
Bristol go fourth in PWR with win against Exeter
Bristol Bears moved up to fourth place in the Premiership Women's Rugby and boosted their play-off hopes with a comfortable 45-17 victory over Exeter Chiefs. Four first-half tries at Ashton Gate secured Bristol an early bonus point. Exeter, who slip from fourth to fifth, are three points behind Bristol with a game in hand. Bristol hooker Lark Atkin-Davies scored a hat-trick of tries, Olympic bronze medallist Ilona Maher added two and scrum-half Keira Bevan and lock Abbie Ward were also on the scoresheet. American Maher, 28, signed for Bristol on a three-month deal in December to help her chances of making the US team for the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup this summer. Also on Saturday, Trailfinders took a step towards a top-six finish by beating bottom side Sale Sharks 33-20. Tries by Kate Zackary, Grace White and Abi Burton, plus two by Julia Schell, secured a bonus point win for the visitors. Trailfinders are two points behind sixth-placed Loughborough Lightning with a game in hand.
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Scotsman
42 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Spanish success in 121st Women's Amateur Championship at Nairn
Win in Highlands secure spots for champion in Evian Championship and AIG Women's Open Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Paula Martin Sampedro landed the second big Spanish success of the season in the women's amateur game by winning the 122nd Women's Amateur Championship at Nairn. The 19-year-old from Madrid claimed the coveted title after beating American Farah O'Keefe by 2&1 in the 36-hole final, becoming the sixth Spaniard to land the prize and the first since Azahara Muñoz in 2009. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Her victory also came just over two months after her compatriot, Carla Bernat Escuder, came out on top in the 2025 Augusta National Women's Amateur. Spaniard Paula Martin Sampedro shows off the trophy at Nairn | The R&A 'It honestly doesn't feel real yet,' admitted the new champion. 'I feel like I played pretty solid golf today, but the match was super tight all the way. I knew it was going to come down to the last few holes, so I stayed patient and it went my way.' The win secured spots for Martin Sampedro in this summer's Amundi Evian Championship and AIG Women's Open, as well as the Chevron Championship and the US Women's Open in 2026. Martin Sampedro will also receive an invitation to compete in next year's Augusta National Women's Amateur and will be given the opportunity to play in a Ladies' European Tour event as well. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I feel like we both played great to the level of a final of The Women's Amateur,' she added. 'I think we both need to be super happy, but I'm definitely excited to call myself a champion. I think it's going to take a while to just sink in.' Elsewhere, Marc Warren recorded a second successive top-ten finish on the Hotel Planner Tour by securing a tie for ninth in the Raiffeisenbank Golf Challenge in the Czech Republic. The former World Cup winner signed off with a 66 for an 11-under-par total at Golf Resort Kaskáda in Brno, where American Palmer Jackson landed his maiden win in style by finishing six shots clear of the field on 21 under. On his professional debut, 2024 Open Silver Medal winner Calum Scott finished outside the top 60 on three over. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Meanwhile, Laura Beveridge pipped compatriot Lorna McClymont by a shot to finish as the leading Scot in the LET's Hulencourt Women's Open in Belgium.

South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
Jess Learmonth delighted with T100 Triathlon podium
Learmonth took third place in Canada behind defending champion Taylor Knibb and Julie Derron. It marked a breakthrough result for Learmonth, who upgraded from finishes of 13th and seventh in Singapore and San Francisco respectively to stake her claim as a contender heading into the rest of the season. 'I am totally shocked to get on the podium,' she said. 'It was enjoyable, I was having the best time. I've not ran much so I thought if I could have a good swim and bike, we will see what happens. 'Taylor keeps it very honest and keeps the pressure on, which helps a lot. I got a nice gap and felt pretty comfortable on the run. 'It is so difficult to push the pace at the front and [Taylor] does that so well. It was really good to have someone to ride with, it helps to have someone to keep the pressure on. I was just focussed on staying together.'] Third place moves Learmonth into fourth in the overall standings behind Derron, Knibb and fellow Brit Kate Waugh, who was absent in Vancouver. Compatriot Lucy Charles-Barclay is just a point behind in fifth after she finished fourth in Canada, with the Brits likely to all be eyeing up a home race in London on 9 August. It is the next stop on the global T100 Triathlon Tour, which will also make stops on the French Riviera, Valencia, Las Vegas and Dubai before culminating in its final in Qatar in December. A place on the podium is particularly poignant for Learmonth, as she continues her return to the top of the sport after giving birth to her son Frederick in September 2023. The Olympic gold medallist now balances her training with motherhood, but is thrilled to be back amongst the very best. She added: 'It means a lot, certainly with all the help and support I get for Fred. To get a result like that makes it all the more worthwhile. I love the circuit, I love being with the girls and having a laugh. This just tops it off. 'I hope I can take confidence from it. I just need to recover well from this and put some training together on the run.' The T100 Triathlon World Tour is a season-long schedule of World Championship level races competed over 100km (2km swim, 80km bike and 18km run), where the world's best triathletes go head-to-head in iconic locations. For more information visit

South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
Knibb roars to victory women's race in Vancouver
Taylor Knibb roared back to the top of the T100 Triathlon podium with a dominant victory in Vancouver. Knibb lost the first T100 race of her career in San Francisco two weeks ago but was back on top form in Canada, as she took the tape over two minutes ahead of Julie Derron. The American's strength on the bike once again proved pivotal, as she pulled ahead from the pack alongside Jess Learmonth before closing out victory on the run. Learmonth eventually finished third to earn her first T100 podium behind Derron, and Knibb was pleased to have the Brit to battle against for much of the contest. Knibb said: 'My run felt a lot better than San Francisco. My coach made a few changes to my training to help me, and it really helped, so thank you. 'It was really fun racing with Jess. I'm really pleased she got a Hot Shot [for the T100 series] and she made me better out there and I was really grateful for it. 'It was a fun race; it's so much better having Jess. Like on the technical section I wasn't taking it as well as she was, so I ended up following her line and wheel and that made me better. 'That is the fun thing about a lap course, is that you can learn on each lap and get better. She was really strong on that section, and I was better at others and I'm glad that we could trade off each other.' Knibb's victory leaves her second in the overall standings, nine points behind Derron and four points ahead of Kate Waugh, who was absent in Vancouver. Derron took the win in San Francisco a fortnight ago but was not quite able to make it back-to-back victories, as the Swiss athlete was left to rue difficult swim and bike legs. 'I gave myself quite a bit of work after the swim,' she said. 'My swim was terrible today, I don't know what happened. 'Then I found myself a bit in no man's land on the bike, but I just had to focus and keep pushing away and onto the run I knew I was aiming for the podium and I was just hunting down Jess, which really kept me honest and kept me going all out until the finish line. 'To come second when things didn't go that well, I'm really pleased with. 'After Singapore the goal was to get back on the podium in these two races [San Francisco and Vancouver] and I've done that so I couldn't ask for more.' The T100 Triathlon World Tour is a season-long schedule of World Championship level races competed over 100km (2km swim, 80km bike and 18km run), where the world's best triathletes go head-to-head in iconic locations. For more information visit