Chicago Bears wide receiver Chase Claypool remembers his NFL draft experience as the ultimate waiting game.
Claypool, 24, was a second-round selection in 2020 and had to hear 48 other names read out before his was called by the Pittsburgh Steelers for their first pick.
The 2023 edition opens outside of Kansas City’s Union Station on Thursday, with another crop of hopefuls poised to learn their fate – and eager to see who will be among the 31 players soon able to boast they went in the first round.
The updated #NFLDraft order after yesterday's shake up ?
?: 2023 #NFLDraft — Starts Thursday 8pm ET on NFLN/ESPN/ABC?: Stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/WH21J8zBCw
— NFL (@NFL) April 25, 2023
“I think every pick that got picked before me was just extra motivation,” said the Canadian, who – due to pandemic restrictions – celebrated his milestone moment with just a small group of family and friends.
“So it wasn’t that I was sitting there sulking that I wasn’t picked before one guy or another, but it just adds fuel to the fire. I think as the names come off the board you just get more and more ready for your name to be called.
“It was a super special moment and I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.”
Claypool was the 11th wide receiver drafted in a year particularly ripe with prospects at his position, including Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb who have already found success with the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys respectively.
While some might find it natural to compare members of the same class, Claypool does not find the endeavour personally helpful, insisting: “I don’t ever look at another player and be like, ‘Oh I want to have his success’. I want to have my own success.”
Just a couple more sleeps! ?#NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/ERzYcJYJr7
— NFL UK (@NFLUK) April 25, 2023
Claypool saw his stock rise after participating in the NFL Scouting Combine, an annual event that sees over 300 college football players invited to a week-long February camp where they are put through their paces in front of scouts, executives, coaches and other decision-makers.
The pressure on many prospects, particularly those fighting to be chosen in the seventh and final round of the draft, can be immense.
Claypool, who led his team with 66 catches for 1,037 yards and 13 touchdowns in his final college season at Notre Dame, was likely to land somewhere – which helped alleviate some of the stress of the experience.
Speaking at the launch of the NFL’s new flag football league for girls in the UK, he said: “Obviously there’s always a little bit of pressure, but it just depends on how you look at the situation. For me it was an opportunity, and no matter what happened from the combine I was happy to be there, happy to be participating and happy to be showing off what I can do.
We’re officially Chase Claypool days away from the NFL draft pic.twitter.com/VAOlTieXof
— BearsNationCP (@CpBears) April 17, 2023
“And then for being drafted in the second round, if anything it might have been less pressure, because when you go super late you are afforded less mistakes and it just took the pressure off of ‘damn, I have to be perfect’, to then you have a little bit of fun.”
This draft, unusually, will have just 31 names taken off the board in the first round. An investigation into whether or not the Miami Dolphins had violated league anti-tampering policies resulted in the Florida team forfeiting their 2023 first-round pick and third-round selection next year.
Pittsburgh will have the first pick of the second round, a result of the trade that sent Claypool to Chicago in November after a promising start to his career in Pennsylvania petered out.
Stepping into a new locker room mid-season, admitted Claypool, was “definitely a brand new experience – something that you can’t really prepare for until it happens”.
He added: “The playbook was completely different, the weather wasn’t the greatest. It was an adjustment but I think knowing those things we’re going to be just fine next year.
“Sometimes it can take a shorter time or a longer time, but now I think having a full off-season with the Bears and then being able to play a full season with them is going to be a really great opportunity.”
Aaron Rodgers paid an emotional tribute to the Green Bay Packers following confirmation of his trade to the New York Jets.
The four-time NFL MVP will end a near-two-decade stay in Wisconsin with a move to MetLife Stadium for the 2023 season.
Rodgers, who led the Packers to Super Bowl XLV, has spent his entire professional career to date in Green Bay, where he has played for 18 years.
Ahead of his departure though, the veteran quarterback took to Instagram on Tuesday to thank the team, his fellow players, coaches and supporters for his time at Lambeau Field.
"I'm not sure [if] it's possible to fully express the gratitude that I have to the Packers, our incredible fans, the state of Wisconsin [and] the thousands of players that I crossed paths with," he wrote.
"I grew up in Green Bay, [was] drafted at 21, fell in love with the game, met some lifelong friends, and take with me memories that will last a lifetime.
"To the fans, thank you. You made every run out of the tunnel special, every home game magical, and it was my honour to be your QB.
"To my teammates, I love you all, and am thankful for the moments on and off the field that brought us close. I played with legends, I played with friends. Thanks for believing in me and having my back always.
"This is not the end for us. I will see you again Green Bay. You’ll always have my heart."
The Packers are expected to get four draft picks in return for Rodgers' departure, with the quarterback having pushed for his move to the Jets after a fractious few seasons.
Devin Booker was lauded for his incredible 47-point performance against the Los Angeles Clippers but acknowledged the Phoenix Suns would take "a good lesson" from their series-clinching win.
The Suns wrapped up a 4-1 series victory with a 136-130 success on Tuesday in which Booker tied his playoff career high. He scored 25 points in the third quarter alone, another high mark in any single quarter.
That display epitomised a sensational series for Booker, who averaged 37.2 points, shooting 60.2 per cent from the field and 85.7 per cent from the foul line.
Only Michael Jordan, in the first round in 1992, had previously averaged 35 or more points on 60 per cent shooting from the field and 80 per cent shooting from the line.
