Sports
Rugby Sevens World Championship provides testing ground for L.A. 2028 Olympics
On the Dignity Health Sports Park concourse, a group of men sat with drinks in hand, laughing and soaking in the final day of the Rugby Sevens World Championship. Their trip from Cornwall, in southwest England, to Carson spanned 5,408 miles, all for the sole purpose of cheering on Britain.
Donning custom button-up shirts with matching shorts, they proudly pointed out the emblems pressed onto their kits — symbols of home. Their outfits featured a Union Jack, a classic Cornish mining engine house and scones topped with jam first, then cream — the only proper way, they insisted, while chastising anyone who did it differently, much like their intolerable cousins from the neighboring county of Devon.
The getaway to L.A. wasn’t so much a planned excursion as it was a series of phone calls between seven childhood friends, all contingent on getting approval from their wives. Unfortunately, the group was greeted with back-to-back dreary, overcast afternoons instead of the trademark California sunshine. Still, the weather didn’t dampen the fun.
“That’s what we like about sevens — it goes all day,” said Jason Penprase, referring to the raucous atmosphere and rapid pace. “It’s good that we actually get to see nations that you wouldn’t necessarily associate with rugby. … You get to see other nations come forward and play. … It’s got to be good [for the games]. You’re trying to make it a worldwide sport.”
At its core, rugby sevens combines the vibe of a European music festival and Halloween, with the high-impact, frenzied energy of an NFL Sunday. As matches ran concurrently, fans from places as far away as New Zealand flocked to the 27,000-seat stadium in Carson. The result was a vibrant melting pot of cultures, with the two-day tournament providing a preview of what to expect when rugby takes the spotlight at the 2028 Summer Olympics.
This year’s tournament, which featured New Zealand winning the women’s title and South Africa the men’s crown, marked the first time the championship was held on American soil. The event served not only as an Olympic preview for fans, but also as an experience for the players.
Samantha Sullivan of the United States shakes hands with fans after a loss to Canada in the third-place playoff at the rugby sevens world championships at Dignity Health Sports Park on Sunday.
(Jack Megaw / AEG Rugby)
For U.S. women’s national player Nia Toliver, who grew up just miles from Carson in South Central L.A., the opportunity to compete for a bronze medal near her hometown allowed her mother, siblings and friends to witness her journey up close.
“I played rugby in Japan for a couple of years, and they weren’t able to come in and see me play out there, so to have them finally come to a game, and the world championship at that, just means so much,” Toliver said.
Toliver and her teammates are at the forefront of rugby sevens’ growing national exposure in the U.S., building on the momentum from the national team’s captivating bronze-medal run at the Olympic Games in Paris. Having witnessed the sport’s growth since beginning in high school over a decade ago, Toliver was excited by the weekend turnout and the potential for even larger crowds in 2028.
“I’m imagining you’ll be like this for, like, 100 fold,” Toliver said with a smile. “Because when people showed up in Paris, it was ridiculous. So I’m imagining L.A. just spilling out. … It’s so easy to fall in love with, it’s like there’s no reason for you not to watch.”
Fighting for a bronze against Canada, the U.S. fell short in a 27-7 loss, leaving Toliver deflated. She remains determined, however, to compete for a medal in the Olympics. She was named rookie of the year after the season-ending tournament, and she could be in line to lead the national team in three years.
“Once in a lifetime, it’ll be full circle for me,” Toliver said of the prospect of playing in the Olympics.
Much like the Olympic Games, simply being present meant everything for some countries, and nowhere was that more apparent than with Kenya and its fans. Hundreds of supporters, equipped with African drums and miniature flags adorned in black, red and green, claimed a section of the lower bowl, becoming the tournament’s most boisterous group. Their chants of “Let’s go Kenya!” and “Kenya, aye!” in Kiswahili filled the stadium with vibrant energy.
“It’s not about winning or losing, it’s just about that happiness,” said Ng’ang’a Njenga, who traveled from Seattle. “We come straight from third-world countries, and when we come and gather like this, have fun, enjoy.”
Armed with a drum by his side, Njenga was dressed in a leopard-print Kenyan garb, with a mohawk painted half white and half black, in honor of Lwanda Magere, a Kenyan folk hero whose powers lay in the shadows.
