The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is hoping for a record attendance when the 2020 Premier 15s final takes place at Premiership ground Kingsholm.

Northampton Saints' stadium Franklin's Gardens hosted the 2019 final as Saracens retained the title by beating Harlequins in front of 2,590 fans.

Sarries currently top the table after a comeback victory against second-placed Quins on Saturday.

The top four teams compete in semi-finals before the final on 31 May.

"The standard and popularity of the Tyrrells Premier 15s continues to grow and we're delighted to take the final to Gloucester, a real rugby hotbed," RFU head of women's performance Nicky Ponsford said.

"Kingsholm is an excellent venue which was used for the Rugby World Cup in 2015 and we know it'll be a great occasion."

DARLINGTON, S.C. – In year six of its award-winning throwback weekend, Darlington Raceway will celebrate NASCAR’s champions – past, present and future – during its throwback campaign.

The Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR will be celebrated during the track’s 71st running of the Southern 500 for the NASCAR Cup Series, Labor Day weekend, Sept. 4-6.

Darlington Raceway will honor all the past champions of the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series during the weekend, which will coincide with the start of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs on Sept. 6 and herald the future crowning of another champion at ISM Raceway in November.

“Celebrating our NASCAR champions – past, present and future – during our 2020 throwback weekend is a great tie-in for Darlington hosting the opening round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs,” Darlington Raceway President Kerry Tharp said. “There is so much history and correlation between NASCAR champions and Darlington race winners that this throwback theme makes our 2020 event that much more special for our fans, teams, partners and stakeholders.”

There are 33 different NASCAR Cup Series champions that have combined to win 71 total championships since 1949.

Drivers with multiple championships include Richard Petty (7 ), Dale Earnhardt (7), Jimmie Johnson (7), Jeff Gordon (4), Lee Petty (3), David Pearson (3), Cale Yarborough (3), Darrell Waltrip (3), Tony Stewart (3), Herb Thomas (2), Tim Flock (2), Buck Baker (2), Joe Weatherly (2), Ned Jarrett (2), Terry Labonte (2) and Kyle Busch (2).

Seventeen drivers have one Cup Series championship each.

Additionally, there were 19 years in which the NASCAR Cup Series champion won one or more Darlington races in the same year.

In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, 29 different drivers have won the series’ championship since 1982.

Drivers with multiple championships include Jack Ingram (2), Sam Ard (2), Larry Pearson (2), Randy LaJoie (2), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2), Kevin Harvick (2), Martin Truex Jr. (2), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2) and Tyler Reddick (2).

Twenty drivers have one Xfinity Series championship each.

Hank Haney filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against the PGA Tour Wednesday claiming that the circuit “improperly intimidated, enticed and threatened Sirius XM Radio” to have the radio host fired.

The lawsuit claims that Haney was terminated because the Tour wanted to “settle an old score relating to professional golfer Tiger Woods.” Haney’s dismissal stemmed from a comment he made during his show in May regarding the possible winner of the U.S. Women’s Open.

Asked by co-host Steve Johnson who he thought would win the event Haney said, “a Korean,” before adding, “I couldn’t name you six players on the LPGA Tour. Maybe I could. Well . . . I’d go with Lee. If I didn’t have to name a first name, I’d get a bunch of them right.”

The Tour’s policy is to not comment on ongoing litigation.

Haney apologized for the comment and was initially suspended by Sirius XM Radio before ultimately being fired, which he claims “cost [Haney] advertising revenues that would have amounted to millions of dollars over the life of the agreement.”

According to the lawsuit, the Tour had “long attempted to disrupt and interfere in Haney’s business” following the release of his book, “The Big Miss,” in 2012 that chronicled his years as Woods’ swing coach.

Arsenal star Mesut Ozil is to be deleted from a popular computer game in China following his criticism of the country's treatment of their Uighur Muslim population.

NetEase publishes the Chinese version of the Pro Evolution Soccer franchise and released a statement on social media explaining the omission from three versions of the 2020 game, which include mobile and online versions.

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"The German player Ozil posted an extreme statement about China on social media," NetEase said on Chinese social media site Weibo. "The speech hurt the feelings of Chinese fans and violated the sports spirit of love and peace. We do not understand, accept or forgive this!"

On Friday, Ozil criticised what he described as Chinese persecution towards the Uighurs and lamented the silence of his fellow Muslims.

"[In China] Qurans are burned, mosques were closed down, Islamic theological schools, madrasas were banned, religious scholars were killed one by one. Despite all this, Muslims stay quiet," Ozil wrote to his 24.4 million followers on Twitter.

According to a United Nations report in 2018, there are over one million Uighurs detained in internment camps in the Xinjiang region.

The remarks caused outrage in China and state television pulled a planned live broadcast of Arsenal's Premier League game against Manchester City on Sunday.

A source at Chinese Central Television told ESPN that there is little prospect of Arsenal's games being shown in the country for the foreseeable future if Ozil remains at the club.

Geng Shuang, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Monday that Ozil was the victim of misinformation. Ozil must have been blinded by some fake news and untrue comments, Geng said at a Beijing news conference before inviting Ozil to the region.

