after a momentous 19-12 victory over Ireland on Saturday, saying they had been preparing for the match for three ...

BEPPU, Oita (Reuters) — It seems the old joke that the most dangerous place to stand in a rugby team was between a prop and a plate of food has some basis after all, if you believe All Blacks hooke...

FUKUROI, Shizuoka (Reuters) — Hosts Japan stunned Ireland 19-12 in an extraordinary upset on Saturday to win their second match of the Rugby World Cup and put themselves in pole position to reach t...

OSAKA (Reuters) — Hooker Julian Montoya scored a hat-trick in the first 26 minutes as Argentina got their World Cup campaign back on track with a 28-12 victory over Tonga on Saturday that snapped a...

After a proposed expansion to an 18-game regular season received little support, NFL owners are reportedly now considering a 17-game schedule and a reduction in preseason games — or elimination of t...

SHIZUOKA (Reuters) — Japan speedster Kotaro Matsushima earned the nickname “Ferrari” after his Game 1 exploits but the host’s hat trick hero said he will face a three-ton truck in Ireland’s ...

MONTREAL (AP) — Montreal Canadiens Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur underwent quadruple bypass heart surgery on Thursday, the NHL club has confirmed. The team said the procedure took place at the Centre h...

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma will be sidelined at least until mid-October with a stress reaction in his left foot. The Lakers announced the extent of Kuzma’s in...

LONDON (AP) — Nick Kyrgios has been handed a suspended 16-week ban from the ATP Tour following an investigation into his abusive behavior in a tournament in Cincinnati last month. The Australian pl...

KAMAISHI, Iwate (AP) — Uruguay pulled off one of the Rugby World Cup’s largest upsets when it beat Fiji 30-27 in a match laden with significance for the disaster-ravaged town in which it was playe...

KAMAISHI, Iwate (AP) — Nodoka Kikuchi’s job as a tour guide at the Tsunami Memorial Hall is to detail the earthquake and deadly tsunami that hit this part of Japan’s northeast coast almost nine...

KAMAISHI, Iwate (Reuters) — Uruguay delivered the first upset of the Rugby World Cup with a stunning 30-27 victory over an error-prone Fiji in a Pool D match at the Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stad...

KUMAGAYA, Saitama (Reuters) — Samoa survived being reduced to 13 men for almost 10 minutes in the first half and struggled to overcome a limited and exhausted Russia team to open their Pool A campa...

Tokyo — Scotland suffered a second injury setback in as many days after scrumhalf Ali Price was ruled out of the rest of the Rugby World Cup on Tuesday, with Edinburgh’s Henry Pyrgos called up as ...

TOKYO — Japan know they face a huge challenge to contain Ireland in their second Rugby World Cup match later this week, and their forwards have hatched a plan to double team the big Irish ball-carr...

TOKYO — World Rugby issued a statement on Tuesday conceding that the officiating over the first weekend of the World Cup was not up to scratch and promising it would improve. Referees became a do...

TOKYO — All Blacks fans received welcome news on Monday with injured lock Brodie Retallick confirming he was hitting tackle bags at training and expected to increase the intensity of collision on h...

TOKYO — Ireland flanker Peter O’Mahony and centre Bundee Aki have not been ruled out of Saturday’s World Cup Pool A game against Japan after both passed the second of three head injury assessme...

TOKYO — Scotland’s poor start to the Rugby World Cup received another blow on Monday when it was confirmed that injured loose-forward Hamish Watson would play no further part in the tournament, w...

SAPPORO (Reuters) — There was no record score, no long list of try scorers and certainly no reason to get carried away, but England’s victory over Tonga in their World Cup opener on Sunday ticked ...

TOKYO — Fans will now be able to bring food into Rugby World Cup stadiums in Japan after the organizing committee admitted that the service at some venues was “not befitting” that of a showpiec...

YOKOHAMA (AP) — The heated debate in New Zealand rugby about playing Richie Mo’unga at flyhalf instead of Beauden Barrett, and Barrett at fullback instead of Ben Smith, might cool down now. The d...

TOKYO (Reuters) — Russia drew first blood in the Rugby World Cup on Friday, but ultimately failed to bridge the gap in class with host nation Japan in the opening match of the tournament. There was...

SOUTHAMPTON, England (AP) — At the 16th attempt, Bournemouth finally earned a victory at the home of south-coast rival Southampton. It was sealed with a farcical goal, too. With Southampton still ...

