British heavyweight Frazer Clarke says he has nothing to prove when faces veteran Mariusz Wach on Friday night but believes he is stronger for coming through his recent “saga” with Fabio Wardley.

Clarke saw his hopes of a domestic title fight with rival Wardley thwarted ahead of purse bids last month.

His own team of 258 Management and promotion company BOXXER made the decision to withdraw Clarke before purse bids with the 33-year-old’s lack of rounds cited as a key reason.

It means instead of taking on Wardley this summer, the focus for Clarke is a 10-rounder with Wach at York Hall but he is ready to shut out the external talk to deliver the seventh win of his professional career.

Clarke told the PA news agency: “It has made me battle-hardened. I have come good out of it. I have come good out of all these situations.

“All these situations I have been in with boxing, I have always come back and done well. That will be the same for this one.

“I ain’t got nothing to prove to no one. I just need to win and I’m sure I’ll do that.”

Clarke (6-0, 5KOs) is hopeful a bout with Wardley will take place later in 2023 despite the social-media storm that occurred last month.

After Clarke’s team pulled him out, having initially lobbied the British Boxing Board of Control (BBCofC) to become mandatory for Wardley’s British title, the Tokyo 2020 bronze-medallist felt the brunt of the criticism that followed.

“I would hope so,” Clarke replied when quizzed if a fight with Wardley can still go ahead this year.

“That whole saga, it was frustrating and a difficult 10 days for me. I can’t lie. It was difficult.

“Mentally, it was really difficult but I have come through the other side of it. I have come through with a fight lined up, something to get my teeth into and concentrate on so very fortunate to be able to do that.

“It wasn’t nice, wasn’t pretty. A bit of a f*** up from our side, me and my team, so we have held our hands up and now get back on the bus.”

Polish heavyweight Wach (37-9, 20KOs) is the latest hurdle for Clarke to clear on his path to reach the top.

Wach went the distance with Wladimir Klitschko in 2012 and only lost on points to Dillian Whyte four years ago to show the type of pedigree that Clarke will do battle with this week.

He added: “He has seen bigger and better fighters than me.

“This is someone who isn’t going to fall over. I don’t think he has come here just to get paid.

“Obviously he has (got paid) but I don’t think he has come to fall over. These kind of opponents, they are not a walkover. I don’t want anyone to think I will walk through him.

“He is a good fighter, a solid man and has a good engine and chin on him, so he can pose threats but looking forward to it.”

Billy Vunipola has forced his way into England’s planning for the World Cup as Steve Borthwick revealed the Saracens number eight is eager to seize his opportunity.

Vunipola was overlooked entirely for Borthwick’s maiden Six Nations as head coach but on Monday he was selected in the first training squad of the summer as preparations begin for France 2023.

And while the powerful back row is still recovering from the surgery needed to repair knee damage sustained against La Rochelle in April, he is expected to be available in time for the four warm-up Tests in August.

Alex Dombrandt filled the number eight jersey for the Six Nations but Vunipola brings with him 68 caps as well as a unique ball-carrying threat.

“Billy tells me he’s just about ready to go now. He said ‘hold me back right now!’ He’s doing really well,” Borthwick said.

“I’ve been impressed by not only how hard he’s working when he’s training and rehabbing, but everything he’s doing away from that as well.

“He’s certainly part of our plans as we go forward and I’m looking forward to the point when Billy is back on the grass.”

Vunipola was a shock omission from Borthwick’s first squad in the wake of replacing Eddie Jones amid speculation that the two were not on talking terms because of a fall out during the 2019 World Cup.

“Billy and I met in January and we spoke over the phone in January. In the Six Nations we spoke a couple of times. Since the Six Nations I’ve met with him a couple of times,” Borthwick said.

“He’s been an important player for England for a number of seasons and he has the potential to be an important player for England going forward.”

A surprise absentee from the 28-players who assembled at the squad’s Surrey training base on Monday was Sam Simmonds, the rampaging Montpellier-bound back row who was expected to provide competition for Dombrandt, Vunipola and Zach Mercer.

But during discussions with Borthwick, Simmonds made it clear he would not be available for the World Cup for reasons that have not been made public.

“Sam talked to me about the discussions he had with this family and what he was doing and I respect that,” Borthwick said.

“He spoke about personal circumstances, a personal situation, and then how he thought and come to this decision.

