'Showering is not an entitlement': Tennis anti-doping unit announces players must shower 'in full view' of officials



Tennis' leader in anti-doping and anti-corruption said players are not permitted to have a shower before a drug test.

The International Tennis Integrity Unit covers policy, sanctions, prohibition, and testing for doping in tennis, and it recently announced a change to its policy that had many fans asking questions.

The ITIA informed players on Friday that drug testing will be conducted immediately following matches and that if a player wishes to shower before the drug test, he or she will have to do so in front of a drug-testing official.

The new rule was shared by Tennis Channel reporter Jon Wertheim, who showed a snippet of a letter from the ITIA on his X page.

"On behalf of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), we are sharing important updates to the Tennis Anti-Doping Program," the letter stated, before introducing a subsection on "showering,"

"The ITIA and previously the ITF has worked hard to ensure that showers following matches can amount to a permissible delay to doping control, particularly when showering could have a detrimental effect on the health and wellbeing of a player."

The letter continued, "However, showering is not an entitlement, and it is for this reason that the ITIA kindly requests that when showering[,] players adhere to the requirement to stay in full view of the chaperone observing them at all times."

The letter added that if a player is not comfortable with being monitored while showering, the player should consider the idea of whether or not a shower is "necessary before providing a doping control sample. Failure to remain in full view of the chaperone will be taken extremely seriously by the ITIA."

— (@)

After the seemingly bizarre wording of the policy received publicity, the ITIA reaffirmed its stance in a follow-up statement.

"We recognise that parts of the anti-doping testing process are uncomfortable," the group said. "However, as with all World Anti-Doping Agency-compliant sports — not just tennis — players who are notified for a test after a match are observed at all times by an anti-doping chaperone until the test is completed."

The group added, "This is a requirement of the World Anti-Doping Code."

While the policy sounded strange on its surface, it did have a certain level of logic behind it. As outlet Metro noted, soccer's governing body in the region, the Professional Footballers' Association, has a similar policy in place with an added explanation:

"It is important for the laboratory to analyse your first sample and by having a shower a player could urinate easily without anyone noticing."

The organization added, "Sports people have done this before in order to manipulate this seemingly insignificant procedure to avoid a positive result."

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Australian woman faces criminal charges for 'misgendering' male soccer player — asked in court if she is being 'mean'



An Australian woman who advocates for women's sports to remain female-only is facing two legal criminal accusations of "misgendering."

Kirralie Smith, an activist, has had two Apprehended Violence Orders filed against her by two male athletes posing as females and was accused in court of "deliberately misgendering."

Dennis was then listed as a 6'2" athlete who broke the leg of a girl who is 5'6."

While an AVO in Australia is typically reserved for domestic violence, it can be filed by any person who feels they are a victim of "physical assault, threats of physical harm, stalking, intimidation or harassment" and believes the threats will continue, according to New South Wales Police.

One of the claims came from a soccer player named Riley Dennis; Blaze News reported in 2024 that this individual was accused of injuring a female soccer player and sending her to the hospital. Dennis plays for the Flying Bats, a football club for "self-identified women and non-binary people."

Dennis was then listed as a 6'2" athlete who broke the leg of a girl who is 5'6" and spawned two dozen other females to quit because they did not want to play against the transgender-filled team. Yahoo Sports reported that the injured girl's leg was broken in two different places.

Activist Sall Grover was reportedly present during Smith's court proceeding on Monday and claimed a barrister asked Smith if she would call Dennis "she/her," to which the defendant said "no."

Smith was also allegedly asked if not using the pronouns is "mean," to which she replied that it would be mean to expect her to lie.

"Is it because she doesn't like trans people?" Grover wrote about the court proceeding. "No. It's a fact based statement," Smith reportedly answered.

Kirralie is on the stand for cross-examination.
Barrister asked she would call Dennis she/her. She said No.
She is asked if that’s mean. Says it’s mean to expect her to lie.
Is it because she doesn’t like trans people? Say, no. It’s a fact based statement.
You think they are…
— Sall Grover (@salltweets) April 14, 2025

Sky News Australia described the court proceeding as having "dramatic scenes" and said the "entire case" centers around "a couple of tweets Kirralie Smith posted back in 2023."

