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Gifts from The Morning Star
Sport in brief: July 1, 2025
Joe McCarthy of the British & Irish Lions (right) is congratulated by teammates James Lowe and Elliot Daly after scoring a try during their rugby match against the Western Force in Perth, Australia, June 28, 2025

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL: The European Championships kick off in Thun, south-east of Bern, Wednesday evening with a Group A fixture between Iceland and Finland before hosts Switzerland play two-time winners Norway in Basel. 

Thursday’s matches see favourites Spain face Portugal and Italy meet Germany. 

Wales take on the Netherlands in their competition debut after England have begun the defence of their title against France on Saturday.

MEN’S RUGBY UNION: Tour captain Maro Itoje returns to a much-changed British Lions line-up for tomorrow’s game with the Queensland Reds. 

Finn Russell is the only player set to retain his place from Saturday’s 54-7 win at Western Force while Ireland’s Jamison Gibson-Park and Hugo Keenan return from injury to make their Lions debuts. 

The Reds finished fifth in the southern hemisphere’s Super Rugby competition, four places above Western Force.

SPEEDWAY: Belle Vue captain Brady Kurtz top-scored with 14+1 points and Dan Bewley weighed in with 13+1 as the east Manchester-based club stuffed Premiership league leaders Ipswich 52-38 on Monday evening. 

At the other end of the table, Tobiasz Musielak bagged 13+1 points as bottom club Birmingham scored maximums in the last two heats to earn a 49-41 win over King’s Lynn at their Perry Barr track.

MEN’S CRICKET: England’s under-19s face their Indian counterparts in Northampton on Wednesday for the third leg of a five-match one-day series. 

The teams are currently all-square at 1-1 after India took the first match by six wickets before Somerset’s Thomas Rew smashed 131 from 89 balls to help steer England to a one wicket victory on Monday. 

The fourth leg will take place at New Road, Worcester on Saturday.

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