“Every player is within their rights to make the best decisions for their circumstances.”

While Simmonds leaves these shores for the Top 14, Mercer travels in the opposite direction after a successful two-year spell at Montpellier ends with his move to Gloucester.

The 25-year-old excelled in the French league and could add to his two caps this summer.

“Zach’s point of difference quite clearly is the way he finds space and carries through big defenders,” Borthwick said.

“We’re all the sum of our experiences and Zach’s gone and played in France and he’s developed and learned from that.

“He’s more experienced, has played with different players and took on leadership responsibilities at Montpellier as well. I sense a guy who has grown.”

Borthwick revealed that he has spoken regularly to Henry Arundell, Tom Pearson and Will Joseph as the London Irish trio search for new clubs in the wake of the Exiles’ financial collapse.

“It’s certainly been a challenging time for them and they’ve been very up front and honest. There’s a high level of anxiety about the situation,” Borthwick said.

“When I saw them on Sunday, I listened to players that were thrilled to be in camp and looking forward to what is ahead of them.”

Former champion Jon Rahm expects a combination of “fun and kicks in the teeth” as the Los Angeles Country Club prepares to host the 123rd US Open.

Rahm experienced the North Course in a prestigious college event 10 years ago, when world number seven Max Homa set the course record of 61, but most of the field have never tackled it before this week.

The restored 7,423-yard, par-70 layout on Wilshire Boulevard includes a 623-yard par five and two of its five par threes measure almost 300 yards, while even the par-three 15th – which can play as short as 80 yards – poses its own challenges.

“It is a US Open. Fairways and greens, hopefully two-putt and move on,” Rahm, who won his first major at Torrey Pines in 2021, said of his gameplan.

“I think it’s deceptively wide. Those fairways look bigger than they play. You still need to strike it really well tee to green to be able to give yourself some looks at birdie.

“It’s a design that I like. It makes you think. It’s very intricate green complexes. You’ve got to play the angles a little bit, and especially if you miss the greens, you’re going to find yourself in some interesting spots to get up and down.

“It’s got everything. It’s got all the ingredients to be a great week.

“Max Homa shot nine under on this golf course (in 2013). That’s not happening right now. It’s just clearly a much different golf course. The rough wasn’t as high as it is right now.

“You could actually afford to miss a fairway and have confidence that the ball was going to be around the green area, not always on the green.

“The only thing I can say is that I have really good memories about it and I enjoyed the challenge back then. I think I’m going to as well this week.”

Remarkably, the 284-yard seventh hole and 290-yard 11th are not even the longest par threes in US Open history, with the eighth hole at Oakmont playing to 300 yards in 2007 and 299 yards in 2016.

But even Rahm, one of the longest hitters in the game, needed to hit a three wood to the seventh on Monday and described the hole as “somewhat fair”.

“I think there’s a bit of a give and take,” the Masters champion added. “There’s got to be a balance. I don’t think we’re going to play every hole tipped out [at maximum yardage] every day, either.

“There’s a bit of everything. If you hit perfect drives, let’s say on one, two and three, you’re pretty much looking at birdie options.

“And then you get kicked in the teeth with four and five and most likely seven, and possibly nine depending on pin location. There is a certain flow to the golf course in a US Open that I haven’t seen before.

“You have par fours where you’re going to hit driver, wedge every day if you hit the fairway, no matter the wind. And then you have holes like 11, 16 and 18 that are going to play very long no matter what.

“I think it’s a bit different, and it’s fun. You’ll see a lot of birdies and I think you also will see some high numbers come out of nowhere.”

Rahm was due to get his bid for a third major title under way from the 10th tee at 0824 local time (1624 BST) on Thursday alongside Ryder Cup team-mate Viktor Hovland and Olympic champion Xander Schauffele.

World number one Scottie Scheffler was set to tee off 11 minutes earlier from the first tee along with Homa and Collin Morikawa, but Rory McIlroy and US PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka had to wait until 1354 local time (2154 BST) to start round one.

Golden Mind will be given the chance to replicate his half-brother Perfect Power and get on the Royal Ascot scoresheet when he lines up in the Chesham Stakes.

Richard Fahey trained Perfect Power to win the Norfolk Stakes in 2021 before returning to add the Commonwealth Cup 12 months ago, and it is the Musley Bank handler who is responsible for the talented Golden Mind, who opened his account at the second attempt at Leicester recently.