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Antonio Brown was released by the New England Patriots on Friday after a second woman accused him of sexual misconduct — the third team in seven months to tire of the off-...

Fourth seed Angelique Kerber reached the Pan Pacific Open semifinals in Japan on Friday after American Madison Keys retired because of injury early in the deciding set. With the match clock at just o...

Goaltenders in the National Hockey League are seeing a recent increase in head injuries. Just two NHL goalies were concussed in 2016-17, missing a total of 15 games. Over the past two seasons, 14 dif...

Japan opened the Rugby World Cup on Friday evening with a 30-10 victory over Russia at Tokyo Stadium in Chofu, Tokyo. On Saturday morning, the flagship official Rugby World Cup 2019 Megastore near t...

Nike Inc. said on Thursday it had cut ties with New England Patriots player Antonio Brown, who has denied allegations by his former personal trainer of rape and sexual assault. “Antonio Brown is no...

TOKYO (AFP-Jiji) — Kotaro Matsushima scored a sizzling hat-trick as hosts Japan recovered from a torrid start to beat Russia 30-10 in their Rugby World Cup opener on Friday. Japan’s prolific win...

SAPPORO (AP) — Eddie Jones isn’t as comfortable as you might think on his return to Japan for the Rugby World Cup. In fact, the England coach is expecting a roller-coaster ride and is holding ont...

LONDON (AP) — Former England and Newcastle forward Peter Beardsley has been suspended from all soccer-related activity for eight months after being found guilty of making racist comments toward youn...

A former rugby player in the nation’s top league has been striving to promote the Rugby World Cup in Japan, always holding a rugby ball in his hands on his way to work since January. When a passeng...

Tiger Woods is playing another skins game with two big differences. This one is in Japan and will be broadcast live around the world by Discovery-owned GOLFTV. The event is called “The Challenge: ...

The biggest difference in this year’s Rugby World Cup from past tournaments is that other participating teams can’t overlook Japan as a minor rugby power. The Brave Blossoms’ successful 2015 Wo...

The organizing committee for the Rugby World Cup 2019 has announced that Japanese singer-songwriter Ayaka Hirahara will sing Japan’s national anthem backed by the Air Self-Defense Force’s Central...

SAPPORO (Reuters) — There is excitement in the air, mixed with a sense of trepidation, in Sapporo as it prepares itself for an influx of fans during the opening weekend of the Rugby World Cup. Aus...

National Hockey League players announced Monday they will not opt out of the collective bargaining agreement, guaranteeing labor peace until at least 2022. The NHL Players’ Association announced i...

Jack Hughes scored twice in his NHL preseason debut, including the winner 40 seconds into overtime to lift a New Jersey Devils split squad to a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins on Monday night in Newark...

YUKON, Okla. (AP) — A 16-year-old Oklahoma high school football player has died after suffering an apparent head injury during a game. Yanda and Son funeral home said Peter Webb died Sunday at an ...

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) — South Africa’s superb revival over the past 15 months has taken them from one of their lowest-ever periods to genuine Rugby World Cup contenders as they chase a third globa...

PARIS (AFP-Jiji) — New Zealand will be made to fight all the way for a third consecutive title as a ground-breaking Rugby World Cup gets underway in Japan this week with half a dozen teams confident...

“Will Japan be able to supply enough beer during the Rugby World Cup?” — so asked a reporter at a press conference held in Tokyo by World Rugby, the governing body that organizes the World Cup....

HAMILTON, New Zealand (AP) — Winger George Bridge scored four tries while fullback Ben Smith and center Ryan Crotty bagged doubles as New Zealand overwhelmed Tonga 92-7 Saturday in its last match b...

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) — World Cup winner Chester Williams, who broke racial barriers to emerge a national hero as one of South Africa’s first black rugby union internationals, died after a suspe...

KUMAGAYA, Saitama (Reuters) — A hat-trick of tries from Makazole Mapimpi led South Africa to a comfortable 41-7 victory over Japan on Friday in their final World Cup warm-up match, laying down a tou...

Ozeki Takayasu on Friday withdrew from the upcoming Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament due to a left elbow injury suffered during the previous Nagoya tournament in July, the Japan Sumo Association announced...

For Yumi Kajihara, winning a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is not a dream but a very realistic goal. And it is one that she wants to achieve for her mother, Yuri. A senior at the University o...

