Tee Ritson admits he has “loved every minute” of playing with St Helens as he continues to embrace the challenge of playing in Super League.
The winger joined Saints on a season-long loan in November from Championship side Barrow after scoring 33 tries in 31 appearances with Raiders in 2022.
Ritson marked his debut in style for the defending Super League champions with a try against Castleford in the opening round of league fixtures and has continued to impress.
His performances have seen him start their last four Super League games and he feels he has adapted well to the league’s standards.
“I’ve loved every minute of it,” the 27-year-old told the PA news agency. “Obviously it’s been a massive step up for me, the training and everything, I think I’ve adapted really well.
“I’ve just kept my head down, focused on this year, focused on my training, the team and stuff like that then I’m getting a good run of games now so hopefully I can continue that form.
“The team itself, they’re a great set of lads, the club’s really good, all the staff have helped me out – I couldn’t ask for anything more to be honest, I’ve loved my time here.
“This time last year I was playing in the Championship and now I’m playing for the World Club Champions in Super League.
“It’s a massive step up, the training, the intensity and stuff like that. The first couple of weeks I was pretty sore so I wasn’t used to all the training every single day!
“But I’ve adapted to it, there’s a lot of new systems and tactics, things that you need to know within the team that I’ve had to get used to.
“I feel I’ve really settled in now and feel at home at this team.”
Ritson was speaking ahead of the eagerly-anticipated Magic Weekend which takes place in Newcastle at St James’ Park with St Helens facing Huddersfield on Sunday.
The winger has previously played in the Summer Bash, a similar event where a round of Championship fixtures take place over the course of a weekend, but Ritson admits Magic Weekend is on a “different level”.
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He said: “Obviously the stadium that we’re going to be playing in this weekend is massive compared to the stadium we’ve been in at the Bash before!
“I’ve been involved in a few Summer Bashes and they’ve been great, they’re really good for the fans.
“You get a good mixture of fans there, fans who don’t usually watch you play so you can showcase what you can do.
“Obviously this is a different level, a huge stadium, a massive following from all the teams, I’m expecting the place is going to be bouncing so I’m really looking forward to it.
“This is the first time I’ve been in the stadium today, just looking at it now it’s quite impressive, it’s really something.
“I can’t wait to see what it’s like once it’s packed with loads of fans, I’m looking forward to experiencing it.”
Tom Pidcock is reluctant to call it a target but the opportunity to take the yellow jersey on the opening weekend of this year’s Tour de France has not escaped his notice.
The 23-year-old will race his second Tour this July, and said his goal is to do better than he did on debut last summer.
That might seem a lofty ambition given how Pidcock stormed to a stunning solo stage victory on the Alpe d’Huez, the descending skills with which he escaped his breakaway companions still talked of with awe.
But it would get even more attention if the Ineos Grenadiers rider enjoyed a spell in yellow, and a lumpy opening stage in the Basque Country offers a rider of Pidcock’s talents a chance.
“I think it is (an opportunity), yeah,” he told the PA news agency. “It’s a possibility and something that I am aware is a possibility. I think the first stage of the Tour is one that can be treated like a one-day classic, it’s going to be a super-hard day.”
When told that sounds non-committal, Pidcock quickly adds: “I’m just playing it down.”
Pidcock, who proved his one-day credentials at Strade Bianche in March, is far from alone in eyeing that opening stage, but he has other goals in July too.
He wants to show greater consistency in the general classification, and also to win a stage from the main bunch rather than a break.
“Last year I was going to the Tour two months after being ill in the spring and then getting Covid, it was not the perfect lead in,” he said. “I think this year I’m stronger and I can do better, basically.”
Pidcock is certainly riding high on the back of his recent spell on the mountain bike.
The Olympic champion took two victories from the World Cup round in Novo Mesto, first storming from last to first to win a short track race he only learned he was riding with a couple of hours’ notice, then recovering from a lap-five crash to win the cross-country race.
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It came after he finished second in Liege-Bastogne-Liege and third in the Amstel Gold Race at the end of April.
The run of form is affirmation for the work Pidcock did in the winter, when he chose not to defend his cyclo-cross world title but instead focus on conditioning.
Although a crash at Tirreno-Adriatico in late March punched a hole in some of his ambitions, the core fitness remains.
“Definitely I feel I’m a bit more robust and certainly at a higher level and I have been for longer and I think that’s partly from the extra time spent building a base preparing,” he said. “I think that’s only going to carry into the rest of the season.”