This was the second time Smith appeared in court for an AVO, however. Reduxx reported that Smith was accused by another male player, who goes by Stephanie Blanch, of holding unacceptable views. Blanch reportedly told a court he felt "threatened" by the idea that Smith did not think men should be in women's sports.

Blanch's supporting documentation included an X post by Smith about "a bloke on the women’s team in Wingham," the team on which Blanch plays.

In December, an Australian court acknowledged that Smith "repeatedly referred to" Blanch as a "male, a man, a bloke" and "he." A local judge declared that Smith indeed was "deliberately misgendering" Blanch, which was "stirring up controversy."

Blanch was awarded what essentially amounted to a restraining order against Smith, which required Smith to refrain from contacting Blanch as well as not "nam[ing] or identify[ing] the Appellant by her name Stephanie Blanch or by [name redacted]."

The order ends in December 2026.

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Men can play in women's soccer on a 'case-by-case basis,' English association rules



Men who believe they are women will be allowed to compete in women's soccer in England, the sport's governing body has decided.

The English Football Association updated its transgender sports policy and noted that men will be able to play against women after "match observation" has taken place to determine if a player "presents a risk" to the safety of others, BBC reported.

The FA will now have "ultimate discretion" over eligibility and ultimately will evaluate each male player on a "case-by-case basis," as opposed to a universal rule for or against men playing against women. However, the FA is still implementing requirements based on testosterone levels.

A prospective male player who wishes to be considered female will need to have been below a prescribed level of hormones for at least 12 months and provide a medical record of hormone therapy. He will also need to have an annual review of his treatment(s).

'What constitutes a woman?'

At the same time, an FA official will have the option to remove or refuse a player's permission to play against women during the observation period.

English journalist Lewis Brackpool, whose local team is Crawley Town F.C., told Blaze News the FA's logic crumbles under simple scrutiny.

"The entire 'trans question' begins to unravel under these basic, fundamental challenges: What constitutes a woman? Is it the presence of estrogen? Is it a feeling? Or is it something deeper — like bone structure, reproductive biology, and DNA?" the reporter asked.

The FA has reportedly revealed that there are 20 males playing in women's soccer at the amateur level in England, but none play in any of the professional leagues.

Policy surrounding men who believe they are women was introduced by the FA in 2015, but in 2023 the organization was faced with pressure from 48 members of Parliament who wanted to protect women's soccer. A letter from the government was reportedly sparked by a series of teams withdrawing from recreational games after a transgender player injured a female with a shot.

Brackpool told Blaze News that debates over the issue have intensified in the U.K., especially with recent reports of men competing in women's sports. Brackpool pointed specifically to a recent English women's billiard tournament where two men competed in the final.

Brackpool added, "If anyone can simply become a woman, then being a woman loses all meaning. And the same goes in reverse."

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US men's soccer coach says Trump can help the United States win the World Cup: 'All is possible'



United States men's soccer coach Mauricio Pochettino thinks he can win it all when the United States hosts the World Cup in 2026.

The legendary coach from Argentina has been at the helm of the U.S. soccer team for just two years, but he already sees great success on the horizon.

The United States will host the national tournament along with Canada and Mexico, and Pochettino thinks support from American fans and from the president is the key to a monumental run.

In an interview with Sky Sports reporter Gail Davis, Pochettino was asked what he would say if President Donald Trump wanted to know if the United States could win the World Cup.

"Yes. Yes," Pochettino quickly replied. "I will say 'yes.' If he asked me, I say 'yes, President, with your help, with the fans in behind hosting the World Cup, all is possible.'"

The 53-year-old spent about 15 years coaching across Europe's top leagues and had his longest tenure with England's Tottenham Hotspur from 2014 to 2019. Pochettino is credited with transforming the franchise from a mid-tier club to consistently competing for the English Premier League's top five positions, which landed them spots in Europe's most prestigious international club tournaments.

'If you say football, it's "no, no, no, no! Soccer!"'

Pochettino told Sky Sports he was hoping to receive an invite to the White House, along with the team, especially after FIFA President Gianni Infantino visited the Oval Office to reveal a new World Cup trophy.

"Hope, yes. Hope our president invite the national team," the coach confirmed.

The new manager was also asked how he has adjusted to using the term "soccer" as opposed to "football."