"We welcome Ozil to travel around Xinjiang and have a look. As long as he has a conscience, knows right from wrong and upholds the principle of objectivity and justice, he will find a Xinjiang that's different from what he thought," Geng said.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans placed kicker Ryan Succop on injured reserve on Wednesday and signed his replacement, Greg Joseph, from the Carolina Panthers' practice squad.

Succop started training camp on IR due to a knee injury. He was activated in Week 9 against the Panthers and but was unable to convert any of his three field goal attempts in that game and has made just 17% of his attempts (1-for-6) since his return, far below his 82% career average.

Although it was clear that Succop wasn't fully healthy, he refused to use injuries as an excuse.

"I am out here battling," Succop said Sunday after the Titans' 24-21 loss, in which Houston blocked his 45-yard field goal attempt. "I am doing everything that I can. Unfortunately, it just hasn't been as good as it needs to, obviously."

The Titans have a 44.4% field goal percentage this season, which is 22.3 percentage points worse than the next-worst team, the Jets. Joseph joins Succop, Cairo Santos and Cody Parkey as Titans kickers this season. Tennessee also released kickoff specialist Ryan Santoso on Tuesday.

Joseph was good on 85% (17-of-20) of his field goal attempts with the Cleveland Browns last season. He also had 47 touchbacks.

Three-time All-Star outfielder Matt Kemp has agreed to terms on a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins and is expected to take part in spring training, according to multiple reports.

USA Today first reported that Kemp and the Marlins had reached an agreement.

Kemp batted .200 in 20 games for the Cincinnati Reds last year before breaking a rib on April 21. He then spent time in the Mets' minor league system.

Kemp, 35, is a career .285 hitter with 281 home runs in 14 seasons for four teams. He was runner-up for the NL MVP in 2011 and is a two-time Gold Glove winner.

He'll join an unsettled outfield as the Marlins continue to rebuild and audition prospects next spring under owner Derek Jeter.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

NEW YORK -- Gerrit Cole brought along a sign for the news conference to announce his signing with the New York Yankees: a crinkled board that read "Yankee Fan Today Tomorrow Forever."

Then 11, Cole was caught on camera holding up that message in the seats at Game 6 of the 2001 World Series in Phoenix. The lettering of the tape he used has faded from blue to tan in the years since.

He spurned the Yankees when they drafted him 28th overall in 2008, choosing to enroll at UCLA. He signed with Pittsburgh three years later after he was selected first overall. Now as a free agent, he finally was fitted for pinstripes. Financial terms were not disclosed when the Yankees announced the nine-year contract with a player opt-out after the 2024 season, but ESPN's Jeff Passan has reported the value of the deal is $324 million, a record amount for a pitcher in both its total and its average annual value of $36 million.

"It was my dream. I had a second opportunity to chase it," he said.

Cole put on a No. 45 jersey, the number that had belonged to first baseman Luke Voit.

Voit said in a tweet that he will be wearing No. 59 in honor of his brother, who wore the number while playing football at West Point.

I'm going to wear #59 to honor my brother! It was his college football number at West Point while he was the captain of the football team!

— Luke Voit (@LLVIII40) December 18, 2019

The 29-year-old Cole's beard was newly shorn to comply with Yankees team rules.

"He cleans up nice, doesn't he?" Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

The right-hander had been known for a scruffy look.

"I've experienced razor burn now for the first time," he said.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he was "blown away" by "his passion for what he does, his ability to articulate that passion."

Cole was 20-5 with an AL-leading 2.50 ERA and a major league-leading 326 strikeouts for Houston last season.

His wife, Amy, the sister of San Francisco shortstop Brandon Crawford, watched the news conference from the dais.

New York forfeited its second- and fifth-highest draft picks, roughly No. 62 and No. 164 overall overall. Houston gets an extra pick as compensation, approximately No. 74.

To clear a roster spot, the Yankees designated right-hander Chance Adams for assignment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Wasps centre Michael Le Bourgeois has signed a new undisclosed-length contract with the Premiership side.

The 29-year-old - who can also play at fly-half or full-back - has played 24 times since joining in May 2018.

Le Bourgeois began his career with local club Jersey and captained Bedford before moving to the top flight.

"Moving to Wasps was a big step for me in my career to test myself at the top level and it's a move that's reaped the rewards," he told the club website.

Wasps director of rugby Dai Young said: "He's given us plenty of go-forward in attack while he's shown his strong capabilities in defence and we're looking forward to seeing more of that quality over the coming seasons."

MARTINSVILLE, Va. – The date for the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway is now back in late September.

The 2020 edition of the biggest, richest and most prestigious NASCAR late model stock car race in the country will be held under the lights on Saturday, Sept. 26.

“We look forward to having the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 back on our schedule for late September,” Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell said. “The Whelen All-American Series race season will be completed for all the NASCAR-sanctioned tracks by that time and it makes sense to hold the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at that time for our competitors and fans.”

The race will also serve as the final race for the annual Virginia Triple Crown.

The Virginia Triple Crown is given to the top-three drivers who have the lowest average finish after special events competed for the late models at Martinsville Speedway, South Boston Speedway and Langley Speedway.

Earlier this month, JR Motorsports driver Josh Berry collected the biggest payout in the history of the event after he collected $44,000 and took home the grandfather clock trophy for winning this year’s ValleyStar Credit Union 300.

Meanwhile, Lee Pulliam took home top honors in the Virginia Triple Crown.