Throughout his young career to date, the Yorkshireman has juggled the demands of road, mountain bike and cross, but always knew there would come a time when something had to give. This season has shown how that might look.
“I think if I want to achieve the goals I do on the road, certainly there are going to have to be sacrifices in other disciplines,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean they don’t contribute and help with those ambitions.”
There are likely to be sacrifices too at August’s World Championships in Scotland, where the first combined multi-discipline championships is creating dilemmas for several athletes given the schedule clashes.
Pidcock plans to race his mountain bike, so is strongly leading towards skipping the road race which comes first and could come at a cost.
“I don’t want to do both and go home with nothing,” he said. “I’d want to ride the road race because it’s a home race and it will be a super nice experience and I think the worlds is a very special particular race where you never know what will happen.
“It wouldn’t be a bad thing to ride, I want to ride, but would it be the best thing? I don’t know.”
:: Tom Pidcock is a Red Bull athlete. Watch him appear in ‘Race Tapes‘, the new Red Bull series that delves into the lives of the world’s leading riders across all disciplines.
Carl Froch knocked out George Groves in their rematch at Wembley Stadium on this day in 2014 as the Nottingham fighter retained his WBA and IBF super-middleweight titles.
Froch added to his victory in the initial bout in Manchester the previous November, in which he had recovered from a first-round knockdown and terrible start to stop Groves controversially in the ninth.
This time he finished the contest with a breathtaking eighth-round punch which knocked Groves out in front of a crowd of 80,000.
Froch said afterwards: “I showed tonight why I’m a four-time champion of the world, why I’ve defended my world title 13 times on the spin.
“I am amongst the best fighters in the world – that’s who George Groves was in there with tonight.
“The finish of that (fight) showed why I’ve mixed with the elite for many years and how hard it is to get to that level.”
He added: “I am feeling unbelievably elated. This is the best moment in the history of my boxing career.”
Groves made a solid start to the contest which began cagily, with neither fighter wanting to give anything away. Froch was patient, waiting for his opening and Groves struggled to keep pace as the fight wore on.
“I knew it was only going to take a couple of big right hands to the chin and I timed it perfectly,” Froch said.
Groves said: “It’s boxing and fair play to Carl, he caught me and I went down. Obviously I felt I was doing very well in the fight, I was in my groove and I was boxing well but it’s boxing.
“I’ll come back bigger, better and stronger. Ultimately I feel like I let myself down but congratulations to Carl, fair play, he got the punch.”
It proved the last fight for Froch – aged 36 at the time – before retirement, with him hanging up his gloves with a professional record of 35 bouts, 33 wins and two defeats, 24 of the victories coming by knockout.
World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin says tournament organisers are “well prepared” to deal with any protests or safety threats at the World Cup in France.
More than 600,000 international visitors – a World Cup record and 50 per cent more than for Japan 2019 – are expected to attend the event in September and October.
Ticket sales currently stand at almost 2.5million as the biggest Rugby World Cup tournament in its 36-year history prepares to take centre stage.
Protests across France over pension reforms earlier this month saw almost 300 people arrested and more than 100 police officers injured.
Football’s European governing body UEFA, meanwhile, brought in new measures to improve safeguards for fans attending finals in the wake of last season’s Champions League fiasco.
UEFA drew on recommendations from an independent review panel into chaotic scenes at the Stade de France in Paris which saw Liverpool supporters suffer serious congestion problems and over-zealous policing.
And Just Stop Oil protestors invaded the pitch during Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership final at Twickenham, throwing orange paint powder on to the field.
The World Cup kicks off at the Stade de France on September 8 with a blockbuster opener between France and New Zealand, launching a 48-match schedule involving 20 countries.
“Like every major event, we are planning all the time for such a wide range of different scenarios, and protests of any nature are certainly part of that,” said Gilpin, speaking with 100 days to go before the tournament starts.
“Of course, it is an area of challenging concern, but it is an area we are planning for, and like all of those scenarios we are working incredibly closely with the authorities in the various host cities.
“While I am sure, as there is in every major event and every RWC, there will be incidents we need to deal with, I think we will be well prepared for that.
“There are lessons to learn, clearly, from incidents like at the Stade de France and the Champions League final last year. There has been an enormous amount of debate around that.
“We are confident in those plans, but like any time we are talking about safety, we are not complacent and there is a huge amount of work that has been done and that will continue throughout the next 100 days and the tournament.
“A Rugby World Cup over seven weekends, 48 matches in nine cities is a big undertaking, so we are pretty relentless about the planning from a safety perspective.
