Worcester centre Wynand Olivier, who was part of the South Africa squad that won the World Cup in 2007, will retire at the end of the season.

The 35-year-old has made more than 50 appearances since joining from French Top 14 club Montpellier in 2015, but has not played in the Premiership this term because of a hamstring injury.

He won 38 caps for his country, with the most recent coming in 2014.

"I've been very privileged to play the game I love for so long," said Olivier.

"I've had a long career, made some great memories and it will be undoubtedly be an emotional experience leaving the game but I'm excited about what the future holds outside of rugby."

Worcester director of rugby Alan Solomons added: "Wynand has had a terrific career. He is a superb rugby player, a wonderful bloke and a great team man."

The outgoing boss of English club rugby has urged collaboration and sacrifice as the professional game enters a pivotal stage in its development.

Mark McCafferty will stand down as chief executive of Premiership Rugby at the end of the season after 14 years.

It comes after the clubs sold a share to private equity firm CVC Capital Partners, while the international game is also at a crossroads.

"People have just got to work together," McCafferty told BBC 5 Live.

"It's tough, because it probably takes some give and take. There is too much [thinking] independently - and sometimes we are guilty of that as well.

"But the big secret is trying to bring the right people and trying to make things happen with a longer-term, collaborative perspective on it."

The Premiership clubs agreed a deal with CVC at the end of last year to sell a 27% stake in the business for more than £200m, while talks continue on a global level over the future of the international game.

The Six Nations council announced on Wednesday they would be proceeding with due diligence over the proposed World Rugby Nations Championship, but are also exploring other options - including selling to private equity.

"If I look back at how little progress was made when the RFU and the clubs were going in opposite directions, and how much progress we have started to make now, I think that is true at the world level," McCafferty continued.

"We have to bring people together in a way that they act more collaboratively. There is also the whole issue of player welfare, and I suspect everyone is going to have to play slightly less than they already do if we are going to get that balance right."

'Opportunity for the club game to grow'

After he stands down as PRL chief executive in May, McCafferty will work as an adviser to CVC, and he will also remain part of English rugby's Professional Game Board (PGB).

"It's about [helping CVC understand] the whole rugby landscape and what is happening there," he added.

"It's a fantastic sport and it's rooted in some values that we all cherish but in the professional age they will always come under pressure a bit.

"I know most of the personalities around the global scene and hopefully can help navigate the club game through to the next phase of growth.

"They have made a big investment and given all the experience I have got it worked for both parties to help facilitate [the partnership], because there will inevitably be some big challenges ahead.

"But also there is an opportunity for the club game to grow and thrive which hopefully it has over the past ten or so years."

So after 15 years in professional rugby, Ulster and Ireland captain Rory Best will call time on his career after this year's World Cup.

From Grand Slam glory to Heineken Cup heartache, the 36-year-old has been through the lot as a player.

How much can you remember about his career?

Ireland and Ulster captain Rory Best will retire after this year's World Cup in Japan.

The hooker, 36, made his international debut in 2005 and his tally of 117 caps is the third highest for Ireland.

"It is with mixed feelings that I announce my retirement from Ulster Rugby as of the end of this season," said Best.

"This feels like the right time for me to go out on my terms, a luxury for which I feel very privileged."

The World Cup runs from 20 September until 2 November.

Since succeeding Paul O'Connell as captain in 2013, Best led Ireland to three Six Nations titles, including the Grand Slam in 2018.

A win over New Zealand last November capped a remarkable year for Irish rugby, although Joe Schmidt's side suffered a disappointing 2019 Six Nations and fell to heavy defeats by England and Wales.

Best has featured in three World Cups and twice been selected for the British and Irish Lions, although he did not play a Test.

Ireland, who have never reached the semi-finals of a World Cup, begin their Pool A campaign against Scotland on 22 September.

Best said: "I am very excited for the end of the season with Ulster and for the upcoming World Cup with Ireland - both of which I hope to finish with a massive high, playing at the top of my game."

In March, Best indicated that he would quit international rugby after the World Cup, although there were suggestions that he may continue his club career.

