Malcolm is also sure delivering a strong Six Nations, starting at home to Wales on Saturday, can help propel Scotland to a good showing at the World Cup in England later this year.

"I think as players, we'd be lying if we said it wasn't in the back of our minds," said Malcolm, who is leaving club side Loughborough Lightning after eight years to pursue a new challenge.

"That is always going to be something in a World Cup year, whether it be thinking about selection, thinking about injury, all the bits that can be kind of niggling at you.

"What we have within this group and within this squad is a group of players who are just so passionate about taking Scotland to as high a level as we possibly can. Us qualifying for the last World Cup was history in itself.

"I think what we've achieved between that World Cup and this one is pretty phenomenal in terms of world rankings hitting our highest point, record numbers of wins.

"We truly believe that we're in a position that we can get one stage further at least.

"We've definitely got a little bit of a bitter taste in our mouth when we think back to that time, because I definitely think we didn't achieve to our potential at that World Cup, and that's ultimately the aim here, but that starts now.

"We need to get the most out of this Six Nations. So as best we can, we have our heads on this tournament, but we're not shying away from the fact that we have to get a lot of things in place now to put us in the best possible position to go and perform in August."

Diamond confirmed that 28 players have a contract either signed or ready for next season, among a squad which would be topped up by senior academy players.

A handful of other players have uncertain futures, while talks with potential new signings have been put on hold.

That would leave a shortfall of about six players Diamond would hope to recruit to complete his squad, if and when the new money comes in.

Already operating with a playing budget vastly inferior to the rest of the Premiership, the club is on course to finish bottom three years running.

Newcastle did not win a league game between March 2023 and October 2024, a run of 25 matches. Last season, they lost all 18 Premiership games.

Costs have been drastically reduced in a bid to reduce financial losses, but that has resulted in the club becoming the league's poor relations.

Owner Kurdi put the club up for sale in November but, while there has been interest, nothing concrete has emerged.

It is a concerning time but Diamond insists everyone at Kingston Park is aware of what is happening.

"We went through a real debacle at Worcester where there was no real clarity or honesty knocking around," he recalled.

"This is totally different. The squad and the staff have been informed the [same] day I've been informed of where we are. There is no panic.

"We are leaning on the right people in the business to sort this out - the shareholders - and once the information is given I will inform the staff and players exactly where we're at.

"I don't think there will be any mystery illnesses or people crying off fearing they are not going to get paid at the end of the month. That isn't even in our vocabulary here. We're in good fettle."

There will be no promotion and relegation between the top tiers of English rugby this season after Championship league leaders Ealing Trailfinders failed the minimum standards criteria.

Trailfinders, who have a 13 point lead at the top of the Championship table, applied for promotion and the chance to face the bottom-placed Premiership team in a play-off.

But the Rugby Football Union (RFU) have announced Ealing didn't meet the requirements around ground capacity, as well as assurances over safety compliance.

Doncaster Knights did pass the standards but sit 29 points adrift of Trailfinders in eighth, while third-placed Coventry also failed the minimum standards.

It comes with the Premiership's bottom team Newcastle Falcons in a precarious situation, and looking for additional financial support in order to be able to complete next season's campaign.

While the RFU insist they will continue to support aspirational clubs, this is another setback for Trailfinders in their bid to join English rugby's elite.

"We know how hard those clubs with aspirations to join the Premiership are working both to generate the required investment to be sustainable within that league and to ensure they have the required infrastructure to support themselves," Mike McTighe, Men's Professional Rugby Board Chair said.

In June last year, the minimum standards were tweaked to allow clubs to reach the required capacity of 10,000 over the course of four seasons.

It was hoped this would enable more clubs from the Championship to meet the required stadium size, but the RFU admit this hasn't had the desired effect.

"While right now only one Championship club is meeting the requirements that would enable them to come into the league, we are working hard to ensure that is not always the case and that we apply the right flexibility and support where it's appropriate," added McTighe.

Hockey fans in Sweden have watched superstars such as Sidney Crosby and Steven Stamkos for decades on television, but never in person.