“We can reassure rugby fans that are travelling to France, or that will be in France for the tournament, that their safety along with the teams and the players are our top priority. The French government, the cities are all part of that effort.”
Events to mark the 100 days landmark include the Webb Ellis Cup being delivered to France by 2019 South Africa World Cup winner Tendai Mtawarira, an unveiling of tournament medals made from recycled phones donated by fans and community rugby clubs and a spectacular light show set to transform the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
And Gilpin believes the World Cup’s 10th staging promises to be the most open tournament yet.
“We have seen in the (world) rankings, it has never been so competitive,” he added.
“On any given day, there are six or seven teams that can beat each other. We’ve got more uncertainty about our World Cup champions than ever before. That all leads into the excitement we are seeing.
“Our message is that we are in great shape. From our perspective, never has a country been so excited to host a Rugby World Cup – the levels of engagement are fantastic – and never has a country been so ready to host a Rugby World Cup.
“We know from ticket purchasing that more than 600,000 international fans will be welcomed to France, which is a record for any rugby event.
“The organisers have achieved, and will achieve, record ticket sales for RWC, selling out 2.5million tickets. It has been the hottest ticket for any rugby event to date.”
Brazilian qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild caused the first big shock of the French Open, knocking out second seed Daniil Medvedev in five sets.
In a now wide open men’s bottom half, there were wins for last year’s finalist Casper Ruud, young Dane Holger Rune and Alexander Zverev.
Defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek pulled away after a tricky start to open her campaign with a 6-4 6-0 win over Cristina Bucsa.
Picture of the dayStat of the dayShot of the dayMatch of the day
A five-hour-10-minute epic played out on Court Eight. To add to the drama, Miomir Kecmanovic demanded to see the supervisor after being given a warning when he hit a ball back that had flown over from another court.
Carrot tops
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There is no missing Jannik Sinner’s fan club at Roland Garros this year. The ‘Carota Boys’ have been inspired by their favourite player’s penchant for a mid-match carrot snack. “I have orange hair, and I used to eat a lot of carrots in Vienna,” said Sinner. “It’s a good nickname.”
Venus returns
Venus Williams turns 43 in a couple of weeks but she is not yet ready to follow sister Serena into retirement. The American will play her first tournament since January on grass in the Netherlands, and watch out for her popping up in Birmingham, too. Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, meanwhile, will play in Eastbourne.
Fallen seeds
Men: Daniil Medvedev (2), Miomir Kecmanovic (31)
Women: Barbora Krejcikova (13), Victoria Azarenka (18), Anhelina Kalinina (25), Sorana Cirstea (30), Marie Bouzkova (31), Shelby Rogers (32)
Who’s up next?
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Cameron Norrie will take on the crowd and a French opponent for the second match in a row on Suzanne Lenglen, this time former top-10 player Lucas Pouille.
Novak Djokovic plays the night match on Philippe Chatrier against Marton Fucsovics, with Carlos Alcaraz facing Taro Daniel in the last contest of the day session.
Caroline Garcia carries French hopes against Anna Blinkova while third seed Jessica Pegula meets the dangerous Camila Giorgi.
The Nashville Predators have suddenly made a change at coach, firing John Hynes on Tuesday and reportedly replacing him with Andrew Brunette.
The Predators announced Hynes' firing, as well as assistant coach Dan Lambert, and multiple media outlets are reporting Brunette will take over.
Hynes, 48, spent part of the last four seasons with the Predators, replacing Peter Laviolette in 2019-20 and helping the team to the playoffs the first three years.
Each of those playoff trips ended with first-round exits, however, and Nashville missed the playoffs this season for the first time since 2013-14.
"John Hynes is a good man and a good hockey coach," incoming general manager Barry Trotz said. "He did an outstanding job after the trade deadline with our team, especially with our young players, and he is a well-prepared, hard-working coach who will continue to grow in the NHL. After our year-end meetings and some additional evaluation, it was time to change the voice and time to go in a different direction."
Brunette’s only previous head coaching experience came in 2021-22, when he served as interim head coach of the Florida Panthers following the resignation of Joel Quenneville.
The 49-year-old led the Panthers to a 51-18-6 record and the Presidents’ Trophy as the NHL’s top regular-season club, but after the team was swept in the second round of the playoffs by the Tampa Bay Lightning, GM Bill Zito decided to hire Paul Maurice as the full-time coach.
Brunette spent this past season as an associate coach for a New Jersey Devils team that advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2011-12.