Pochettino said he fully understood that soccer is not yet a predominant sport in the country but that it is on the rise.

"If you say football, it's 'no, no, no, no! Soccer!' It's true, it's soccer because it's not football, because too many difference and still they need to, many [need] to, discover [it] there in USA," he explained.

The legendary coach said that while soccer is "not the principal" sport in the United States currently, he believes interest in the game is "growing a lot," rapidly.

If Major League Soccer's expansion is any indication of American interest in the sport, then the last decade has shown incredible growth.

MLS had added 12 teams since 2015, starting with New York City and Orlando. In 2017, teams in Atlanta and Minnesota were added.

A steady stream of franchises have been introduced since, starting with Los Angeles (2018) and followed by Cincinnati (2019). Miami and Nashville followed (2020), then Austin (2021), Charlotte (2022), St. Louis (2023), and finally San Diego (2025).

This brought the league to a massive 30 teams, separated into two conferences. Typically, European soccer leagues max out at 20 teams and operate under a relegation system where the bottom two or three franchises are bumped down to a lower league, while the top teams from the second-tier league gain promotion each year.

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'Cruel and depraved': Ex-US soccer player Megan Rapinoe trashes Trump's executive order to keep men out of women's sports



Former professional women's soccer player Megan Rapinoe characterized President Donald Trump's executive order to keep males out of female sports as "cruel" and against human rights.

Rapinoe is a longtime critic of Trump who has focused on the idea that men who believe they are women who should be treated as females, even in regard to playing in female sports.

Retirement has not stopped Rapinoe from using her popularity to speak out on these subjects, which continued in a recent interview with outlet Mundial.

Referring to Trump's executive order titled, "Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports," Rapinoe said she did not believe the intention behind Trump's action was sincere.

"Don't tell me it's about the rights of women's sports," she began. "That is totally disingenuous to say that."

'This isn't an issue ...'

The order declared that women have a right to play in sports only against other biological women and shall not be forced to compete with men, compete against men, or change in front of men.

Nevertheless, Rapinoe continued and claimed that the idea that men are infiltrating women's sports is not an existing problem.

"I think it's just really cruel," she went on. "You know, if you strip it all back, it's just kind of cruel and depraved. This isn't an issue, and you aren't going to be able to executive order trans people out of existence.

The 39-year-old then cited what she called a decade-long period of fighting for rights before claiming that the issue of ridding women's sports of men was actually just an issue of criticizing women's sports.

"We've just gone through a very long period, over 10 years, of really needing to fight just to get to a baseline of, like, equal rights and non-discriminatory behavior, and when people stop just s**tting on women's sports. I think we are sort of at that moment."

Responses to Rapinoe were instant, including commentator and host Piers Morgan, who called Rapinoe a "fraud," according to the Daily Mail.

Meanwhile, OutKick founder Clay Travis mocked Rapinoe for wanting "grown men in women’s sports" before declaring that "her brain is broken."

Rapinoe has kept up her focus on both transgenderism and Trump since her retirement. In July 2024, she criticized U.S. women's soccer player Korbin Albert for posting content critical of transgenderism on social media. Rapinoe accused Albert of hiding behind her faith and questioned if the 20-year-old was "making any type of space safer, more inclusive" or "more whole."

Then, shortly after Trump's election in November, she said that she was hoping for better than the "grim, dark, violent reality" of another term under President Trump, a future that she said Trump had "very clearly" laid out for the country.

Rapinoe's insistence that gender battles in women's sports are not happening unfortunately can be disproven by examples from just the last 30 days. These examples included a California high school girls' basketball team with a dominating male player on the roster and a transgender track and field runner who defeated teenage girls at an event in New York.

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'Obviously there's issues': American Brian White responds to anthem boos as Canadians are now even booing at soccer games



An American soccer player who captains a Canadian team responded to his own fans booing the U.S. national anthem.

Fans at BC Place in Vancouver, Canada, booed a performance of the "Star-Spangled Banner" before a Major League Soccer game between the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Los Angeles Galaxy. The jeers were an ongoing response to threats of tariffs on Canadian goods by President Donald Trump. Despite the fact that Canada has tariffed U.S. goods for years, many sports fans have largely ignored this fact.

In the end, the Whitecaps pulled out a 2-1 victory, but as was the case with NHL fans in Vancouver and Ottawa, fans seemingly forgot their top player is an American.