He is currently sidelined with an ankle injury suffered during Ulster's European Champions Cup quarter-final defeat by Leinster on 30 March.

He is unlikely to recover in time for the Pro14 home quarter-final, scheduled for 3/4 May, but is expected to be fit for a potential semi.

CONCORD, N.C. — The Sunoco American Late Model Series will hit a milestone with the upcoming racing season.

The Grayville, Ill., based series will celebrate its 25th anniversary throughout the calendar year beginning on Friday-Saturday, April 26-27. The DIRTcar Late Model cars and stars of the longest running tour in the Great Lakes region of the United States will kick off their season starting at I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Mich., on April 26. Then it’s just more than a 210-mile trip to the famed Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, on April 27.

Casey Noonan comes into the 25th anniversary season as the defending Sunoco American Late Model Series champion. Despite not winning an event in 2018, the 39-year-old did record a pair of fourth-place finishes with those coming at I-96 Speedway and again June 16 at Oakshade Raceway, where he is a former track champion. He also bagged a fifth-place finish on Sept. 1 also at Oakshade and was able to capture his first Sunoco ALMS Championship despite a 15th place finish the next night at Eldora.

Over his Sunoco ALMS career, Noonan has collected seven career series Feature wins with his most recent occurring on May 28, 2017 at Eldora Speedway in the Johnny Appleseed Classic. Ironically his first ever Sunoco ALMS win was also at Eldora back on May 27, 2007. Noonan’s other five checkered flags have all came at his home track of Oakshade.

For the first time in series history, the Sunoco American Late Model Series will kick off their new season in the state of Michigan as I-96 Speedway, located east of Grand Rapids and west of Lansing in Lake Odessa, Mich., starts the 25th anniversary campaign on Friday, April 26. The $2,000 to win season opener will be the first of two races at the fast three-eighths-mile high-banked dirt oval. A milestone will be reached in this event as well as this race will be the 25th all-time for the series at the West Michigan facility.

The series made three appearances during the 2018 racing season as two-time series champion, Brandon Thirlby scored his first victory in Sunoco ALMS competition in three seasons, since 2015, when he grabbed the checkered flag on May 25. Mike Spatola recorded his first triumph in four seasons, since 2014, after winning on June 29 while four-time series champion, Rusty Schlenk went to victory lane on July 27. His win then, was on of two features in 2018 to give him win No. 26 and later No. 27 (at Oakshade Raceway on Sept. 1) over his career in the series, good for fourth all-time and just two back of third, currently held by Matt Miller, who has 29 wins.

Over the years in the previous 24 Sunoco ALMS appearances at I-96, Jeep VanWormer leads the way with four victories while six-time series champion and former track champion, Kris Patterson as well as four-time series champion, Brian Ruhlman both have three wins apiece to sit tied for second all-time. Schlenk and Aaron Scott both have two triumphs to sit tied for fourth all-time.

There have been 15 different winners in the 24 races held at the track.  The first ever Sunoco ALMS race at I-96 was held back on April 27. 1996 in the series’ second season. Frank Seder won what would be his only feature victory in the Sunoco ALMS.

The second and final appearance of the season for the Sunoco ALMS at I-96 will kick off the Labor Day Holiday Weekend of racing on Aug. 30. The event will be the first of three races over the weekend and by the end of it, the Sunoco American Late Model Series champion will be crowned.

The famed half-mile high-banked dirt oval of Eldora Speedway (OH), located just east of the Indiana/Ohio state line in Rossburg, Ohio, will close out opening weekend on Saturday, April 27 as part of the tracks’ 66th season opener. The $5,000 to win Late Model LidLifter will be the first of three appearances and the 95th race all-time for the series at the track that has hosted the tour the most of any other facility in the 25-year history of the Sunoco ALMS.

In three races held during the 2018 racing season, Nick Hoffman won the Late Model LidLifter back on April 28, his second triumph in two seasons in the first late model race of the season at Eldora. Eventual 2018 track champion Devin Gilpin scored his first career series victory when he captured the Johnny Appleseed Classic back on May 27 while National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame legend, Billy Moyer, a six-time World 100 winner, won his second Baltes Classic in a row and fourth in nine classics held, back on Sept. 2.