A 16-year NHL veteran as a player, Brunette will be Nashville's fourth coach in franchise history and serve under Trotz, who will take over when longtime GM David Poile retires in July.
Poile has been the only GM in franchise history, while Trotz served as the club’s first coach, working behind the bench from 1998-2014.
Brunette played under Trotz for the 1998-99 expansion Predators, and scored the franchise’s first goal.
Brunette, who made his NHL debut in 1995-96, scored 268 goals and registered 733 points in 1,110 career games before retiring in 2011-12.
Middleham Park Racing will have their first Betfred Derby runner as Dear My Friend bids to do his owners proud this weekend.
The chestnut is one of 16 possibles for the Epsom Classic on Saturday and will mark a significant milestone when he carries the syndicate’s familiar pale blue and orange silks in the revered Group One.
The colt’s route to the Derby included the Dante at York earlier in the month, an established trial in which he finished eighth, and a win in the Listed Burradon Stakes on Newcastle’s all-weather track in early April.
Those efforts, added to two successes and a handful of Listed and Group performances as a juvenile, have left him on a rating of 104 ahead of the Derby – for which he is currently a 100-1 shot for trainer Charlie Johnston.
“It’s our first ever runner in the race, we’re going into it with eyes wide open,” said Mike Prince of Middleham Park.
“He was well beaten in the Dante but we think the step up in trip will suit him. There’ll be a few horses in the race who don’t say, there’ll be a few horses in the race who don’t handle the track and there’ll be a few horses in the race who don’t handle the occasion – hopefully we’ll be there trying to pick up some of the pieces.
“He’ll need to take a step up in his form, he’s a notch below the favourites at the moment but we’re hoping that step up in trip will lead to some improvement from him. He’s got a lovely, long stride and a slow cadence.”
Though likely to be an outsider with the market favouring Group winners such as Auguste Rodin and Derby Trial winner Military Order, it is not unheard of that a horse at a big price should go well and there are recent examples in Hoo Ya Mal, who was second at 150-1 last year, and 50-1 chance Mojo Star who came second the year before.
Prince said: “There have been some horses at big prices making up the placings in recent years, Hoo Ya Mal was 150-1 and I think the third and fourth that year were big enough prices (Westover at 25-1 and Masekela at 66-1).
“That’s one of the things we said to the owners when were deciding to enter, there’s good place money down to sixth and they’re all delighted that we’re rolling the dice.
“He is rated 104 so he is going there on his merits, it’s a race with a great sense of tradition and there’ll certainly be a good contingent there to support him and enjoy the occasion.”
Alun Wyn Jones looks set to clock up a first in his stellar career by featuring for both teams in the same game.
Jones announced his retirement from international rugby earlier this month after making a world record 170 Test match appearances for Wales and the British and Irish Lions.
The former Wales captain skippered the Barbarians to victory against a World XV at Twickenham on Sunday.
And he will again line-up for the Baa-baas on Wednesday in a match to mark Swansea Rugby Club’s 150th anniversary year.
Swansea-born Jones made 35 appearances for his hometown club between 2004 and 2006.
“After 17 years (of Test rugby), he got his first Barbarians call-up and he has got his second one tomorrow,” Barbarians coach John Mulvihill said.
“You will probably see him in an All Whites jersey in the second half. He might lead the Swansea team out at half-time.
“I was still taken aback that he wanted to play. He said ‘it’s in my parish and I want to play against my team’.
“It means a lot to him. I don’t think it’s going to be his sign-off. He has got a few miles to go yet.”
Jones will be joined in the Barbarians team at St Helen’s by the likes of Wales flanker Dan Lydiate and former England centre Billy Twelvetrees.
And Jones’ second-row partner, former Wales forward Bradley Davies, is poised to make his final appearance before retirement.
Davies, 36, won 66 caps for his country and played for Cardiff, Wasps and the Ospreys.
Bob Myers is reportedly stepping down as president and general manager of the Golden State Warriors after leading the franchise to four NBA titles during his 11 years at the helm.
The news was first reported Tuesday by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The 48-year-old Myers joined the Warriors’ front office in 2011 and was promoted to GM in April 2012.
Since taking over, he hired Steve Kerr as coach, signed Stephen Curry to two supermax contracts, drafted Draymond Green and oversaw the deals for Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala and Andrew Wiggins.
Under his direction, he helped build the Warriors into one of the most successful franchises in the NBA with four titles and six total trips to the Finals in the last nine years and was twice named the league’s executive of the year.
