This week could turn out to be a major turning point in Diamond Sports Group's bankruptcy proceedings, one that could significantly influence how baseball games are broadcast -- not just now, but well into the future.

Diamond failed to pay the San Diego Padres before the end of its grace period Tuesday, a monumental development that will prompt Major League Baseball to take over the team's broadcasts moving forward.

Soon, more teams could find the same fate.

On Wednesday in Houston, a bankruptcy judge will preside over Diamond's claims that it should essentially pay lesser rights fees to the Cincinnati Reds, Texas Rangers, Arizona Diamondbacks and Cleveland Guardians to account for market forces that have greatly diminished the traditional cable model in recent years. (Diamond initially missed its rights payments to those four teams and was ultimately forced to pay 50% of what it owes them in the weeks leading up to the hearing.)

The judge's ruling, which should come by Thursday night at the latest, will play a big role in determining which other contracts Diamond sheds, if any. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred will be among those testifying. With that milestone ahead, here's a look at the current regional sports networks (RSN) situation of a few other teams across sports.

Why the Padres takeover happened so fast

Diamond, which airs broadcasts under the name Bally Sports, owns the rights to 14 major league teams. Eight of them are included as part of the company's bankruptcy filing, so their unraveling would likely require weeks in the courts. The six that aren't -- partly because the teams own an equity stake, making them joint ventures that operate as separate legal entities -- are the Padres, Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels, Miami Marlins and Kansas City Royals.

Those teams operate outside of the bankruptcy proceedings, so their paths are relatively straightforward -- if Diamond misses a rights payment, a contractually agreed-upon grace period is triggered, usually between seven and 15 days. If the grace period expires without a payment being made, those teams can break from their contracts, at which point MLB is expected to take over broadcasts, as they will with the Padres beginning Wednesday.

MLB has taken issue with the delay tactics that have been used throughout this process, alleging that Diamond is capitalizing off teams' intellectual property -- particularly regarding the Reds, Rangers, D-backs and Guardians -- without abiding by their contractual obligations. Diamond counters that it is trying to keep all of its options open while the dust settles on bankruptcy proceedings and it gets a better handle on what it will owe and which additional streaming rights, if any, it will acquire. Some much-needed clarity on that front could come real soon.

Separately, Diamond has offered to pay all rights fees moving forward in exchange for the remaining streaming rights, sources with knowledge of the situation said. MLB, leery of giving more rights to a company that was forced into bankruptcy, has not engaged, sources said. Diamond only has the streaming rights to five of its 14 teams -- the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays, Detroit Tigers and Marlins. -- Alden Gonzalez

MLB's New Age of Streaming depends on ... the Yankees and Red Sox?

Amid the uncertainty foisted on baseball's entire economic landscape, the game's haves -- big-marketed and healthy RSN'd -- surveyed the fallout and understood that others' pain could significantly benefit them. The New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers either own their RSNs or receive massive annual payments from them, and as MLB surveys its options going forward, it's aware that a handful of teams hold a disproportionate amount of power.

MLB's desire to turn the failure of the RSN model into an opportunity to nationalize a streaming package with all 30 teams hinges on the willingness of all 30 teams to participate. And as one high-ranking official for a large-market team said: "Without us, there's nobody buying the package."

What might sound like big-market arrogance is instead a truth that smaller-market owners acknowledge -- and fear. An MLB streaming package without the game's most popular teams isn't much of a streaming package at all. The larger markets know this, and they are ready to leverage it, with one official saying: "We'll never give up our rights."

While that's the public posture, the reality is that there's a price on everything -- and the Yankees and Red Sox have established that with their own direct-to-consumer streaming services. New York's YES Network is charging $24.99 a month or $239.99 annually, while Boston's NESN 360 costs $29.99 and $329.99, respectively. The teams are targeting customers who are blacked out from watching games, and the success will offer a sense of fans' willingness to stomach a price point higher than almost every streaming service, including those beyond sports.

Successful launches by the Yankees and Red Sox would make the difficulty for MLB -- which is seeking streaming rights for all 30 teams so it can offer a blackout-free package -- that much greater. As long as the 30-team package is MLB's goal, the big-market teams will maintain their posture, the small-market teams will brim with frustration that the game's already hefty financial chasm may yet grow and the league will grapple with the herculean task of trying to satisfy everyone. -- Jeff Passan

Heaven is the end of blackouts in Iowa

"Is this purgatory?"