SOUTH BOSTON, Va – Two weeks after the late model stock dust up at South Boston Speedway, it appears to be business as usual for this Saturday night’s NASCAR Easter Bunny Late Model 100.

All drivers involved in the incident – Lee Pulliam and Philip Morris – are expected to be back on track.

“That’s all in the past. I’ve already won a race since then and I’m looking forward to winning a trophy this Saturday,” said Pulliam, four-time NASCAR Whelen All-American National Champion who captured the $30,000 to-win CARS Tour race April 7 at Orange County Speedway.

“I’m just concerned about racing. That’s the way it is for me every week. If you’re a good race-car driver, that’s what you do.”

Pulliam and five-time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series champion Philip Morris were at the heart of an altercation in the second 75-lap late model race at South Boston on March 30 that resulted in fines and suspensions from NASCAR and was the hot racing topic on social media for several days.

The pair were involved in several bumping incidents with Morris the big loser after contact from Pulliam caused him to spin into the turn-three wall, severely damaging his car. During the ensuing red-flag period, Forrest Reynolds, a Morris crew member, tried to crawl into the passenger window of Pulliam’s car and wound up tumbling to the track when Pulliam pulled away.

Morris was fined by NASCAR for his crew member’s involvement, Pulliam was fined and suspended until April 17 by NASCAR, and Reynolds was barred from the infield of any NASCAR track for the remainder of the year. South Boston Speedway has also banned Reynolds from the track in any capacity indefinitely.

Peyton Sellers, the third national champion in the field, went on to win the race. Sellers took advantage of the break in South Boston’s schedule to also win another big Late Model race, the Visit Hampton Grass Roots 200 at Langley Speedway.

“Last year me and Philip had a couple of wrecks on the track that were hard racing … just chalk it up to hard racing. I know if Philip gets under me and makes contact, it’s racing,” said Sellers, the defending Late Model track champion at South Boston. “Philip made contact with Lee a couple of times and then he just got turned. That crossed a whole different respect level. They have to live with that. I’m not saying Philip is going to retaliate or not, but when Lee sees that 01 (Morris) in the mirror, he has to think about it.”

The Late Model Stock division will highlight a fiver-race schedule Saturday night with a 100-lap event. The Limited Sportsman class will stage twin 25-lap races while the Budweiser Pure Stocks have a 30-lap race and  the Budweiser Hornets have a 15-lap race.

Before the racing action kicks off, there will be an Easter egg hunt at 6:30 p.m. for youngsters 12-and-under.

Gates open at 5:30 p.m. with qualifying scheduled at 6 p.m. The first race will take the green flag at 7 p.m.

LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. – Chris Windom was just shy of 20 months old when Goacher Racing achieved its best finish in USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car competition at Lawrenceburg Speedway.

That August day in 1992 showed some familiar names that are still on the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car radar to this very day, including cars entered by Dynamics Inc., Paul Hazen and driver/owner Bill Rose, just to name a few, along with drivers Jeff Walker, Eric Gordon, Tony Stewart and current USAC Pace Truck driver Ray Kenens.

Kevin Thomas (no relation to Kevin Thomas Jr.) won the first of his seven career USAC National Sprint Car features that night aboard Hazen’s No. 57.  The driver and team who finished second that night both remain not only active, but thriving and primed for victory in the series’ return to Lawrenceburg this Saturday.

That’s Dave Darland and Goacher Racing.

Darland reached victory lane for the first time with USAC nine months later and went on to become the winningest driver in the history of the USAC National Sprint Car division with 62 triumphs and counting.

A month following the Lawrenceburg race, Goacher Racing earned its first USAC victory with Danny Smith driving the No. 5G to the win in the 4-Crown Nationals at Eldora Speedway. Over the years, the Goacher team has made sporadic appearances with USAC, most notably capturing the Little 500 sprint car race in 2015 with Windom.

