England rugby captain, Saracens lock, Lions stalwart
Northern Ireland midfielder Shea Charles has joined Fulham for £30m, becoming the country’s most expensive player. Former international Stuart Dallas backs Charles and teammate Ethan Galbraith for Premier League success, while NI boss Michael O’Neill has built the side around him.
Maro Itoje has taken a break from England’s Nations Championship fixtures to recover mentally and physically. He has rested during July and is back at Saracens with a full pre-season ahead as England prepare for four Tests in November and a Rugby World Cup in Australia next year.
Sale has defeated Saracens 21-17 to register their first Premiership win of the season. A red card to Jacques Vermeulen early in the first half tested Sale, but a resilient second half saw tries from Jibulu, O’Flaherty and Bamber seal the result, with Saracens’ Mawi and Bracken replying.
Scotland has named a 37-man squad for the Nations Championship phase, led by Townsend. The selection prioritizes experience, with returns for Huw Jones and Blair Kinghorn, and the introduction of Ollie Leatherbarrow. Scotland will host New Zealand, Australia and Japan at Murrayfield before Finals Weekend at Twickenham.