Reflecting on the third quarter, team-mate Kevin Durant said: "It was spiritual.
"I don't scream too much in games as I get older, but when he hit that three at the top of the key, I felt that energy, and I know everyone in the crowd felt it. We feed off his aggression."
Coach Monty Williams added: "When he's going like that, we're not calling any plays."
The fourth quarter was a different story, however.
Booker had only six points as the Clippers, still without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, outscored the Suns by 11 to threaten a fightback.
"I think it's a good lesson for us moving forward," Booker said. "Don't play with your food. Finish out as strong as you can. Keep playing all the way until the whistle blows."
Jaylen Brown was frustrated by the way the Boston Celtics gave the Atlanta Hawks "life" in Game 5, passing up a "tremendous opportunity" to clinch their first-round playoff series.
The Celtics were 3-1 up heading into Tuesday's game in Boston, but they now must go on the road again to attempt to finish the job in Atlanta.
That is after the Hawks won 119-117 in perhaps the biggest upset of the postseason so far.
Dejounte Murray was missing for the Hawks, serving a one-game suspension, but All-Star team-mate Trae Young finished with 38 points and 13 assists in a dominant performance.
"We had a tremendous opportunity," Brown said. "We controlled the game for the most part, and then Trae Young just put on a hell of a performance in the fourth quarter."
Indeed, Young had 16 points in the fourth quarter, including each of the Hawks' last 14.
Atlanta outscored Boston by 12 points in the fourth, having still trailed by eight entering the final four minutes before Young took over, hitting a 30-foot, game-winning three over Brown with three seconds left.
"We made some bonehead plays, some fouls," Brown added. "We gave them some opportunities to get going. We've just got to finish the game.
"We let the game get away from us a little bit, and they just hit shot after shot down the line. When you give a team life, you give them a chance, and that's what we did."
Sophie Carrigill says playing wheelchair basketball was crucial in helping her adjust to her new identity as a disabled woman.
Carrigill’s life was turned upside down in 2010 when – aged just 16 – she was involved in a horror car crash while on holiday in America and suffered spinal injuries that left her in a wheelchair.
After recovering from equally horrific internal injuries Carrigill, now 29, decided that life had to carry on and came across wheelchair basketball.
View this post on InstagramAnd it paid dividends as she was able to get to elite level, representing Team GB at two Paralympics – with a third on the horizon – and was part of the GB team that won silver at the 2018 World Championships.
But at first it was not about the success, it was about making her transition into a new way of life as easy as possible.
“Previous to the accident I was very sporty and I wanted to get back into it as soon as possible after,” she told the PA news agency.
“I wanted to get back playing in some competitive team sport.
“I never knew where it would go or what level I would end up getting to. But that initial phase was getting back into doing something I love and meeting new people as well.
“I didn’t know anyone else with a disability, so I guess in those early stages of me adjusting to my new identity as a disabled woman that was really key for me to be exposed to those types of people.
“Having that resilience and a bit of grit when you go through something like that and then to get out of the other side and I feel like I am thriving.
“I get to play sport for my job and I have got to travel the world so it is a really incredible opportunity.
“I would not have been playing this level of sport had I not had my accident so I do feel lucky in a way because the stars all aligned for this to happen.
“It is the most traumatic thing I would not wish on anybody but it has ultimately left me with an amazing life and I am fortunate to be doing what I am doing now and I do love it.”
Although the life-changing incident happened 13 years ago and Carrigill, who is based in Yorkshire, has achieved so much since, she admits it is only recently that she has fully accepted her transition into disability.
SUPER CUP CHAMPIONS ? @Briantea84 #wheelchairbasketball pic.twitter.com/3gUAmwfMBu
— Sophie Carrigill (@sophcaz) November 22, 2021
“It was a difficult transition but I only sort of understood it as I have grown older,” she said.
“My identity was all over the place anyway as a 16-year-old and then this massive car accident came and changed it all up on top of everything else that was already changing.
“It was a big adjustment period in accepting my identity. Only recently have I fully understood how difficult that was.
“Having that carefree way of living has helped me the most and just accepting who I am.
“It’s about learning to love yourself, I know that sounds cliche, but that is what I have done over the years.”
We’re excited to share our new partnership with @BritWheelBBall! ??
Our collaboration will remove barriers to the sport, enabling more disabled people to enjoy an active lifestyle, while raising awareness of the Motability Scheme among players & fans.https://t.co/m1Xnc0C8Ah
— Motability Scheme (@MotabilityOps) April 17, 2023
British Wheelchair Basketball has teamed up with UK charity Motability, which runs the Motability Scheme, intended to enable disabled people to lease a new car, scooter or powered wheelchair, using their disability benefit.
The two organisations will aim to remove barriers to sporting participation so that more disabled people can access and enjoy healthier, active lifestyles, with wheelchair basketball identified as one of the most inclusive sports around.
Carrigill added: “It is an incredible sport, it is one of the most inclusive sports out there at the moment.
“Able-bodied people can play alongside people with disabilities. At grassroots level it is great that so many people can play it. At the top end it is super competitive, fast-paced and exciting to watch.
“It’s a really great sport to watch and support.”
Dallas Stars coach Peter DeBoer feels his young goaltender Jake Oettinger is on a trajectory to join the game's best after Tuesday's 4-0 home shutout win against the Minnesota Wild.
