Eddie Jones admitted he “felt terrible” about Australia’s World Cup failure but insisted he had no guilt about the process that saw him return as Japan boss after stepping down from his post with the Wallabies.

At a press conference on Thursday, the 63-year-old faced more questions about how and when he first made contact with the Japanese Rugby Football Union about replacing Jamie Joseph, having repeatedly denied reports about contact with the JRFU that first emerged during the World Cup.

Former England coach Jones said he had not interviewed for the job until this month, and that a Zoom call with recruiters on August 25, before the start of the World Cup, was to discuss his previous experience in the Japan job between 2012 and 2015 to help them frame their search.

“I didn’t do an interview before the World Cup,” the Australian said. “I was asked by the recruitment agency to share my experiences with them. The first interview I had with Japan was in December and that’s the only interview I’ve had.”

Jones returned to the Australia job in January this year, signing a contract that was due to continue through to the 2027 World Cup. But, after a poor World Cup in which Australia were knocked out in the first round for the first time in their history, he used a break clause to leave for Japan.

“With Australia I signed for five years and we had a plan to take them to two World Cups,” Jones said. “There were things that needed to happen in Australia to change the system we had. I agreed with the chairman on a plan on what we were going to do to do that, they needed finances to change the system.

“After one year there was a break in my contract with Australia Rugby on whether they could fulfil those commitments. I felt without them being able to fulfil those commitments we wouldn’t be able to develop talent to the fullest extent and I decided then I wanted to move on.”

Asked if he needed to apologise to Australia fans, Jones said: “I gave everything I could for that short period of time and it wasn’t good enough…I wish Australia all the best.

“I feel terrible about the results in Australia, I wanted to go back and change Australia so I feel terrible. I don’t feel any guilt at all about this process…

“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I can’t control their opinion. All I can control is what I did and it sits well with me. I don’t have a problem with it. If people feel like that, that’s their judgement, I can’t control that.”

Jones will take charge of a Japan team that also failed to get out of the first round in France, finishing third in Pool D, and said his goal is to overhaul the structure of the Japanese game to best play to their strengths, getting universities and club teams all pulling in the same direction.

“I’m honoured and privileged and looking forward to the task of creating a Japan side that has real identity and a point of difference,” said Jones, whose mother and wife are Japanese. “I think any great team in any sport, it doesn’t matter what jersey they play in, you can clearly see the team they are.”

Henry Arundell may be unavailable for England until 2026 but Exeter boss Rob Baxter insists the restriction on selecting overseas-based players must remain in place.

Arundell has signed a two-year contract extension with Racing 92 after turning down a move to Bath that would also have included one of the Rugby Football Union’s 25 ‘hybrid contracts’.

It means the English game’s most exciting talent, who plundered five tries in the World Cup match against Chile in September, is off-limits to Steve Borthwick for over two years.

Arundell’s decision has renewed the spotlight on the RFU’s rule that only those players competing in the Gallagher Premiership can be considered, but Baxter insists it is necessary for a healthy league.

“How will we promote our competition as being at a very high level if you’re wide open to the best players playing outside the country?” the Chiefs director of rugby said.

“That will never help promote the Premiership and without promoting the Premiership I don’t think you’ll ever get a successful England side.

“The best way to keep young players in this country is by letting them know that staying in this country gives them the best opportunity to play international rugby.”

Baxter is preparing Exeter for Sunday’s Investec Champions Cup clash with Munster at Sandy Park as the Devonians look to build on their impressive one-point victory at Toulon in round one.

The triumph on the Cote d’Azur was among the highlights of a superb weekend for the Premiership, whose clubs recorded seven wins in eight games, including four against Top 14 sides.

The results come amid concerns over the league’s ability to compete on the European stage, not least because of a smaller salary cap, and at a time when a number of England players including Arundell and his England team-mates Jack Willis and Joe Marchant have headed across the Channel.

Baxter suspects the Premiership teams may have been underestimated in round one and will reserve judgement over what it means until deeper into the competition.

“Because of the negativity surrounding the Premiership lately, it would be very easy to take the Premiership clubs lightly. Maybe that’s what happened,” he said.

“There’s not a first-team player in the Premiership who is not a good, determined professional rugby player and you’ve seen that in how competitive the games have been.

“We should be talking positively about the Premiership and the results at the weekend bear that out. There should be more positivity around the Premiership than there is, but also we need to back that up.

