Former LIV Golf CEO and commissioner Greg Norman, who was replaced by sports and entertainment executive Scott O'Neil this season, remains on the league's board of directors, O'Neil told reporters in Australia on Wednesday.

Norman, a two-time Open Championship winner, helped get the Saudi Arabian-financed circuit off the ground by recruiting several PGA Tour players to join the league the past few years.

"Greg is an icon. He is a friend," O'Neil said during a news conference in Adelaide, Australia, where the second LIV Golf tournament of the season tees off Friday at The Grange Golf Club. "He is the reason I'm here today."

O'Neil, a past CEO of the parent company of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and NHL's New Jersey Devils, president of Madison Square Garden, and CEO of amusement and resort company Merlin Entertainment Group, said Norman attended a LIV Golf board meeting last week.

"I spent quite a bit of time with him in my 30-day lead-up to this role and every day since engaging, asking questions and learning, and I hope that he is part of LIV forever," O'Neil said.

"He sits on the board, which is another wonderful testament that we can tap into his experience, his leadership, his friendship, and any challenges, too, at the board meeting. I was hoping for a friendly on the other side of the table, but he mixes it up pretty good. It's quite a gift to have him as part of LIV."

O'Neil, who has had the lead role at LIV Golf for the past 40 days, said he hopes a potential deal between Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and the PGA Tour will open doors for his tour, which is in its fourth season. The proposed deal would include a $1.5 billion investment by the PIF into PGA Tour Enterprises, the U.S.-based tour's for-profit entity.

"For us at LIV, we are hoping that that unlocks opportunity," O'Neil said. "That may unlock opportunity with markets, with courses, with marketing partners, with television networks, with growing the game, with competition opportunities, with new formats.

"So, I'm excited about the agreement. I think that right now we are going to the moon and back, and I hope that'll help as an accelerant, but I'm very confident in where we are in this business and the interest we have currently."

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and player director Adam Scott met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Feb. 4. Player director Tiger Woods and his son, Charlie, played golf with the President at Trump International Golf Club in Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday, according to a White House pool report.

The U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust division is reviewing the potential PIF Investment, and Monahan, Woods and Scott indicated in a statement last week that the tour asked Trump to get involved in the process.

"We know golf fans are eagerly anticipating a resolution to negotiations with the Public Investment Fund and want to thank President Trump for his interest and long-time support of the game of golf," the statement said. "We asked the President to get involved for the good of the game, the good of the country, and for all the countries involved. We are grateful that his leadership has brought us closer to a final deal, paving the way for reunification of men's professional golf."

O'Neil has already helped secure major achievements for LIV Golf, including a new TV deal with Fox Sports in the U.S. and an over-the-air broadcast agreement in the United Kingdom. The R&A and United States Golf Association also recently announced new pathways for LIV Golf players to qualify for The Open and U.S. Open, respectively.

"This is the first step of many I think we're looking to take," LIV Golf captain Brooks Koepka said. "The opportunity is there. I think the organizations around the world, the R&A, the USGA, they're looking at LIV Golf as part of the golf ecosystem now. With that is a huge, huge step forward for us."

Coming off a Super Bowl performance where he was a nonfactor and his team was dominated by the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said he will take some time before making a decision on whether he will return for a 13th NFL season.

"I know everybody wants to know whether I'm playing next year, and right now, I'm just kicking everything down the road. I'm kicking every can I can down the road. I'm not making any crazy decisions," Kelce said on the "New Heights" podcast.

In the week leading up to the Super Bowl, Kelce said multiple times that he planned to play in 2025, but he struck a different tone talking with his brother Jason Kelce in the podcast that was released Wednesday.

"I've been fortunate over the past five, six years -- I've played more football than anybody," Travis Kelce said. "It's because of the people that are in that building. The fact that we keep going to these AFC championships and these Super Bowls, that means I'm playing an extra three games more than everybody else in the entire league. That's a lot of wear and tear on your body, and it's a lot of time spent in the building, focusing on your craft, focusing on the task at hand and every challenge that you set up for yourself.

"As you see yourself or not feel yourself have the success you once had, it's a tough pill to swallow. For that not to be there in the biggest moments, knowing your team's counting on you, those are all extremely hard things. ... It's just a tough reality."