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — A flash flood swept across a soccer field in a southern Moroccan village, killing at least seven spectators at a local match, the official MAP news agency said Thursday. Heavy...

Two events featuring the Japanese national rugby team will be held from Monday through Sept. 30 at the head office of The Yomiuri Shimbun in the Otemachi area of Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, in tandem with th...

NEW YORK (AP) — Serena Williams flubbed yet another shot and wailed, “I keep missing my forehand!” She was in trouble, if only briefly, against 17-year-old American Caty McNally, who is friend...

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (Reuters) — The Spanish Grand Prix will stay on the Formula One calendar in 2020, the sport’s commercial rights holders and race organizers said Tuesday, with the season...

EL PUIG, Spain (AP) — With his eyes closed, Fabio Jakobsen beat Sam Bennett in a photo finish to win the fourth stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Tuesday, while Nicolas Roche kept the overall lead ahea...

The national women’s soccer team is Nadeshiko Japan, the baseball team is Samurai Japan and the artistic swimming squad is known as Mermaid Japan. While these monikers have become well known, other ...

BALTIMORE (AP) — Orioles general manager Mike Elias has fired 11 members of the scouting department and front office as part of an effort to turn around a team in the early stages of a major rebuild...

BARCELONA (AP) — Midfielder Joan Jordan scored in the second half to help Sevilla beat Granada 1-0 on the road and win its second match in as many rounds in the Spanish league on Friday. Jordan, one...

GENEVA (AP) — Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov tested positive for cocaine at the world championship and has been banned from the Russia team for four years. Kuznetsov failed a doping t...

MUMBAI (Reuters) — India’s dope testing laboratory has already addressed most of the concerns that were raised by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) about its standards and will apply within thre...

MELBOURNE (AP) — Kemba Walker scored 23 points and Myles Turner added 15 to give Team USA a 102-86 win over Australia on Thursday in a World Cup warm-up game. The attendance at Marvel Stadium, whi...

NEW YORK (AP) — Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova will finally meet in the U.S. Open, and they’ll do it in their very first match. A long-awaited Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal showdown could come...

BARCELONA (AP) — Lionel Messi was back in full training again on Wednesday and might be fit to face Real Betis in the Spanish league on Sunday. Messi had been training separately from the squad si...

The Los Angeles Wildcats and New York Guardians will be among the teams taking the field when the XFL returns in February. The league revealed the logos and names Wednesday for its eight teams, which...

The Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2017 will be the last to bear that title with World Rugby announcing on Wednesday it is adopting a policy of gender neutrality for its tournaments. In what it said is...

SYDNEY (AP) — Jason Day is hoping a one-week trip Down Under for the Australian Open will turn into two. He and Presidents Cup captain Ernie Els might already be formulating that plan. Australian O...

WASHINGTON (AP) — What started as an innocuous conversation during a public event has evolved into a golf partnership between NBA star Stephen Curry and Howard University. The two-time NBA MVP anno...

Abdul Hakim Sani Brown, who set a Japanese record of 9.97 seconds in the men’s 100-meter race, discussed his dream of one day breaking the world record currently held by Usain Bolt in a recent inter...

National rugby team captain Michael Leitch, left, and other members train in Abashiri, Hokkaido, on Tuesday, one month before the opening of the 2019 World Cup in Japan. There are 41 players at the ca...

The organizing committee of the Rugby World Cup in Japan, which will start on Sept. 20, and the international governing body World Rugby have compiled an emergency response plan for cases in which it...

ATLANTA (AP) — Pete Alonso and Amed Rosario helped the New York Mets pile up huge totals of hits and runs. The Mets needed almost all of them to hold off the homer-happy Atlanta Braves. Alonso dro...

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings have acquired forward Adam Erne from the Tampa Bay Lightning for a fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft. Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman made the move We...

PAARL, South Africa — The Rugby World Cup in Japan starts on Sept. 20. Japan’s shocking victory over South Africa in the 2015 World Cup in England raised the profile of the Brave Blossoms, who ...

Kazuya Adachi is aiming to clinch a berth for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and win a medal in the men’s kayak slalom single event there with a specially designed Japan-made canoe. The use of such a cano...

NEW YORK (AP) — Gleyber Torres walked to the plate in the eighth inning with runners on first and second, two outs and the Yankees ahead by five runs. Baltimore called for an intentional walk, and...

SUVA, Fiji (AP) — Japan caused the sensation of the 2015 Rugby World Cup when it beat South Africa in pool play and signaled its intention to be a danger for the top-tier nations again this year wit...