“English teams will be competitive, our challenge going forward is how we maintain that. We’ll know the answer a little bit down the line, it’s a little early to tell after one round.

“If we get to the latter stages and there are a few Premiership clubs involved, then we can start to look at the reasons why that’s happened.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo suggested the Indiana Pacers may have taken the game ball that should have come his way after his 64-point haul on Wednesday.

The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Pacers 140-126, with Antetokounmpo recording a franchise record in the process.

He surpassed the previous record haul for a Buck, set by Michael Redd in 2006. Antetokounmpo's previous career high was 55, set against the Washington Wizards in January.

However, Antetokounmpo was angered when the Pacers apparently took the game ball and headed for the locker room, and a scuffle then broke out.

And the 29-year-old is unsure whether the ball he received was actually the one used in the game.

"I have no idea. I'm not going to lie, I have no idea – I really don't know," he said.

"I have a ball but I don’t know if it’s the game ball. It doesn't feel like the game ball to me – it feels like a brand new ball.

"I played 35 minutes, I know how the game ball felt. The ball I have, which I'll take and I'll give it to my mum for sure, doesn't [feel like the game ball].

"But it's okay, life will continue. I've never seen this before. I don't know if I have the game ball.

"I know they [the Pistons] had the game ball. I don't think [that], I know." 

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle claimed there had been a "misunderstanding" at the end of the game.

He said: "What happened after the game was unfortunate. There was a misunderstanding about the game ball.

"It was Oscar Tshiebwe's first official NBA point, so we always get the game ball. We were not thinking about Giannis' franchise record, so we grabbed the ball.

"A couple of minutes later, several of their players ended up in our hallway, and there was a big, I don't know what to call it – a fracas, melee, whatever. I don't think any punches were landed, but my general manager got elbowed in the ribs by one of their players."

Antetokounmpo added 14 rebounds, was 20 of 28 from the field in this one and went 24 of 32 on free throws.

"It's a great feeling. It’s a great feeling, being able to do it," Antetokounmpo said.

"As much as I can, I try to play basketball for the right reason, I try to play basketball to win, try to play basketball to help my teammates be great, but at the end of the day, being able to break this record in front of the fans here in this stadium, it's a great feeling, too."

Bucks coach Adrian Griffin said: "He's an unstoppable player. You can't guard him one-on-one. You've got some really good guys surrounding him, but at the end of the day, it's all him.

"His talent. His ability. His will. He has an incredible will to win, and he'll do whatever it takes to win. I'm just coaching the game and one of the coaches told me, 'Yeah, Giannis has 50. I had no idea.' But wow, what a great performance."

Christmas must be around the corner as the PDC World Darts Championship starts at Alexandra Palace on Friday.

Two-and-a-half weeks of darts await before the champion is crowned on January 3.

Here, the PA news agency looks at five competitors to keep an eye on during the tournament.

Michael van Gerwen

The Dutchman has not had the best year by his impeccable standards, with the Premier League his only major title, but he must still be considered the man to beat at Alexandra Palace.

When he fires few can keep the pace with him and Van Gerwen has the bit between his teeth as he hunts a fourth title.

He has lost twice in the final since his last victory in 2019 so is due a return to the winner’s circle.

Luke Humphries

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The 28-year-old will arrive at Ally Pally as favourite after a remarkable run of form in 2023.

‘Coolhand’ has won three of the last four majors as he followed the World Grand Prix title in October with wins at the Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship.

No one is playing more consistently than Humphries at the minute and if he can handle the pressure of expectation, he could go all the way.

Michael Smith

Smith is the defending champion and earned himself a place in folklore last year when he beat Van Gerwen in one of the greatest finals of all time, throwing a nine-finish in a memorable leg.

‘Bully Boy’ has taken a step away from the game this year, but has not really performed to his usual standard when he has played in the major tournaments.

But coming back to defend the title is sure to spur him on and if he can find his range over the coming weeks, he will be difficult to stop.

Fallon Sherrock

The ‘Queen of the Palace’ is back at the place where life changed for her in 2020 when she became the first woman to win a match at the PDC World Championship.

The 29-year-old has not won a game in her two appearances since then, but will be a good bet to get some more wins under her belt after a good year.

She became the first woman to hit a nine-dart finish in PDC history in March and then repeated the feat in front of the television cameras at August’s Modus Super Series.