Travis Kelce

"That process can be grueling. It can weigh on you. It can make you better. It can drive you crazy at the same time. And right now, it's one of those things where it was driving me crazy this year. It happens as you kind of tail off towards the back nine of your career, as SVP [Scott Van Pelt] would say."

Kelce, 35, was held to four catches for 39 yards in the Chiefs' 40-22 loss to the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX that denied Kansas City a chance at a three-peat. That ended a season in which he posted career lows (not counting his rookie season when he appeared in one game) in receiving yards (823) and touchdowns (3). He did lead the Chiefs in receptions, however, with 97.

While he had a breakout game in a divisional round playoff win over the Houston Texans with seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown, he was quiet in the AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills with two catches for 19 yards.

"As you see yourself or not feel yourself have the success you once had, it's a tough pill to swallow," Kelce said. "For that not to be there in the biggest moments, knowing your team's counting on you, those are all extremely hard things. ... It's just a tough reality."

Kelce, a four-time All-Pro, said he needs to be all-in if he decides to play next season.

"I think I owe it to my teammates that, if I do come back, it's going to be something that it's a whole-hearted decision. Not half-assing it," he said. "I'm fully here for them, and I think I could play. It's just whether or not I'm motivated or it's the best decision for me as a man, as a human and as a person to take on all of that responsibility."

Before Super Bowl LIX, Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said he thought Kelce would play next season but that the team would give him the time he needs to make a decision.

"I personally think he'll be back because he loves the game so much, but we're going to let him take the time he needs to make that decision and certainly hope he wants to come back," Hunt said.

ESPN's Adam Teicher contributed to this report.

The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, so the NFL hype train is now in the midst of a 13-day break before jumping back into the spotlight with the NFL combine.

By Feb. 23, league and team officials will begin descending on Indianapolis for a week of scouting and interviewing draft-eligible players. That will kick off a blitz of news -- from franchise tags to free agency to the NFL draft -- that will take us right into spring practices and other organized team activities (OTAs).

With the offseason now under way, let's set the table by looking at the biggest storylines across the NFL.

Who will sign free agent quarterback Sam Darnold? Will the Cincinnati Bengals hold on to a core group of players, including receivers Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase? Will Cleveland Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett be traded? Who will be the top player of the 2025 NFL draft? And what about league questions, such as an 18-game season, a flag football league and using technology to assist referees?

Here's a look at what we know:

Which quarterbacks will be on the move?

At least six teams have unsettled quarterback dynamics for the 2025 season: the Browns, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants. Three others -- the Minnesota Vikings (Darnold), New Orleans Saints (Derek Carr) and Los Angeles Rams (Matthew Stafford) -- will spend the next few weeks determining whether their incumbents will return.

In some years, many of those teams could address their needs in the draft. In 2024, for example, six of the first 12 picks were quarterbacks. But the 2025 draft class is much thinner at the position, putting more value on the list of veterans expected to be available in free agency.

In other words, many around the league are expecting there to be a few empty chairs when the music stops playing.

Where will Stafford and Darnold be in 2025?

Stafford and Darnold should be the first free agent dominoes to fall.

Stafford, 37, is signed through 2026 but has no guaranteed money left on his contract. Assuming he decides to play next season, the Rams could adjust his contract, trade him or release him.

Darnold, a pending unrestricted free agent, is a natural fit to replace Stafford in Los Angeles after spending 2024 in Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell's offense, which is derived from Rams coach Sean McVay's scheme. The Raiders could also emerge as a Darnold suitor, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. That's assuming the Vikings decide not to bring back Darnold, as they have 2024 No. 10 draft pick J.J. McCarthy waiting in the wings. They could sign Darnold to a multiyear contract or use the franchise tag.

Other available passers could include Aaron Rodgers (Jets), Russell Wilson (Steelers), Justin Fields (Steelers) and Jameis Winston (Browns).

Are there any QB solutions via the 2025 NFL draft?

In his latest rankings, ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller assessed that two quarterbacks -- Miami's Cam Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders -- are of first-round value. It's not out of the question that Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart could sneak into the first round, but that would still leave short supply relative to demand.

