Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 20 March 12:30 pm

Good day, let’s look at the latest sports news and scores:

# We kick off with rugby: The Six Nations team of the championship has been picked, as voted for by the fans. France, who were crowned champions but failed to win the Grand Slam, has four players in the team, prolific wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey, legendary scrumhalf Antoine Dupont, fullback Thomas Ramos and second row Mickael Guillard. Ireland also earned four spots in the side. Italy and Scotland both have three players included, with Wales’ Rhys Carré rounding out the team. Fifth-place England, which suffered their worst-ever tournament finish, doesn’t have a single player included.

# Motorsport: Reigning MotoGP world champion, Marc Márquez, says he is aiming to bounce back this weekend after a disappointing race in Thailand. MotoGP returns to Goiania this week for the first Brazilian Grand Prix since 1992, with the Ducati driver eyeing his first win of 2026. Marquez finished second in the sprint race in Thailand, but retired from Sunday’s main race after sustaining wheel rim damage. He says he is hoping for a better race this weekend:

# Cricket: New Zealand Women defeated their South African counterparts by six wickets in the third T20 in Auckland today, to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. Captain Laura Wolvaardt top-scored with 37 from 39 balls as the Proteas Women posted 149 for seven in their 20 overs. In reply, Sophie Devine was impressive with the bat, scoring 55 from 38 balls as the White Ferns reached the target in 18.4 overs. The fourth T20 will be played in Wellington on Sunday.

# Athletics: World Athletics president, Sebastian Coe, says the future of the world indoor athletics championships is looking bright and assured. This comes as the World Athletics Council has selected Odisha in India and Astana in Kazakhstan to host the World Athletics Indoor Championships in 2028 and 2030, respectively. India will be hosting a global track and field championships for the first time. Coe says the next two hosts of the championships reflect the organisation’s strategy of taking events to emerging markets. 

# And, soccer: FIFA has passed ground-breaking regulations, which will require every team participating in its women’s tournaments to have a female head coach or assistant coach. Teams will also be required to have one woman on their medical staff. This will come into effect during the under-17s and under-20s Women’s World Cup and Women’s Champions Cup competitions this year. FIFA’s chief football officer Jill Ellis says the new rules mark an important investment in both the current and future generation of female coaches.

Stay tuned for more news………….