Sports

Hockey

Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Aaron Rome (29) checks Nashville Predators right wing Jordin Tootoo (22) in the third period of a preseason NHL hockey game in Nashville, Tenn., on Sept. 27, 2008. Both have ties to the Wheat Kings, with Rome serving as an assistant coach and Tootoo playing in Brandon for four years. (Associated Press)

All roads lead to Rome for Wheaties

Perry Bergson 9 minute read Yesterday at 8:56 PM CDT

The Brandon Wheat Kings looked back to the future as they filled out their coaching staff on Tuesday.

The Western Hockey League team announced Tuesday that 42-year-old Aaron Rome will be rejoining the club as an assistant coach, days after they also hired fellow Brandonite Ryan White to serve alongside Brandon head coach and general manager Marty Murray. Rome served as an assistant coach under David Anning during the 2016-17 season, and then worked as a skills coach for two years.

He said the time was right to return to the WHL.

“I took some time away from coaching 10 years ago when my kids were really young,” Rome said. “They’re busy, and you want to be able to watch them play and be around them when they’re growing up.

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Baseball

JT Martine led the Brandon Cardinals to a 10-4 record, earning home-field advantage for the first round of the South West Baseball League playoffs against the Deloraine Royals. Brandon won the first game 3-0 on Tuesday. (Perry Bergson/The Brandon Sun)

Martine bolsters Cardinals lineup

Thomas Friesen 5 minute read Preview

Martine bolsters Cardinals lineup

Thomas Friesen 5 minute read Yesterday at 8:55 PM CDT

JT Martine traded highway drives for line drives this summer.

For that, the Brandon Cardinals are grateful. The former Brandon Marlins AAA player, who spent the past two summers with the Pembina Valley Orioles of the Manitoba Junior Baseball League, has been a key piece of the Cardinals’ lineup all year.

He helped them finish second in the South West Baseball League’s South Division at 10-4, earning home-field advantage for the division semifinal series against the Deloraine Royals (8-6).

“Pembina Valley’s loss is our gain. He really enjoys ball and you can see the family loves baseball and practises all the time,” said veteran second baseman Chris Kennedy.

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Yesterday at 8:55 PM CDT

Baseball

The Brandon Marlins 11U baseball team won the AA provincial title in Reston on Sunday. (Submitted)

Brandon wins 11U provincial crown

Thomas Friesen 3 minute read Preview

Brandon wins 11U provincial crown

Thomas Friesen 3 minute read Yesterday at 8:53 PM CDT

Luke Kirkup and the Brandon Marlins couldn’t have imagined a better provincial championship Sunday.

Kirkup pitched his 11-and-under AA squad through a 7-3 semifinal victory over Mitchell, then recorded the game-ending double play to lead Brandon to a 5-1 triumph over Altona in the gold-medal game in Reston.

“It was their best hitter at bat. He had already hit a rocket to Luke earlier in the game. We had everybody playing deep,” said head coach Jonathan Kirkup.

“He hits a rocket to Luke again, and he makes the play. We were yelling at him just to get one out … getting the second out, it was a shock that it was over right then and there.

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Yesterday at 8:53 PM CDT

Golf

Oakden in second at Manitoba junior

1 minute read Yesterday at 8:55 PM CDT

Brandon’s Hunter Oakden sits alone in second place through one round of the Golf Manitoba junior boys’ championship.

Oakden shot an even-par 72 at Pine Ridge Golf Club on Monday and is two shots back of Elmhurst Golf and Country Club’s Ryan Blair. He made two early birdies on par 5s, then added one on the tough par-4 18th.

Brandon’s Brayden Hamm carded an 80 and is tied for 23rd, while Shilo Country Club member Luke Godfrey shot 81 to sit tied for 28th.

Cash McCallum of Gilbert Plains (84) is tied for 35th.

Local Sports

Sports Looking Back: July 8, 2026

2 minute read Yesterday at 8:54 PM CDT

IN LOCAL HISTORY

• 50 YEARS AGO — Maggie Teetaert pitched a four-hitter and Janice Baker hit a triple, double and single as Curly MacKay’s whipped Molsons 17-9 in Brandon and District Ladies’ Fastball League play.

• 40 YEARS AGO — After less than a season at the helm of the Brandon Wheat Kings, coach Gord Lane accepted a coaching position in the New York Islanders’ farm system.

• 30 YEARS AGO — Frank Sioux pitched a two-hitter to lead the Sioux Valley Dakotas to a 6-1 triumph over the Shilo Stags in a Brandon Commercial Fastball League game. Rod Tacan knocked in two runs with three singles for the Dakotas, while Chad Roscelli added a solo homer. Paul Parsons, with a triple, and Danny Hamilton had the only Shilo hits.

Baseball

San Francisco Giants' Heliot Ramos, left, slides home to score against Toronto Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Blue Jays whip Giants 9-3 as Clase hits first homer of season

Michael Wagaman, The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Blue Jays whip Giants 9-3 as Clase hits first homer of season

Michael Wagaman, The Associated Press 2 minute read Yesterday at 11:32 PM CDT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jonatan Clase hit his first home run of the season, Ernie Clement had three hits, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the San Francisco Giants 9-3 on Tuesday night.

Sean Keys drove in two runs during a five-run third inning to help the Blue Jays end a three-game skid. Clase, Keys and Brandon Valenzuela had two hits each.

