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RIGA (Latvia) – Losing your team captain, your vocal leader and a giant of a persona on and off the court is a devastating blow. Even on a star-studded roster, such as Serbia’s, the impact is clearly in the air.

Bogdan Bogdanovic suffered an injury in his second game with the national team at FIBA EuroBasket 2025. A veteran of all FIBA events, Bogdanovic left Latvia and started treatment immediately in the United States, leaving one crucial debate for all of us left in Riga.

Are Serbia still the main contender to lift the trophy on Sunday, September 14?

“Last night, it was emotional, we were sad to hear the news. But we know what to do. He’s here with us, he’s following us, we stay in touch with him, and we are playing for him and using this as our added motivation for the rest of the championship,” Stefan Jovic was asked about the mood now that they are Bogi-less.

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Bogdanovic ruled out of FIBA EuroBasket 2025

“We’ve been so close with him, he’s been so close to us that we really know what we have to do. He said to us yesterday, ‘you can play without anyone’, and we have to play without him right now. He said he believes in us and that he’ll be back for the Final,” Nikola Jovic smiled when saying the last two words.

Obviously, Serbia’s goals have not changed. But has their style changed without the sharpshooter?

The shortest possible answer is – yes. It was supposed to be just another day at the office as they cruised to an early 22-point lead against Czechia, but coach Svetislav Pesic did something that woke everybody up immediately in Arena Riga.

Some teams go small, some balance it out with stretch “fours” and “fives,” and some go big. Serbia? They go XXXL, each of the Xs representing one Nikola.

“We have plenty of Nikolas on our team,” Nikola Milutinov smiled and nodded.

He’s listed at 213 cm (6ft 11 in), and coach Pesic paired him up with Nikola Jokic, just a couple of centimeters shorter.

“We tried out some new stuff, and the coach wanted to do it now, because this was our last sort-of-easier game. It was okay, something new for us, as we didn’t play like that so far in a game, but our coach has it on his mind, there’s always something as we move forward,” Milutinov added.

While coach Pesic said after the game that this is nothing new, and that Serbia played with two bigs at the Olympics last summer, there is a slight difference to the approach. The third X, the third Nikola.

“It’s a little bit different, but it’s not something especially different. We tried it out in practice, so we kind of got used to it. We’re tall. There are some teams that are playing with two bigs, and this gives us another sort of power in the painted area with the two of them there (Jokic and Milutinov), so it will be interesting. It’s different. But it’s not hard,” Nikola Jovic explained the spacing difference.

He stands at 208 cm (6ft 9in), and when you’re next to him it feels like he’s even bigger, thanks to his seven-foot wingspan.

So the Jovic-Jokic-Milutinov lineup as an answer for no Bogdanovic? Yes. But also no.

Yes, because Czechia were so undersized, it made sense to push these three together on the court at the same time, and win the paint points 52-20.

No, because in reality, Serbia’s basketball DNA is already there, no matter what the lineup looks like.

“

He said he believes in us and that he’ll be back for the Final.

Let’s travel back in time to FIBA EuroBasket 2022. Serbia played that event without Bogdan, and they had 62.4 field goals attempted per game, 35.7 of them coming from two-point range, 26.7 from beyond the arc, with 21.2 free throws every day.

They grabbed 34.7 rebounds, dished out 22.7 assists and turned the ball over 11.3 times.

Move over 2022, time to analyze the numbers from the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, with Bogdanovic, without Jokic. Serbia had 62.3 field goals attempted per game, 35.8 of them coming from two-point range, 26.5 from beyond the arc, with 22.5 free throws every day.

They grabbed 34.1 rebounds, dished out 23.6 assists and turned the ball over 11.8 times.

In 2025, the sample size is still too small, and the blowout games aren’t helping the numbers either, but you already know what we’re going to write here: Serbia attempt 36.0 two-pointers and 22.8 three-pointers, with 21.5 free throws per game.

In theory, everything changes without Bogdan Bogdanovic.

In reality, nothing changed. Serbia remain true to themselves, their identity and the numbers which have been pretty much the same since Svetislav Pesic took over in September 2021.

FIBA

Thrilling second round unpicked

We were treated to two all-time classics in week two of Rugby World Cup 2025, both at the York Community Stadium. USA and Australia played out a pulsating draw on the Saturday, before South Africa made history by beating Italy a day later to qualify for the Women’s Rugby World Cup knockouts for the first time.

There was also tense battle between Scotland and Fiji at the Salford Community Stadium and huge celebrations – despite defeat – as Brazil notched their first ever Rugby World Cup try.

Missed some of the action? Not to worry, RugbyPass has you covered with what we learned from round two of the pool stage.

Quarter-final permutations broken down

England, New Zealand, Canada, France, Scotland and Ireland have all joined South Africa in punching their quarter-final tickets with wins in week two, but there is still plenty to play for in the final games of the pool stage this coming weekend as teams jostle for top seedings and that final knockout spot.

England, Australia and USA will battle it out for supremacy in Pool A, with the Red Roses and Wallaroos facing off in Brighton in what promises to be a thrilling showdown this Saturday.

Confused about who needs what in order to qualify top of their pool or nab that final quarter-final spot? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with all the permutations which you can red here.

History-making Risi Pouri-Lane no one-trick pony

We’ve got plenty of incredible athletes at #RWC2025, some of whom have already achieved big things in other sports.

one of whom is New Zealand’s Risi Pouri-Lane, who was a top international judoka – which she says has been invaluable when it comes to coping with the grind of rugby.