Luke Littler

Few will have heard of Luke Littler but he is definitely a name for the future.

Just 16, Littler is causing waves in the game and his victory in the World Youth Championship made people sit up and take notice.

Winning the tournament this year may be a stretch too far but he will be hoping to take a few scalps and no one will want to play him.

Michael Smith is not ready to stop at winning just one World Championship title and wants to become a multiple champion.

The 33-year-old lifted the Sid Waddell Trophy for the first time in January after a stunning performance against Michael van Gerwen in the final, hitting a nine-dart finish in the greatest leg in the history of the sport.

He begins the defence of his crown on Friday night, playing against either Kevin Doets or Stowe Buntz, and is dreaming of joining Gary Anderson, Adrian Lewis, John Part and Peter Wright on two titles.

“I always wanted to be a world champion, now I have done it the dream is to be a multiple,” Smith told the PA news agency.

“I don’t want to finish my career with just one star on my chest, I don’t know how many I can get, but the minimum is two now. When I get to two the minimum will be three.

“I don’t feel the pressure but it is going to be like that. Everyone wants to take it off me, everyone playing wants to be world champion so I am going to have a target on my back.

“But whoever I am playing they are going to see a picture of me holding the trophy on the wall. It could either put them off or spur them on. But I know I can look at it and be spurred on.

“This is the one, you have got to bring your A-game, it is about bringing it on stage now. Once it clicks like it does in practice who knows what can happen. I can’t wait to get my hands on it again.”

Smith’s victory in the final contained the greatest leg in the history of the sport when ‘Bully Boy’ completed a nine-dart finish seconds after Van Gerwen had missed.

It produced some mesmeric television footage, with Sky Sports’ Wayne Mardle’s commentary going viral.

And Smith spent most of the early part of 2023 watching the leg back.

“That night I won it, I must have watched it 200 times,” he added. “Even the full match replay I have watched a couple of times. I’m trying to leave it in the past, I’m trying to focus on winning it again and then I can watch it all again. It has been good, weird, has been good.

“I lived my childhood dream but if I hadn’t have won it, it wouldn’t define my life. I am proud of winning it, but I am not going through life where I am thinking if I had never won it I wouldn’t have been successful.”

Gerwyn Price is also aiming for a second world title, but if he was to win, it would feel like a first.

His 2021 crown came behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic, so he is yet to taste the authentic experience.

“This is what we play all year for. We all want to win titles, but this is the main one,” he told the PA news agency.

“It’s a big tournament, everyone is looking forward to it, no-one wants to go out before Christmas so it is about getting that first round under your belt.

“Winning it behind closed doors, there was no atmosphere, lifting the trophy with no-one there, no friends, family or loved ones.

“Taking the trophy home and it sitting on the kitchen table for six months doesn’t really do it justice. It would be nice to win it again and be able to do it properly. It is something I want to do.”

Today’s National Hunt meeting at Warwick has been abandoned but the jumps card at Newcastle survived an early-morning inspection.

Clerk of the course Tom Ryall had expressed concerns about waterlogging at Warwick after persistent rain had put the whole town on flood alert.

His fears proved warranted, with this afternoon’s fixture called off due to unsafe ground on parts of the course.

There was better news at Newcastle, where racing is scheduled to go ahead following a second inspection this morning.

Officials took a look at the track yesterday afternoon due to areas of standing water earlier in the week but it was deemed raceable.

The same view was taken this morning, although “conditions will continue to be closely monitored”.

Having lost their Fighting Fifth Hurdle card at the start of the month due to snow, today’s going is described as heavy, with a low risk of early showers before the weather should brighten up.

There will also be jumps racing at Taunton, where the ground is soft, good to soft in places, plus an all-weather Flat card at Chelmsford this evening.

c scored his league-leading fourth short-handed goal with 1:33 remaining and the red-hot New York Islanders rallied for a 4-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday.

Mathew Barzal, Kyle Palmieri and Casey Cizikas also scored for the Islanders, who won their fourth straight and improved to 6-0-1 in their last seven games.

Troy Terry, Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick tallied for Anaheim, which dropped its fourth in a row and 12th in 13 games.

Carrick scored the Ducks’ third straight goal at 5:07 of the third period for a 3-2 lead, but Barzal tied it on the power play 2 ½ minutes later.

Holmstrom has scored half of his eight goals this season while short-handed.

