Rugby

LONDON (AP) — Former England captain Owen Farrell is returning to Saracens after spending an underwhelming season in French rugby at Racing 92.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — After 77 matches in the regular season and five more in the playoffs, Super Rugby has thrown up the final that seemed obvious since the tournament began.

HAMILTON, New Zealand (AP) — The Hamilton-based Chiefs will travel to Christchurch to play the Crusaders in next weekend's Super Rugby final after beating the ACT Brumbies 37-17 on Saturday to reach the title match for the third-straight year.

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) — The Christchurch-based Crusaders will host the Super Rugby final for a record eighth time after edging the Blues 21-14 on Friday to end the Blues' one-year title reign.

Canada rugby coach Stephen Meehan has announced a long list of 59 players, including 20 who are uncapped, ahead of the team's summer test matches. The 24th-ranked Canadian men take on No. 22 Belgium on July 12 and No.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Former Super Rugby winger Salesi Rayasi has been named in Fiji’s 32-man squad to play Australia and Scotland in rugby tests next month.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The Hamilton-based Chiefs are keenly aware there are no more second chances as they head in Saturday’s Super Rugby semifinal against the last Australian hope, the ACT Brumbies.

Billy Boston, who blazed a trail for Black sportspeople in Britain during the 1950s and '60s, became the first rugby league player to receive a knighthood in a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.

DUBLIN (AP) — Scotland prop Zander Fagerson was ruled out of the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia because of injury on Monday, with Ireland international Finlay Bealham called up as a replacement.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson will step down at the end of the year, creating a vacancy in one of the most powerful jobs in New Zealand sport.