That'll change next season with the NHL announcing Tuesday that the Nashville Predators and the Pittsburgh Penguins will play a pair of regular-season games next season as part of the Global Series at the Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.

Crosby and the Penguins will play Stamkos and the Predators on Nov. 14 and Nov. 16. This will be the Penguins' first trip to Europe in 17 years. Although this will be the Preds first venture to Sweden, it'll be the third time in franchise history they've played outside North America.

"Something we've heard a lot of -- and it's why we're bringing the Penguins -- is fans want to see Crosby, they want to see [Connor] McDavid," said David Proper, the senior executive vice president for media and international strategy for the NHL. "We're so busy making sure they get to see [Filip] Forsberg, [Victor] Hedman and [Erik] Karlsson and all the great Swedes. But it was interesting to hear them say they'd like to see some of the top, top players in the world that aren't Swedes."

Proper said the league's focus since the Global Series started in 2017 was to have fans from a particular country experience the NHL while seeing their fellow compatriots. That will remain a focal point with the Penguins and Predators combining to have six Swedes between them. It's a group that includes three-time Norris Trophy winner Karlsson and Forsberg, who is Sweden's seventh all-time leading NHL goal scorer.

It's just that the input the NHL received means fans will get to see those players who've also helped shape the game over the past 20 years such as Roman Josi, Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin, Crosby and Stamkos.

"You get why they want to see somebody like that in person," Proper said. "It's similar to someone like [Lionel] Messi where people who've never gone to a game will go to a soccer game because they're getting a chance to see Messi. We have to be thinking about a Crosby or a McDavid in that same way."

Proper said the demand for the league's marquee players shows that there are fans who closely follow the game beyond just watching those from their home country and it shows the affinity that teams have been able to gain from around the world.

The NHL's announcement that this is the start of bringing icons such as Crosby and Stamkos to Europe also comes in the wake of the 4 Nations Face-Off. The four-team tournament hosted by the NHL and NHL Players' Association featuring Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States in February captured the attention of millions within and outside of hockey in North America. Proper also said that the 4 Nations Face-Off was a major draw outside North America as well.

He said the Swedish Ice Hockey Association told the NHL that the Finland-Sweden game was going be directly competing against one of the Melodifestivalen qualifying rounds, the competition that determines who will represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest. Sweden's seven victories are tied with Ireland for the most Eurovision Song Contests wins by a nation with future Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members, ABBA, winning the Sweden's first title in 1974.

"We were like, 'We're sorry but that's what we got to do,'" Proper recalled. "Our media partner over there, ViaPlay, was also concerned but the numbers were very strong. It showed that our appetite for best-on-best national tournaments also exists throughout the world."

Proper said the success of the 4 Nations also led to the NHL hearing from different federations and their players that didn't participate at the tournament.

While those federations and their players expressed admiration for how the 4 Nations was received, they also stressed to the league how they want to be included going forward.

The NHL announced during the 4 Nations that it would be reintroducing the World Cup of Hockey starting in 2028. Adding the World Cup of Hockey along with NHL players returning to The Olympics in 2026 now allows the game's premier players to be on a two-year cycle alternating between those tournaments.

"I think what you're going to see is two things that come of the 4 Nations," Proper said "The first is the World Cup which we've announced already. But the other is going to be a renewed focus on looking at all of the [international] markets that we should put really more focus, time, effort and resources into because we've seen such a positive reaction in that regard."

The ownership group for Denver's NWSL expansion team, which begins play in 2026, announced plans to build a 14,500-seat stadium on Tuesday.

The project, to be located inside the Denver city limits at Sante Fe Yards, will be adjacent to the Broadway Light Rail station, and will include a 3.5-acre park as well as a mixed-use development.

The stadium is expected to open in the spring of 2028. The plans are being developed in conjunction with architectural firm Populous.

"When we went through all the sites, this is the one that checked all the boxes in terms of what was important to us, what was important to the city, and hopefully as the community learns about it, what's important to the neighborhoods and how we can use this site to help transform that area of town," controlling owner Rob Cohen said in an exclusive interview with ESPN.