Third over five furlongs at Hamilton on debut, the son of Galileo Gold relished the move up to six furlongs at the east midlands track when running on strongly to down Richard Hannon’s Fusterlandia, and he is now poised for another rise in yardage to race over seven furlongs at the Royal meeting – something his handler believes will suit.

Fahey said: “He’s a good hardy horse and one who stays well – I do like him.

“We beat the second (Fusterlandia) the other day at Beverley (with Bombay Bazaar) funnily enough. I think he’ll improve again and the step up to seven will suit.

“He will definitely run in the Chesham, that has always been the plan. He’s a laid-back character and just needed a bit of racing and I think you will see a different horse down at Ascot.”

Fahey is busy finalising his running plans for the meeting with recent Beverley winners Midnight Affair and Bombay Bazaar possibles to make the trip south, while Carlisle scorer Emperor’s Son is another set to get the call up to the Malton-based handler’s squad and holds an entry for the Coventry Stakes.

He continued: “We’re pleased (with the horses) and we’ll have a sort out this week who will go. The ground will certainly play a part in our decision, but we look to have a good bunch. If you can get one winner down there it would be great, we were very lucky last year with two.

“We’ll see how they (Midnight Affair and Bombay Bazaar) are since Beverley and they are both entitled to be there. It’s quite a good bunch of two-year-olds so we’ll work a few this week and see which way we go.

“Emperor’s Son, he won up at Carlisle, he will go down and he’s a decent horse and there is a couple of fillies who we’ll sort out and see if they are good enough to go.”

My Prospero is set to spearhead William Haggas’ Royal Ascot team in a mouthwatering edition of the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

Despite the defection of Desert Crown, the likes of Luxembourg, Adayar and Bay Bridge still lie in wait for Haggas’ four-year-old.

Beaten just a neck in the St James’s Palace Stakes last year, he went on to win a Group Two in France over 10 furlongs before once again being narrowly denied in the Champion Stakes behind Bay Bridge.

He reappeared back over a mile in the Lockinge when running on into fourth, but Haggas expects the step back up to a mile and a quarter to be much more up his street.

“He’s very well and I think it will be a great race,” Haggas told Sky Sports Racing.

“Newbury was a bit short for him and he was a bit fresh, but he stayed on nicely at the end and I’m sure he will enjoy the step up in trip.

“He ran very well in the St James’s Palace and ran very well in the Champion Stakes having been off for a bit, I think it was a couple of months after his previous run.

“At the moment I couldn’t have him better and we’re looking forward to it. I think there’s a lot of horses similar to him in that they might not have an electric turn of foot but they have good staying ability and I should think they’ll kick on from three out.

“I think he’s a lovely, big horse and it was probably an error running in the Lockinge, but it didn’t do much harm and he stayed on well having been outpaced. I think he’s come forward for that and I think this is going to be his year.”

Another returning to Ascot following a good run 12 months ago is the mare Sacred, beaten just a length into fifth in the six-furlong Platinum Jubilee Stakes.

This year Haggas has given her a run prior to Ascot, over her preferred distance of seven furlongs at Lingfield where she won with ease.

“She’s a very good filly. One day at Newbury she was excellent and she was pretty good at Lingfield the other day,” he said.

“She’s a very smart filly with a pretty good turn of foot but the problem is she’s a specialist over seven, so we either go over a mile or six. The only seven-furlong Group One is the Foret and that is invariably on soft ground, so there’s nothing for her.

“We’re plumping for six again, she’s had a run this year which she hadn’t last year when she ran well. It’s a competitive race but I’m not sure there’s a standout. The Australian horse (Artorius) might be, while the Hong Kong horse (Wellington) is a proven top sprinter but she should run a good race.”

Khanjar had been a leading fancy for the Wokingham but was surprisingly beaten at Hamilton recently leaving Haggas to reassess his claims.

“I was pretty disappointed (with his Hamilton run). In his first run at York he was too enthusiastic, so me and Jim were keen for him to have another, but we probably overdid it a bit and let the winner get away,” he said.

“I thought he’d win but he’s going to run in the Wokingham. I think he likes small fields and if they split up, that might suit him.”

Stable stalwart Hamish appears unlikely to get his favoured soft ground for he Hardwicke Stakes at this stage.