"No, it's Iowa."

Doesn't have the same ring to it, does it? Yet that was the analogy made by a friend from my hometown in Iowa when we got together after a recent Chicago Cubs game. He was in Chicago with his daughter to see the club their family has worshiped for generations. This club, incidentally, can rarely be watched back in southwest Iowa since the Cubs brought their television production in-house three years ago.

During the years in which we grew up, the Cubs were omnipresent via WGN on basic cable in Red Oak. Now, in order to get the Cubs there, you have to buy an expensive satellite service and add the option that includes the Cubs' network. For many baseball fans living in rural areas, it's not a viable path.

The thing is, with six MLB teams bordering the state, Iowa should be a baseball heaven, in reality and not just fiction. That should be true whether you live in northern Iowa and root for the Minnesota Twins, in southwest Iowa and like the Kansas City Royals, live on the Mississippi River in Keokuk and love the St. Louis Cardinals or perhaps live in the northeastern part of the state and have thrown in with the Milwaukee Brewers, Cubs or Chicago White Sox.

Instead, most sports fans in Iowa can find Royals -- three hours from Red Oak -- and Cardinals -- 315 miles away -- games on basic cable. But if a baseball enthusiast is looking for others -- including games at Wrigley Field, 400 miles away -- good luck.

All six MLB teams in the states bordering Iowa have long been blacked out in the Hawkeye State. It's enough to wonder how anyone could possibly be a baseball fan and live in Iowa.

Despite it all, there are plenty of baseball fans back in Iowa, and they would love to see more. And thus my friend made another analogy when asked about the RSN crisis possibly hastening the demise of baseball's blackout guidelines, finally making all teams available to stream. He described it as like being in East Germany, circa 1989, with the wall about to go down. -- Bradford Doolittle

Will the Suns set the standard for local TV -- and could anyone else follow?

The Phoenix Suns announced in late April that their games will be broadcast for free on over-the-air channels and streamed online on a new direct-to-consumer service for in-market fans, prompting speculation about whether other Diamond-owned teams could follow a similar path.

At the moment, though, they seem to be an outlier.

First, it's important to note that the plan might not even get off the ground. Earlier this month, a U.S. bankruptcy judge blocked Phoenix's attempt to move ahead with the deal, saying the team couldn't yet move on from its existing agreement with Diamond.

The judge, Christopher Lopez, ruled that the new deal was void because it interfered with Diamond's contractual right to negotiate an extension to its current deal. The Suns, on the other hand, argued that their deal expiring after the 2022-23 season meant that they could go ahead with the agreement now.

Recently hired Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein told reporters after the hearing that the Suns would work toward a way of resolving the dispute "that will be in the best interest of our fans, our community and our players."

In the NBA and elsewhere, it's important to understand the uniqueness of the Suns' situation -- on an expiring contract, with a relatively small RSN deal that paid them about $40 million a year, and a new, aggressive owner, Mat Ishbia, with enough liquidity to absorb financial losses in an effort to expand his team's brand. This model, if it ultimately comes to fruition, can increase the Suns' reach from 800,000 viewers to 2.8 million. But it is unclear how Ishbia -- also owner of the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, who are also part of this venture -- will ultimately make money.

What this whole situation says about the state of these discussions across the NBA is that the next few months should be awfully interesting, as the league continues to try to navigate what to do with the 16 teams broadcast by Diamond last season.

MLB, meanwhile, is navigating through this in the thick of its season and holds the long-term goal of fitting streaming and broadcasting rights under one umbrella, seeing that as the best way to eventually maximize revenue.

Though they've kept an eye on the Suns deal, major league teams for the most part would prefer to stay with their lucrative RSN contracts for now. Even a team like the Marlins, who consistently field some of the lowest payrolls in the industry, is believed to make more on an annual basis than the Suns did.

Even once some of those RSN contracts are shed, the understanding is that they have a better chance at generating revenue by falling under the scope of MLB than they would by venturing out on their own and incurring the overhead that comes with it. Ishbia's approach might be attempted by some major league owners -- perhaps the higher-revenue Bally-operated teams -- but it is not necessarily being viewed as a template. -- Tim Bontemps and Alden Gonzalez

What happens in Vegas ... won't just stay in Vegas anymore

In the NHL, like in the NBA, most of the uncertainty around RSN television deals is being put off until the fall. But the Vegas Golden Knights, looking to win their first Stanley Cup, aren't waiting until then to find out. The Golden Knights, whose deal with AT&T SportsNet ended this season, signed a multiyear deal earlier this month with Scripps Sports that will air all Vegas' games in Nevada and four nearby states. Not included in the package are Golden Knights' games broadcast nationally on ESPN or TNT.