It's not impossible to find a long-term starter after the first round, but history shows it's difficult. Of the 23 seemingly settled starting quarterbacks for 2025, 19 were drafted in the first round; two were drafted after the second: the Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott (Round 4) and San Francisco 49ers' Brock Purdy (Round 7).

Extensions for Bengals' Chase, Higgins, Hendrickson?

Cincinnati faces arguably the most significant set of high-profile decisions anywhere in the league. Receiver Tee Higgins played 2024 on the franchise tag and is currently ESPN Matt Bowen's top pending free agent. The Bengals could let him reach free agency, re-sign him or use a second tag worth about $26 million.

Fellow receiver Ja'Marr Chase has one year left on his contract, raising the urgency to sign him to a long-term deal, and pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, who led the NFL with 17.5 sacks, is seeking a contract extension or trade. At least part of the free agent market hinges on the availability of Higgins and/or Hendrickson.

Who are the top NFL free agents?

As always, any current list of pending free agents must be viewed with the context of future decisions on the franchise tag and long-term deals. At the moment, Bowen ranks Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith as the second-best free agent available. Would the Chiefs really allow a 26-year-old, 321-pound guard to leave?

The rest of the top 10 includes two cornerbacks (Jets' D.J. Reed, 49ers' Charvarius Ward), three defensive line/edge players (Los Angeles Chargers' Khalil Mack, Philadelphia Eagles' Josh Sweat, Cowboys' Osa Odighizuwa), Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley, Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Chris Godwin, Higgins and Darnold.

A lackluster 2025 draft class?

The lack of elite quarterback prospects will grab headlines, but early evaluations of the draft class as a whole have generated similar lackluster assessments.

The best overall prospect, according to ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., is Colorado's Travis Hunter -- and it's not yet clear whether Hunter will play receiver or cornerback in the NFL. Otherwise, there is a notable lack of impact players at premium positions, including offensive tackle and quarterback.

Some teams anticipate giving first-round grades to roughly half the number of players they historically have assigned them to, according to ESPN's Matt Miller. With that said, Miller spoke with scouts who believe running back and edge rusher are relatively deep groups. The top running back is Boise State's Ashton Jeanty. Kiper has five edge players in his top 25 prospects: Penn State's Abdul Carter, Georgia's Jalon Walker, Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart, Georgia's Mykel Williams and Marshall's Mike Green.

Who might be traded during the offseason?

For all the excitement NFL trade talks bring, they are often anticlimactic. When it's known a player is available, teams often decline to make an offer and the player ends up being released, leaving him a free agent and the original team without compensation. That could be the case for some players reported to be on the trade market this spring, including Rams receiver Cooper Kupp and 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel Sr.

But there are two elite pass rushers to keep an eye on: the Browns' Myles Garrett and Cowboys' Micah Parsons.

Garrett has already requested a trade, which probably would prompt a new contract, and there are rumors of Parsons' potential availability because he is set to enter the final year of his rookie contract. But Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in December that trading Parsons has "never been uttered in this organization." With that said, Garrett and Parsons are both franchise-changing talents that most teams in the league would at least consider acquiring.

Will Brock Purdy get his big payday from the 49ers?

For three years, Purdy has been arguably the best value in the NFL. He has started 36 games for the 49ers on a contract based on being "Mr. Irrelevant," the last player selected in the 2022 draft. As a result, Purdy's earnings have been limited to $2.9 million, even though he has led the 49ers to a 23-13 record as a starter. During that period, he has ranked No. 4 in the NFL in QBR (70.1).

He is eligible for a contract extension, and while 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan has said repeatedly he wants to build the team around Purdy, the real question is the terms of a new deal. Are the 49ers prepared to give him a market-level deal that would exceed $50 million annually? Or do they need to conserve salary cap space to maintain a strong team around him?

Will the NFL expand replay assist?

The NFL has never appeared interested in adding a "sky judge," in essence an eighth official who would sit in an elevated suite with the full authority of an on-field official. Instead, it has slowly added responsibilities to the existing replay official, typically seated in or near the press box. The replay official can use broadcast replays to assist the on-field referee on a specified suite of calls in real time.

This system works more quickly than formal challenges and will continue to be used to solve officiating concerns. Commissioner Roger Goodell and Walt Anderson, the NFL's officiating rules analyst, have strongly suggested the league will add facemask penalties and perhaps others to the replay assist program after a number of missed calls in 2024 that happened when referees were blocked from view.