Golden State, however, was eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semi-finals 2 ½ weeks ago – the franchise’s first playoff loss before the Finals under Kerr.
During Myers' 11 seasons as GM, the Warriors compiled a 571-304 regular-season record – the most wins for any team over that span.
Myers’ decision to step down is the first of what could be a number of major changes for the Warriors this offseason.
Green has a player option on his contract for the 2023-24 season and Klay Thompson is entering the final year of his deal and is eligible for an extension.
Middleham Park Racing will have their first Betfred Derby runner as Dear My Friend bids to do his owners proud this weekend.
The chestnut is one of 16 possibles for the Epsom Classic on Saturday and will mark a significant milestone when he carries the syndicate’s familiar pale blue and orange silks in the revered Group One.
The colt’s route to the Derby included the Dante at York earlier in the month, an established trial in which he finished eighth, and a win in the Listed Burradon Stakes on Newcastle’s all-weather track in early April.
Those efforts, added to two successes and a handful of Listed and Group performances as a juvenile, have left him on a rating of 104 ahead of the Derby – for which he is currently a 100-1 shot for trainer Charlie Johnston.
“It’s our first ever runner in the race, we’re going into it with eyes wide open,” said Mike Prince of Middleham Park.
“He was well beaten in the Dante but we think the step up in trip will suit him. There’ll be a few horses in the race who don’t say, there’ll be a few horses in the race who don’t handle the track and there’ll be a few horses in the race who don’t handle the occasion – hopefully we’ll be there trying to pick up some of the pieces.
“He’ll need to take a step up in his form, he’s a notch below the favourites at the moment but we’re hoping that step up in trip will lead to some improvement from him. He’s got a lovely, long stride and a slow cadence.”
Though likely to be an outsider with the market favouring Group winners such as Auguste Rodin and Derby Trial winner Military Order, it is not unheard of that a horse at a big price should go well and there are recent examples in Hoo Ya Mal, who was second at 150-1 last year, and 50-1 chance Mojo Star who came second the year before.
Prince said: “There have been some horses at big prices making up the placings in recent years, Hoo Ya Mal was 150-1 and I think the third and fourth that year were big enough prices (Westover at 25-1 and Masekela at 66-1).
“That’s one of the things we said to the owners when were deciding to enter, there’s good place money down to sixth and they’re all delighted that we’re rolling the dice.
“He is rated 104 so he is going there on his merits, it’s a race with a great sense of tradition and there’ll certainly be a good contingent there to support him and enjoy the occasion.”
The Washington Capitals hired Spencer Carbery as the 20th head coach in franchise history on Tuesday.
"We are extremely pleased to name Spencer as our new head coach," Capitals senior vice president and general manager Brian MacLellan said. "Spencer is one of the best young coaches in the game who's had success at every level at which he has coached.
“We feel his leadership, communication skills, ability to develop players and familiarity with our organization will be a tremendous asset as he makes this next step in his coaching career."
Carbery, 41, was the head coach of the Capitals’ American Hockey League affiliate – the Hershey Bears – from 2018-21 and went 104-50-9-8 overall.
Hershey led the AHL with a 24-7-2-0 record in his final season behind the bench in 2020-21, earning Carbery the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL's most outstanding coach.
Following that season, Carbery joined the Toronto Maple Leafs as an assistant coach.
"It's a tremendous honor and privilege to be named the head coach of the Washington Capitals," Carbery said.
"I would like to thank the Capitals organization for affording me the opportunity to lead this team. I look forward to working with this group of talented players and building upon the winning culture in place.
“I would also like to thank the Toronto Maple Leafs organization for all their support over the past two years and wish them all the best in the future."
Washington did not bring Peter Laviolette back as head coach after going 35-37-10 this season and missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign.
Second seed Daniil Medvedev was the first big casualty of the French Open after losing in five sets to Brazilian qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild in the opening round.
On the court where Brazilian great Gustavo Kuerten lifted the Coupe des Mousquetaires three times, 23-year-old Seyboth Wild delighted the Philippe Chatrier crowd with his attacking tennis.
After winning the opening set, he looked to have blown his chance when he failed to convert a 6-4 lead in the second-set tie-break and missed the easiest of overheads to hand Medvedev the set.
The Russian comfortably won the third as well but Seyboth Wild fought back brilliantly in the fourth and broke the Medvedev serve three times in the decider to win 7-6 (5) 6-7 (6) 2-6 6-3 6-4, clinching his first grand slam win with his 69th winner.
