- Russian activist killed on front line in Ukraine
- Openda strike briefly sends Leipzig top of Bundesliga
- Goal-shy Man Utd have to 'step up', says Ten Hag
- India bowl out Bangladesh for 127 in T20 opener
- Madueke rescues Chelsea in draw with 10-man Forest
- Beckett's belief rewarded as Bluestocking storms to Arc glory
- Trump on the stump, Harris hits airwaves in razor-edge US election
- Flash flooding kills three in northern Thailand
- Kaur leads India to victory over Pakistan in Women's T20 World Cup
- Juventus held by Cagliari after late penalty drama
- In France's Marseille, teen 'stabbed 50 times' then burned alive
- Ruthless Gauff beats Muchova in straight sets to win China Open
- India restrict Pakistan to 105-8 in Women's T20 World Cup
- England target repeat of Pakistan Test whitewash
- Penrith Panthers win fourth straight NRL title after downing Storm
- Weary Sinner happy for day off after battling into Shanghai last 16
- Pakistan's Masood warns England still a force without Stokes
- Madrid's Carvajal to miss several months after serious knee injury
- Israel pounds Lebanon ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Two elephants die in flash flooding in northern Thailand
- Sabalenka targets world number one and Wuhan hat-trick
- Toddler among 4 dead in migrant Channel crossings
- Tunisia votes with Saied set for re-election
- Bagnaia sets 'example' with Japan MotoGP win to cut gap on Martin
- Intense Israeli bombing rocks Beirut ahead of war anniversary
- Mozambique vote: no suspense but some disillusion
- Austrian rapper channels anti-racist rage in Romani hip-hop songs
- Ohtani magic powers Dodgers over Padres in MLB playoff thriller
- Five of the best: Pakistan-England Test thrillers
- Man sets arm on fire as marches across US mark Gaza war anniversary
- Vietnam's young coffee entrepreneurs brew up a revolution
- Trump rallies at site of failed assassination: 'Never quit'
- Too hot by day, Dubai's floodlit beaches are packed at night
- Is music finally reckoning with #MeToo?
- Fans hail Trump's 'guts' as he returns to site of rally shooting
- Lebanon state media says 'very violent' Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Guardians maul Tigers, miracle Mets rally in MLB series openers
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Miami on track for MLS record points after win in Toronto
- Madrid beat Villarreal but Carvajal suffers knee injury
- Madrid beat Villarreal to move level with Liga leaders Barcelona
- Monaco take top spot in Ligue 1 with win at Rennes
- French rugby player on rape charge whistled but 'serene' on return
- Madrid beat Villarreal to level Liga leaders Barca
- Thuram treble fires Inter past Torino and up to second
- 'Fight': defiant Trump jets in to site of rally shooting
- Toddler among 3 dead in migrant Channel crossings
- Mexico City's new mayor sworn in with pledges on water, housing
- Israel on alert ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Guardians maul Tigers in MLB playoff series opener
Carter kicks in to make Racing 92 fans at home in Lens
Booted out of their home stadium by a hip hop concert, Racing 92 are trying to make the best of hosting their European Champions Cup rugby semi-final almost 200km away in Lens.
They are bringing back All Black legend Dan Carter to take the ceremonial kick off before Sunday's all-French encounter with last year's finalists La Rochelle.
Club officials are also talking of spreading the rugby gospel in football country on Sunday.
It "will be an opportunity to bring high-level rugby to Lens", the club's sporting director Yannick Nyanga told AFP on Wednesday.
Racing have organised buses to take their fans from western Paris to the game.
When they get there they will see Carter, a three time world player of the year and double World Cup winner, who played for Racing 92 kicking the ball again and then cheering on the team.
"We'll have a great supporter: Dan Carter is in France," said Nyanga.
"It will be an opportunity to see a legend of ours as well as a very high level match."
By the time they beat Sale last Sunday in the quarterfinals, their Paris-La Defense Arena had long been booked for a concert by French hip hop group Sexion d'Assaut.
It is not an isolated incident in this year's European Cup.
For their home quarterfinal against Toulouse last weekend, Munster had to move the game from Limerick to Dublin, forced to flee their Thomond Park fortress by an Ed Sheeran concert.
Nyanga said Racing had no choice.
"We have a venue that does not only host rugby," said Nyanga.
"When we have events that are planned one or two years in advance, we cannot decently block it in case we have to play a semi-final.
"The Arena's business model would no longer be viable."
The switch complicates the journey for La Rochelle, which lies in exactly the opposite direction, and their fans, who already faced a long but straight-forward 440km trip to the capital.
"It was not an attempt to get at La Rochelle, as we have read, but for the good of Racing," said Nyanga.
"It's a problem that is a nuisance for us first. We are not playing in our back yard. We are not playing in front of all our fans," said Nyanga.
"Instead of complaining, we try to find solutions. One of them is to bring Racing and high-level rugby to regions that are not used to it."
Former France flanker Nyanga said the rugby club was also taking the opportunity to forge links with another Racing, the Lens Ligue 1 football club.
"We're going up on Thursday, the coaching staffs will meet. When you see what they do in soccer, at the professional level... It remains an example, it's exceptional," Nyanga said.
M.A.Colin--AMWN