What's next for the NFL kickoff rules?

The new kickoff rules for 2024 accomplished the NFL's baseline goals by boosting the return rate from 21.8% in 2023 to 32.8% and, according to the league, reducing the concussion rate by 43%. But that return rate was still the NFL's second lowest since at least 2000 and a long way from the 80% rate of 2010. They also haven't resurrected the onside kick. The recovery rate was 6% in 2024, 4.9% in 2023 and 5.4% in 2022.

This spring, owners must decide whether to make the new kickoff rules permanent, as they were approved only for the 2024 season, then determine whether to make any adjustments that could result in more returns in 2025. Those possibilities include moving touchbacks from the 30 to the 35-yard line, moving the kicking spot from the 35 to the 30, and developing an onside kick alternative. But owners are aware that concussion totals will rise in proportion to a higher return rate.

Will the NFL use more technology to help referees?

During the 2024 preseason, the NFL tested Hawk-Eye technology to measure first downs. That system uses dedicated cameras to locate the ball after it is placed by an official. The league decided it wasn't ready for implementation for the regular season, pushing a decision off to 2025.

If the league decides to use it, the technology would replace the traditional chain gang but wouldn't add any additional accuracy. Officials would still be responsible for determining where the ball is spotted, based on where the ball carrier is ruled down or has his forward progress stopped.

The primary benefit would be faster measurements, when requested, as the UFL demonstrated last spring. Using technology to spot the ball does not appear imminent.

What is the timetable for an 18-game season?

Goodell has begun speaking in more certain terms about the inevitability of an 18-game regular season, although as a matter of collective bargaining, it would need approval from the NFL Players Association. Under the likely plan, the preseason would be reduced from three to two games. Over the next few months, league officials will try to get a better handle on a potential timetable.

NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. said on Feb. 5 that "no one" in the union wants to play 18 games, but that's not the same as saying they won't. Negotiations could prompt related discussions, such as increasing roster size and adding a second bye week.

"We know that fans love football," Goodell said. "They want more football, but we have to be incredibly sensitive and smart about the balance and how we deal with that."

Will the NFL establish a flag football league?

After years of promoting flag football as a league-adjacent pursuit, and starting a campaign to make it a girls' varsity sport in all 50 states, the NFL appears ready to get into the business of flag football ahead of its 2028 Olympic debut.

Goodell said on Feb. 3 the league has been working through details of a pro league for both men and women that would supercharge the league's involvement in what it believes is a domestic growth area and a pathway to international connections. The league estimates that 20 million people play flag football in 100 countries.

It's no secret the NFL wants to increase its worldwide scope as it expands to eight international games in 2025 and works toward what Goodell said would eventually be 16.

How will the league address safety rules?

NFL officials did not throw a single flag during the 2024 season for violations of the league's new prohibition on hip-drop tackles, which its research has shown can lead to knee and ankle injuries. Instead, the league fined or sent warning letters to roughly 30 players after postgame video reviews.

Officials initially found the foul difficult to see in real time, prompting the lack of flags, and now the NFL must decide whether it will be enforceable on the field or if it will follow other safety rules that are punished with postgame fines rather than flags.

Meanwhile, NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent has indicated a desire to ban all low blocks and eliminate the current exceptions that allow them in certain situations.

Kevin Durant became the eighth player in NBA history to score 30,000 points, hitting the mark with a free throw late in the third quarter of a 119-112 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night.

The 36-year-old Phoenix Suns forward, who recently was selected to his 15th All-Star team, joins LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki and Wilt Chamberlain in the 30,000-point club. Julius Erving also hit the mark when combining his points scored in the NBA and ABA.

"A true honor to be in the same category as those players who helped shaped the game and push the game forward," Durant said after the loss. "That's always been my goal, to get the most out of myself every day and the most out of my career."

Durant is a four-time NBA scoring champion and remains one of the league's elite shotmakers in his 17th NBA season. He is averaging 27.1 points per game while shooting 52.8%. He scored 17,566 points over his first nine seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, who were the Seattle SuperSonics during his first season in 2007-08. He has also played for the Golden State Warriors (5,374 points) and Brooklyn Nets (3,744) in addition to the Suns (3,324).