The Stars used goals from Tyler Seguin, Jason Robertson and Mason Marchment to take a 3-0 lead early in the second period of the crucial Game 5 clash, before Ty Dellanrea put in an empty-netter to complete the rout and give Dallas a 3-2 series lead.
Oettinger, 24, collected the first shutout of the playoffs after making 27 saves, following a regular season where his five shutouts tied him for the second-most in the league.
Speaking after the game, DeBoer said the poise of his third-year shot-stopper is remarkable to see.
"He sure doesn’t look like a 24-year-old goalie," he said. "He's doing some special things.
"Being at this stage in the career he's at, when you look at the real good goalies over their history, not many of them at his age are taking the load that he's taking and delivering like he's doing."
Wild coach Dean Evason added: "We've talked about [Oettinger] a lot – he was good again."
DeBoer went on to talk about how he feels the Stars' confidence is only growing the longer this series rolls on.
"I think we're getting better as the series goes on," he said. "We got behind early, we've chased it. We wanted to take the opportunity to get out in front for the first time in the series.
"The last win is always the toughest, but we've got an elimination game in Minnesota. We've been a real good road team all year. I think our guys are excited."
Trae Young kept the Atlanta Hawks' season alive with a deep three-pointer in the final seconds of their 119-117 road victory against the Boston Celtics in Game 5 on Tuesday.
The win, which cut the Celtics' lead to 3-2, looked exceedingly unlikely when a Jaylen Brown three-pointer put Boston ahead 109-96 with 6:10 on the clock.
Seven quick John Collins points brought the Hawks back into the contest, before back-to-back pull-up threes from Young tied things at 111-111 with 2:30 remaining.
After trading free throws late, the Hawks got the ball back with seven seconds, trailing by one with their season on the line.
Showing no fear, Young pulled up from way beyond the three-point line and drilled it, leaving not enough time on the clock for the Celtics to get a shot up.
Young had 14 points in the final 3:18 of play, finishing with a game-high 38 points on 14-of-33 shooting, while also adding a game-high 13 assists as fellow starting guard Dejounte Murray was out serving a one-game suspension.
John Collins chipped in 22 points (nine-of-18 shooting) and Bogdan Bogdanovic made the most of his spot start with 18 points (six-of-nine shooting), six rebounds and five assists.
For the Celtics, Brown was clearly their top performer with 35 points (15-of-23 shooting), while it was another disappointing showing from Jayson Tatum, hitting only one of his 10 three-point attempts on his way to 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Nuggets knock out the Timberwolves
Despite the best efforts of young Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, the Denver Nuggets prevailed 112-109 in Game 5 to secure the 4-1 series win.
Edwards again led the Wolves in scoring with 29 points (13-of-27 shooting), but he was outgunned by Nuggets guard Jamal Murray.
Murray finished with a game-high 35 points (12-of-23 shooting), making up for Nikola Jokic's uncharacteristic shooting night (28 points on eight-of-29 shooting), although he still collected a big triple-double with 17 rebounds and 12 assists.
The Nuggets will face the Phoenix Suns in the second round.
Booker leads the way as Clippers season comes to an end
Devin Booker capped a terrific individual series with another 47 points and 10 assists as his Suns beat the Los Angeles Clippers 136-130 in Game 5.
Booker came into the contest averaging 34.8 points and 5.5 assists while shooting 57.1 per cent from the field and 43.5 per cent from deep in the first four games of the series, and he shot 19-of-27 to close things out for a 4-1 series win.
Kevin Durant added 31 points and Deandre Ayton collected 21 points with 11 rebounds, closing the door on a Clippers team that never stood a chance after injuries to both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Boston Red Sox center-fielder Jarren Duran continued his terrific start to the season in Tuesday's 8-6 road win against the Baltimore Orioles.
Duran, 26, collected three hits from his four at-bats, highlighted by a 409-foot grand slam to center-field in the third inning to bust the game wide open.
Through nine games and 31 at-bats this season, Duran is slashing sizzling figures of .387/.417/.645, and he is not the only Red Sox hitter with a hot bat.
AL Rookie of the Year hopeful Masataka Yoshida finished two-for-four with a walk, marking his fourth multi-hit game in a row. After a cold start to his debut season in the majors, the 29-year-old is 12-for-24 in his past six outings.
The Orioles tried to mount a late comeback as Cedric Mullins hit a ninth-inning grand slam, making it the first time in MLB history that the center-fielder on each team finished with a grand slam.
With the win, the Red Sox improved their record to above .500 at 13-12, while the Orioles are still in a strong position at 15-8 in the ultra-competitive AL East.
Kelenic does it again
Seattle Mariners outfielder Jarred Kelenic hit a home run for the third game in a row to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-3 on the road.
Kelenic had his eye in, hitting a double in the second inning, a solo home run in the fifth, and a single in the ninth, with his only out in the contest coming on a hard-hit line out to left-field.
He was the only Mariners player with more than one hit, although Teoscar Hernandez's two-run home run ended up being the difference.
Berrios and Jansen take down the White Sox
The Toronto Blue Jays battery of Jose Berrios and Danny Jansen combined to dominate the Chicago White Sox in a 7-0 shutout.
Berrios pitched seven scoreless innings in 103 pitches, allowing four hits and one walk to go with nine strikeouts, and as well as calling a great game behind the plate, Jansen punished the White Sox with his bat.
Jansen went three-for-four at the plate including two home runs, driving in four of his team's runs, while team-mate George Springer also collected three hits.