Seyboth Wild, ranked 172, said: “I’ve watched Daniil play for my entire career. I’ve always dreamed of playing these players on this court. In my best dreams I beat them, so it’s a dream come true.”
Medvedev became increasingly riled by the crowd, gesturing for them to be quiet, and ranted incessantly at his box before departing the arena without acknowledging the fans.
A committed clayphobe in his younger days, Medvedev has improved considerably on the surface, reaching the quarter-finals here in 2021 and winning his first Masters title on the red stuff in Rome earlier this month.
That achievement positioned him firmly among the title contenders but instead he suffered his first opening-round loss at a slam for four years.
Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from May 30.
FootballA proud father… as Sheffield Wednesday celebrated promotion.
Peter Crouch enjoyed Wembley!
Anyone for a trim? I will if you do….
Manchester United’s players enjoyed their end-of-season awards ceremony.
Rob Edwards… boss first, entertainer second.
Luton celebrated their promotion.
Bukayo Saka signed off for the season.
Happy birthday.
Forest turned the clock back.
Gary, Roy, Jill and Micah got together ahead of Wembley’s Manchester derby.
BoxingLeigh Wood celebrated.
MMAConor McGregor was all about the cash.
Formula OneEsteban Ocon took his Monaco trophy for a ride.
McLaren flashback.
Daniel Ricciardo and Kylie Minogue had fun in Monaco.
Bottas was out on his bike.
Pascal Bary has confirmed his unbeaten colt Feed The Flame will be supplemented for Sunday’s Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly.
The son of Kingman was unraced at two after a series of niggly problems, which meant Bary did not consider him as a suitable candidate to be part of the original entries.
However, he made a winning debut earlier this year, triumphing by five and a half lengths at ParisLongchamp, before returning that venue to beat subsequent Prix Hocquart winner First Minister with ease.
Bary, who holds the best record in the Prix du Jockey Club among currently active trainers with six wins, said: “Feed The Flame had a few issues at two and it was only in February that he started to come to hand and he has improved throughout with each run.
“He has only run twice, but he is professional enough that he can handle the Prix du Jockey Club.
“He’s a very big horse and like all big horses, he needed time to grow into himself. At the time the entries were made I never thought he’d be running this Sunday, but he has been supplemented.
“He only made his debut six weeks ago. I thought he would win but I didn’t think he would win that easily.
“We then ran him again quickly because I felt if he had any chance of running in this, he would need time between a second run and a Classic. When he won easily again we then made the decision the supplement him.”
Christophe Soumillon will maintain his partnership on the colt, the trainer also reported.
Bary’s six winners in the French Derby are Celtic Arms (1994), Ragmar (1996), Dream Well (1998), Sulamani (2002), Blue Canari (2004) and Study of Man (2018), with Celtic Arms, Ragmar and Blue Canari all sporting the Jean-Louis Bouchard silks that Feed The Flame will wear.
A total of 12 horses remain from the original entries, with supplementary contenders officially announced on Wednesday.
Among his potential rivals are French Guineas winner Marhaba Ya Sanafi, Andre Fabre’s Flight Leader, Christopher Head’s Big Rock and John and Thady Gosden’s Epictetus.
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has named four uncapped players in a 42-man training squad ahead of the Rugby World Cup.
Munster wing Calvin Nash, Leinster backs Ciaran Frawley and Jamie Osborne and Ulster hooker Tom Stewart have all been included.
Leinster back Jordan Larmour and Munster fly-half Joey Carbery miss out, though, for a first block of training that starts on June 18.
Ireland have World Cup warm-up games against Italy, England and Samoa in August, with their tournament opener coming against Romania in Bordeaux on September 9.
A warm-weather training camp in Portugal is also planned for August before Farrell confirms his 33-player World Cup squad.
“It is exciting to announce our extended training squad for the first phase of Rugby World Cup preparations, and we are looking forward to assembling in Dublin next month to hit the ground running as a group,” Farrell told irishrugby.ie.
“It is pleasing to see that selection has been as tough as ever, as real quality players have initially been unfortunate to have missed out.
“I am sure that camp will be competitive enough as we grow minds and bodies and look to push on with our game from last season.
“In the meantime, it’s important that we freshen up for a busy and exciting summer ahead so we are ready to get to work on June 18.”