In a statement released by the organization, Denver Mayor Mike Johnson said: "It's only fitting that the hottest ticket in town will be making its home on Broadway. This project at Santa Fe Yards will transform an underutilized eyesore into a recreational and economic hub where memories are made, culture is built, and championships are won."

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said in a statement: "This announcement is a game-changer for the NWSL and a bold statement about where women's sports are headed. Santa Fe Yards will set a new standard for what professional athletes deserve -- a purpose-built stadium and entertainment district that reflects the passion of this city and our league's continued growth."

The investment in the team is being touted as the biggest in the history of women's sports. When asked for details Cohen admitted there's "no way to prove that or [disprove] that," but he indicated that he's referring to the total investment in all areas of the organization, including the expansion fee, the cost of building a training facility, a temporary stadium, and the permanent stadium.

The ownership group paid a record expansion fee of $110 million to join the NWSL, more than double the previous record of $53 million paid by Bay FC. Announcements on the training facility and temporary stadium are expected to be made public by the end of the month.

"That number is obviously a large investment, but the ownership group is very committed to believing that if we design facilities that are designed by women, built by women, for women and for families, that you can create a unique economic model that really works," Cohen said.

Cohen said that the Denver NWSL ownership group has acquired the rights to purchase the land from a local property developer. When asked, he didn't disclose the cost associated with acquiring the land, nor did he provide details on whether the stadium would be leased from the city or owned outright.

"We're still working out the exact details of all of that, but suffice it to say, the conversation that we've been having with the city is that it is the ownership group's intent that we will pay for and build the stadium," Cohen said.

The stadium renderings show a venue that will be adjacent to the park located behind one of the goals. Cohen is hopeful that the stadium's close proximity to the light rail station will encourage fans to use alternate means of transport to get to games.

"It's a stadium in a park as opposed to a stadium that's typically surrounded by parking lots," Cohen said. "We're not naive in thinking that there won't be a huge group of people who want to drive to the games, but if we can use biking -- which is authentically Denver -- if we can use Uber and Lyft, if we can use mass transit, then what we can do is we can relieve the traffic issues for the neighborhoods and we can also increase the benefits for the fans as they ingress and egress."

Cohen added that the plan is to allow the venue to be expandable up to 20,000 seats.

"We think the sweet spot is probably between the 14,500 that we'll start with and 20,000," he said. "But we certainly have flexibility on either side of that if we need it."

Cohen added that the public process of getting approvals from the City of Denver will now take place "over the next several months" but he wants input from all of the community stakeholders, including those in the adjoining neighborhoods.

"That's a dance that has to take place," Cohen said about the approval process. "But we welcome it. We're open. We're transparent, and we believe in the end we'll find something that's a win-win-win for everybody."

Major League Soccer will host Liga MX for the 2025 All-Star match on July 23 at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas, sources confirmed to ESPN.

The 2025 edition of the game will mark the fourth time MLS confronts Liga MX in the All-Star game, previously playing against the Mexican opponent in 2021, 2022 and 2024.

MLS remained unbeaten against Liga MX before 2024, when the Mexican league triumphed 4-1 over the American side at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio.

MLS briefly returned to a previous format when inviting Arsenal to participate in the event in 2023, losing 5-0 against the Premier League side in front of a sold-out crowd at Audi Field in Washington, D.C.

Though European teams announced a summer tour across the United States, MLS confirmed to ESPN that the focus remained solely on Liga MX.

"For this year, we were always looking at Liga MX," MLS executive vice president Camilo Durana told ESPN. "We did face Liga MX, and then we went back to sort of a game versus Arsenal format in DC, and then we decided to reengage with Liga MX for at least what has been two editions. We think it's a format that works better for us."

Durana later revealed the constant competition between Liga MX and MLS in the Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup and now All-Star event fosters the growth of the American league.

"When we conducted a study, it was really about how we grow MLS and what are the things that we need to do to expedite that growth. And one of them was proving the quality of our play to fans against the quality of play that is very referential. And so the insight was we need to find more opportunities to play Liga MX teams, because it is really the reference point in North America," Durana said.