The first overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft has lived up to the hype, with Orlando Magic wing Paolo Banchero being named NBA Rookie of the Year on Tuesday.
Banchero, 20, looked every bit of a future All-Star, leading all rookies with an average of 20.0 points per game, while his 6.9 rebounds per game had him fifth in the class, and his 3.7 assists per game were the third-most among first-year players.
While he was an inefficient scorer, shooting 42.7 per cent from the field, 29.8 per cent from deep and 73.8 per cent from the free throw line, on any given night he could put together an All-NBA quality performance.
His best performances included a 31-point, six-rebound, two-steal performance in a hard-fought road win against the Boston Celtics in December, hitting six of his seven three-point attempts, and he flirted with his first career triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in an overtime win against the Miami Heat in March.
He ended up collecting 98 out of the 100 possible first-place votes, with Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler receiving the other two to finish in second, and promising Oklahoma City Thunder wing Jalen Williams rounded out the podium spots.
There was a late push for Kessler from the analytics community as the 21-year-old showed he was already capable of playing winning basketball, finishing fourth in the league for blocks per game (2.3), and his 3.3 blocks per game after the All-Star break led the league.
Kessler also shot 72.0 per cent from the field – the third-highest mark among all players averaging at least 20 minutes per game – although his 51 per cent figure from the free throw line is a concern going forward.
Ronnie O’Sullivan repelled a fightback from Luca Brecel to move three frames away from a place in the semi-finals of the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.
Despite looking far from his best over the majority of the opening two sessions of their last eight clash, O’Sullivan preserved his early four-frame lead and will take a 10-6 advantage into Wednesday afternoon’s concluding session.
Twice Brecel pounced on uncharacteristic errors by the seven-time champion to haul himself back within two frames of levelling the match, only for lapses of concentration to prove his own worst enemy as O’Sullivan pulled away again.
The tournament favourite had struggled to rediscover the form that had swept him through his second round match against Hossein Vafaei with a session to spare, complaining that “it’s a hard game today” as he laboured through a scrappy fourth frame of their opening session.
O’Sullivan also thumped his leg in anger after missing a black in the seventh frame, but still managed to overhaul a 2-1 deficit and reel off five in row to take a convincing 6-2 lead ahead of their evening resumption.
The 28-year-old Brecel made a scorching start to the evening session as he responded to an early O’Sullivan miss with a break of 128 to reduce the deficit.
When O’Sullivan missed a rare black off its spot in the next, Brecel sensed a real chance to pull back in contention and a cool clearance of 33 took him firmly back into the contest.
But it was a position from which Brecel would singularly fail to capitalise, running out of position when he got the first chance in the next, then labouring through a disjointed 12th frame as O’Sullivan restored his four-frame lead at 8-4.
Once again the momentum swung back in Brecel’s direction, as consecutive breaks of 58 and a dazzling 81 took the Belgian back within two frames, but his raw talent could not disguise an inconsistency in his game that was to cost him dear.
A missed red to the middle blew Brecel’s hopes of capping another comeback, and O’Sullivan will count himself fortunate to have emerged unscathed from the evening’s action after he fought through the final two frames of the session to emerge unscathed.
Mark Selby racked up his 99th Crucible century as he hit back from a 4-1 deficit to earn a share of the opening session of his semi-final against fellow former winner John Higgins.
A series of uncharacteristic errors from Selby helped Higgins move into a commanding position but the Leicester man benefited from a fluked red midway through a break of 70 that helped him claim his second frame of the day.
Selby followed up with an 82 then rounded off an intriguing session with a clearance to black of 103 to ensure the pair will resume on Wednesday at 4-4.
Anthony McGill also fought back from 4-1 down to ensure he will also resume on Wednesday at 4-4 against Crucible debutant and fellow qualifier Si Jiahui.
Sofia Kenin crashed out of the Madrid Open in the first round on Tuesday, losing in just 58 minutes to Maryna Zavenska.
The 2020 Australian Open champion and former world number four has showed some flashes of her old form in 2023, having seen her career derailed by injuries since her triumph in Melbourne.
She reached the third round at the Miami Open in March, but was outclassed on the clay by her Belgian opponent, who raced to a 6-0 6-3 win.
Kenin's American compatriot Katie Volynets suffered defeat to Czech teenager Linda Fruhvirtova while Lauren Davis was beaten in three sets by Sorana Cirstea and Claire Liu lost in straight sets to Yulia Putintseva.
Karolina Muchova overcame former world number two Anett Kontaveit 6-2 6-2 but her Czech compatriot Babora Strycova lost to Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
Elsewhere in the draw, world number 79 Rebecca Marino claimed a surprise straight-sets win over world number 39 Zhu Lin.
Formula One bosses have rubber-stamped an overhaul of the sport’s weekend format, starting at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The six sprint rounds of the 2023 season – the first of which takes place in Baku this weekend – will see the introduction of a second qualifying session after the revamp gained support from the grid’s 10 teams on Tuesday.
Under the changes, a new standalone qualifying session on Saturday morning will now determine the starting order for the sprint race that afternoon, with qualifying on Friday setting the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Introducing… Sprint Saturday ✨
?️ All-new weekend format? Saturday's Sprint sessions do not affect the Grand Prix⏱️ Friday's qualifying sets Sunday's grid? New Sprint Shootout qualifying session
The first Sprint Saturday is only four days away! ?#F1Sprint pic.twitter.com/vPq9kYuyH4
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 25, 2023
The additional qualifying session on Saturday will be called the ‘Sprint Shootout’ and is shorter than the usual format. The three sessions will last for 12, 10 and eight minutes, with the intention of the concluding shortest running to add greater jeopardy.