Aaron Cummings of the U.S., top, competes for a line-out against George Ooro Angeyoof of Kenya during the Rugby Sevens World Championships on May 4, 2025.
(Jack Megaw / AEG Rugby)
Njenga was among the many who led the drum section, spilling out from the stands, joined by men’s national players Denis Abukuse and Vincent Onyala. Together, they led the charge, dancing in circles to the rhythm of the drums.
“We love this,” Njenga added. “That emotion, like life, can be good. Let’s be happy. It’s not about winning or losing in life.”
Players mingling along the walkway, enjoying the festivities, were a common sight. Fans asked Kenya women’s captain Grace Adhiambo Okulu for selfies and autographs as she cheered on the men’s national team.
“We really work hard to come into L.A. and the experience you’re getting from everyone. It’s a blessing,” Okulu said. “Rugby would be fine if the Kenyans were not here. It’s an amazing thing that the Kenyans are here, and definitely they’re not only supporting Kenya, but any team that is playing.”
The event was not without criticism from fans like Penprase, who stayed in Long Beach with his mates. He pointed out the difficulty of getting around L.A., with constant Uber rides required due to the city’s limited public transit options.
Additionally, some U.S. fans took issue with the setup, which featured two pitches — one inside the stadium and another on its outskirts. Fans noted that they missed a men’s matchup on the second pitch because of the setup. Multiple pitches are expected to be used during the Olympics, in contrast to the single-stadium setup at Stade de France last year.
Despite a few kinks that might need ironing out, just over 27,000 fans visited over the weekend, according to officials. With growing excitement among attendees, many are already looking ahead to the 2028 Games.
After attending the Paris Games, the Cornishmen are potentially eyeing a return flight to LAX in three years, pending the approval of their better halves, of course.
“Never say never — you never know,” Penprase said, hopeful that the next trip would bring more sunshine.
Sports
Pirates star pitcher makes unfortunate history after being taken out in middle of perfect game bid
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Jared Jones was flirting with Major League Baseball history on Wednesday night — he got it, but it was not what he originally envisioned.
The Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher retired the first 18 batters he faced, but he was taken out in the middle of his perfect game bid after six innings.
Now, the Pirates certainly have their reasons — the 24-year-old Jones hasn’t thrown more than 81 pitches in eight starts since returning May 20 after missing all of last season while undergoing ulnar collateral ligament internal brace surgery on May 21, 2025. He was yanked with 77 pitches and likely would have needed more than 100 pitches to record the 25th perfect game in MLB history.
Jared Jones of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park on July 8, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
However, Jones left the game after getting zero run support, so when the Atlanta Braves tacked on three runs late for a 3-0 victory, Jones instead found himself in the wrong chapter of the history books.
According to Opta Stats, Jones became the first pitcher in the modern era (since 1920) to pitch at least six perfect innings and not record a win.
“It does suck. Something’s cool coming on, but I’m on what? My eighth start off of surgery? I completely understand it, and it is what it is,” Jones told reporters after the game.
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jared Jones (17) makes his way to the field to warm up before pitching against the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
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Jones said he didn’t entertain attempting to complete the perfect game.
“Not with the pitch count,” he said. “Not really ever expecting to go nine right now, so that was never in my head.”
Joey Bart, traded to the Braves from the Pirates on June 18, followed a double by Mike Yastrzemski with a 422-foot, two-run homer to left-center field off a slider from Dennis Santana. Drake Baldwin added an RBI single to center in the ninth for good measure.
It was the second time in less than a week that a pitcher was taken out of the game with a perfect bid through six innings — the Miami Marlins took Eury Perez out after seven innings in which he had 92 pitches. Perez, too, is in the midst of returning from injury and has surprisingly found himself right in the postseason mix.
He was pulled for Lake Bachar to start the eighth, and the Marlins allowed eight runs to the Athletics in the final two innings, but held on to win 9-8.
Jared Jones (17) of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers a pitch during a MLB game against the Cincinnati Reds on June 27, 2026, at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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The Pirates are 4.0 games out of the final wild card spot, which is held by the Marlins.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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WASHINGTON — The Dodgers are scheduled to visit the White House on July 23 to celebrate their latest World Series title.
“President Trump is excited to welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers BACK to the White House to celebrate their World Series championship!,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement to The Times.
