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McGill and Murphy reach British Open final

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  • 27 September 2025, 20:46 BST
Updated 29 minutes ago

Anthony McGill will play Shaun Murphy in the final of the British Open on Sunday after winning four consecutive frames to beat compatriot John Higgins.

Scotland’s McGill won 6-3 to reach his first final in eight years, while England’s Murphy breezed past defending champion Mark Selby 6-1.

McGill, who has slipped to 57th in the world and had reached his first semi-final in nearly three years, was the underdog against the four-time world champion currently ranked sixth.

But the 34-year-old was delighted to record his third professional win over Higgins in nine meetings, having trailed 2-1 and 3-2.

“It’s fantastic win for me because John is a legend,” McGill said after reaching his fourth ranking final.

“This will be the biggest final of my career. In the last couple of years I have won hardly any matches so this is a huge week for me.”

From a career high of 12, McGill had even been in danger of relegation from the tour, but he is already guaranteed a return to the top 50.

When Higgins took the fifth frame with a break of 111, the former world champion looked to be in the groove.

However, McGill proved the steadier of the two and a 104 break in the eighth and a 93 break in the ninth secured victory.

In, Saturday’s other semi-final, Murphy was looking to end a 26-month drought without a ranking title. The 43-year-old got off to a superb start against four-time world champion Selby, winning the first three frames.

Selby fought back to take the fourth frame with a break of 123, but Murphy soon regained control.

He won a tense fifth frame, coming from 54-0 down, before wrapping the match up with a break of 93 to book his place in Sunday’s showpiece.

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‘Drained’ Rory McIlroy defies the hecklers to keep Europe’s Ryder Cup bid on track

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27 September 2025

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RORY MCILROY AND Shane Lowry have secured their first full Ryder Cup point, defying the taunts to keep Europe’s bid on track at Bethpage Black on Saturday.

McIlroy was heckled throughout the second day by American supporters but held firm as Europe maintained their grip on proceedings in New York.

The world number two shouted at one fan to “shut the f*** up” after a comment was aimed in his direction as he prepared to play a shot at the 16th hole.

Play was twice held up on the front nine as hecklers shouted at McIlroy as he prepared to take a shot. Police had to step in to call for order and Thomas also tried to calm the atmosphere, with extra police presence and security in place.

The release of emotion as the Irish duo defeated Justin Thomas and Cameron Young spoke volumes.

“Hugely satisfying,” McIlroy told Sky Sports after they finished their round. “It’s Shane and I’s first full point as a partnership. We got a half yesterday but it was nice to get it.

“Another blue point on the board, that’s what we wanted to do.

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“I’m so proud of this guy, he was there for me all day. I’m drained, to say the least. He dug in big time when he had to. I chipped in when I could here and there. The credit goes to this man today.”

Asked if the crowd took it too far, McIlroy added: “When you play an away Ryder Cup, it’s really, really challenging.

“It’s not for me to say. People can be their own judge of whether they took it too far or not. I’m just proud of us for being able to win today with what we had to go through.”

Lowry also reflected on the round as emotions spilled over at times.

“It was intense. It was something I’ve never experienced, but this is what I live for. This is it. Honestly, this is the reason I get up in the morning, for stuff like this. This is what I love doing.

“I love being a part of this team. I really want us to win this tournament. That’s only a point towards victory, we still have a job to do. We have quite a big lead but we need to keep the foot on the gas and get over the line as quick as we can.”

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Saints snatch stunning play-off victory at Leeds

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Andrew Aloia

BBC Sport England
Updated 22 minutes ago

Betfred Super League play-off eliminator

Leeds Rhinos (12) 14

Tries: Hankinson, McDonnell. Goals: Connor 3

St Helens (6) 16

Tries: Lomax, Bennison, Wright. Goals: Percival, Bennison.

Shane Wright scored with the final play of the game as St Helens snatched a sensational come-from-behind Super League play-off eliminator victory against Leeds Rhinos at a stunned Headingley.

It was not until after the final hooter sounded that Saints led, with the ball crossing from left to right and back again for Wright to finish as his side kept their hopes alive on the final tackle of the match.

It was a dramatic victory sealed at the end of an energy-sapping half that the visitors played without forward Matty Lees, who left midway through the game after his wife went into labour.

A superb James McDonnell try had sent Leeds into the break 12-6 up, after Jonny Lomax’s fortuitously created score for Saints had cancelled out Chris Hankinson’s opener for the hosts.

Leeds were wasteful in their relentless pursuit of more tries after the break, with a Jake Connor penalty all they had to show for long periods of dominance.

It did not prove to be enough, as Jon Bennison snatched a late touchdown to set up the stunning late turnaround which Wright completed at the end of the season’s most frantic and decisive moment so far.

The mesmerising finish with a 16-pass move that criss-crossed the pitch, and had Harry Robertson beat a number of tackles along the way, sets up a semi-final trip to Hull KR on Saturday, 4 October.

As Super League’s two most successful clubs, sharing 17 Grand Final wins between them, the showdown at Headingley between the fourth and fifth placed teams promised to enthral.

Both sides made a number of changes for the knockout tie, with Saints’ backs reshuffled after winger Kyle Feldt was injured in last week’s win against Castleford, while Leeds could again call on the prolific Ryan Hall and Man of Steel nominee Jake Connor.

Scrum-half Connor played a part in Leeds’ opening try, with the ball quickly shifted through the hands of Lachie Miller and Ash Handley before finding Hankinson to dive over.