Qualifying for the Grand Prix itself remains the same, with Sunday’s main event untouched.
The changes will apply to the five other sprint rounds in Austria, Belgium, Qatar, Austin and Brazil this year, while a regular grand prix weekend will remain as it is.
A statement from F1 read: “The F1 commission voted unanimously in favour of changes to the sprint format. These will now come into effect at the first sprint event of the season.
“Following this successful vote and subsequent approval by the World Motor Sport Council, all stakeholders believe that this will boost the spectacle of sprint weekends and enhance track action for fans around the world.”
The sprint format, which is one-third distance of a normal grand prix, was first introduced at three rounds in 2021, and has been doubled to six this year.
World champion Max Verstappen has been critical of F1’s plans to expand the sprint calendar – saying at the last round in Australia that he “won’t be around for too long” if there are “too many changes”.
But F1 bosses are keen to appeal to the sport’s new generation of fans, and say the changes will provide three days of competition, rather than two, while reducing three hours of largely meaningless practice to just a single hour.
Alex Arthur hailed Ken Buchanan as a trailblazer for Scottish boxers as hundreds of mourners turned out in Edinburgh to bid farewell to the late former world champion.
The funeral procession began in Leith and meandered its way past the former site of Sparta Boxing Club and the Ken Buchanan Statue on its way to St Giles’ Cathedral, where a memorial service was held for the 1971 undisputed world lightweight champion who died earlier this month aged 77.
As well as Edinburgh-born world super featherweight champion Arthur, Tommy Gilmour, Jim Watt, John H Stracey, Barry McGuigan and commentator Steve Bunce were among the boxing personalities who turned out on a bright but cold day in Scotland’s capital to pay their respects to Buchanan.
World super-lightweight champion Josh Taylor – another Edinburgh fighter inspired by Buchanan – was unable to be in attendance as he is preparing for his title fight against Teofimo Lopez in New York in June.
“He’s not just a legend in boxing, but also in public, the fact he has a statue says everything,” 44-year-old Arthur told the PA news agency after leaving the service.
“You could see the turnout he got, the number of people that came to witness this and see him off as the legend he was. He did things that might not be done again in boxing and in sport.
“There’s a perception that once boxers are finished, nobody wants to know them any more but everybody still wanted to be part of Ken’s life, and I think that shows what kind of character he was.
“He was a massive inspiration to us all (Scottish boxers). The young ones have got a word nowadays – the OG, the original gangster – and Ken is the OG, he was the first one that did it. It was him, then it was me, now it’s Josh Taylor and hopefully there’s going to be more to come.”
Former featherweight champion of the world McGuigan told how some sparring sessions with Buchanan, who had just retired, early on in his own career helped set him on his way in the sport.
“I’ll never forget it, I got hit that often I thought I was surrounded,” said the 62-year-old. “He was fabulous. It was the best education I ever had. Those rounds were invaluable and set me on course to go on and win a world title.
“We became lifelong friends. He was such an inimitable character. He had a uniqueness about him. He’s one of the greatest fighters the UK has ever had and certainly one of the best Scotland has ever had.
“He was an exceptional talent. He was so brave in everything he did. One of the most unique guys I ever met. He’ll never be forgotten.
“I think the speeches (in the service) alluded to the fact he maybe didn’t get the respect he deserved in Scotland initially but they did embrace him in the end and that’s all that matters. When they talk about Scottish boxing, they talk about Kenny Buchanan.”
Speeches of around five minutes each were read by Bunce, journalist and friend Jim Black, and former world lightweight champion Watt. The audio of the service was played outside the cathedral via speakers for the benefit of additional mourners and dozens of curious tourists.
Bunce concluded his address by revealing details of a meeting with 32-year-old Taylor the previous day.
“Yesterday I went to see Josh Taylor and he sends his apologies to every single person in this room,” said the broadcaster. “He adored Ken. If you ever saw the two of them together, it was like a child looking at their favourite puppy.
“Josh would look at Ken and melt, whatever he was doing, whether it was eating soup or talking about boxing. Josh would just sit silently by his side.
“Josh can’t be here because he’s training for a fight in New York, at the Garden, a place Ken came to dominate and be loved in.
“Josh can’t be here and Ken can’t be there (at the fight) but Josh told me he’s going to wear a patch of Ken’s tartan on his shorts when he he fights at the Garden on June 10. That will do for me, Josh Taylor.”
A fine day in Edinburgh for Ken Buchanan’s funeral. pic.twitter.com/73DbkYENGz
— Steve Bunce (@bigdaddybunce) April 25, 2023
Journalist Black paid tribute to his friend for remaining true to his working-class roots.
“Life may not have always been easy or kind to Ken but we remember him today as a fine human being, a loyal friend, a good man who was never too proud to return to his trade as a carpenter when his fighting days were over,” he said.
“Ken would be the first to tell you he was far from perfect – none of us are – but he was a true man of the people who was happiest in the company of his own kind.
“Generations to come will study the career and achievements of Kenneth Buchanan MBE and realise what a truly great champion he was.”