Haggas said: “He wants soft ground so we need to debate whether to leave him in. We’ll see what the forecast is but I think there’s every likelihood he won’t be running. There’s a Group Three at York he might go for, but it all depends on the ground. Chester last time was very good, arguably his best bar his Irish Leger second.”

One horse definitely not running is Maljoom, but Haggas did offer encouragement that he would be back in action soon after being forced to rule him out of the Queen Anne.

“It’s a shame, he’s a lovely horse but he has soundness issues. We were getting well down the road to run at Ascot then he met with a problem,” said Haggas.

“I’m so grateful he’s got a patient owner and he will be more frustrated than we are, but we’re getting there and there’s still a long season ahead. He’ll get entries in everything and with a straightforward run, hopefully he’ll get to the Summer Mile (Ascot, July 15).”

Truthful looks set to have her sights raised later this summer after maintaining her unbeaten record in the Jewson Wigan EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes at Haydock.

A field of five runners went to post for the £40,000 contest, with the William Haggas-trained Truthful opposed by another debut winner in William Muir and Chris Grassick’s Shagpyle.

Truthful, a 120,000 guineas purchase for Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, was the 10-11 favourite to supplement a narrow introductory success at Salisbury, with Ascot scorer Shagpyle – a half-sister to her Coronation Cup and King George-winning stablemate Pyledriver – rated the biggest threat at 2-1.

Montevideo took the quartet along for much of the mile-and-a-half journey, but Sea The Stars filly Truthful picked up well for Tom Marquand once in the clear and had almost three lengths in hand over the staying-on Shagpyle at the line.

Highclere’s managing director, Harry Herbert, said: “She was quite impressive, wasn’t she?

“She’s a classic William Haggas, big filly who was too immature to run as a two-year-old – she was a bit of a goose who suddenly turned into a swan. The trainer got more and more positive about her and said ‘I think we might have one’!

“What was lovely today is that with one slap she quickened really well and put the race to bed. She’s extended, hit the line with her ears pricked and galloped out strong.

“We’ll take it one step at a time, but she’s in such good hands with William. She could be anything.”

The winner will not take up her entry in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot next week, but will be stepped up in class on her next start.

“She’s very much a work in progress still, so it was right not to go to Royal Ascot for the Ribblesdale – that was considered,” Herbert added.

“She’s a beautiful filly with a lovely pedigree as a full-sister to a filly of William’s (Sea On Time) who won three races and was about to step up into Listed and Group company and sadly went wrong.

“This filly is much bigger than her sister and still a work in progress, but a very exciting one.

“If she can stay in one piece, hopefully she’s going to take her owners to some wonderful places.”

Truthful’s win is a tasty appetiser for the Highclere team ahead of Royal Ascot next week, with leading Albany Stakes hope Soprano set to be part of a strong squad on the penultimate day of the meeting.

Herbert said: “It looks like we might have a big day on Friday. Obviously Soprano goes for the Albany, Believing will go for the Commonwealth Cup and in the Sandringham we have Pastiche and Eximious, who are both very nice fillies.

“Believing is a very fast filly who blew the start the other day in France, but she’s very useful and we’re going to give her a roll in Group One company.

“It’s always a very big time of year, we look forward to it every year and this year’s it’s just rather weird that all our runners could be on the same day.”

Michael van Gerwen has revealed his disappointment at missing the PDC World Cup of Darts after failing to recover from a dental problem.

The Dutchman has not recovered from an operation in time to feature in the second round of the competition on Saturday in Frankfurt, Germany.

The three-time PDC World Darts Championship winner will be replaced by Dirk van Duijvenbode, who will join up with Danny Noppert to form the Netherlands team.

“It’s really disappointing for me that I won’t be able to play in the World Cup this year, especially as I was feeling good about my game after winning the Premier League & US Darts Masters,” Van Gerwen tweeted.

“I wish Danny & Dirk good luck and I hope they can win a fifth World Cup for the Netherlands.”

The British Horseracing Authority refuses to be “coerced into any activity by threats of protests” ahead of Royal Ascot, which gets under way next week.

Activist group Animal Rising reportedly stated at a press conference on Wednesday that it would not disrupt the Royal meeting if leaders from racing took part in a televised debate.

Despite claiming they would not attempt to enter the racetrack at Epsom once the Derby was under way, one member did so and was remanded in custody until July 6 after pleading not guilty to a public nuisance charge.