In 2018, the team returned to the USAC scene, making eight appearances with Shane Cottle as the driver with a top result of sixth at the Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track last Fall.

Coming into this season, Windom, the 2016 USAC Silver Crown champ and 2017 USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car titlist, found himself without a ride after several successful campaigns with the Baldwin Brothers.  Quickly, a deal came together between the Canton, Ill., pilot, Goacher Racing, crew chief Derek Claxton, NOS Energy Drink, Joe Brandon/Parallax Power Supply and Jonathan Byrd’s Racing to compete on the full tour.

Right out of the box, Windom and Goacher posted a victory, winning the season opener in Ocala, Fla., continuing his run of success behind the wheel and providing Goacher Racing with its second USAC win, 27 years after its first.

Goacher’s Lawrenceburg success came on the former quarter-mile track at Lawrenceburg, while the bulk of Windom’s shining moments there have come on the current three-eighths-mile layout. Windom did score a fourth-place finish during his rookie season of 2007 on the former track.

Coming into the most recent Springtime USAC National Sprint Car race held at Lawrenceburg in April 2017, Windom had some voodoo to battle.  In almost a cruel way, he had finished second on five different occasions during his USAC sprint car career at Lawrenceburg.

At the green on that night, Chad Boespflug initially held the advantage into turn one, but Windom answered with a big run down the banking off turn two to blast around the outside of Boespflug and grab the lead. Once clear, Windom shot away to a full-straightaway lead by the time the caution fell for the slowing car of Carson Short on lap nine.

Just past the halfway point, Windom neared the tail end of the field, weaving his way through the lapped traffic as a trail of sparks began to stream out of his orange No. 5. Windom was working both pedals on entry, and if the brakes went out, they went out, which would seem to make it a bit of a hairy situation for many. Windom was on a rail as he negotiated the lappers, clearing them by the 24th lap.

However, with Cottle coming to a rest backwards on the inside of turn four with five laps remaining, the yellow flag would wave and bunch up the field for one final run to the checkered.

As Windom ventured up to the top of turn one on the lap 26 restart, Boespflug made one last go of it as he tried to slide up in front of Windom between turns one and two. The second, third and fourth verses were the same as the first. Windom never batted an eye as he cruised around the outside of Boespflug to take the advantage for good, distancing himself from Boespflug by 1.3 seconds at race end to shed the label of perennial Lawrenceburg bridesmaid.

The only other time Windom’s won this early in the season, before May, it resulted in a USAC National Sprint Car title for him back in 2017. With a win under already under his belt in his initial full season for the Goachers, if the past is any indicator of what lies ahead, this could become a magical season for this combo.

CONWAY, Ark. – Mother Nature has once again wreaked havoc with the COMP Cams Super Dirt Series presented by Lucas Oil schedule.

Friday night’s stop at Old No. 1 Speedway in Harrisburg, Ark., has been postponed due to heavy rain throughout the Mid-South area.

The event will now be contested on Friday, Aug. 2 as part of a doubleheader weekend with the third annual Will McGary Tribute at I-30 Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 3.

The COMP Cams Super Dirt Series contingent will now enter a single event this weekend with a trip to Gary Stolba’s Legit Speedway Park in West Plains, Mo., on Saturday night, April 20 for a $3,000-to-win/ $400-to-start event that is being presented by West Plains Resaw Systems and Missouri Hardwood.

Tony Jackson Jr. and Jack Sullivan split series’ wins at the three-eighths-mile, clay oval in 2018. Hobby Stocks, IMCA Modifieds, Super Stocks, USRA B-Mods, and Bone Stocks will also be in action.

CONCORD, N.C. – When Mike Salinas started competing in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, he did it with the intent of being successful right off the bat.

With a final round in his 25th career race and his first career Top Fuel win in his 42nd race, Salinas accomplished that, but it has only motivated his Scrappers Racing team even more.