"He's probably one of the most incredible shotmakers I've ever been around," Suns coach Mike Budenholzer said. "And I've gone against him a lot of nights too. So it's nice to be on his side. The way he can rise up and shoot over people -- his height, his ball handling. If he's not the most incredible shotmaker, I'm not sure who is."

Memphis guard Ja Morant, in his postgame, on-court interview on TNT, concurred with Budenholzer, adding that "he's one of the greats. Everybody don't get 30K in this league. So hats off to him. And I hope he keeps going. We want to see him out here."

Durant, in his postgame media availability, was told that Nowitzki and Hakeem Olajuwon lauded his accomplishment, and he was more than appreciative.

"Especially those two," Durant said. "I mean, I stole so much from Dirk and Hakeem that it's criminal. I've just always been inspired by the greats, always wanted to reach their level. This is an exciting time to be an NBA player. But I've always been inspired by those guys. And to be in their company is just surreal."

The feat comes less than a week after an eventful trade deadline full of speculation that the Suns were open to dealing the superstar.

"It's just part of the business," Durant told reporters at practice Monday. "Everybody's bought and sold in this league. Anybody can be up for auction, so I understand that. It's just about getting back on the court and trying to go out and play the game that I love. It's part of the business, though. We've all got to understand that."

The Suns ended up having a relatively quiet trade deadline, dealing disgruntled center Jusuf Nurkic to the Charlotte Hornets but keeping the rest of their core intact. The team's big three of Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal is still together as the Suns (26-27) try to gain ground in the standings.

Durant finished with 34 points on 12-of-18 shooting in Tuesday's loss.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Newly acquired Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Spencer Horwitz is expected to miss most of spring training after undergoing surgery on his right wrist.

Horwitz, acquired in a trade with Cleveland in December, will be out at least six to eight weeks, though Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Tuesday the team is not putting an exact timetable on a possible return.

Horwitz, 27, hit .265 with 12 home runs and 40 RBIs in 97 games with Toronto last season. The Blue Jays shipped him to Cleveland in December and hours later the Guardians sent him to Pittsburgh in exchange for pitcher Luis Ortiz and two prospects.

Horwitz had been dealing with what the Pirates called a chronic wrist problem. Cherington said the team was aware of the issue at the time of the trade but Horwitz began to experience new symptoms in late January, which led to the decision to have surgery.

The Pirates have multiple internal options to fill first base while Horwitz rehabs, including utility infielder Jared Triolo and Darick Hall, who split time between first base and designated hitter with the Phillies in 2022 and 2023. Hall hit 16 home runs in Triple-A last season.

While outfielder Bryan Reynolds took ground balls at first base during practice late in the 2024 season, Cherington said the team is focused on keeping Reynolds in the outfield. Endy Rodriguez, who hasn't played in the majors since undergoing elbow surgery in the fall of 2023, is expected to remain at catcher for now.

Stefano Vukov, the former coach of world number five Elena Rybakina, will remain banned from the WTA Tour following an independent investigation into his behaviour towards the player.

It was announced in January that the Croat had been provisionally suspended after allegedly breaching the WTA's Code of Conduct.

On Tuesday, the WTA - the governing body of women's tennis - confirmed Vukov's ban had been upheld.

The 37-year-old has denied any wrongdoing and Rybakina has said she was never mistreated by him.

Confirming the conclusion of the investigation to BBC Sport, the WTA added: "Following this process, the suspension remains in place.

"To protect the confidentiality and integrity of the investigation and its findings, the WTA will not provide further details. We remain committed to ensuring that all matters are handled in a fair and objective manner in accordance with the WTA Code of Conduct."

It would not specify how long Vukov will be banned for and it is not known which part of the WTA's code he has broken.

Vukov can appeal against the decision.

The decision means Rybakina will not be able to bring Vukov back on to her team - something she hoped to do at the start of the year.

BBC Sport has approached Vukov for comment.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka and number three Coco Gauff have both been knocked out in the second round of the Qatar Open.

Sabalenka was beaten by Ekaterina Alexandrova at the WTA 1,000 event in Doha, while Gauff lost to Marta Kostyuk.