The date falls on a scheduled off day in the middle of a nine-game East Coast road trip for the Dodgers. The team will play three games in Philadelphia against the Phillies July 20-22 before ending the trip with a three-game series against the New York Mets July 24 to 26.
The visit continues a tradition from the Dodgers’ two previous World Series championships. They were hosted by President Biden in 2021 and President Trump in April 2025.
After the Dodgers claimed their second consecutive World Series title with a dramatic Game 7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, a visit to the White House was planned, but it wasn’t until Thursday that a date was officially booked and confirmed.
Questions swirled around whether players would decline the visit this year after it did not happen during a scheduled visit to Washington in April.
Kiké Hernández said in 2018 he was unsure he would have gone had the Dodgers won the World Series the previous year. Mookie Betts said he was undecided and needed to talk it over with his family when last year’s visit was announced. After winning his first World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2018, Betts skipped their trip to the White House the following year during Trump’s first term.
Both players, along with every returning member of the 2024 team who was with the team during its road trip, participated in the visit. The only notable absence was first baseman Freddie Freeman, who remained in Los Angeles to nurse an ankle injury.
Manager Dave Roberts, who indicated in comments to The Times in 2019 he might not go to the White House if Trump was president, also participated in last year’s ceremony.
Asked at the Dodgers’ fan festival in January about the possibility of returning to the White House, Roberts told The Times’ Bill Shaikin: “For me, I stand by: I’m a baseball manager. That’s my job.”
“I was raised — by a man who served our country for 30 years — to respect the highest office in our country,” Roberts said. “For me, it doesn’t matter who is in the office, I’m going to go to the White House. I’ve never tried to be political. … For me, I am going to continue to try to do what tradition says and not try to make political statements, because I am not a politician.”
Clayton Kershaw, who retired after last season but was on Team USA for this year’s World Baseball Classic, told The Times in the spring that he was aware Dodgers fans are split over whether the team should visit the White House again this year, but he said he is looking forward to it.
“I went when President Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”
Times deputy sports editor Ed Guzman contributed to this report.
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All eyes were on Caitlin Clark on Wednesday night as she made her anticipated return from injury in a road matchup in Los Angeles.
But instead of a triumphant comeback, the Fever spent the entire night chasing the Sparks as Clark’s rough return fueled a 106-92 rout.
The superstar never found a groove, looking completely out of sync in her return from a back injury.
STEPHANIE WHITE GIVES CAITLIN CLARK STATUS UPDATE AHEAD OF FEVER-SPARKS, BUT HER NEXT MOVE RAISES QUESTIONS
Caitlin Clark huddles with teammates as the Indiana Fever battle the Sparks. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) ((Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images))
Much of that disjointed performance falls squarely on head coach Stephanie White, who kept Clark on a ridiculously tight leash by limiting her to just 16 minutes. The stop-and-go approach could have sabotaged any chance for the phenom to establish a rhythm.
Clark finished with just 9 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Her minus-16 plus-minus told the story.
The Los Angeles Sparks were severely shorthanded, taking the floor without stars Kelsey Plum and Cameron Brink.
MERCURY’S NOW-DELETED SOCIAL MEDIA POST MOCKING CAITLIN CLARK DRAWS SCRUTINY AFTER STAR’S INJURY
Yet while a depleted Sparks roster played to win, Indiana spent the night over-managing its biggest asset.
With Clark on a minutes restriction and Aliyah Boston out of the lineup, Kelsey Mitchell was forced to shoulder the entire offensive burden.
Mitchell did her part, pouring in 29 points while shooting 5-of-9 from beyond the arc.
Caitlin Clark orchestrates the Fever offense as Indiana battles the Los Angeles Sparks in primetime action. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) ((Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images))
But one hot hand couldn’t stop an efficient LA squad.
The Sparks shot 45% from three-point range, going 9-of-20 from deep to cruise to the 106-92 victory.
White’s next move is to sit Clark against the Mercury on Thursday while Boston returns.
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After Wednesday’s loss to a shorthanded Sparks team, it’s fair to question whether Indiana’s cautious approach is working. The Fever dropped to 12-9.
Caitlin Clark and Dearica Hamby face off as Fever and Sparks battle at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. (Photo by Tyler Ross/NBAE via Getty Images) ((Photo by Tyler Ross/NBAE via Getty Images))
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
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