Penguins beat Canadiens in lengthy shootout

Sidney Crosby had two goals and an assist and Jansen Harkins scored in the 12th round of the shootout to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens.

Crosby’s three points moved him past Paul Coffey and into a tie with former teammate Mark Recchi for 13th place on the NHL scoring list with 1,533.

Montreal’s Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield and Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang and Crosby all scored on the first four attempts of the shootout. The next eight skaters failed to convert until Sean Monahan scored for the Canadiens and Lars Eller for the Penguins in the seventh round.

Another nine skaters went before Harkins, who had only 4 ½ minutes of ice time during the game, ended it.

Jack Hughes keeps Devils surging

Jack Hughes scored midway through overtime and the New Jersey Devils rallied for a 2-1 win over the Boston Bruins.

Dawson Mercer scored the tying goal early in the third period and Vitek Vanecek stopped 24 shots to help New Jersey win for the seventh time in nine games.

Morgan Geekie had the lone tally for the Bruins, who have at least a point in five of six (4-1-1).

England will be hoping that 2024 is finally the year men’s football comes home as they go for European Championship glory.

Boss Gareth Southgate probably has one final shot at becoming the first manager since Sir Alf Ramsay to win a major trophy after several near misses over the last few years.

The scars are still there from the last Euros, where England lost the final to Italy on penalties, but the team has grown since then and head to Germany among the favourites to win.

It could be a coming-of-age tournament for Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden, while Harry Kane will want a winner’s medal to go along with all of the personal accolades he has won.

Scotland are also competing in their second successive Euros, while Wales must attempt to qualify in the early part of the year.

The Olympics are back on European soil for the first time since 2012 when they head to Paris in August and hopes are high for another strong showing for Team GB.

Great Britain has been one of the leading countries in the last three Olympics and is again tipped to do well, with several realistic medal hopes in the French capital.

Skateboarder Sky Brown, runner Keely Hodgkinson, Bethany Shriever in the BMX, Jessica Gadirova and Bryony Page in gymnastics and Bradly Sinden in the taekwondo are all hopeful of topping the podium, with the likes of Jake Wightman, Dina Asher-Smith and Laura Muir also hoping it is their time.

The Paralympics follow a few weeks later and Team GB are again expected to bring home a significant medal haul.

The Olympics could also be the end point for Rafael Nadal’s tennis career.

The Spanish great has hinted that he would call time on his magnificent career in 2024 and there seems no better place than Roland Garros, where he has won an incredible 14 titles.

While Nadal’s time may be coming to an end, British star Emma Raducanu will hope that 2024 is the year her career comes back to life.

Injury has plagued Raducanu since her US Open triumph in 2021 but she is ready to return to tour in a make-or-break year to see how her career will pan out.

She will have especially high hopes on a good run at Wimbledon, which is where she burst on to the scene three years ago.

In boxing, there is a blockbusting bout between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia in February.

Fury is hoping to unify the heavyweight division in a money-spinning fight with the Ukrainian. If he wins, then there will be more clamour for a bout with Anthony Joshua.

Europe will be aiming to keep hold of the Solheim Cup for a fourth successive time when they take on the United States in Virginia in September.

Manchester City will remember 2023 as the year they finally conquered Europe and all before them but there was heartbreak on the world stage for two England teams.

A fifth Premier League title in six years and a derby victory in the FA Cup final cemented Pep Guardiola’s side’s dominance of domestic football and, led by the unstoppable Erling Haaland, a first Champions League crown followed.

There could be no argument that City deserved it, with European giants Bayern Munich and Real Madrid comprehensively beaten before Rodri scored the only goal of a final victory over Inter Milan in Istanbul.

City have found backing up their treble a little tricky so far, with the Premier League shaping up to be a more even playing field, but Guardiola’s men have no more questions left to answer.

England’s women were attempting to follow their brilliant European Championship triumph by winning the World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand.

Sarina Wiegman’s team overcame Lauren James’ red card to edge past Nigeria on penalties before seeing off Colombia and hosts Australia but, despite the heroics of Mary Earps in goal, Spain proved too strong, with Olga Carmona scoring the only goal in the final.

The biggest moment in Spanish women’s football history was soured, though, by the behaviour of then federation president Luis Rubiales, who eventually resigned after he was widely criticised for kissing midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the presentation ceremony.

