Weekend Sports Recap: Alpine Skiing Openers and Top 14 Rugby Action

The 2026-2027 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup season kicked off in Sölden, Austria, featuring intense competition on the glacier. On Saturday, American skier Paula Moltzan triumphed in the women's giant slalom, edging out Lara Colturi by a mere one-hundredth of a second with a total time of 2:14.82. German athlete Emma Aicher rounded out the podium in third place, while Mikaela Shiffrin slipped to seventh overall after leading at the halfway mark.

In the men's giant slalom event on Sunday, Brazilian skier Lucas Pinheiro Braathen claimed victory with a combined time of 1:44.72 after posting the fastest time in the opening run. Swiss competitors Loïc Meillard and Marco Odermatt finished second and third, respectively. For the French contingent, Léo Anguenot delivered a strong performance, climbing from 23rd to ninth place following the second run.

Meanwhile, in rugby union, Montpellier Hérault Rugby secured a hard-fought away victory against Racing 92 on Saturday during the seventh round of the Top 14. Despite a dominant closing stretch by the hosts at the Stade Marie-Marvingt near Le Mans, Montpellier held on to register their second away win of the campaign, following a previous success against Vannes.

Montpellier capitalized on early momentum, highlighted by a try from hooker Akrab within the opening three minutes. Second-rower Ruben van Heerden added another try before halftime to restore the visitors' advantage. Racing 92 responded with physical intensity and tries from players such as Ravutaumada, but ultimately fell short in the grueling encounter.

Reflecting on the match, Montpellier back-rower Yacouba Camara acknowledged the difficulties faced by the team, stating, "It's a victory, but we have a lot of regrets all the same. Over the last 20 minutes, we faltered a bit, they take back the upper hand." Head coach Joan Caudullo echoed similar sentiments, praising his squad's defensive resilience during a challenging second half.

In other rugby news, Toulouse captain and French international Antoine Dupont attended the historic first-ever NFL regular-season game in France at the Stade France on Sunday. Accompanied by his partner Iris Mittenaere, Dupont watched the Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the New Orleans Saints 16-10 before heading to Marcoussis to prepare for the upcoming autumn internationals.

In domestic association football, RC Strasbourg prepares to face Stade Rennais at Roazhon Park for the eighth round of Ligue 1. Strasbourg enters the fixture mired in a three-game losing streak and sits 14th in the standings, while Rennes aims to bounce back from a recent defeat against Paris FC despite impressive offensive numbers from players like Estéban Lepaul.