Salinas grabbed his first NHRA win at the four-wide event in Las Vegas earlier this month, which means he will have a chance to sweep the biggest spectacle in drag racing when he competes at zMAX Dragway for the upcoming 10th annual NGK Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, April 26-28. For Salinas, it’s another opportunity to grab a victory in his 10,000-horsepower dragster, which is more than enough to keep him competing at a high level.

“We were pretty motivated as it was, the difference is all the guys on the team,” Salinas said. “All the guys, they knew (a win) was possible. I didn’t because it had never happened before. The car was super smooth, everything was smooth and it was good (in Vegas). We were able to soak it in and enjoy the victory, and we want to go try to do the same thing. We go into every race taking it one round at a time. So, let’s go there, qualify and see how we do, one round at a time.”

Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), and Jerry Savoie (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were last year’s winners. It is the sixth of 24 events during the NHRA season and marks a special race, as one of the most unique experiences in motorsports turns 10 years old. As Salinas proved in Las Vegas, the four-wide racing set-up is just fine with him.

There, he was the No. 1 qualifier and rolled to the victory. He suffered a tough first-round loss last weekend in Houston, but Salinas remains fourth in points, just 47 points behind leader Doug Kalitta. Others to watch in Charlotte including defending event winner and world champion Torrence, Houston winner and 2017 champ Brittany Force, three-time champ Antron Brown and Clay Millican, but Salinas has turned into a championship contender after teaming up with the likes of legendary tuner Alan Johnson, who is Salinas’ tuning advisor, and crew chief Brian Husen.

“I expected to win Pomona,” Salinas said. “I have a different mindset. Everything I do is in a strategic way. I’m a goal-achiever and I’ve got this gorilla off my back, and now we can go have fun and win more races. (Alan) is amazingly good, so I’m pretty lucky to be part of it. It’s been a good journey. This car is prepared right and it’s amazing to watch this team work.”

It’s motivated Salinas, who hopes his success and drive has sparked two of his daughters, Jianna and Jasmine, who both started their racing careers this year in Pro Stock Motorcycle and Top Alcohol Dragster, respectively. Both continue to make solid strides early in their career in 2019, while Mike Salinas is simply thrilled to have this success together as a family.

“We’ve built something,” Salinas said. “The important thing for me is I’ve got four daughters in or coming into the sport. Now we have a good bar for them to reach and meet. It’s going to be a great thing. It encourages every one of them. If you put in the work you’re going to do well and they put in the work. The girls are going to be great. NHRA has been amazing with us and it’s pretty awesome. It’s pretty surreal to be honest with you.”

SEATTLE -- The arena for Seattle's new NHL franchise won't be completed until late spring or summer of 2021, but that shouldn't have any impact on the expansion team's first season.

Team president Tod Leiweke said Thursday the delay could end up affecting some other plans for the franchise, including the hopes of hosting the 2021 NHL draft. After being awarded the league's 32nd team last December, Seattle officials were hoping to have the building open by early spring 2021, but design delays and a change in general contractors has delayed the project.

Leiweke said Mortenson, the new contractor, has been provided with incentives to try to have the arena ready by June 1, 2021, in the hope of having the building host the team's expansion draft, the NHL draft and a full home slate for the WNBA's Seattle Storm.

"We have had discussions with the NHL, they're open to that idea, where we would host not only the expansion draft in the building but the full league draft," Leiweke said. "That would be a heck of a way to start a franchise. We are fully motivated."

Getting the Storm back into the building is a major priority, Leiweke said. Coming off winning the WNBA title last season, the Storm will play this season and the next in temporary homes around the Seattle area.

Ken Johnson, construction executive with Oak View Group, said they should have a more detailed construction timeline by next spring.

"The Storm will play in this building and they're not really a tenant, they're a partner," Leiweke said. "We have deep admiration for them and what they do. We have a deep admiration for their championships. Hopefully, some of that will rub off on other teams in the building."

The price of the privately funded project, which is being built on the site of the former KeyArena, has grown to between $900 million and $930 million, Leiweke said. The price was originally expected to be about $650 million.

Mortenson has agreed to a guaranteed price for the project and Leiweke said there are contingencies built in should unexpected issues arise.