“My mum always said that from when I was a young age that it has helped me with the physical side of rugby and I definitely believe her,” she said. “It’s definitely helped me a lot on my journey and I’m very grateful that I’ve had it in my journey.”

Pouri-Lane also won gold playing sevens at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, and when she was later part of the team that won sevens gold at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, she became the first New Zealander in history to win gold in the Youth Olympics and the Olympics.

Rugby’s values on display across #RWC2025

While silverware and medals are important, the values of rugby are definitely up there with the main reason people love to play the game.

Following Scotland’s closely fought win against Fiji in Manchester on Saturday, there was a touching moment in the changing rooms as the two sides’ captains swapped gifts.

There were also touching scenes after the final whistle in the game between England and Samoa. While there will be plenty of highs and lows throughout this tournament and a lot of tension between rivals, the game continues to be played in the spirit originally intended.

‘Gwijo uplifts your confidence’

Plenty of teams at Rugby World Cup 2025 have put their cultures on full display; the Fijians with their incredible singing, the Brazilians with their dancing, and the Black Ferns’ powerful Haka.

For their part, the South Africans have been delighting their Rugby World Cup hosts with their Gwijo singing, a tradition which originates from when Xhosa warriors would sing together to prepare for an upcoming battle.

“Gwijo is something to distract your mind. It uplifts your confidence,” said prop Nombuyekezo Mdliki. You can read all about Gwijo here.

And finally… fish flops

Yes, fish flops. When asked about what she takes on tour with her, Australia’s Lori Cramer told the female athlete project podcast: 

“I don’t leave home without my Meryl Streep shirt because she’s just the GOAT.”

So far so good. But then she revealed her “comfy” flip flops are always on the aeroplane as well. “Nobody steals them,” she added.

We can’t figure out why….

TAMPERE (Finland) – Rokas Jokubaitis has been ruled out for the remainder of FIBA EuroBasket 2025 through injury.

Lithuania’s point guard had been a shining light in helping lead the team through to the Round of 16 with averages of 17.3 points and 8.5 assists per game.

However, Jokubaitis went down with an injury during the second half of Lithuania’s 81-78 victory over Group B hosts Finland, on Monday.

Jokubaitis is second behind Luka Doncic in the tournament’s assists leaders having dished out a best of 12 along with 21 points in an earlier win over Montenegro.

Lithuania’s final game in the Group Phase will be against Sweden on Wednesday.

FIBA

Australia have named a 14-member squad for the three-match T20I series against New Zealand next month in Mount Maunganui, with allrounder Marcus Stoinis making a much-anticipated comeback.

Stoinis, who retired from ODIs earlier this year and has been without a central or state contract for the past 12 months, last played for Australia in late 2024. His return strengthens the middle order and provides valuable experience to the squad.

The team also sees the return of Mitchell Owen, who missed games against South Africa due to concussion, and Matthew Short, who has recovered from a side strain sustained during training in Jamaica earlier this year.

Selectors have chosen to rest captain Pat Cummins as he continues to manage a back injury ahead of the home Ashes summer. Fast bowler Nathan Ellis will also be unavailable as he takes paternity leave. Meanwhile, Cameron Green has been left out to focus on Sheffield Shield cricket as he works towards regaining his bowling rhythm.

Xavier Bartlett has earned a recall, while allrounder Aaron Hardie — who were last-minute replacement in the South Africa series — have not been included this time.

The absence of Mitchell Starc, who recently retired from T20 internationals, opens up opportunities for other fast bowlers. Ellis, despite missing this series, is tipped to benefit in the future, while left-armer Ben Dwarshuis remains in contention after impressive spells in the Caribbean and against South Africa.

The three-match T20I series begins on October 1 at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, with the second and third games scheduled for October 3 and October 4 at the same venue.

Australia squad for New Zealand T20Is: Mitchell Marsh (captain), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.

Fixtures:

First T20I: October 1, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui
Second T20I: October 3, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui
Third T20I: October 4, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui

Pakistan middle-order batter Asif Ali has announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing an end to his career with the national team.

The 33-year-old shared the news on his Instagram account, describing the opportunity to represent Pakistan as the “greatest honour” of his life.

“Wearing the Pakistan jersey has been the greatest honour of my life and serving my country on the cricket field has been my proudest chapter,” Asif wrote in his farewell note.

He also expressed gratitude to his teammates, coaches, fans, and family for their constant support during his career. 

He made special mention of the 2019 World Cup, when his daughter tragically passed away just before the tournament. 

“To my fans, teammates, and coaches, thank you for your love, belief, and support through every high and low. To my family and friends, who stood with me in moments of joy and in the deepest of trials, including the loss of my beloved daughter during the World Cup, your strength carried me forward,” he added.

Asif Ali represented Pakistan in 58 T20 internationals and 21 one-day internationals, scoring 959 runs across the two formats with three half-centuries. Known for his power-hitting, he played vital innings in Pakistan’s 2021 T20 World Cup campaign, including match-winning knocks against New Zealand and Afghanistan that helped the team reach the semi-final.

He was also part of the squad that finished as runners-up in the 2022 T20 World Cup.

Asif’s last international appearance came in 2023 against Bangladesh during the Asian Games.