That agreement, which includes a direct-to-consumer offer, kicks in for the 2023-24 season. Games will be distributed on cable, satellite and local over-the-air channels in the team's territory.

This is the first deal Scripps Sports has made with a professional franchise since launching in December; it also launched a multi-year partnership with the WNBA in April.

The Golden Knights previously had an RSN agreement with AT&T SportsNet, owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, which announced months ago that it would be shutting down its local sports division. Vegas' decision to bypass the RSN route altogether could be the start of a new trend for other NHL clubs looking to get their product in front of viewers for free. Broadcasting over local channels is more cost-effective -- and could be more popular with fans -- than being locked into a provider that viewers must pay separately to watch. That's particularly true for teams in markets that don't get as much national coverage.

Vegas is the perfect example. It's a popular local club that's enjoyed significant success since joining the NHL as an expansion team and beginning play in 2017. The Golden Knights can continue to boost their own profile via the Scripps contract and extend goodwill to the fanbase with a legitimate and inexpensive way to keep up with the action. -- Kristen Shilton

... but another Finals team is still in the dark

The Denver Nuggets will play in their first NBA Finals beginning Thursday against the Miami Heat (8:30 p.m. ET on ABC). And the team's arrival on the sport's biggest stage will also shine a spotlight on the fact that fans within the team's home market have struggled to watch them for years.

For the past four years, Altitude Sports -- which is owned by Stan Kroenke, the owner of the Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche, among several other teams -- has been locked in a bitter dispute with Comcast, the largest cable provider in the state.

So while Nikola Jokic has grown into arguably the best basketball player on the planet, he remains hard to find on TV in Denver, where 2019 court filings state 92% of cable subscribers use Comcast. Since Altitude's deal expired with the provider in 2019, Jokic has won two MVP Awards -- and come close to a third -- while the Nuggets are tied with the Suns for the most wins in the NBA over the past four years (194). They are one of five teams -- along with the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, the Suns and the Boston Celtics -- to have won more than 60% of their games over that stretch.

Though the playoffs mostly air on national television, even this postseason saw a dustup when Altitude had to lift a local blackout for a game against the Timberwolves airing on NBATV. While the two sides settled an antitrust lawsuit back in March, there still isn't an agreement in place to air the games on Comcast, and it's unclear if one will happen before the start of the 2023-24 season. -- Tim Bontemps

England Athletics U20/23 Champs on June 17-18 may have to find a new home, whereas South of England U20 Champs has been forced to move to Walton

With little over a fortnight until the England Athletics Under-20 and Under-23 Championships, hundreds of young athletes are unable to finalise their travel and accommodation plans due to uncertainty over the venue.

The event – which incorporates the British trials for this summer’s European Under-20 and Under-23 Championships in Israel and Finland – is due to be staged in Chelmsford but the track has been undergoing refurbishment recently and organisers are not sure whether it will be ready in time.

The news has sparked frustration from athletes, parents and coaches, many of whom have already booked hotels, trains and in some cases flights to the Essex venue. The South of England Athletics Association has had a similar problem for its under-20, under-17 and under-17 championships this weekend (June 3-4) but has now shifted the venue from Chelmsford to Walton, which is more than 70 miles away.

The BIGish Jumps and Throws Fest on May 29 was also forced to relocate from Chelmsford to Woodford, saying: “We would like  to acknowledge that there is no fault on the part of Chelmsford Sports & Athletics Centre, who have left no stone unturned to get the venue ready.”

In a statement, England Athletics said: “We advise anyone looking to book travel and/or accommodation in advance of attending our upcoming under-20 and under-23 track and field championships to wait until June 7 by which time we will know whether or not this event will be staged at Chelmsford.

“The venue is currently undergoing track refurbishments and its operators are uncertain as to whether it will be ready in time to host our event. Whilst we continue to work closely with Chelmsford for a favourable outcome, we will still be staging this event on that weekend of June 17-18 and, therefore, are also exploring appropriate, alternative venues. We thank you for your patience ahead of us being able to provide a venue update on June 7.”