This followed on from disruption to the Grand National and attempts to delay the Scottish National, with 19 protesters accused of trying to stop the Ayr race due to stand trial in September.

BHA chief executive Julie Harrington said: “At a press conference today, Animal Rising said they will cease their protest activity this summer if British racing agrees to take part in a public debate about ‘the morals of horseracing’. We will never allow British horseracing to be coerced into any activity by threats of protests.

“Animal Rising have shown by their reckless actions at the Epsom Derby that their public promises cannot be trusted. They have demonstrated they are prepared to commit reckless and potentially unlawful acts and to directly threaten the safety of horses and people to generate publicity around their wider aims. These aims include the end of all use of animals by human beings.

“Spokespeople for the sport have already taken part in well over an hour of televised debate since April. Throughout those debates the message was clear – that British racing is a sport which is proud of its welfare record, which provides an unparalleled quality of life for the 20,000 horses that compete each year, and which constantly works to minimise the levels of avoidable risk.

“Once again I call on Animal Rising to end their reckless acts against a sport legally enjoyed by millions of people every year.”

Epsom had secured an injunction prior to the Derby Festival after it said protesters from the group had made it “explicitly clear” they intended to breach security, but last week officials at Ascot said they would not be following suit “at this time”.

Brilliant miler Modern Games, popular sprinter Highfield Princess and 2000 Guineas heroes Chaldean and Paddington are just some of the stars set to be in action on the opening day of Royal Ascot.

As usual the five-day extravaganza starts with a bang, with the Queen Anne Stakes the traditional curtain-raiser.

The Charlie Appleby-trained Modern Games, a dual Breeders’ Cup winner and successful on his reappearance in the Lockinge at Newbury last month, is the marginal favourite for the Queen Anne over John and Thady Gosden’s top-class filly Inspiral, who is set to make her belated reappearance.

Appleby has a second string to his bow in the form of Native Trail, while Richard Hannon’s Chindit will renew rivalry with Modern Games after finishing best of the rest at Newbury.

David Simcock’s pair of Cash and Light Infantry and Mutasaabeq from Charlie Hills’ yard also feature among 13 confirmations.

The second Group One on Tuesday afternoon is the King’s Stand Stakes, for which John Quinn’s mare Highfield Princess heads the market.

The six-year-old enjoyed a fantastic campaign in 2023, completing a hat-trick of wins at the top level, and she can be expected to improve from her comeback second at York last month.

Karl Burke’s Dramatised and John Ryan’s Manaccan are other contenders for the home team, as is the Archie Watson-trained Bradsell who has been supplemented for the race.

A strong international challenge includes a pair of Australian runners in Coolangatta and Cannonball, both of whom were put through their paces at Ascot on Wednesday morning.

James McDonald was one of the leading riders at Royal Ascot last year with three winners, headlined by Nature Strip’s dominant display in the King’s Stand, and the New Zealand-born rider is confident Coolangatta has what it takes to get him back in the famous winner’s circle.

“Royal Ascot is one of the greatest weeks in racing. I definitely circle it every year and, if I am lucky enough to come here, then I am on the plane straight away,” said the jockey.

“With the racing and the whole atmosphere, it is one of the best carnivals in the world. It is hard to get rides at Royal Ascot but I should have maybe 11 or 12 rides over the week.”

Reflecting on Coolangatta’s workout, McDonald added: “She handled the track beautifully. She ticked a lot of boxes and I was delighted the way she stretched and extended.

“I let her breeze through the line and she pulled up extremely well. She is a strong five-furlong horse and an extremely talented filly.

“She is a dual Group One winner and the quality she beat that day in the Lightning was simply sensational – any of those sprinters could travel anywhere around the world and be competitive.

“Nature Strip was a champion racehorse but Coolangatta is getting there and I have no doubt she will run well on Tuesday. This morning has given me a lot of confidence.”

Wesley Ward’s American challenger Twilight Gleaming is also on the list of 20 still in contention.

Perhaps the most mouthwatering of the three Group One races up for grabs on day one is the St James’s Palace Stakes, which is set to stage a clash between Classic victors Chaldean and Paddington.

Andrew Balding’s Chaldean provided Frankie Dettori with victory in his final 2000 Guineas at Newmarket last month, while Paddington won the Irish equivalent for Aidan O’Brien.