England did not appear to be among the favourites heading into the Rugby World Cup but came agonisingly close to a second successive final appearance, suffering a last-gasp semi-final loss against South Africa.

The Springboks then held off New Zealand for a historic successful title defence, with Wales and Six Nations Grand Slam winners Ireland both seeing their hopes end in the last eight.

England’s defence of their Cricket World Cup crown, meanwhile, could scarcely have gone any worse, with only three wins from nine games in India.

The hosts were virtually flawless until the final but the hopes of a nation were dashed by a brilliant performance from Australia.

Australia also retained the Ashes after a close series, with England facing questions over their gung-ho style of play but fighting back to draw 2-2 after losing the first two matches.

Politics remained an ever-present bedfellow, with Saudi Arabia continuing their push into the sporting landscape.

LIV Golf impacted the Ryder Cup, with several familiar faces missing, but Luke Donald’s Europe stole the show over three brilliant days in Rome, defeating the US 16.5-11.5 to reclaim the trophy.

The Solheim Cup also provided plenty of drama, with Europe recovering from 4-0 down to clinch a 14-14 draw and keep hold of the trophy.

The issue of whether to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete amid the ongoing war in Ukraine saw Wimbledon and the Lawn Tennis Association reverse their ban from 2022, which had resulted in strong sanctions from the ATP and WTA.

With ranking points restored, 20-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz stunned Novak Djokovic over five sets in one of the great Wimbledon finals.

It was the only real blip in another astonishing season from Djokovic, though, who won the other three grand slam titles to move clear as the most successful male player in history.

Coco Gauff won her first slam title at the US Open, joining Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Marketa Vondrousova in lifting the sport’s most prestigious trophies on the women’s side.

Formula One was again the Max Verstappen show, the Dutchman winning a record 19 of the 22 grands prix.

With thoughts turning to next summer’s Olympic Games, there were encouraging signs for Britain at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, where Katarina Johnson-Thompson in the heptathlon and 1500 metres runner Josh Kerr took gold.

It will also be remembered as a good year for Celtic, who won the league and cup double in Scotland, Chelsea Women, who achieved the same feat in England, Gallagher Premiership champions Saracens, Super League winners Wigan, and Leigh, who claimed a brilliant Challenge Cup victory.

Erling Haaland, Max Verstappen and Novak Djokovic were among the male stars to produce historic statistics in a memorable year of sport.

Marketa Vondrousova also made history as the first unseeded winner of the Wimbledon women’s single title, while Europe retained the Solheim Cup with an unprecedented draw against the United States.

Here, the PA news agency looks back at the standout numbers from 2023.

36 – Erling Haaland’s Premier League-record goal tally as he won last season’s Golden Boot.

280 and 62 – Harry Kane set new goalscoring records for both Tottenham and England, passing Jimmy Greaves’ 266 for Spurs in February and Wayne Rooney’s 53 for his country the following month. He also joined Rooney and Alan Shearer as only the third player with 200 Premier League goals, reaching 213 before leaving for Bayern Munich in the summer.

£106.8million – the British record transfer fee paid by Chelsea for Enzo Fernandez in January as part of Todd Boehly’s £1billion spending spree. Team-mate Moises Caicedo’s move from Brighton could break the record with add-ons potentially taking his price to £115m.

77,390 – A crowd of 77,390 watched Chelsea beat Manchester United 1-0 in the Women’s FA Cup final, breaking the world record for a women’s domestic club fixture previously set when Atletico Madrid hosted Barcelona in 2019.

10 – points deducted from Everton for breaching Premier League financial regulations.

3 – Number of clean sheets kept by Mary Earps, who was awarded the Golden Glove after helping England reach the Women’s World Cup final, where she also saved a penalty in the 1-0 defeat to Spain.

19 – Max Verstappen won 19 of the 22 races as he took his third successive Formula One world title.

575 – Verstappen’s record points tally was more than double Sergio Perez’s second-placed 285.

24 – Novak Djokovic’s tally of grand slam titles after winning the Australian, French and US Opens this year – the most by a male player and tying Margaret Court’s all-time record.

1 – Marketa Vondrousova beat sixth seed Ons Jabeur 6-4 6-4 to become the first unseeded player to win the Wimbledon women’s singles title.