On Wednesday (May 31), the governing body added: “We are still optimistic that the event will go ahead at Chelmsford as planned. If work is not completed, we have secured an alternative venue near the original location which can accommodate a champs of this size. This will hopefully minimise the disruption to those who have already booked travel and accommodation.

“We apologise for any inconvenience. Unfortunately, the wet spring weather has considerably delayed planned work to the track at Chelmsford. We will provide further updates on our website and via an email to all entrants in the coming days.”

England Athletics state that their U20/U23 T&F Championships (June 17-18) may not take place at Chelmsford, as originally planned.

This is due to the venue “undergoing track refurbishments”.

They’ll give an update on June 7 regarding Chelmsford’s suitability to host the event. pic.twitter.com/xiwedWXPBO

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) May 30, 2023

The Chelmsford track at Melbourne Park dates back to the 1960s. Originally cinder, it staged the 1963 English Schools Championships and enjoyed an upgraded to a synthetic surface in 1999. Lottery funding at the turn of the millennium helped build accompanying indoor facilities, too, with a 60m sprint straight.

Joe McColgan, a coach with Amber Valley & Erewash, said: “Why did EA book the venue in the first place if the track was due to be refurbished. Why risk it? In my experience refurbs rarely stick to original timescales!

“Also why aren’t the championships rotated around your three regions – North, South and Midlands – to show a bit of fairness to athletes, coaches and parents! They’ve been in Bedford for years and no doubt would have been again if that track had not been closed due to health and safety. I’ve got athletes entered who have already booked hotels. Not good is it?”

Scott Hannigan from Kilbarchan added: “This is pretty poor for an event that is two weeks away, we are travelling from Scotland and have booked well in advance. We have booked three nights’ accommodation and will not get our money back. Very disappointing from England Athletics, this should have been sorted out ages ago. Shambolic.”

With the event set to commence on Saturday, August 19, the countdown of less than 80 days intensifies the anticipation for what will undoubtedly be the year’s most prominent sporting extravaganza

It is an undeniable truth that the upcoming World Championships in Budapest, slated to commence in less than three months on August 19, have generated immense interest not only within Hungary but also throughout Europe and across the globe. The third biggest sporting event of the world returns to Europe for the first time since the 2017 World Championships in London.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that a significant number of athletics enthusiasts from neighbouring countries have already secured their tickets, in addition to the fervent support from local fans.

Aside from Hungary, the highest ticket sales have been recorded in the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Italy, and the United States. Anticipated attendees from more than 80 countries are poised to witness the awe-inspiring performances of these athletic superheroes. Remarkably, over 180,000 tickets have already been sold, covering a range of nine evening sessions and five morning sessions. Notably, the Superhero package, offering access to the entirety of the World Championships, are no longer available in category 1, illustrating the fervour surrounding this remarkable event.

It’s recommended to purchase your tickets or packages as soon as possible through https://tickets.wabudapest23.com/ to secure the best seats and Witness the Wonder!

The most popular session is scheduled for Saturday evening, August 26, featuring the current superstar of track and field, Armand Duplantis. He will once again attempt to surpass his own world record of 6.22m in the men’s pole vault final. There are only a few empty seats left!

Tickets are also selling well for the Sunday evening session, August 20. Expect fireworks not only in the centre of Budapest but also at the National Athletics Centre, coinciding with the Hungarian national holiday. Alongside the finals of the men’s 100m, men’s 10,000m, women’s long jump, and Bence Halász, the top Hungarian contender, will be competing for a medal in the men’s hammer throw final.

The extraordinary indoor season and the upcoming outdoor season, beginning at the end of May, promise to deliver the greatest ever World Championships. Armand Duplantis, Femke Bol, Nafissatou Thiam, Ryan Crouser, and Lamecha Girma have all already set world records this year. Kimberly García and María Pérez have also delivered a 35km walk that could be unparalleled on the streets of Budapest. The marathon and walking races are free to watch in the magical capital of Hungary.

The National Athletics Centre is nearing completion, becoming the most modern athletics facility in the Central and Eastern European region. An additional section of bleachers for the World Championships has been finished, allowing 35,000 people to cheer on their favourite athletes each day. The MONDO-covered track, known as the “red carpet of world records” due to its speed, has been installed. In the park surrounding the facility, the trees are already green, sound tests are underway, and the warm-up track on Csepel Island is currently under construction.