French Guineas runner-up Isaac Shelby (Brian Meehan) adds further intrigue, as does the presence of Al Riffa (Joseph O’Brien), not seen since winning last season’s National Stakes, as well as progressive colts Cicero’s Gift (Charlie Hills) and Mostabshir (John and Thady Gosden).

A total of 32 juveniles have been entered for the Group Two Coventry Stakes, with George Boughey’s Asadna, O’Brien’s River Tiber and Ward’s Fandom three of the leading contenders.

The 43 entries for the two-and-a-half-mile Ascot Stakes include last year’s runner-up Bring On The Night, whose trainer Willie Mullins also has top-class hurdler Vauban as one of 56 entered for the Copper Horse Handicap, with Ryan Moore booked to ride both.

Sandwiching those two races is the Listed Wolferton Stakes, which has attracted 23 possibles.

Karl Burke is confident Elite Status will take some stopping when he puts his unbeaten record on the line in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot next week.

A 325,000 guineas purchase at the Book 2 sale at Tattersalls in October, the juvenile has so far lived up to his hefty price tag with two facile victories.

A son of Havana Grey, who won six times for Burke including a Group One success in the Flying Five Stakes in Ireland, Elite Status followed up a Doncaster debut success by emulating his sire with a stunning display in the National Stakes at Sandown.

The Spigot Lodge handler has been delighted with the youngster since and is relishing the prospect of stepping up to Group Two level in the opening race on day three of the Royal meeting – one which will see Burke’s runner clash with Wesley Ward’s exciting American Rascal, among others.

“Elite Status came out of the National stakes well,” Burke told Tattersalls.

“We were confident going to Doncaster first time out and he improved again going into the National Stakes. It obviously looked a very hot race on paper and, if I’m honest I didn’t expect him to do it the way he did, but it didn’t surprise me he won.

“He has a great attitude; he’s always had that great walk to him, as Havana Grey himself had.

“This colt has more scope than his sire and is a bigger model. He does his work, walks home, eats, sleeps, and that’s all you want in a racehorse.”

Burke saddled juveniles Dramatised and Holloway Boy to win at Royal Ascot last year and looks set to send another strong squad of two-year-olds on the journey south.

None have made a bigger impression than Elite Status, though, who appears the stable’s biggest hope.

“I want to get him there in the best shape I can. If I do, I think he’s the one they’ve got to beat,” Burke added.

“You need everything to go right on the day. I’m confident he’ll stay six furlongs and the way progeny of Havana Grey are training on from two to three-year-olds, I see him getting further as well.

“I see him as a six-furlong horse this year and who knows, we may be trying the 2000 Guineas next year with a bit of luck.”

The Heineken Champions Cup will return to a multi-pool format next season.

Tournament organisers have scrapped a two groups of 12 system, with the 24 qualifiers now featuring in four pools, each containing six teams.

There will be a maximum of two clubs from the same league – Gallagher Premiership, United Rugby Championship and French Top 14 – in each pool.

And there are no matches between clubs from the same league. Each team will play four games against four different clubs who are not from the same league, either home or away, during the pool stage.

The leading four clubs in each pool will qualify for the round of 16, and each fifth-placed team progress to the European Challenge Cup knockout phase.

The Challenge Cup will comprise 18 teams in three pools of six, with games in both tournaments being played over eight weekends and culminating in finals at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next May.

European Professional Club Rugby chairman Dominic McKay said: “Our focus has always been to ensure that everyone can easily understand, engage with and follow our tournaments, and also to ensure we have a structure that creates real sporting jeopardy in as many matches as possible.

“We will continue to work with our stakeholders to look at ways in which we can improve both tournaments, an objective which is at the heart of our strategy and commitment to fans, clubs and partners.

“Our competitions truly are the pinnacle of professional club rugby, and we have to ensure that they continue to engage and to enthral existing and new audiences along the way.”

The pool draws will take place in London on June 21, with the opening round of games taking place in December.

Champions Cup qualifiers: Saracens, Sale Sharks, Leicester, Northampton, Harlequins, Exeter, Bath, Bristol, Munster, DHL Stormers, Leinster, Ulster, Glasgow, Vodacom Bulls, Connacht, Cardiff, La Rochelle, Toulouse, Racing 92, Bordeaux-Begles, Lyon, Stade Francais, Toulon, Bayonne.

