MEN’S RUGBY UNION: The Junior World Championships kick off in Georgia this weekend with Scotland’s under-20s facing Italy in Group B before defending champions South Africa play Uruguay and Wales are up against the hosts in Group A. Last year’s runners-up New Zealand meet Japan in Group B, England and Ireland clash and Argentina face the USA in Group C. Six Nations champions France take on Fiji and Australia play Spain in Group D.

MEN’S BOXING: Puerto Rico’s WBO and WBA light-middleweight champion Xander Zayas defends his titles against Jaron “Boots” Ennis in Brooklyn on Sunday morning. Zayas is undefeated in 23 fights, while former world champion Ennis hasn’t tasted defeat in 35 bouts. On the undercard Bilston-born Benjamin Whittaker, who won silver at the 2020 Olympics, takes on America’s Richard Rivera for the WBC silver light heavyweight belt. 

SPEEDWAY: Chris Holder top-scored with 13+2 points and Josh Pickering weighed in with 13+1 as Sheffield Tigers led from the first tape to brush aside Leicester Lions 53-37 in Thursday evening’s Premiership meeting at Owlerton. The Tigers are second in the table behind league leaders Belle Vue who slumped to a 50-40 defeat at Ipswich despite Brady Kurtz bagging 14+1 points for the Manchester team.

HOCKEY: England’s women face Spain at Lee Valley lunchtime tomorrow after their surprise penalty shoot-out win over Argentina on Thursday evening lifted them off the bottom of the FIH Pro League. They meet the Argentinians again tomorrow lunchtime. England’s men continued their good run of form with midweek wins over India and Pakistan and they sit second in their league before the return fixtures this weekend.