81 – Frankie Dettori retired from racing in Britain with an 81st Ascot winner aboard King of Steel in the Qipco Champion Stakes. That total includes nine Gold Cups as well as his unforgettable seven-timer in 1996 when he rode every winner on the card.

600 – Stuart Broad became only the fifth man to take 600 Test wickets, finishing his career with 604 as he retired after the Ashes.

26,643 – career first-class runs for former England captain Sir Alastair Cook, who retired in October.

89 – Australia won the only Test in the Women’s Ashes by 89 runs and went on to retain the urn after the series ended 8-8.

229 – England’s losing margin against South Africa during their dreadful Cricket World Cup defence was their highest by runs in a one-day international.

4 – South Africa won a record fourth Rugby World Cup, moving clear of final opponents New Zealand with their 12-11 win in Saint-Denis.

58,498 – The record crowd at Twickenham as England completed the Grand Slam in the Women’s Six Nations with a 38-33 victory over France.

16.5-11.5 – the score as Europe won the Ryder Cup in Rome.

14-14 – Europe retained the Solheim Cup after the first draw in the history of the contest in Spain.

37 – Simone Biles’ record tally of Olympic and World Championship medals after winning four golds and a silver in Antwerp in October. Her total includes four Olympic and 23 world golds.

47 – Ronnie O’Sullivan became snooker’s oldest UK champion aged 47, 30 years after his win aged 17 which still makes him the youngest. It was his eighth win in the event and his 22nd triple crown title.

20 – Katarina Johnson-Thompson won her second world heptathlon title by just 20 points in Budapest.

61-45 – The score as England lost to Australia in the Netball World Cup final in Cape Town.

It has been another eventful year of sporting action.

Manchester City completed the treble, Europe regained the Ryder Cup and Max Verstappen was once again a dominant winner of the Formula One world championship.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the last 12 months through a selection of sporting pictures.

Manchester City achieved their holy grail of winning the Champions League in 2023 but did it against the backdrop of being hit with an unprecedented number of charges for alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules.

It was that kind of year in many ways. Spain made history by winning the Women’s World Cup, but immediately found themselves embroiled in a sexism scandal, while the unexpected success of England’s rugby team came with major setbacks for the cricketers.

Here the PA news agency looks at 10 things we learned in 2023.

Manchester City get the one they wanted

For all the Premier League titles won and records set, Pep Guardiola had openly acknowledged he needed to bring the Champions League trophy to Manchester City for his time at the Etihad Stadium to be considered a success.

And in June they did just that as Rodri’s second-half goal was enough to secure a 1-0 win over Inter Milan in Istanbul and see City emulate neighbours United by securing a treble, adding the Champions League to the Premier League and FA Cup trophies they had already lifted.

It was the trophy City had wanted more than any other during the more than decade-long overhaul under Sheikh Mansour’s ownership, and it was finally theirs.

Governance battles

City’s success came only a few months after they were hit with a stunning 115 charges by the Premier League for alleged breaches of financial regulations – a case that is expected to rumble on long into next year and beyond.

But when the Premier League imposed a 10-point penalty on Everton for a much lesser offence, many in football were shocked and there are now serious questions about how the Premier League handles not only City’s case but also possible charges against Chelsea, who self-reported their own breaches.

At a time when the Premier League is trying to show it does not need an independent regulator, the ramifications of how these cases play out could be huge.

LIV continues to rock golf

Jon Rahm’s December announcement that he was joining the LIV circuit showed that golf is still yet to figure out how to deal with the Saudi-backed start-up.

The joint announcement in June which saw the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV announce a framework for a merger to form a unified commercial entity was far from the end of the dispute and – as some players have said – might even make it easier for players to feel they can jump ship.

Rahm has been a critic of LIV in the past, but, following his Masters triumph and Europe’s Ryder Cup success, made the timing right for him. Where it leaves the rest of golf is unclear as we await further progress on talks between the rival tours.

World Cup woes leave questions for the ECB

England’s defence of their Cricket World Cup title could barely have gone much worse as they won only three of nine games in India, prompting yet more soul-searching.

The ECB’s decision to sideline its domestic 50-over competition in favour of The Hundred does not look good in this context, although how much impact it might actually have is unclear.

The bigger focus is perhaps on the ever-scrutinised schedule. England played half as many ODIs in the build-up to this World Cup than they did before winning in 2019, and most were against weak opposition.

Bitter disappointment for England Women

After the highs of their European Championship triumph, England went to the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand among the favourites but it was not to be.