'It's not my business.'

Enter Brian White, captain and all-time leading scorer for the Whitecaps. White is a native of New Jersey. He responded to his own fans booing his national anthem.

Despite largely took the high road, White said, "I would like to say thank you to the fans that cheered and clapped the anthem at the end and showed respect for the flag."

He added, "Obviously there's issues. It's not my business, and I'll leave it at that."

White gave his remarks at a postgame press conference after receiving a question that was seemingly left until the end on purpose.

The ongoing anti-American sentiments have extended beyond Canada-versus-America hockey games and were even showcased at a recent WWE event in Toronto.

About 30,000 fans booed the U.S. national anthem at the Rogers Centre during the WWE event Elimination Chamber.

ESPN host Pat McAfee, a commentator for the WWE, called Canada "terrible" in reaction to the fans.

"These are the most stacked [matches] that the WWE has ever had. Kind of sucks that it's in the terrible country of Canada that booed our national anthem to start this entire thing," McAfee said comedically.

The host called for peace the following day but revealed he thought it was strange that fans equated hearing a national with the political policies of President Trump, as he did not make the same connection regarding the Canadian anthem and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Similarly, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) found a new way to take a dig at Canadians who have reportedly called for travel boycotts against the United States. After revealing that millions of Canadians had traveled to Florida, he said, "Maybe they wanted to get a glimpse of what a Stanley Cup-winning hockey team actually looks like."

A Canadian NHL team has not won the Stanley Cup since 1993.

Whitecaps star White recently signed a contract extension through 2027, and this was the team's first game against an American squad since the deal was inked.

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Italian soccer player collapses on field after attempting to play with head injury



Fiorentina forward Moise Kean was taken to a hospital after he attempted to play despite taking a knee to the head.

During a match with Hellas Verona on Sunday, Kean was battling for the ball when he was pushed to the ground by an opposing player. While on the ground, Kean was struck in the head by the knee of oncoming Veronas player Pawel Dawidowicz; Kean immediately fell to his back, holding his face in his hands.

According to reports, the Vercelli, Italy, native was treated and then allowed to return to play.

However, video later captured Kean stumbling before eventually collapsing on the field as teammates and opposing players urgently called for medical staff to come onto the field.

Kean was soon put on a stretcher by a group of paramedics and carried off the field, then was immediately taken to a hospital. He was seen, according to Reuters, wearing a neck brace.

"Fiorentina announces that ... Moise Kean, during the match against Verona, suffered a head trauma. [He] is in hospital for tests," the team announced following a 1-0 loss.

Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images

'... tests all produced negative results.'

Fiorentina revealed early Monday that Kean had been discharged from hospital less than 24 hours after he was admitted. He was tested for unknown conditions and subsequently released.

"ACF Fiorentina can confirm that Moise Kean was discharged from hospital in Verona overnight and has returned to Florence," the team said, per the Guardian. "Medical and diagnostic tests all produced negative results," they added.

The incident occurred a little over two months after Fiorentina midfielder Edoardo Bove collapsed during a game after losing consciousness. He was soon subjected to emergency surgery to implant a removable defibrillator to prevent future cardiac arrest.

The implantable cardioverter defibrillator is reportedly not permitted in Serie A soccer, where Fiorentina plays, and would need to be removed for Bove to play in Italy.

Kean is second in Serie A in goal-scoring this season with 15 goals. He is just 24 years old while, Bove is just 22 years old.

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$500K in jewelry stolen from Los Angeles soccer star Olivier Giroud as string of athlete burglaries continues



LAFC star Olivier Giroud's house was broken into and burglarized, marking yet another professional athlete whose privacy was violated.

Giroud, a French national playing for LAFC in Los Angeles, lost around $500,000 worth of high-value items in early February, according to multiple reports.

Giroud's wife, Jennifer, reported the break-in on February 5 upon discovering a broken window at their L.A. property. They had just moved into the home in September 2024 after the Frenchman was signed by his new team in May.

Among the items taken from Giroud's home were more than 10 men's watches, according to the Daily Mail. The total value of the items was estimated by Giroud's wife, TMZ reported, and so far no arrests have been made in connection with the crime. The Los Angeles Police Department is reportedly still investigating.