Russian Alexandrova, who beat Emma Raducanu in the first round, came from a break down twice in the third set and held serve twice against three-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka.

The world number 26 then held her nerve in the third set tie-break to secure a 3-6 6-3 7-6 win.

The 30-year-old, who won a WTA Tour title in Austria last week, will play Belgium's Elise Mertens in the last 16.

Ukrainian Kostyuk, the world number 21, fought back from 3-1 down in the second set to wrap up a 6-2 7-5 victory over Gauff in just 73 minutes.

It is a second successive defeat for Gauff, who received a bye in the first round and was playing for the first time since she lost to Paula Badosa in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open last month.

The 2023 US Open champion was undone by seven double faults and 39 unforced errors while she managed just eight winners.

Gauff had won her last 17 matches against opponents ranked outside the top 20 before facing Kostyuk.

The 22-year-old will now face the winner of an all-Polish tie between Magda Linette and Magdalena Frech.

Elsewhere, former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina claimed a 6-2 6-4 win against American Peyton Stearns, while Jasmine Paolini - last year's Wimbledon and French Open runner-up - defeated Caroline Garcia 6-3 6-4.

Three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur set up a meeting with former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin after beating world number eight Qinwen Zheng of China 6-4 6-2.

It was the Tunisian's first win against a top-10 opponent since last year's Madrid Open after struggling with injury.

Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova fought back from a set down to beat 12th seed Mirra Andreeva 3-6 6-3 7-5, while American sixth seed Jessica Pegula beat Elina Svitolina 6-3, 7-6 (7-3).

Linda Noskova won 6-2 6-3 against Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva to set up a last-16 meeting with three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek.

Having cut his teeth at Gloucester and Cheltenham, Sherratt spent four years at Worcester Warriors academy, before becoming an attack specialist for Bristol, Ospreys and Cardiff before being handed his first head coach role at the Arms Park just 20 months ago.

With his teaching background, Sherratt has gained a reputation as a man-manager, a motivator and a mentor for young players.

Last season alone, the likes of Cam Winnett, Mason Grady, Ellis Bevan, Alex Mann, Corey Domachowski, Keiron Assiratti, Evan Lloyd, Efan Daniel and Mackenzie Martin all graduated under Sherratt at Cardiff to the national team.

"He is very well spoken of, a real people-person and man-manager and we felt, right now, that was a really important criteria and meant he could hit the ground running in the middle of the Six Nations," explained WRU chief executive Abi Tierney.

Gatland has always believed he can bring success when he spends time with players, which World Cup preparation allows.

After naming a 54-man training squad, he had to cope with the international retirements of legends Alun Wyn Jones and Justin Tipuric, while Owens was unavailable because of injury.

Gatland's man-management skills were under scrutiny as prop Rhys Carre was brutally released from the squad for "failing to meet individual performance targets".

Intense training camps in Switzerland and Turkey appeared to have worked as Wales stormed to World Cup pool success, with victories against Fiji, Portugal, Australia and Georgia.

The 40-6 hammering of Eddie Jones' Wallabies side in Lyon proved the undoubted highlight of Gatland's second spell in charge.

Wales suffered quarter-final defeat against Argentina in Marseille. It was a match Gatland felt they should have won, but pride had been restored to Welsh rugby.

Here is when history could have been different. With a new four-year World Cup cycle starting, Gatland and the WRU could have said their farewells after he had completed a short-term job.

WRU executive director of rugby Nigel Walker stated before the tournament in France he was backing Gatland to lead Wales to the 2027 World Cup, labelling him "one of the best coaches in the world".

So Gatland stayed on, but some of his finest players did not. Biggar and Leigh Halfpenny retired from international rugby, Tomas Francis left Wales for a new life in France, Owens hung up his boots and George North quit the Test arena after the 2024 Six Nations.

Gatland was left with an inexperienced squad and had to use young players, a situation that saw Wales slump to a first Six Nations wooden spoon in 21 years.

Gatland says he offered to resign in the changing room following the defeat by Italy in March 2024 which condemned Wales to a clean sweep of Six Nations losses, but the offer was turned down by WRU chief executive Abi Tierney.

He also made headlines again when he stated Welsh rugby sometimes felt like a "sinking ship".