Training squad: Backs – B Aki (Connacht), C Blade (Connacht), R Byrne (Leinster), C Casey (Munster), J Crowley (Munster), K Earls (Munster), C Frawley (Leinster), J Gibson-Park (Leinster), M Hansen (Connacht), R Henshaw (Leinster), H Keenan (Leinster), J Lowe (Leinster), S McCloskey (Ulster), C Murray (Munster), C Nash (Munster), J O’Brien (Leinster), J Osborne (Leinster), G Ringrose (Leinster), J Sexton (Leinster), J Stockdale (Ulster).
Forwards – R Baird (Leinster), F Bealham (Connacht), T Beirne (Munster), J Conan (Leinster), G Coombes (Munster), C Doris (Leinster), T Furlong (Leinster), C Healy (Leinster), I Henderson (Ulster), R Herring (Ulster), R Kelleher (Leinster), D Kilcoyne (Munster), J McCarthy (Leinster), P O’Mahony (Munster), T O’Toole (Ulster), A Porter (Leinster), C Prendergast (Connacht), J Ryan (Leinster), D Sheehan (Leinster), T Stewart (Ulster), K Treadwell (Ulster), J van der Flier (Leinster).
Hull KR prop forward Sam Luckley insists fulfilling his “boyhood dream” of playing at St James’ Park will never get old as he prepares for his third Magic Weekend.
Super League’s showcase event returns to Newcastle with six fixtures taking place across Saturday and Sunday.
Luckley, who grew up in North Shields, has featured in two Magic Weekends previously for Salford and says playing at the home of his beloved Newcastle United is “mesmerising”.
“I’m absolutely buzzing,” the 27-year-old told PA news agency. “I’ve played here twice before and it’s just mesmerising.
“I love coming and playing at this stadium. It’s a big do for all my friends and family as well, it’s a big build-up. I just try not to think about it too much, but I can’t wait to get on the pitch.
“When you come out for warm-up and stuff, the sprinklers are on… it feels like I should be wearing the number nine shirt!
“It’s brilliant, you can’t put it into words. It’s a boyhood dream.”
Hull KR face Luckley’s former club Salford in the 1330 kick-off on Saturday in what looks set to be a tight contest, with both teams locked on 16 points in the table.
Last time he played at St James’ Park, Luckley scored a try in front of the Gallowgate End – celebrating with an Alan Shearer-style raised hand – and would love the chance to do so again.
He said: “I thought if I do score, I’ve got to do it, in front of the Gallowgate as well… I don’t really get many tries so I’ve got to take it when it comes along.
“I’ll 100 per cent be doing it again… If I get through, if I get the chance, I will!”
He insists, though, that he would value a victory over personal glory.
“I haven’t won here yet,” he said. “We lost against Castleford when I was playing for Salford and we lost again to Huddersfield when I scored my try, so I’ll trade all the tries in for a win. We’ll have a big push for that on Saturday.”
The future of Magic Weekend is up in the air, with global sports media company IMG having been commissioned to “reimagine” rugby league in its role as the sport’s long-term strategic partner, but Luckley feels it is a “great spectacle” and “can’t be anything but good”.
“It’s great for the sport,” he said. “Just look at the NRL, they’ve got a Magic Round as well and they’re loving it.
“It’s a great spectacle for our sport and getting people who don’t watch rugby into rugby league over a weekend like this in a big football stadium in a big city… It can’t be anything but good.
“It doesn’t just have to be Newcastle, it could be anywhere. I think, being a bit biased, St James’ Park is a great spot, the pubs are down the road, shops down the road…
“I’d be more than happy to go somewhere else to try it out but I think you’ve got to get the location right.”
Sixteen-year-old Mirra Andreeva believes Andy Murray is her lucky charm after she claimed her first senior grand slam victory at the French Open.
The Russian, who only celebrated her birthday last month, has been making rapid strides in the women’s game and brushed aside experienced American Alison Riske-Amritraj 6-2 6-1 at Roland Garros.
That followed a breakthrough week at the Madrid Open when Andreeva reached the fourth round and revealed herself to be a big fan of Murray.
“When you’re here and take a lunch with all these stars, you see Andy Murray, you see his face and he’s so beautiful in life, he is so amazing,” she told Tennis Channel.
“Imagine how good she’s going to be when she gets her eyes fixed,” was Murray’s self-deprecating response.
But the pair have kept in touch and Andreeva said on Tuesday: “I didn’t see Andy Murray since Madrid because he is not here but, after he won a Challenger, I texted him.
“I said, ‘Congratulations’. He actually answered me, so I was really happy about it. He said, ‘Thank you and good luck in Roland Garros’. Maybe that’s why I’m playing that good now.”