The World Athletics Championships in Budapest is easily accessible for everyone. Not only can you fly to the Hungarian capital from most countries in Europe – and around the world – with a maximum of one connection, but tickets are also reasonably priced.

The five morning sessions are available for a flat fee of 3000 HUF (~8 USD). For the evening sessions, ticket prices on weekdays range from 17 USD for the cheapest to 47 USD for the most expensive. On the weekend evenings, tickets range from 22 USD to 57 USD. Additionally, there are three different packages available: one for the two days of the opening weekend (Firestarter package), another for the last three days of the World Champs (Crown package), and a full World Champs package (Superhero package).

One notable feature of the World Championships schedule is its flexibility, allowing the world’s top athletes to participate in multiple events. Alongside the more “traditional” doubles like 100-200m, 200-400m, 400-800m, 800-1500m, 1500-5000m, and 5000-10000m, Lamecha Girma has the opportunity to compete in the 3000m hurdles-5000m combination. Yulimar Rojas, the current world record holder of triple jump, might even consider trying her hand at the long jump during the opening weekend of the World Championships on August 25, if she’s up for it.

This approach ensures that fans visiting Budapest can witness their favourite athletes competing in multiple events during the biggest sporting event of the year, for which the athletes have been preparing throughout the year. Furthermore, this World Championships also serves as a qualification event for the 2024 Paris Olympics, providing everyone with additional motivation to achieve better results!

Get your tickets HERE and Witness the Wonder!

Britain's Cameron Norrie says he is relishing playing in "the tough moments" as he prepares to face home player Lucas Pouille at the French Open.

The British number one was regularly booed by the Paris crowd for aborting his ball toss, while he was also harshly penalised by the chair umpire for hindrance after being deemed to have distracted Paire with a mid-point shout.

It was another controversial moment for Norrie, who was criticised by 22-time major champion Novak Djokovic for his behaviour at the recent Italian Open.

Speaking about the prospect of facing Pouille, Norrie said: "I think it's great to play those matches in Grand Slams against home favourites - that's why I play tennis. I love those moments.

"On the flip side of that, it is difficult at times. I think the crowd can be tough.

"But I keep reminding myself it's good to be playing, that I want to be out there competing, and being in those tough moments when the crowd is against me.

"It makes it even better to come through those matches."

The 27-year-old is the last Briton remaining in the singles draws at Roland Garros after Dan Evans and Jack Draper both lost in the first round.

Paire, 34, is a showman who engages the home crowd with his demonstrative antics and the fans created a noisy atmosphere on Monday as he threatened to cause an upset against Norrie.

A similar mood will face the Briton on the fourth day in Paris.

While Pouille is a different character to Paire, he too has recovered from mental health struggles to play at the highest level again and has received extra support from the Roland Garros crowd.

The former world number 10 revealed earlier this year he had depression and alcoholism after a host of injuries derailed his career.

Coming through his first-round match was Pouille's first main-draw victory at a major since the 2019 US Open, leading to an emotional celebration from the 29-year-old as he sang the French national anthem with the crowd on Court Simonne-Mathieu.

"I think a lot of people are supporting me since the first round of the qualifying, and people are really supporting me and want me to win," said Pouille, who reached the 2019 Australian Open semi-finals.

"They've never pushed me as hard as they've done."

What else is happening on Wednesday?

With 14-time winner Rafael Nadal injured, two of the favourites to replace the Spaniard as the men's champion continue their bids on Wednesday.

Spanish top seed Carlos Alcaraz, 20, plays Japan's Taro Daniel on Court Philippe Chatrier at about 16:00 BST.

Serbia's Djokovic, seeded third, takes on Hungary's Marton Fucsovics in the night session, which will not start before 19:15 BST.

Djokovic, bidding for a men's record 23rd Grand Slam singles title, will also face questions after writing a political message about Kosovo on a camera lens following his first-round win over Aleksandar Kovacevic.

Earlier on Chatrier, French fifth seed Caroline Garcia - aiming to become the host nations first singles winner since 2000 - faces Russia's Anna Blinkova.