Sarina Wiegman’s team overcame Lauren James’ red card to edge past Nigeria on penalties before seeing off Colombia and hosts Australia but, despite the heroics of Mary Earps in goal, Spain proved too strong in the final, with Olga Carmona scoring the only goal.

This month a 6-0 rout of Scotland was not enough for England to top their Nations League group as the Netherlands scored late to beat Belgium 4-0, denying Team GB a place at next summer’s Olympics in Paris.

A World Cup final overshadowed

Spain made history by beating England in the final in Sydney, lifting the World Cup trophy for the first time.

But their big moment became mired in controversy after Luis Rubiales, then president of the Spanish federation, kissed Jennifer Hermoso on the lips during the celebrations despite her obvious discomfort, and was also seen making obscene gestures.

Rubiales then refused to resign for several weeks as the controversy enveloped Spanish football, showing just how much more work lies ahead in changing attitudes.

Red Bull’s dominance is unprecedented

Red Bull completed the most dominant season ever seen in the history of Formula One in 2023 as Max Verstappen won 19 of the 22 races to leave everyone else in a separate competition.

While there is hope that a fresh season will offer fresh opportunities to their rivals, the sheer scale of their dominance brings its own issues.

With titles effectively secured long ago, Red Bull have already been able to work on the development of next year’s car – leaving everyone else to play catch up once more.

Bright spots for Borthwick

England went to the Rugby World Cup amid relatively low expectations on the back of home defeats to Scotland, France and Fiji during the course of 2023.

It was therefore a welcome surprise to see them not only get out of their group but see off Fiji in the quarter-final before pushing eventual champions South Africa all the way as they lost the semi-final 16-15.

While some experienced players will be retiring, it was a performance that offered hope for the future as exciting youngsters such as Henry Arundell emerged.

Sport continues to grapple with war

The International Olympic Committee has announced that Russian and Belarusian athletes who qualify for Paris 2024 will be allowed to compete as individuals next summer.

The IOC said the decision, quickly condemned by Ukraine following Russia’s invasion of the country, was about “respecting human rights”.

However, although the IOC has given the green light, many individual sporting governing bodies – not least World Athletics – have not changed their positions, meaning athletes in those events will remain ineligible.

The glacial pace of change at Old Trafford

It is more than a year since the Glazer family announced they would consider a sale or minority investment at Manchester United, offering fans hope that years of neglect could soon be coming to an end.

The deal for Sir Jim Ratcliffe to take a 25 per cent stake – one that would come with considerable control – is not the clean break most wanted, but it does at least offer hope of change, albeit one that is taking longer than expected with mooted timetables for completion having come and gone.

In the meantime, the team continues to lurch from mini-crisis to mini-crisis on the pitch, with Erik ten Hag’s side having been unable to build on the encouragement of last season. Will 2024 be the year real change finally comes to Old Trafford?

It has been another astonishing year of sporting drama, featuring triumphs for Europe’s Ryder Cup team, a near-miss for England’s women footballers and a nightmare title defence for the men’s cricketers.

Here, the PA news agency looks back on five of the best and worst sporting moments of 2023.

Darting perfection in World Championship final

Michael Smith fired a stunning nine-dart finish in one of the greatest legs in the history of the World Championship during the early stages of the final with Michael Van Gerwen. In the third leg of the second set it was Van Gerwen who had the first chance at perfection, only to miss double 12. Smith, throwing second, was right behind him though, and made no mistake, following seven-successive treble 20s with a treble 19 and the prized double 12 to send the Alexandra Palace crowd wild. Smith’s perfect leg was the just the second in a World Championship final and he went on to complete a 7-4 victory.

Unseeded Vondrousova wins Wimbledon

Marketa Vondrousova defeated favourite Ons Jabeur in straight sets to make history as the first unseeded women’s singles champion at Wimbledon. The Czech player took advantage of a nervous performance from Jabeur to claim a 6-4 6-4 victory, just eight months after being ranked outside the world’s top 100 and winning a somewhat less prestigious tournament at The Shrewsbury Club in Shropshire. With the Princess of Wales and tennis royalty Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King watching from the front row of the Royal Box, Vondrousova recovered from 4-2 down in the opening set and 3-1 behind in the second to secure a first grand slam title.

