JOHN PYE

AP Sports Writer
Springboks’ 1st black captain gets his chance at history
Siya Kolisi was four years old when South Africa won its first Rugby World Cup title in 1995 but he remembers the national euphoria of the Springboks’ second World Cup title in 2007.
 
Kolbe back for Springboks for World Cup final vs England
Captain Siya Kolisi will get a shot at history in his 50th test and Frans Steyn will get a chance to win a second Rugby World Cup title for South Africa.
 
Kolbe set to return for Springboks in Rugby World Cup final
Cheslin Kolbe is expected to return for South Africa in the Rugby World Cup final against England and add some extra attacking spark to the Springboks backline.
 
Nkosi replaces Kolbe in only change for Springboks SF squad
S’bu Nkosi has replaced injured flyer Cheslin Kolbe in the only change to South Africa’s starting lineup for Sunday’s Rugby World Cup semifinal against Wales.
 
Scott Barrett into All Blacks backrow for England semifinal
Scott Barrett will replace Sam Cane in the backrow to add some height and bulk in the only change to New Zealand’s starting XV for the Rugby World Cup semifinal against England.
 
Ireland’s Bundee Aki banned 3 games; out of Rugby World Cup
Ireland center Bundee Aki will miss the rest of Ireland’s Rugby World Cup campaign after failing to have his red card overturned for a high tackle in the Pool A game against Samoa last weekend.
 
Wallabies embracing adversity for Rugby World Cup campaign
Adversity isn’t necessarily a bad thing for the Wallabies leading into a Rugby World Cup. Firing fullback Israel Folau sent Rugby Australia into turmoil and deprived the national team of its undisputed star this season.
 
Star power not quite enough to carry West Indies to a win
Fabian Allen revels in a bit of razzmatazz and with Rihanna in the house he tried to make the most of it.
 
Upset loss to Sri Lanka makes things tricky for Cup host
Everything seemed to be falling into place for Eoin Morgan’s England team at the Cricket World Cup. It got to the point where some watchers were saying the group stage was becoming stale. Time to think again.
 
Warner OK for Australia’s World Cup opener vs Afghanistan
After such a relentless focus on his time in the international cricket wilderness David Warner wasn’t likely to let something as mundane as muscle soreness prevent him from returning for Australia’s opening World Cup match against Afghanistan.
 
Bottas, version 2019, has breakthrough win at Australian GP
The 2019 version of Valtteri Bottas is leading a Formula One championship for the first time. The Mercedes driver knows he’s only one Grand Prix into the season but he considers it to be quite a groundbreaking one.
 
Whiting’s death sets somber tone for opening F1 GP weekend
The sudden death of race director Charlie Whiting set a somber tone for the first weekend of the Formula One season.
 
F1 race director Whiting dies 3 days before Australian GP
The governing body for international auto racing says its Formula One race director Charlie Whiting has died from a pulmonary embolism. He was 66. The FIA issued a statement saying Whiting died Thursday in Melbourne.
 
Djokovic, Federer on opposite sides of Australian Open draw
Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are aiming for the same record from opposite sides of the Australian Open draw. That leaves open the prospect of them playing in the final for a seventh title at Melbourne Park.
 
Nadal withdraws, Murray loses to Medvedev in Brisbane
Andy Murray lost his second-round match less than an hour after Rafael Nadal withdrew from the Brisbane International.
 
Ready, set, go. Coe expects Asian track and field to boom
The head of the international track and field federation says China and Japan are the two most improved countries in athletics over the last six or seven years.
 
Combined Koreas basketball team to play for Asian Games gold
A combined Koreas team reinforced by WNBA center Park Ji-su has reached the women’s basketball final at the Asian Games. The team featuring three North Koreans and nine players from the South will take China for the gold medal.
 
Spurs’ Son still up for army reprieve; No medal for Clarkson
Tottenham forward Son Heung-min is still on target for an Asian Games gold medal that will earn a reprieve from military service after South Korea rallied to beat Uzbekistan 4-3 with a penalty late in extra time.
 
Sun celebrates Asian Games gold medal before flags fall
Sun Yang waited a long time for this victory and so he really wanted to see his flag flying at the Asian Games.
 
Son feels ashamed after South Korea’s upset loss to Malaysia
In his last start a week ago Son Heung-min helped Tottenham to a win in the Premier League. In his last start in a South Korea jersey Son scored late in a World Cup upset group stage win over 2014 champion Germany in late June.
 
Lee wins his 3rd individual title in last Commonwealth Games
Aging champion Lee Chong Wei gave newly-promoted world No. 1 Srikanth Kidambi a demonstration in how to peak for a championship to claim his third Commonwealth Games gold medal in the men’s singles.
 
Drama in 200: Hughes DQd; Miller-Uibo wins women’s title
The expected duel between Olympic champions was a lopsided contest with Shaunae Miller-Uibo winning the women’s 200 meters in a Commonwealth Games record and Elaine Thompson missing out on a medal.
 
Male athletes to watch at the 21st Commonwealth Games
Usain Bolt will be on the Gold Coast to watch. Blake will be here to win his first Commonwealth Games medal.
 
Male athletes to watch at the 21st Commonwealth Games
More than 6,600 athletes and officials from across the world will converge on the Gold Coast for the 21st edition of the Commonwealth Games, the multi-sports event for 71 countries and territories of the British Commonwealth held every four years.
 
Federer reaches Australian Open semifinals, will face Chung
A cranky Roger Federer beat long-time rival Tomas Berdych to set up an Australian Open semifinal against Hyeon Chung.
 
Edmund upsets No. 3 Dimitrov, new Brit in Aussie Open semis
There’ll be a British man in the Australian Open semifinals for the seventh time in nine years. This time it’ll be Kyle Edmund, not Andy Murray.
 
Hot and bothered: Temperatures rise, seeds fall in Australia
Roger Federer played it cool at the Australian Open on a day when shade was a valuable commodity in the searing heat at Melbourne Park.
 
Service ace: Djokovic back with rebuilt serve at Aussie Open
Novak Djokovic is back from six months off the tour with a remodeled service motion partly inspired by Andre Agassi and a growing confidence he can get his sore right elbow through the Australian Open.
 
Vince establishes Ashes credentials with defiant 83 on day 1
James Vince is confident the Australian cricket critics will recognize him after day one of the Ashes. England came into the series with an unsettled batting order apart from veteran opener Alastair Cook and skipper Joe Root.
 
1 year to go: Gold Coast counts down to Commonwealth Games
One of Australia’s most popular tourist destinations is marking the one-year countdown to the Commonwealth Games.
 
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