Live coverage: Nations Championship, Rugby League World Cup and NFL action this weekend
Our live team will cover Premier League fixtures, the inaugural Nations Championship, the Rugby League World Cup and NFL games across the weekend, reporting from venues including Twickenham, Murrayfield, Elland Road and Old Trafford. David Tindall will lead build-up to Saturday’s four Premier League matches while Scott Murray hosts live updates and a range of reporters provide on-the-ground coverage.
David Tindall will examine Frank Lampard’s return to Everton with Coventry on Friday night and reaction to Thomas Tuchel’s last England squad of the year. Saturday includes an FA Cup first round proper when League One and League Two clubs face lower-division opponents or non-league challengers. A personal subplot arrives at London Road, where Robbie’s Peterborough play Reading, for whom his son Charlie turns out. The Premier League table is congested in mid-table, with three teams on 12 points and four on 11 occupying the places between eighth and 14th, leaving managers such as Daniel Farke and Roberto De Zerbi mindful of challenges from Leeds and Tottenham.
There are two 3pm kick-offs in the Premier League, with Arsenal hosting Hull and Newcastle at Fulham; Barry Glendenning will report from the leaders’ meeting and the fixtures at Craven Cottage. Aaron Bower will be on site at Elland Road as part of live coverage of that round of matches. Several rearranged European fixtures are scheduled for 2pm, with Brighton v Brentford, Crystal Palace v Liverpool, Sunderland v Chelsea and Ipswich v Bournemouth all kicking off then, and Simon Burnton touring the grounds.
North and south/east meet in the second half of the inaugural Nations Championship as the competition builds towards finals weekend at Twickenham, and the All Blacks’ trip to Murrayfield is the day’s standout fixture. Scotland have still never beaten New Zealand, a fact that compounds concern for Gregor Townsend after recent stumbles. Daniel Gallan will provide minute-by-minute updates, with Michael Aylwin reporting from Edinburgh.
Attention will also be on FA Cup first-round shocks, including National League leaders Boreham Wood hosting 2013 winners Wigan, Salisbury FC of National League South at home to Sholing of the Southern League Premier, and Dover of National League South hosting Wealdstone one step higher. Barry Glendenning will watch for any upsets and invites reports from readers at those ties.
Oliver Glasner’s start at Forest has drawn scrutiny, illustrated by his post-Brentford comments: "I don’t need to be liked. I’m not here to be liked. I’m here to bring success to this club." Manchester City have also lost matches after their strong start, and the coverage notes that if Arsenal have beaten Hull then the visitors to the City Ground will kick off six points off the top. Tom Bassam will follow events live while Jonathan Wilson reports.
After sealing the title in Mexico City last weekend to become the youngest ever F1 champion, Kimi Antonelli aged 20 and (almost) a quarter returns with Mercedes seeking to close out a first constructors’ title since 2021 and the rest of the grid aiming to maximise finishing positions over the next four rounds. Estimates say each place in the team standings is worth about £7m. Ferrari hold a 122-point advantage over Red Bull for second, the Hamilton–Leclerc tensions are noted, and the battle between Red Bull and McLaren for third remains close; Philip Cornwall will cover qualifying with Giles Richards reporting.
It’s a double-header in Sydney in the Rugby League World Cup as the Jillaroos take on Fiji in the women’s tournament before the Kangaroos face Samoa, with the hosts aiming for places in the following Sunday’s Brisbane finals. Angus Fontaine will deliver minute-by-minute coverage of the women’s match, Jonathan Howcroft will cover the men’s game, and Jack Snape reports on both fixtures.
Week nine of the NFL features a slate of matches including the AFC West leaders visiting the NFC South’s Panthers, the Jets at the Chiefs and the Lions at the Dolphins, plus the 9.30am eastern/2.30pm GMT game between Atlanta and Cincinnati, which is the NFL’s first visit to Madrid. Graham Searles will provide news of the US football schedule and its results across the weekend.