LIMA (AP) — Olympic fencing medalist Race Imboden took a knee in protest during his team’s foil medal ceremony at the Pan American Games. The American knelt during the national anthem at the med...

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Two-time Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez was knocked down seconds into the first round and lost his professional debut to Adan Gonzales on Saturday night. Ramirez suffered...

LIMA (AP) — After the final buzzer, the members of Argentina’s women’s basketball team huddled near the edge of the center circle and cried — even though they won. The team’s 73-59 victory...

MONTREAL (AP) — Top-seeded defending champion Rafael Nadal advanced to the Rogers Cup quarterfinals, beating Argentina’s Guido Pella 6-3, 6-4 in the wind Thursday. “A tough day in terms of win...

Applications for luxury ticket packages for the 2020 Tokyo Games, some costing millions of yen, will be accepted from the end of August, the organizing committee of the 2020 Tokyo Games announced Wedn...

LIMA (AP) — Nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis said Monday female athletes deserve fair and equal pay and criticized U.S. President Donald Trump as a “racist and misogynist.” Lewis was...

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Veteran defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk has signed a one-year, $1.75 million contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning after being bought out by the New York Rangers. Lightning vice pr...

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A $1.9 billion stadium being built for the NFL’s Oakland Raiders when the team moves to Las Vegas next year is being named for Allegiant Travel Co., team and company officials sai...

NEW YORK (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies have sued the New York company that created the Phanatic mascot to prevent the green furry fan favorite from becoming a free agent. In a complaint filed F...

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Departing head coach Jill Ellis and the U.S. women’s national team opened their post-World Cup domestic Victory Tour with a 3-0 win over Ireland on Saturday night. Tobin ...

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Ryan Lochte scratched the B final of the 100-meter backstroke at the U.S. national swimming championships. The 12-time Olympic medalist qualified 15th in the preliminaries w...

Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon settled a sexual harassment lawsuit with a former employee of his sports marketing firm, the woman’s lawyer told The Washington Post. Moon originally denied th...

HONG KONG (Reuters) — North Korea has nominated Pyongyang as the host venue for a World Cup-qualifying soccer match against South Korea in October, clearing the way for the countries to play on Nort...

WELLINGTON (AFP-Jiji) — As the All Blacks chase a third straight World Cup in Japan, the schoolboy rugby competitions that forged many of New Zealand’s stars face an “alarming” fall in player ...

PARIS (AFP-Jiji) — A Swiss court ruling that blocks South African Caster Semenya from defending her world 800-meter title in Doha in September creates much-needed “parity and clarity” in athleti...

The past few weeks have been a blur to Zion Williamson. Picked No. 1 in the NBA draft by the New Orleans Pelicans. Signed his first pro contract that could be worth as much as $45 million over the ne...

SEOUL (Reuters) — Soccer fans in South Korea are taking legal action to seek compensation after Cristiano Ronaldo failed to play in a friendly during Juventus’ preseason tour in Seoul last week. ...

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Derek Holland was acquired by the Cubs from the San Francisco Giants for a player to be named, giving the Cubs a new left-handed bullpen option. As part of the trade announced Fri...

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Just months after trading Odell Beckham Jr. to Cleveland, the New York Giants are being hit by a rash of injuries at wide receiver. Sterling Shepard, who was to take o...

Not only did All-Pro Bobby Wagner of the Seattle Seahawks negotiate a contract extension, but he reportedly is now the NFL’s highest-paid inside linebacker. The team announced Friday merely that W...

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) — Mexican boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez said on Friday he had been mugged by armed robbers in Mexico City, and he slammed mounting violence that has recently plagued the cap...

Even those who can’t get tickets for the 2020 Tokyo Games events will have chances to soak up some Olympic and Paralympic spirit by heading over to the new Tokyo Waterfront City area, which will be ...

Running back Ezekiel Elliott called an audible as the Dallas Cowboys set off for Oxnard, Calif., to begin training camp. Elliott, who is entering the second-to-last year of his rookie contract, warne...

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Trail Blazers have added six-time All-Star Pau Gasol to their roster. President of basketball operations Neil Olshey announced Gasol’s signing Thursday. “Pau...

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Sabres forward Evan Rodrigues has been awarded a one-year, $2 million contract following an arbitration hearing. The independent arbitrator’s ruling was announced by...

