New eras, rising stars and lasting legacies headline this week’s Team of the Week.
Jo Yapp becomes the first ever British and Irish Lions Women coach, Gracie Smith continues her rise as one of netball’s brightest young talents, Alexia Putellas prepares to close an incredible 14 year chapter with Barcelona, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is already looking destined for greatness at just 15 years old.
Maja Chwalinska
Polish tennis player
Ranked 114 in the world, Maja Chwalinska has set up a fairytale final appearance in the French Open. The Pole, who had only ever won one Grand Slam match before this tournament beat Diana Shnaider in the semi-final, becoming the first qualifier in history to reach the women's singles final at Roland Garros. On Saturday, she will attempt to become only the second qualifier in the Open era to win a Grand Slam after Britain's Emma Raducanu.
James Milner
A stalwart of English football
I think most people assumed James Milner would play football forever. Unfortunately, the player with the most Premier League appearances has called time on a 24 year career at the top level. The Englishman earned 61 caps for his country and went on to play at two World Cups and two European Championships. Three Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy is not a bad return for someone labelled as 'boring'. Congratulations on a fantastic career, James.
Soccer Aid
Record amounts raised
In its 20th edition, Soccer Aid raised a whopping £16,462,353 for UNICEF, helping the charity continue its support for children around the world. The match saw footballing icons such as Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe and Toni Duggan return to the pitch, alongside familiar faces including GKBarry, Joe Marler and Tom Grennan. The story of the game, though, has to be Ollie Murs. The singer completed a 249 mile journey on foot to get to the match and raised over £800,000 in the process. A fantastic effort from everyone involved.
Ollie Robinson
England’s comeback king
After 829 days in exile and 1,069 since celebrating a wicket for his country, Ollie Robinson is well and truly back in the England Cricket team. The Sussex bowler, who hadn’t played for England since 2024, took three wickets in his first over at Lord’s, well and truly renouncing himself as an international bowler.