Belarusian second seed Aryna Sabalenka, one of the favourites for the women's titles and targeting the world number one ranking this fortnight, plays compatriot Iryna Shymanovich.

There is more British interest in the first round of the doubles events, led by three-time men's major champion Joe Salisbury.

Salisbury and American partner Rajeev Ram, the second seeds, play Argentina's Guido Pella and Bolivia's Hugo Dellien.

Julian Cash and Henry Patten also play in the men's doubles, with Olivia Nicholls and Alicia Barnett competing in the women's event.

Before Wednesday evening's Swansea v Barbarians game at St Helen's (18:30 BST), fellow players and coaches pay tribute to Alun Wyn Jones.

Lock Jones, 37, and the world's most-capped player with 158 Wales and 12 British and Irish Lions Tests, retired from international rugby last week.

READ MORE:Jones to play for Barbarians and Swansea in celebration game

Interviews for a new independent chair are set to start after the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) finalised a shortlist of candidates.

The WRU says there are more than 300 candidates for the chair, two further independent non-executive roles and the vacant chief executive (CEO) post.

The new chair is expected to be announced before the end of the summer.

"The new chair is the keystone appointment, everything will follow from this moment, but the general calibre of applicant in all areas has been outstanding," said people director Lydia Stirling, who joined the WRU in September 2021 having held previous senior human resources roles at Arup and McLaren Racing.

There is no current shortlist for the CEO position, as the new chair will play an integral role in this appointment process.

The changes follow in the wake of a catalogue of damaging allegations that saw Steve Phillips resign as chief executive last January.

His interim replacement, Nigel Walker, was forced to appear before a Senedd hearing following a BBC Wales Investigates programme that provided allegations of sexism and misogyny within Welsh rugby's governing body.

The WRU is attempting to redress the gender imbalance, with an ambition that at least five of the 12 board members are women, including one of the top two jobs - the chief executive or chair.

"We have a fine shortlist for the chair position, we are in advanced stages in the recruitment process for CEO to the extent we will be able to pass over an impressive long-list of names to our new chair on appointment and, in total, more than 300 high calibre candidates are on our radar for our vacant positions," Stirling added.

"The whole recruitment process has met the expectations raised by the seismic decision our member clubs took to modernise our governance in March.

"Our new chair will naturally be from a different mould.

"We know, from our shortlist, we will gain a chair from a professional background. Someone who has held a prestigious executive position, from one of our senior institutions in the UK or perhaps from a major blue chip company, but all candidates are united by one thing; a passion and connection to Welsh rugby."

Stirling also revealed that the board position, which will carry specific responsibility for the women's and girls' game in Wales, has more than 80 candidates.

The WRU passed a special resolution in March to allow the appointment of the new independent chair and recruit a two further new independent non-executive directors (INED) to its 12-person board, doubling the total number of INEDs to six.

In the new configuration, four board members will still come from the WRU Council which is entirely elected by member clubs, one of whom will be the community game board's chair.

The remaining two spots on the board will be filled by the WRU chief executive and a new director role for someone who can support and further the women's game.

Rhys Webb has become the third Wales veteran to announce his international retirement before the 2023 World Cup.

He has joined fellow Ospreys Alun Wyn Jones and Justin Tipuric in ending his international career.

"An opportunity to play abroad" amid Welsh rugby's "difficulties" influenced Webb's decision.

After being overlooked by Wayne Pivac, Wales coach Warren Gatland recalled Webb for the 2023 Six Nations and named him in the nation's extended World Cup training squad.

Since then Jones, 37. and Tipuric, 33, opted out of any international future.

Webb wrote: "Having the opportunity to play for Wales again recently has been a huge honour and I am proud to have been named as part of the World Cup training squad.

"However, whilst I would have relished the chance to end my career playing for a Welsh region, the present uncertainty and difficulties in Welsh rugby, meant there was little opportunity for a contract that offered security for the coming years, as I see out my professional career.

"As such, when an opportunity to play abroad arose during the off season, enabling me to provide greater career security for myself and my family, I decided to accept the offer.

"I feel that after achieving my goal of returning to the Wales set-up, it is the right time now for me to step away from international rugby and just enjoy my last few years as a professional rugby player.

"I'd like to thank the Ospreys for continuing to believe in me, even when my omission from the Welsh squad sometimes had me doubting my own ability and Warren, for giving me a chance to pull the famous red jersey on once again."