"It's been a very intentional development of a rivalry between our Leagues that helps us grow at expedited rates. Across everything we're doing with Liga and MX, be it Leagues Cup, playing in Champions Cup, All-Star, more opportunities to play against each other. I think the All-Star format is yet another touch point that is part of this growing rivalry that delivers the kind of game that fans want to watch on the field."

Beyond the match, the event will also include an All-Star skills challenge between the two leagues that sees 10 players from MLS and 10 players from Liga MX compete in a series of obstacles.

Like in the past, the MLS roster will boast 26 players that have been selected by fans, the MLS All-Star head coach Nico Estévez and two figures chosen by Don Garber, league commissioner.

The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) and 22 players filed multiple lawsuits across several global jurisdictions against the ATP, WTA, International Tennis Federation (ITF) and International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) on Tuesday, alleging anticompetitive business practices, monopolizing of professional tennis and systemic abuse.

"Tennis is broken," Ahmad Nassar, the executive director of the PTPA, said in a statement. "Behind the glamorous veneer that the defendants promote, players are trapped in an unfair system that exploits their talent, suppresses their earnings, and jeopardizes their health and safety."

Legal action was taken in the United Kingdom, European Union and United States district court.

Twelve players -- including PTPA co-founder and 2014 Wimbledon doubles champion Vasek Pospisil, 2022 Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios, four-time ATP Tour champion Reilly Opelka and two-time major quarterfinalist Sorana Cirstea -- are named as plaintiffs in the U.S. filing. An additional 10 players -- including American doubles specialist Christian Harrison, four-time WTA doubles champion Ingrid Neel and current world No. 76 Corentin Moutet -- are involved with the two other suits.

Pospisil, who started the PTPA in 2020 alongside 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic, said the organization's leadership began talking about such action last year, having sensed that the sport's governing bodies were not taking player grievances seriously or responding to them fairly.

"At some point we just felt as if we didn't have another option," Pospisil told ESPN on Friday. "We didn't set out to create a player association to not affect major change. That's always been the goal from the beginning, and we have to really consider all strategies and avenues to eventually accomplish that goal."

In the 162-page complaint filed in the Southern District of New York, a draft of which was obtained by ESPN, the PTPA and associated players accuse the ATP, WTA, ITF and ITIA of working together as a "cartel" and colluding with one another -- and in some cases with sanctioned tournaments -- to reduce competition and fix prize money.

Additionally, the suit claims the organizations suppress player income by not allowing requests for increased prize money by some tournament owners, and through forced name, image and likeness (NIL) deals and a lower percentage of revenue sharing compared to other professional sports. Privacy rights violations, specifically related to drug testing, and a disregard for player well-being due to the lengthy duration of the season and inadequate match and tournament conditions are also alleged.

The civil complaint demands a jury trial.

Pospisil, in a statement Tuesday, insisted the suit was "not just about the money," but instead about "fairness, safety and basic human dignity."

"I'm one of the more fortunate players and I've still had to sleep in my car when traveling to matches early on in my career -- imagine an NFL player being told that he had to sleep in his car at an away game," Pospisil said. "It's absurd and would never happen, obviously. No other major sport treats its athletes this way."

Nassar, who previously worked with the NFL Players Association, said the PTPA initially hired the law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP -- who have represented various player associations in litigation against professional leagues in recent years -- to review the sport, using publicly available financial documents and information provided by players, to determine if there was a legal course of action.

The PTPA then met with over 250 players to discuss the findings and next steps. According to Nassar and Pospisil, the overwhelming majority were in favor of filing legal claims. Pospisil, who said he spoke to more than 100 players individually by phone, said he personally tried to recruit players to join the lawsuits as plaintiffs -- something that was considerably harder than simply earning support.

"The main concern was, 'What will the repercussions be for this, especially from the ATP and the WTA?'" Pospisil said. "Many didn't want to put their name out there and wanted to err on the side of caution."

The ATP, WTA, ITF and ITIA have yet to comment publicly.

Nassar said the PTPA hopes such legal actions will result in a revamped and optimized schedule, with more money for players through commercialization and higher revenue sharing, as well as an increased emphasis on player concerns.