The try from Hankinson, after he spilled a high ball at the other end to invite pressure on Leeds, summed up the chaotic nature of the opening exchanges.

A combination of luck and quick thinking had Saints pull level, after Curtis Sironen managed to take a high kick before then offloading for Morgan Knowles, who spilled the ball.

The forward, however, thrust a boot out to turn what seemed destined to be a knock-on into a sublime grubber kick for Lomax to finish.

McDonnell went on to restore Leeds’ advantage as he bobbed and weaved his way through three attempted tackles to touch down on the half-hour mark.

Lees’ departure at half-time left Saints short on the bench on a physically taxing night in West Yorkshire as Leeds piled forward in search of more tries after the break.

Leeds went on to waste a succession of chances to add to their lead, with a captain’s challenge from Saints also seeing a Handley try scrubbed off.

At the other end it took a try-saving shove from Connor to keep Bennison from crossing over on the hour mark.

But the winger would go on to pull a try back to give Saints hope with four minutes left after Connor had put the hosts eight points up with his penalty.

A Leeds penalty conceded for offside allowed Saints one last chance to salvage a memorable result, which Wright did for the club that gave his season renewed purpose after leaving financially-troubled side Salford on loan in August.

Leeds ‘shattered’, Saints ‘amazed’ – reaction

Leeds head coach Brad Arthur told BBC Radio Leeds:

“It’s shattering. I’m disappointed and I’m just shattered for the players because they have worked their backsides off all year and put a heap of effort into that and invested so much into the performance.

“I’m shattered for our fans who have invested so much into the team. It’s a cruel game sometimes.

“I don’t think we deserved for it to end like that, but it did and we have to deal with it. And it will be a tough pill to swallow for a while, but it’s going to have to make us better.”

St Helens full-back Tristan Sailor told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra:

“I don’t think it has sunk in yet, honestly. We nearly had the end of our season and we managed to get through and will go to Hull KR next week, and clean a few things up and be back better than ever.

“It’s just amazing from the boys and Shane Wright, in just his second game for the club scores the match-winner.

“There was definitely some frustration and we had some things that relieved pressure, but we stuck in there and got through in the end.”

Leeds: Miller, Hall, Newman, Handley, Hankinson, Croft, Connor, Oledzki, O’Connor, Palasia, McDonnell, Gannon, Watkins.

Interchanges: Bentley, Lisone, Jenkins, Holroyd.

St Helens: Sailor, Bennison, Robertson, Percival, Cross, Welsby, Lomax, Walmsley, Clark, Lees, Sironen, Whitley, Knowles.

Interchanges: Mbye, Bell, Delaney, Wright.

Referee: Jack Smith.

More to follow.

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Building of three new towns will start before election, Labour pledges

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27 September 2025

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The construction of three new towns will begin before the next general election, Labour has pledged.

A taskforce has recommended 12 locations in England for development, with three areas – Tempsford in Bedfordshire, Leeds South Bank, and Crews Hill in north London – identified as the most promising sites.

Housing Secretary Steve Reed is expected to announce the plans in a speech on the opening day of Labour’s annual party conference.

Labour has put housebuilding at the centre of its vision of how to get the economy growing, promising to build 1.5 million new homes by 2029.

The promise of a “new generation of new towns” was included in Labour’s election manifesto last year.

The 12 proposed developments range from large-scale standalone new communities, to expansions of existing towns and regeneration schemes within cities.

Sites in Cheshire, South Gloucestershire, East Devon, Plymouth and Manchester are among those which have been recommended for development.

The chosen sites will be subject to environmental assessments and consultation, with the government confirming the final locations and funding next spring.

Labour said each new town would have at least 10,000 homes and they could collectively result in 300,000 homes being built across England over the coming decades.

The government has welcomed a recommendation from the New Towns Taskforce that at least 40% of these new homes should be classed as affordable housing.

A New Towns Unit will be tasked with bringing in millions of pounds of public and private sector funding to invest in GP surgeries, schools, green spaces, libraries and transport for the new developments.

The taskforce has recommended new towns are delivered by development corporations, which could have special planning powers to compulsory purchase land, invest in local services, and grant planning permission.

This follows the model of the regeneration of Stratford in east London during and after the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “For so many families, homeownership is a distant dream.

“My Labour government will sweep aside the blockers to get homes built, building the next generation of new towns.”

In his speech, the housing secretary will promise to “build baby build”, while “taking lessons from the post-war Labour government housing boom”.

“This party built new towns after the war to meet our promise of homes fit for heroes. Now, with the worst economic inheritance since that war, we will once again build cutting-edge communities to provide homes fit for families of all shapes and sizes,” Reed is expected to say.

After World War Two Clement Attlee’s government planned the first wave of new towns, including in Stevenage, Crawley and Welwyn Garden City, to relocate people from poor or bombed-out housing, with development corporations assigned responsibility for building them.

The announcement comes as Labour members gather in Liverpool for the party’s annual conference.

It will be Reed’s first major speech since he took over from Angela Rayner as housing secretary, after she resigned for failing to pay enough tax on a flat purchase.

It has been a bruising few weeks for Sir Keir, who is facing questions over his leadership and the direction of his party.

With Labour trailing behind Reform UK in the polls, the prime minister has stepped up his attacks on Nigel Farage’s party.

Arriving in Liverpool on Saturday, he warned Reform would “tear this country apart” and said the conference would be an opportunity to set out his alternative to the “toxic divide and decline” offered by the party.

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