| KILDUNNE | England rugby player, runner-up in the 2025 BBC Sports Personality of the Year (5,8) |
| ELLIE | England rugby player, runner-up in the 2025 BBC Sports Personality of the Year (5,8) |
| MILOSRAONIC | Canadian tennis player, runner-up to Andy Murray in the 2016 Wimbledon men's singles final |
| RORYMCILROY | Northern Irish golfer who was the 2025 BBC Sports Personality of the Year (4.7) |
| RORY | McIlroy who was the 2025 BBC Sports Personality of the Year |
| ELIZABETHRYAN | Women's tennis player nicknamed Bunny who was runner-up in the 1926 US Women's National Singles Championship (9,4) |
| NORTHCAROLINA | Runner-up in the 2016 NCAA Basketball Championship: 2 wds. |
| PHILMICKELSON | Six-time runner-up in the US Open (4,9) |
| ROGERUTTLEY | England rugby player who captained England five times in the 1970s (5,6) |
| MATTDAWSON | Former England rugby player who became a team captain on A Question of Sport in 2004 |
| GASQUET | This French player who was given a wild card in the men's singles at the French Open 2025 eventually lost to the tournament runner-up in the second round (7) |
| GIRL | What It Feels Like for a ___ 2025 BBC coming-of-age series starring Ellis Howard (4) |
| WILKINSON | Surname of former England rugby player Jonny (9) |
| CHRIS | Dual-code England rugby player at Saracens since 2012 (5,6) |
| ASHTON | Dual-code England rugby player at Worcester Warriors since January (5,6) |
| TINDALL | England rugby player who is married to Zara Phillips, Mike _ (7) |
| PUNERI | Identify the first name of this franchise which finished as runner-up in the 12th season of the Pro Kabaddi League 2025. (6) |
| DEEJAY | Club player, runner given the bird (6) |
| LEE | Who ended as the runner-up in the men's singles at the All-england badminton championship 2025? (3) |
| MISSAUSTEN | 2025 BBC TV series starring Keeley Hawes and Jessica Hynes (4,6) |