Europe retain Solheim Cup after thrilling tie in Spain

Home favourite Carlota Ciganda played a starring role as Europe retained the Solheim Cup after a thrilling 14-14 draw with the United States, the first in the biennial contest’s history. Trailing 4-0 after the opening foursomes, Suzann Pettersen’s side rallied magnificently at Finca Cortesin and it fittingly fell to Spanish star Ciganda to ensure the trophy would remain in Europe with her fourth win from four matches. Pettersen, who will also captain the side in Virginia next year, said: “This is one of the best things I’ve been a part of and this is what makes Solheim Cups so special. It’s going to be one pretty good party tonight.”

Double gold for Britain in World Athletics Championship

Katarina Johnson-Thompson completed a stunning comeback to reclaim her world heptathlon title, edging out American favourite Anna Hall by just 20 points in Budapest. It represented a remarkable return to the top for the 30-year-old after a ruptured Achilles in 2020 and a calf injury at the Tokyo Olympics which forced her to quit after day one. Three days later, Josh Kerr succeeded compatriot Jake Wightman as world champion over 1,500m as he outsprinted odds-on favourite Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the home straight.

Europe regain Ryder Cup in Rome

Two years after suffering a humiliating defeat by a record 19-9 margin at Whistling Straits, Europe regained the Ryder Cup from the United States in impressive fashion at Marco Simone. Captained superbly by Luke Donald, who had inherited the role when Henrik Stenson was sacked for joining LIV Golf, the home side made the ideal start with an unprecedented 4-0 whitewash in the opening foursomes and never loosened their grip, with Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland living up to their star billing.

Adam Johnson dies after accident in ice hockey game

Ice hockey and the wider sporting world was shocked by the death of Nottingham Panthers player Adam Johnson in what the club described as a freak accident. The 29-year-old American died on October 28 after being hit in the neck by an opposition player’s skate during a match at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena. Minnesota-born Johnson played for Pittsburgh Penguins in the National Hockey League before spending the 2020-21 season in Sweden with the Malmo Redhawks.

WTA Finals leaves top players feeling ‘disrespected’

For the third year in succession a late decision was made about the venue for the season-ending showpiece, with Cancun in hurricane season unsurprisingly proving a poor choice. World number two Aryna Sabalenka easily won her opening match but then took to social media to criticise the arrangements for players, who were only able to practise in the temporary arena for the first time the day before matches got under way. “I am very disappointed with the WTA and the experience so far at the WTA Finals,” Sabalenka wrote. “As a player, I feel really disrespected by the WTA. I think most of us do. To be honest, I don’t feel safe moving on this court a lot of the time.”

Sir Bobby Charlton dies

Tributes flooded in from the world of football following the death of Sir Bobby Charlton in October at the age of 86. He was a key member of England’s victorious 1966 World Cup team and also enjoyed great success at club level with Manchester United, who became the first English club to win the European Cup in 1968. That triumph came 10 years after the Munich air disaster, which Charlton and team manager Sir Matt Busby survived but which claimed the lives of eight of Charlton’s team-mates. Charlton played in the World Cup final alongside his brother Jack – who died in 2020 – and won 106 caps for England, scoring 49 goals. His death means Sir Geoff Hurst is the only surviving member of the side from the World Cup win.

Luis Rubiales overshadows Spain’s World Cup triumph

Spain’s victory over England in the Women’s World Cup final in Sydney was overshadowed by the actions of Spanish Football Association president Luis Rubiales, who celebrated his nation’s victory by grabbing his crotch while standing alongside Spain’s Queen Letizia and 16-year-old Princess Infanta Sofia in a VIP box and then kissed Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the trophy presentation ceremony. Hermoso said the kiss was not consensual and, after a long-running saga which included his mother staging a brief hunger strike, Rubiales eventually resigned and was banned by FIFA from all football-related activity for three years.

England’s Cricket World Cup defence

England arrived in India as reigning champions and well fancied to cement their legacy as the premier white-ball side of their generation. They departed after six long and chastening weeks with tails planted firmly between their legs, having conjured a calamitous cocktail of muddled selection, tactical naivety and rank bad form in the middle. Captain Jos Buttler personified their struggles as they endured their worst-ever sequence of results at the tournament, unable to make a dent with the bat as his side were humbled by Jonathan Trott’s Afghanistan and a Sri Lanka side helmed by sacked England coach Chris Silverwood. A seventh-placed finish somehow flattered them.