Watt, three years younger than Buchanan, told those in attendance how they went from being “bitter rivals” to “best of pals” as they got to know each other following their gruelling 15-round showdown which the elder of the two boxers won by a decision in 1973.
“He was full of fun,” said Watt, who also went on to become a world champion. “He didn’t enjoy anything more than taking the mickey out of people. I’m proud to be able to stand here and say I shared the ring with Kenny Buchanan and that I was Kenny Buchanan’s friend.”
Wimbledon will offer substantial financial support to Ukrainian players and causes this summer after reversing the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes.
At the spring press conference to announce plans for this summer’s tournament, organisers revealed that £1 for every ticket holder – expected to be more than £500,000 in total – will be donated to Ukrainian relief.
Meanwhile, the All England Club and the Lawn Tennis Association will provide two hotel rooms per Ukrainian player free of charge and training facilities for the duration of the summer grass-court season as well as funding a day at the tournament for 1,000 Ukrainian refugees.
Tournament schedule updates ?Environmental enhancements ?Plans for the future ?
Read the latest #Wimbledon announcements in full, regarding The Championships 2023 and beyond ⬇️
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) April 25, 2023
Wimbledon and the LTA announced at the end of last month that the controversial ban on Russian and Belarusian players would not continue after they were left out in the cold by the rest of the sport and punished by the WTA and ATP, with hefty fines and the removal of ranking points.
Chairman Ian Hewitt said: “This was an incredibly difficult decision. I personally say that I found this probably the most difficult decision during my chairmanship.”
In order to compete this summer, players from the two countries must sign declarations that they will not demonstrate any backing for the war in Ukraine or either regime, or receive financial support from the Russian or Belarusian state or companies linked to them.
Several players have already signed the declarations and it remains to be seen whether the stipulations will deter any Russian or Belarusian competitors from entering.
We are pleased to partner with the AELTC to donate one pound for each ticketholder at @Wimbledon to Ukrainian relief ??
Read more about this and our support of Ukrainian players this summer ?
— LTA (@the_LTA) April 25, 2023
Chief executive Sally Bolton said: “We listened very much to the feedback from last year. And that feedback from the (Russian and Belarusian) athletes was that they wanted the choice to be able to sign the declaration.
“We’ve spent a significant amount of time engaging with those players to ensure that they fully understand what they’re signing up to. And, at this point, we have a number of players who are in the process of signing them or have signed.”
Bolton was also asked about the prospect of environmental protestors seeking to disrupt the tournament, as happened last week at the World Snooker Championship.
“There have been some incidents recently that will inform the planning that we will undertake,” she said. “The picture is still emerging and our plans are evolving as time goes on.
“What I would urge anybody attending the Championships to do is to be considerate of those that are also attending the Championships.”
While developments at Wimbledon for players, fans and media have been progressing, there is still no forward movement on the club’s plans to expand into neighbouring Wimbledon Park.
Plans were submitted in July 2021 but have not yet gone before Merton and Wandsworth councils for approval amid considerable local opposition.
Wimbledon had initially hoped to bring the qualifying competition on site – one of the major aims of the expansion – as early as 2025 but organisers now admit that will not happen before the end of the decade at best and could be the early 2030s, providing approval is eventually secured.
Hewitt said: “We really look forward to our application being heard as soon as possible but we do recognise this is an important, complex and long-term project. We are patient and we fully understand that it will be approached carefully and thoroughly from all angles.”
On opposition from neighbours, he added: “I recognise there will be objections but we are proud of the public benefits that our proposals offer and I’m really disappointed that objectors are advocating a course that would deny residents and future generations these substantial benefits.”
Organisers are planning to celebrate the career of Roger Federer, although it is not yet clear whether he will attend the tournament, as well as the 50th anniversary of the WTA, with Billie Jean King a special guest.
Coaching from the stands will be allowed for the first time as part of a year-long trial across the sport while players will be able to fill up water bottles on court in a bid to cut plastic waste.
It was confirmed, meanwhile, that Denise Parnell will take over from the retiring Gerry Armstrong as tournament referee for next summer’s event.
With Debbie Jevans succeeding Hewitt as chair following the championships this summer, it means three of the most senior positions will all be held by women for the first time.
Ronnie O’Sullivan cut a frustrated figure despite fashioning a 6-2 advantage at the end of the first session of his World Snooker Championship quarter-final against Luca Brecel at the Crucible.
The seven-time champion took some time to settle and muttered “it’s a hard game today” after running out of position midway through a scrappy fourth frame.
O’Sullivan also thumped his leg in anger after missing a black in the seventh frame, but still managed to overhaul a 2-1 deficit and move within seven frames of sealing his place in the semi-finals upon their resumption on Tuesday evening.
A quickfire session looked in store when Brecel opened proceedings with a break of 93 and O’Sullivan responded with a fast 56 which proved enough despite a rare missed black off its spot.
Another error from O’Sullivan served up Brecel for a frame-winning break of 68 to move in front, and only a tenacious 35 clearance in the next allowed O’Sullivan to edge in at the mid-session interval all square.
It was Brecel’s turn to feel frustrated after the restart as a series of costly errors from the Belgian put the momentum firmly in O’Sullivan’s hands.
A break of 59 sent O’Sullivan in front for the first time before Brecel was punished for scattering the reds in the sixth frame as the favourite reeled off an effortless 128 to move two clear at 4-2.