Heliot Ramos and Luis Arraez had two hits apiece for the Giants.

Clase provided the biggest spark with his home run off Giants starter Trevor McDonald, a three-run shot in the second inning that came in Clase’s second at-bat since getting recalled from the minors on July 1.

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Yesterday at 11:32 PM CDT

Soccer

Switzerland goalkeeper Gregor Kobel (1) celebrates with his teammates after defeating Colombia 4-3 on penalties during a World Cup Round of 16 soccer match, in Vancouver, on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

‘It didn’t feel like home’: Switzerland prevails amid hostile Colombia-friendly crowd

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

‘It didn’t feel like home’: Switzerland prevails amid hostile Colombia-friendly crowd

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Yesterday at 8:48 PM CDT

VANCOUVER - Manuel Akanji knew the crowd inside BC Place would be anything but welcoming.

The Swiss defender and his teammates had seen and heard the fans who'd travelled thousands of kilometres to Vancouver to watch their nation face Colombia in the FIFA World Cup round of 16.

Switzerland also knew the Colombian fans would be more numerous — and animated. 

“When you look at the stadium, it didn’t feel like home," Akanji said of BC Place, the stadium where the Swiss played their third straight game on Tuesday. "Already at the anthem there was the whole stadium chanting in Spanish the Colombia national anthem."

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Yesterday at 8:48 PM CDT

Sports Breaking News

Taylor Ruck reacts following women's 100-metre backstroke final at the Canadian Swimming Trials in Montreal, on Sunday, July 5, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Taylor Ruck wins third race — in third different stroke — at Canadian swimming trials

Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Taylor Ruck wins third race — in third different stroke — at Canadian swimming trials

Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 7:25 PM CDT

MONTREAL - Taylor Ruck has joined some elite company.

The 26-year-old from Kelowna, B.C., captured gold in the women's 100-metre butterfly with a time of 58.15 seconds on Tuesday, becoming just the second Canadian after Summer McIntosh to win national trials titles in three different strokes.

"That's crazy,” Ruck said. “I've never really thought of fly as my event. I mean, it was my first stroke when I was 10.

“It was just for fun this year, so yeah. I feel it's definitely really cool to just be able to go out there and see what can happen.”

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Updated: Yesterday at 7:25 PM CDT

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Olympics

Canada's Beattie Podulsky, left, and Kailey Allan, right, arrive at the finish during a women's doubles luge run at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Luge Canada hires Poland’s Maciej Kurowski as head coach to 2030

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Luge Canada hires Poland’s Maciej Kurowski as head coach to 2030

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:56 PM CDT

CALGARY - Three-time Polish Olympian Maciej Kurowski has been named the Canadian luge team's new head coach through to the 2030 Winter Olympic Games in the French Alps.

The 40-year-old from Jelenia Gora coached South Korea in February's Milan Cortina Winter Olympics alongside former Canadian team coach Wolfgang Staudinger. Kurowski has also worked with Korea's development team.

Kurowski coached in the International Luge Federation's development program to help 10 athletes from emerging luge countries qualify for Beijing's Olympic Games in 2022.

The contract of Robert Fegg, who coached Canada's luge team from 2022 to 2026, concluded in May.

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Yesterday at 2:56 PM CDT

Sports Breaking News

Victoria Mboko of Canada returns to Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic during their second-round women's singles tennis match at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris on May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Canada’s Mboko withdraws from National Bank Open due to knee injury

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Canada’s Mboko withdraws from National Bank Open due to knee injury

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 2:53 PM CDT

TORONTO - Canada's Victoria Mboko has withdrawn from the National Bank Open due to a knee injury, Tennis Canada said Tuesday.

The 2025 tournament champion was hurt last month in a match against Czechia’s Karolina Pliskova at the HSBC Championships in London. The world No. 10 from Burlington, Ont., said she injured the medial collateral ligament in her left knee and would miss the rest of the grass-court season. 

Now her absence will extend to part of the North American hardcourt season as well and prevent the 19-year-old from trying to defend the title she won last year in Montreal.

"Some tournaments mean a little more than others," Mboko said. "But the National Bank Open means everything to me. Not being able to play at home this summer in front of the people I love and with the support of the Toronto crowd is deeply disappointing as it has been something I've been looking so much forward to."

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Updated: Yesterday at 2:53 PM CDT

Football

Hamilton Tiger-Cats' Kiondre Smith, right, holds off Edmonton Elks' Chelen Garnes during second half CFL football action in Edmonton, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Hamilton Tiger-Cats sign veteran Canadian receiver Smith to contract extension

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Preview

Hamilton Tiger-Cats sign veteran Canadian receiver Smith to contract extension

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Yesterday at 1:14 PM CDT

HAMILTON - The Hamilton Tiger-Cats signed veteran Canadian receiver Kiondre Smith to a contract extension Tuesday.

Smith is now under contract with Hamilton through the 2027 campaign.

The six-foot-one, 180-pound Smith is in his fifth CFL season, all with Hamilton. Smith had 86 catches for 1,126 yards and five TDs last season, his first 1,000-yard campaign with the Ticats.

The 26-year-old native of Markham, Ont., has appeared in 76 regular-season games with Hamilton, registering 253 receptions for 3,336 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns.

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Yesterday at 1:14 PM CDT

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