Sharks head coach JP Pietersen said he is still hoping for a positive showing in his team’s match with Benetton on Saturday, despite falling out of the running for a #URC play-off spot, and an injury crisis marring their season.

#SouthAfrica: Giving it a shot: How going into the ring opened up blindside flanker Aiden Smith’s world

#Djokovic beaten by a Croatian qualifier 18 years younger than him at the Italian Open.

The 20-year-old Dino Prižmić defeated the record 24-time Grand Slam champion 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 with an ace on his first match point.

The 38-year-old Djokovic hadn’t played since March when he lost to Jack Draper in the fourth round in Indian Wells, California.

Djokovic had taping on his right shoulder that was revealed when he changed shirts between sets.

He declined to talk about any ailments, not wanting to take any focus from Prižmić. But Djokovic admitted he wanted more than one match at his only warmup for the French Open.

Djokovic didn’t surprise himself in his only competitive clay-court match before the French, though he thought the second set was forgettable.

“I see what I’m missing,” he said. “Late half a step. I’m not definitely where I want to be for the highest level and to compete at the highest level and to be able to get far.

“Eventually you have to play. You have to start somewhere. I wanted to start earlier but I couldn’t. The situation is as it is. You make the most out of it. I train hard. I train as much as the body allows me to. Then how it turns out on the court, that’s really unpredictable.”

Asked if he was confident he’ll be in good shape for the French Open which starts in 16 days, Djokovic said, “I don’t know.” With a smile he added, “I hope so.”

In Djokovic’s only other tournament this year, he reached the Australian Open final and lost to Carlos Alcaraz.

The 79th-ranked Prižmić lost a four-setter to Djokovic in their only previous match at the 2024 Australian Open. Djokovic told him on Friday his forehand had improved and he’ll go far if he can stay healthy. Prižmić beat No. 6 Ben Shelton at the Madrid Open last month.

#Toronto’s transit system to face unprecedented tests when World Cup kicks off next month.

#TORONTO - Toronto is a frequent contender for worst traffic in North America and next month’s World Cup will test the city’s transit system in ways it has never seen, with preparations well underway to deal with an expected surge in ridership. The first test will come early: on June 12, Canada’s men’s national team opens its tournament against Bosnia and Herzegovina at Toronto Stadium, while the Blue Jays will host the Yankees at Rogers Centre. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected downtown.

“The city will be busy,” said Sharon Bollenbach, the executive director for the FIFA World Cup in Toronto. “But I think Toronto is busy. That’s what comes with a big city.”

Bollenbach says the goal of the transit plans are to ensure the city continues to work for both fans and the people who live here.

“We are putting plans in place to make sure that people can move about the city and not just the people coming here, but the residents as well,” she said. “Our mobility plan recognizes that people still need to get to work, they still need to get to school.”
How the World Series helped inform expected FIFA ridership

Today the CEOs of both Metrolinx, the regional transit authority and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), outlined some of the preparations being made ahead of the World Cup, which is being hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico.

Officials estimate a surge of 44,000 additional riders on match days and to help accommodate the increase, have scheduled more frequent trains and bus services. Toronto has struggled with transit surges during major events, notably during last year’s World Series. Officials are adamant there will be no repeat of game seven, when inadequately extended transit services, left thousands of baseball fans stranded in the downtown core.

McKenna vs. Stenberg: A look at potential No. 1 picks ahead of draft lottery. Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg?

The choice between the two has been debated for months.

While McKenna was once the consensus to go No. 1, Stenberg made his case throughout the season between the Swedish Hockey League and the world junior championship. McKenna, meanwhile, made the jump to the NCAA’s Penn State Nittany Lions after a monster season with the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Western Hockey League in 2024-25.

The Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks have the highest chances of winning the lottery.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2026.

#Canada’s Bianca Andreescu defeats Sofia Kenin 6-4, 7-5 at Italian Open.

#ROME — Canada’s Bianca Andreescu advanced to the second round of the Italian Open tennis tournament with a 6-7, 7-5 win over Sofia Kenin of the United States on Tuesday.

The opportunistic Andreescu converted five of six break-point chances and had five aces in the match that took one hour 46 minutes to complete.

Kenin also had six chances to break her opponent’s serve, but she converted just three as she fell to 2-5 all-time against Andreescu.

The American won their previous meeting last month in the second round of the Charleston Open.

Andreescu, 25, will next face 12th seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland at the WTA 1000 clay-court event. The players have split their previous two meetings.

The former world No. 4 from Mississauga, Ont., entered Rome ranked 137th on the WTA Tour after battling through injuries over the past few years. She improved her record to 21-8 this season, with most of her wins coming on the lower-tier WTA 125 and World Tennis Tour circuits.


This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2026.

#Kenya: NSL leaders Migori Youth held by Mombasa United in top-of-table clash

Caufield, Sanderson and Kopitar named finalists for 2025-26 Lady Byng Trophy. #Montreal Canadiens right-wing Cole Caufield, Ottawa Senators defenceman Jake Sanderson and Los Angeles Kings centre Anze Kopitar are the finalists for the 2025-26 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.

The NHL announced the finalists Thursday for the award given annually to the player voted the best at combining sportsmanship with playing ability.

Caufield led the Canadiens with 51 goals, becoming Montreal’s first 50-goal scorer in 36 years, while taking 14 penalty minutes.

Sanderson was Ottawa’s top-scoring defenceman with 14 goals and 40 assists in 67 games, logging a team-leading average ice time of 24:50 and receiving eight penalty minutes.

Kopitar, in his 20th and final NHL season, recorded 38 points with a plus-19 defensive rating and recorded 10 penalty minutes in 67 games.

Caufield and Sanderson are first-time finalists. Kopitar has won the award on three previous occasions, including last season.

The three finalists were selected by Professional Hockey Writers Association members who voted after the regular season.


This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2026

CFL to change when it begins its season and adopt new playoff format in 2027.

Next year, the CFL’s regular season will kick off the Victoria Day weekend in May, its earliest start ever.

The ’26 campaign opens June 4 with the Montreal Alouettes visiting the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

But the bigger change revolves around the CFL playoffs format, which will see eight of the league’s nine teams making the post-season and three rounds before the Grey Cup game rather than two (division semifinal, final).

Starting next season, the first- and second-place teams in each division will square off in first-round playoff games. The winners earn a bye to the Grey Cup semifinals and home-field advantage. The losers move to the second playoff round (elimination games).

Teams outside of the top-two divisional finishers will be seeded from No. 5 to No. 9, with the final seed not qualifying for post-season play.

The fifth and sixth seeds will host the seventh and eighth seeds for play-in games that will be held the same weekend as the divisional contests. The play-in winners advance to the second round while the losers are eliminated.

The following weekend, the division showdown losers will host the play-in victors. The winners go on to the Grey Cup semifinals while the losers are eliminated.

The division showdown victors will host the elimination game winners, with matchups based on regular-season records. The winners advance to the Grey Cup game, which will be held Nov. 7.

The CFL and CFL Players’ Association both agreed upon the changes.

The 2027 #CFL draft will be held April 13 with rookie camps opening April 21. Training camps will open three days later.

This report by The #Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2026

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press

#SA golf veteran Retief Goosen bags fifth PGA Tour Champions title