The robbery reflects an ongoing and troubling trend for professional athletes in America, most recently capped off by an absurd robbery of NFL quarterback Joe Burrow.

After model Olivia Ponton reported a robbery at Burrow's home in December, police bodycam footage and subsequent documentation revealed the robbers were Chilean illegal immigrants who not only immediately wore Burrow's belongings after taking them, but they posed for photos with his stolen Louis Vuitton luggage and diamond chains.

'We owe it to the victims.'

Robberies of Kansas City Chiefs players Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes have also made headlines, while NHL players have not been spared either. Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin was robbed of his most prized possessions in mid-January: three Stanley Cup rings. The rings represent all three of Malkin's championships with the Penguins in 2009, 2016, and 2017.

Meanwhile, NBA megastar Luke Doncic also had his home in Dallas burglarized in December while he was away. Interestingly enough, the robbery came just weeks before he was traded to Los Angeles where Giroud's robbery occurred.

U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker said authorities are looking into the alleged criminal networks.

"We owe it to the victims, whether they are or are not professional athletes, to follow the evidence. ... Today is a day that law enforcement scored and spiked the ball."

Giroud made his debut for LAFC in August and appeared in 10 games in 2024. He has long been a star in European soccer for teams in Italy, France, and England, and is known as one of the most successful international soccer players of all time. He leads all scorers for France's national team with a record 57 goals, six ahead of legend Thierry Henry.

Giroud was signed by LAFC to a one-and-a-half-year Designated Player contract through 2025, with an option year for 2026. The Designated Player Rule allows for MLS teams to sign up to three players whose salaries and transfer fees exceed their salary cap.

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FACT CHECK: Did Norway Refuse To Play Israel For The 2026 World Cup Qualifier?

A post shared on Facebook claims Norway refused to play Israel for the 2026 World Cup qualifier. Verdict: False There is no evidence Norway refused to play against Israel in the European 2026 World Cup qualifiers or called for its expulsion. Fact Check: Social media users are claiming that Norway refused to play against Israel in the […]

Conor McGregor brutally roundhouse-kicks soccer player in the ribs while playing for his pub's team



UFC star Conor McGregor was indifferent about kicking an opponent in the ribs during his soccer debut over the weekend.

McGregor suited up for his sports bar's soccer team, Black Forge FC, representing the Black Forge Inn from Dublin, Ireland.

Facing off against Harding FC in the United Churches Football League, McGregor quickly got to work showing off his mixed martial arts skills in videos that circulated online.

In the first clip, McGregor slid in with his cleats up, typically considered a hard foul in soccer, colliding with a player on the ground; an audible thud could be heard. Then, after a throw-in, McGregor wrestled and threw an opponent to the ground, resulting in a foul.

"Good game, fair challenges, nothing sloppy, no injuries. Up the Forge!" McGregor said in response to the video.

'All ball, ref!'

A more visceral reaction came from McGregor in another clip. After a deflection sent the ball into the air, the former two-division UFC champ looked to strike the ball into the net from just a few feet out. However, with a jumping roundhouse kick, McGregor perfectly landed his left foot on the ribcage of an opposing player who was trying to head the ball.

The player immediately fell to the ground in pain, while McGregor reacted with a smile and his arms raised as if he didn't know what he had done wrong.

"All ball, ref!" McGregor wrote on X, with the video attached.

McGregor posted other videos, including one to a classic hip-hop beat that showed the fighter celebrating a teammate's goal.

"I'm living the 'whatever the f*** I want' life!" the video was captioned, quoting McGregor.

Another clip showed a long-distance attempt from the 36-year-old that hit the crossbar, in what was reported as his closest chance of getting a goal during the match.

In the end, the game finished 1-1, and McGregor said it was a "great game," with "great buzz!"

McGregor's recent headlines include being removed from a video game and an announcement that he is hoping to fight in a boxing match in India for more than $250 million.

The Irishman's last scheduled UFC fight in June 2024 against Michael Chandler was canceled, with no rescheduled fight announced since. His last fight in July 2021 ended in a doctor's stoppage after McGregor broke his ankle.

Since then, McGregor has continuously teased a comeback to the UFC but instead has starred in movies like "Road House," a 2024 reboot of the 1989 Patrick Swayze film of the same name.

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