Challenge Cup qualifiers: Gloucester, Newcastle, Cell C Sharks, Emirates Lions, Benetton, Edinburgh, Ospreys, Scarlets, Dragons, Zebre Parma, Castres, Clermont Auvergne, Montpellier, Pau, Perpignan, Oyonnax, plus two invited teams.

The merger of the PGA Tour with Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf will help preserve the Ryder Cup.

That is the view of Andrew 'Beef' Johnston, who was speaking to Stats Perform on behalf of the Beef's Golf Club podcast.

It was announced last week that the PGA Tour and DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour) had merged with LIV Tour's backers – Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).

While the merger has left high-profile players like Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm in difficult positions, Johnston does believe the move will help save golf's flagship team competition.

Players who had left for LIV Golf were set to be barred from competing in the Ryder Cup, which takes place in Rome in September and early October.

"Yeah 100 per cent [it's saved the Ryder Cup]," he said. 

"You want to see the best players go head to head, 100 per cent. The best players of their time you want to see playing, that's what makes great Ryder Cups, when you've got the best players and if you're missing certain players, I don't think it's ideal.

"On the flip side, there's always going to be players coming up, the new generation and there are great players no matter what happens.

"So, I always thought the Ryder Cup would be in safe hands, but it's better that everyone can play."

As for welcoming LIV rebels back onto the PGA and DP World Tours, Johnston has few issues.

"Yeah, I have never been fussed at all," he added.

"I know there's been some players unhappy about them going, a few have been a bit awkward about it. I'm not too sure exactly who it was or why it was or whatever reason. But I still keep in touch with a couple of them.

"You've got to do what you've got to do. You're not doing anything terrible. The whole moral situation I found quite interesting from the start and the PGA Tour and DP Tour were saying it's morally wrong to go. But we already played in Saudi a few years ago. So, I found that a bit funny.

"We're self-employed. If you get that opportunity, go, and take it. What I didn't quite understand were some of the guys trying to come back and play on the DP Tour.

"If they've signed the full contract to go and play on LIV, my perspective would have been: 'Alright, I'm gonna move over to LIV Golf, sign on for a lot of money. I'm going to go and play the 16 events, enjoy my time off with family or whatever I want to do'.

"I'd personally go and BBQ a lot and hang out with my mates. But that's their choice again and everyone's got their choice. I don't think we should be saying: 'Oh, you can't come back. You can't come and do this'. I'm not really fussed [about them doing that]."

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Australian raiders Coolangatta and Cannonball warmed up for Tuesday’s King’s Stand Stakes with separate workouts on Ascot’s straight track on Wednesday morning.

Coolangatta will be looking to enhance the formidable record of Lightning Stakes winners at Royal Ascot, with Choisir, Takeover Target, Miss Andretti, Scenic Blast, Black Caviar and Nature Strip all winning the five-furlong highlight prior to the the summer showpiece meeting.

With co-trainer Ciaron Maher in attendance, Coolangatta and big-race jockey James McDonald worked over just shy of five furlongs and the duo were comfortably clear of lead horse So Chic at the finish.

Maher said: “The idea was to bring Coolangatta here and have a look at the whole surrounds. We did a bit of paddock schooling and then had a nice look at the track.

“She stretched nicely to the line and James said she took quite a while to pull up. He was beaming about the work and it was everything I wanted to see.

“She has really thrived since being here – she is in the very quiet surrounds of Lambourn – and she was in need of a nice hit out to keep a lid on her.”

Coolangatta’s compatriot Cannonball, who represents the training partnership of Peter and Paul Snowden, was last seen finishing third in the Group One Galaxy Handicap at Rosehill in March.

The Capitalist colt also enjoyed an Ascot blowout over just short of five furlongs, after which Peter Snowden expressed his satisfaction.

“Cannonball did a routine piece of work. He is quite a gross colt and he needed that,” he said.

“He arrived here on Friday and had a few easy days, which he had taken the benefit of. The gallop today will bring him back up to the mark somewhat. He will do a bit more on Saturday morning and then he will be ready to go.

“My expectations are always exceeded. He is an inexperienced horse but, in his two starts for me, he has shown that he is well above average.

“He won the Maurice McCarten in a very fast time and backed up a week later in a Group One, when he probably could have won. He is climbing up the ladder pretty quickly.”