Brecel did all the hard work in the next, getting the two snookers he required for an improbable steal, only to jaw a relatively simple pink as he sought to clear, handing O’Sullivan a 5-2 advantage.
Brecel missed a black off its spot in the final frame of the session and O’Sullivan needed no second chances to mop up with a break of 85 and leave himself well and truly in control.
Russian and Belarusian athletes who receive state funding cannot be considered neutral and must remain excluded from international sport, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer has said.
Last month the International Olympic Committee published criteria under which global sports federations may consider readmitting athletes from those countries amid their invasion of Ukraine.
The recommendations say only individual athletes from those countries should be allowed to compete – not teams.
Athletes and support personnel who actively support the war in Ukraine must also remain barred, as must any athlete or support staff member contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military or security agencies.
The IOC has postponed a decision on whether athletes from those countries will be allowed to compete at the Paris Games next year, but the recommendations mean that, in some sports at least, Russian and Belarusian athletes will be able to enter Olympic qualification events.
Frazer and France’s Olympics and Paralympics minister Amelie Oudea-Castera called for clarity regarding state-funded athletes in statements published on Tuesday as part of a Council of Europe hearing on Russian participation in international sport.
Frazer said athletes in receipt of funding from the state, or from state-controlled companies such as Russian energy giant Gazprom, were “de facto representatives of those states”.
“They are only there by virtue of being funded by, trained by, selected by, supported by, the Russian state,” she added.
Should athletes from Russia and Belarus be excluded from the 2024 Paris #Olympics?
Follow the @PACE_News event live in 5 languages ?? ?? ?? ?? ??
⏰ Today at 10h30 CEST
? https://t.co/lPPyGFjzP7 https://t.co/W7orL2rmCZ
— Council of Europe (@coe) April 25, 2023
“We have seen the IOC start to address some of our concerns and that is to be welcomed, but the IOC’s recommendations do not go far enough for us and they leave far too many unanswered questions.
“There is no reference anywhere in the recommendations to state funding, which I have said is a breach of neutrality.
“None of us should countenance the idea of a Ukrainian athlete being forced to share a pitch, a court, a field, a starting line with state-sponsored athletes from Russia and Belarus.
“The IOC must clarify their position or go back to the drawing board. Resolve the issues I have set out today.
“Implement an approach that guarantees only truly neutral athletes can participate.”
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe @PACE_News hearing today on participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus.⬇️Athletes representing the IOC:Arsen Julfalakyan (Armenia)Gaby Ahrens (Namibia)⬇️https://t.co/fiyMKVE2OR
— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) April 25, 2023
Frazer also said it was crucial to ensure other loopholes were not exploited, such as contracts with the military or security agencies being paused for long enough to enable athletes to compete.
Self-funded tennis players from Russia and Belarus will be able to take part at Wimbledon this summer provided they sign declarations of neutrality and do not express support for the war.
Oudea-Castera accepted the IOC had the right to take the “sovereign” decision but agreed with Frazer that there were “open issues” where clarity was required, including whether the exclusion of teams extended to sports featuring pairs of athletes competing together.
Gaby Ahrens, the chair of the athletes’ commission of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa, appeared at the hearing on behalf of the IOC.
She said: “If the Olympic Games become a platform only for athletes coming from like-minded countries or whose governments are at peace, it would not be a true reflection of the world and we would not be able to achieve our mission to unite the world in a peaceful competition despite the differences there are between countries and people.
“If governments took over the decisions regarding which athletes can partake in which competition, it would mean the end of world sport as we know today.”
Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have changed the landscape of Welsh football for good, according to Football Association of Wales president Steve Williams.
The Red Dragons ended a 15-year absence from the English Football League on Saturday by claiming the National League title as Phil Parkinson’s side produced a fitting Hollywood finale at a sold-out Racecourse Ground.
Wrexham’s rise under their celebrity owners has been one of football’s stories of the season, with fans of a club that was the subject of a winding-up order in 2011 now dreaming of climbing the English pyramid.
But the ripples of Wrexham’s success have been felt far outside its boundaries, throughout the rest of Wales, Great Britain and overseas as actors Reynolds and McElhenney sprinkle their celebrity stardust on a club they bought for £2million in 2021.
“It has gone from a club with three or four thousand people watching the team play to a global enterprise,” said Williams, himself a Wrexham season ticket holder who first watched them in the early 1970s.
“The vibe here is that the club will get even bigger when series two of the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary is released later this year.
“You hear American, Canadian and all other sorts of accents when you go in the Turf (the pub next door to the Racecourse) now and the change has been remarkable.
“In Wrexham you used to see Liverpool, Manchester City or Manchester United shirts. But now it’s just Wrexham shirts and that’s great to see.
ATTENDANCE | 9,511
Incredible support for @WrexhamAFCWomen ?
?⚪ #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/322LyFzM45
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) March 26, 2023
“The owners have also raised the profile of the women’s game in Wales and taken it to another level with record crowds and promotion. If they carry on with their progression they could end up playing in European football.
“It’s great to see how Rob and Ryan have engaged with the town and I think that’s why they’ve been so successful.
“Wrexham is attracting people from all over the world, and the only problem is they need a bigger stadium so people can get a seat to watch the games.”
The redevelopment of the Kop stand, which begins on June 1, will boost the Racecourse’s capacity to around 15,600 in time for the start of the 2024-25 season.
While that modest figure will not house all supporters who wish to see Wrexham play, the stadium’s upgrading makes it easier for the FAW to visit the birthplace of Welsh football.