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kole Calhoun believes the death of Tyler Skaggs presented the Los Angeles Angels with a stark public challenge to go along with their private grief. Skaggs’ hurting teammates h...

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Former New York Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden was arrested again in New Jersey on Monday, this time on charges of driving while intoxicated. Gooden was pulled over after driving t...

BUENOS AIRES (AP) — Diego Maradona had surgery on his right knee, the first of two procedures recommended by his doctors. Maradona’s attorney Matias Morla said the retired Argentine soccer great ...

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox have become the first team in the major leagues to extend protective netting from foul pole to foul pole, starting Monday night against the Miami Marlins. The ...

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) — Australia’s first-up thrashing by a second-string South Africa side in the Rugby Championship on Saturday has triggered alarm bells at home, but scrumhalf Nic White has sa...

CALGARY (AP) — The Calgary Flames have a tentative agreement for a new arena to replace the Saddledome. The city, NHL team and the Calgary Stampede have agreed in principle to terms. The Stampede,...

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Officials on Monday lifted the suspension of a Bulgarian boxer who kissed a reporter without her consent during a post-fight interview after he completed a sexual harassment course ...

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates have suspended reliever Keone Kela two games for an unspecified violation of his contract. The team made the announcement on Monday shortly before opening ...

ZURICH (AP) — FIFA said its ethics judges have banned a soccer official from Botswana for life for taking bribes linked to convicted match-fixer Wilson Perumal. FIFA said Mooketsi Kgotlele, the fo...

In response to the severe heat of recent summers, high school sporting events are taking steps to prevent health problems, such as instructing players to sit during baseball opening ceremonies and con...

“As rugby is now in the spotlight, I want it also to be on foreign players on the Japan team. They have chosen Japan over their home countries, and fought for Japan. They are the best comrades [tea...

Students wearing serious looks on their faces stamped their feet, brandished their arms and shouted in Maori. It was a haka, a traditional dance of New Zealand’s indigenous Maori people. The haka...

FIFA is doubling its minimum ban for racist incidents to 10 games and will allow players to make victim statements and participate in proceedings, world soccer’s governing body said Thursday. Stric...

NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball’s All-Star Game had a record low television rating. The American League’s 4-3 victory over the National League on Tuesday night in Cleveland had a 5.0 rating and 11 sh...

Todd Gurley sounds like he’s running on borrowed time. The Los Angeles Rams’ primary ballcarrier said Tuesday he isn’t certain how his arthritic knee will hold up over the long haul. An “art...

In June 2017, when two rugby test matches were held in Shizuoka Prefecture and Tokyo between the Japanese and Irish national teams, announcements were made requesting spectators to stand up for the n...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) — While another reduced bid process was completed on Monday with Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo winning the 2026 Winter Olympics, the Los Angeles Sport Council (LASC) released a re...

NBA coaches likely will be challenging one call per game next season. The league told teams Friday that, pending expected approval by the board of governors on July 9, coaches may challenge a person...

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo will play for Greece at the basketball World Cup in China, saying on Friday he can play any position. The NBA MVP said he hasn’t “talked to the coac...

LONDON (Reuters) — Many of the traditions of the Wimbledon championships have endured for decades, but this year one familiar courtside sight will be missing. No longer will players be taking new ...

MILAN (Reuters) — AC Milan has voluntarily accepted a one-year ban from all European competitions for breaching UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, sport’s highest court CAS said Friday. A...

TOYOTA, Aichi — Host Japan moved into first place on Day 3 of the girls’ team competition on Thursday at the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture. Japan jumped up from second, ...

The ticket designs for the Rugby World Cup, which will open on Sept. 20, were revealed Monday in Tokyo. There are three types of tickets, each with a different background color: blue, red or purple....

A growing number of professional baseball and soccer stadiums are installing seating that draws on technology used in automobile seats, allowing spectators to sit in comfort for long periods. These s...

Japan national team and Alvark Tokyo forward Yudai Baba has accepted an invitation to participate in the minicamp of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, the B.League team announced Tuesday. The camp, to be ...

With 100 days to go before the Rugby World Cup begins in Japan, a clock counting down to the start of the first match was unveiled Wednesday at the Marunouchi Building in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, as part...

NARITA, Chiba — The Webb Ellis Cup, the trophy awarded to the winner of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, arrived at Narita Airport in Narita, Chiba Prefecture, on Monday. Japan is the first Asian nation t...