Andreeva was runner-up in the girls’ singles at the Australian Open but has had no problem adjusting to life on the women’s tour and, after winning three matches in qualifying in Paris and one in the main draw, she is closing in on a place in the top 100.
“Of course, it feels amazing for me,” said the teenager. “I’m really excited that I managed to win this match after passing the qualis draw. So, of course, I’m really happy, and I’m looking forward to playing the next round.”
Last year’s beaten finalist Coco Gauff looked in trouble at a set down to Spaniard Rebeka Masarova but she responded well to win 3-6 6-1 6-2.
Sixth seed Ons Jabeur suffered a shock first-round exit last year when she was among the title favourites but eased through this time, beating Lucia Bronzetti 6-4 6-1.
The Tunisian said: “Playing on Philippe Chatrier is such a beautiful court, but I don’t have a good history with it. Every first round is very difficult in a grand slam. I was pretty stressed, I’ve got to say, but I was just trying to play my game.”
Dermot Weld has paid tribute to 2010 Ascot Gold Cup winner Rite Of Passage after the Irish National Stud announced his death at the age of 19.
Trained by Weld for owner Dr Ronan Lambe, Rite Of Passage was placed twice at the Cheltenham Festival, taking third in the 2009 Champion Bumper before having to settle for the same position in the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle the following season.
That defeat was followed by an audacious bid for Gold Cup glory at the Royal meeting and ridden by Pat Smullen, Rite Of Passage dug deep to fend off the challenge of Age Of Aquarius by a neck at odds of 20-1.
Rite Of Passage ran just twice more after that success, winning the 2012 British Champions Long Distance Cup off a 510-day break on what was the final outing of his 12-race career.
Weld said: “He got a brilliant ride from Pat Smullen and came back two years later to win the Long Distance Cup on Champions Day. He was difficult to keep sound, but he was an extremely talented and courageous racehorse. His performance in the Gold Cup was one of the best for many decades.
“He had a wonderful retirement in the National Stud, he looked magnificent and his fabulous care is a great credit to the team at the National Stud. When I went to see him recently, he came straight over to me and reminded me of what an outstanding individual he was.”
INS CEO Cathal Beale said, “Coming on the back of the recent loss of Kicking King, it is a sad day to report the passing of Rite Of Passage. He was a lovely, gentle horse who lived out his days receiving the greatest of care from all the team here.
“I would like to thank his connections for entrusting him to us and pay special tribute once again to Leona Harmon who cares for all our horses with such great affection.
“He will be deeply missed by all of us.”
London Irish look set to be granted a short deadline extension by the Rugby Football Union as they try to complete a takeover deal with an American consortium.
Irish had faced the possibility of suspension from the Gallagher Premiership on Wednesday as their hopes of meeting an RFU deadline regarding their finances for next season appeared bleak.
The RFU had set a deadline of close of business on Tuesday for a takeover of the club to be completed and approved by Twickenham chiefs, or the club showing that it will continue to be funded to operate throughout next term.
The RFU said in a statement earlier this month: “If the club fails to meet these conditions, it will be suspended from participating in the Premiership (and other competitions) in season 2023-24 to avoid a scenario where the club enters insolvency mid-season, with the corresponding and substantial impact that has on players, staff and fans, as well as on the remainder of the league.”
The RFU’s club financial viability working group had a meeting scheduled on Tuesday evening before making a recommendation to the RFU board on Wednesday, which would be followed by an official announcement.
It is understood that recommendation is likely to comprise a deadline extension – possibly of a week – although it would be conditional on Irish players’ May salaries being met by the club’s current ownership.
Irish have been in grave danger of becoming the third club after Wasps and Worcester to depart the Premiership this season.
And while that scenario might still unfold, there now appears to be a glimmer of hope for the Exiles, who finished fifth in the Premiership this season under rugby director Declan Kidney.
Wasps must begin rebuilding from the bottom of the league pyramid after the RFU revoked their licence to play in next season’s Championship.
Hopes that new owners HALO22 Limited could relaunch Wasps in the second tier were dashed due to their failure to meet an RFU deadline for proving the club could still operate at the required level.
Wasps entered administration in December because of debts totalling £95million, and as a result were removed from the Premiership.
And ambitions that Worcester could be relaunched in the Championship ended because of a dispute over terms between their new owners Atlas and the RFU.
It has all added up to the most damaging domestic season in English rugby history, with all eyes now on Irish to see if funding can be put in place for next term.
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