Plans are in place for Wales to play a Racecourse friendly against Gibraltar in October, the first senior men’s international in Wrexham since 2019 and only the second in 15 years.
Senior women’s internationals in Wrexham are also on the agenda, while the FAW want to host the 2026 Under-19 European Championship finals in north Wales to mark the association’s 150th anniversary with the Racecourse as its centrepiece.
Williams said: “We know fans in the north are connected to the Wales national team and there is an appetite to play games in Wrexham.”
The FAW was formed on February 2, 1876 at the Wynnstay Arms Hotel in Wrexham by a group of businessmen.
A redeveloped Football Museum for Wales in Wrexham celebrates that heritage, as well as engaging Welsh language communities, fan culture, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities and LGBTQ+ experiences.
“We have been working with the football club and Wrexham Council to put items in the museum,” said Williams.
“We tell our male and female players that today’s news is tomorrow’s history and both teams have been very helpful in that respect.
“Gareth Bale has given one of his World Cup shirts, as have Neco Williams, Harry Wilson and Danny Ward who are all from the area.
“Football has a great history in Wrexham and it’s great to see the town so excited again.”
Only three players who featured in England’s World Cup campaign have been named in Shaun Wane’s 19-strong squad for Saturday’s mid-season international against France in Warrington.
As many as 15 players could earn their first caps in the fixture, as Wane refocuses on building a young squad capable of going beyond last year’s semi-final heartbreak at the next tournament in France in 2025.
Jack Welsby, George Williams and Kai Pearce-Paul are the only survivors who featured for England last year, while Warrington second row Ben Currie – who played in the 2017 World Cup – has been recalled to the squad.
? Ready to face @FFRXIII.
??????? #EnglandRL Head Coach Shaun Wane has named a new-look 19-player squad for Saturday’s mid-season international at @WarringtonRLFC…
— England Rugby League (@England_RL) April 25, 2023
Head coach Wane said: “It was always my intention to pick a young squad for this mid-season game and I am really happy with the final 19 I’ve selected.
“All of these players have been picked based on their form in the Betfred Super League and with an eye on the next Rugby League World Cup in France in 2025.
“I am excited to see how some of these lads go on the international stage and it’s a massive privilege to be able to give them the opportunity to represent our country.”
Warrington are rewarded for their fine start to the Betfred Super League season with seven players in the squad, as Williams and Currie are joined by Matty Ashton, James Harrison, Matty Nicholson, Josh Thewlis and Danny Walker.
Six Wigan players are named with Pearce-Paul joined by Ethan Havard, Toby King – who played for Ireland in last year’s World Cup – Harry Smith, Morgan Smithies and Jake Wardle.
England cruised to a 42-18 win over France in the second round of their World Cup campaign in Bolton in October.
Auston Matthews urged the Toronto Maple Leafs to finish the job at the earliest opportunity as they bid to clear the first hurdle in the NHL playoffs for the first time since 2004.
A dazzling fightback on Monday saw Toronto surge from 4-1 behind against the Tampa Bay Lightning to win 5-4 in overtime and seize a 3-1 series lead.
The Eastern Conference first-round tussle is a repeat of last year's matchup, when Toronto led 3-2 but wound up losing 4-3.
Tampa Bay went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals, denied glory by the Colorado Avalanche.
Toronto have endured a long wait to win a playoff series, so they will be doubly determined to get this particularly job done at the earliest opportunity having put themselves in such a strong position. Their first chance comes on home ice on Thursday.
After being dominated early on in Monday's game, Matthews got the comeback rolling by scoring twice in the third period to cut Toronto's deficit to 4-3 with 7:31 remaining.
It was Morgan Rielly who levelled up, and Alexander Kerfoot hit the game winner on a power play in overtime.
Matthews said: "I thought in the locker room and everything we stayed focused. Just chip away, chip away."
Asked about game-winner Kerfoot, who has an economics degree from Harvard, Matthews said: "I can't say enough good things about 'Kerf'. He's a guy everyone loves and gravitates to in the locker room and on the ice he's so versatile.
"We all love him in this room, and it was a big goal from him tonight to take hold of the series.
"But we all know in this room that the job's not close to finished. We've got to refocus, enjoy this one, but obviously the fourth one's the hardest one to win."
Reflecting on what it took to win a second consecutive game in OT at Amalie Arena, Matthews said: "This is a loud environment, especially when they get going. I thought halfway through the second we started to find our game a little bit.
"We know who we're up against, the group and what they've accomplished, especially in the last couple of years. We know they're going to be ready to come in Game 5."
Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said his teams were "on top of the puck more" as the game went on.
"We started the game fine, but when they scored, the building gets loud, they get feeling good, they took it to us pretty good the rest of the first," Keefe said.
"The message going into the third was to not go away, stay with it. You're not necessarily thinking you're going to come back in the game, you just want to stay there and give yourself a chance rather than going away and moving on to the next one."
He told his team to win that third period.
"Credit to the group, the spirit of the group, carrying us through to come back in this fashion," Keefe added. "It was outstanding to witness and be a part of."
Kerfoot was the hero of the hour, and the 28-year-old said: "It's what you dream about, scoring goals in overtime in the playoffs.
"There was a lot of belief in our room, even after the first two periods. We started to put the heat on them a little bit, our big guys came though getting us to overtime, and we got one on the power play in the end."
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