More to follow

KAMLOOPS, British Columbia -- Michael Simpson stopped 26 shots, Tucker Robertson, J.R. Avon, Avery Hayes and Connor Lockhart scored and the Peterborough Petes avoided elimination in the Memorial Cup, beating the Quebec Remparts 4-2 on Tuesday night.

The Ontario Hockey League champion Petes (1-2) will play Thursday night against the loser of the game Wednesday night between the Western Hockey League champion Seattle Thunderbirds (1-1) and host Kamloops Blazers (1-1).

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champion Remparts (2-1), with Hall of Fame goalie Patrick Roy stepping aside as coach after the tournament, were already guaranteed a berth Sunday in the championship game.

James Malatesta and Nathan Gaucher scored for Quebec.

Roy is seeking his second Memorial Cup after leading the Remparts to the 2006 title in Moncton, New Brunswick. Also Quebec's general manager, Roy is turning over the coaching duties to fellow former NHL player Simon Gagne.

DUBLIN, Ohio – Earlier this month, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan appeared to offer the final voice on the debate about whether the designated events will have cuts starting next season.

“Our preference on where we are at this point is that all those events, the designated events, would be no-cut events. But we're in the middle of figuring all this out, so you've got to consider all that input,” Monahan said.

That input has largely built on the side of the three player-hosted invitationals – the Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational and Memorial – having cuts.

“I've gone back and forth on this issue. I was an advocate for no cut and the more time has gone by I've become an advocate for a cut,” Jon Rahm said Tuesday at the Memorial. “It's a part of the game, and I think it's an important part of the game, as harsh as it may be to cut out maybe only 20 players. You earn your way into the weekend, and then you earn that win. It's a part I enjoy and I experienced recently at the PGA.”

The 16 designated events next year include the four majors, The Players Championship – which will remain full-field tournaments with cuts – as well as the three playoff events. The remaining eight events will feature 70-to-80 player fields and, as of right now, no cut.

“No offense to the best players in the world, but nobody wants to watch you shoot 80 on Sunday if they’re playing like crap,” Brandt Snedeker said. “The Tour has always been set up for meritocracy, you keep what you earn and you need to play well on Thursday and Friday to make the cut. If it’s me and I’m playing like crap, I don’t want to go and finish dead last on Sunday, and I don’t think anybody wants to watch it.”

The Tour’s push for no cuts at the designated events did receive a boost Tuesday at Muirfield Village when tournament host Jack Nicklaus appeared to reverse his previous thoughts on not having a cut at the Memorial.

“I liked the cut before because we felt like having guys play all day was nice to have on the golf course, giving some young [players] an opportunity to play that might not otherwise get a chance to play,” Nicklaus said. “But as I said, there's two sides to that coin, and I think I'm going to leave that to people that are certainly a lot smarter than I am, which would be [Monahan] and those guys.”

At the Masters, when he was asked about his event, the Genesis Invitational, Tiger Woods was a proponent of keeping a cut.

“There's still some ongoing discussions about some of the designated events and whether or not we're going to have cuts going forward,” Woods said. “I certainly am pushing for my event to have a cut.”

Ludvig Aberg is heading to the PGA Tour with a lot of hardware in tow.

The Texas Tech star, who finished first in PGA Tour University on Monday, was announced as both the Haskins and Nicklaus award winner on Tuesday. In addition to earning the Hogan Award last week, he becomes just the sixth player ever to sweep the three honors in one season.

He joins John Pak (2021, Florida State), Sahith Theegala (Pepperdine, 2020), Patrick Rodgers (Stanford, 2014), Ryan Moore (UNLV), Bill Haas (Wake Forest) and Hunter Mahan (2003, Oklahoma State) as the only players to accomplish the feat.

With his PGA Tour U win, Aberg earned full status on Tour for the rest of 2023 and 2024.

All three awards are presented to the nation’s best male golfer that season, so you could say, by all accounts, the current No. 1 amateur in the world is truly the best of the best in the NCAA, even if he fell short of the individual title.

Aberg will make his first start as a professional next week at the RBC Canadian Open. It marks the first time a player has gone directly from college to a full PGA Tour card, thanks to the PGA Tour U initiative.

The Swede won four times in 2022-23, including back-to-back victories at the Big 12 Championships and the Norman Regional.

Aberg also won the Ben Hogan Award in 2022.