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NHL, union reach tentative return-to-play deal

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By The
Associated Press

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:

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The National Hockey League and NHL Players’ Association have reached a tentative agreement to return to play this season and extend the collective bargaining agreement.

The four-year extension of the CBA finalized Monday, coupled with the sides’ agreement on protocols for training camps and games, paves the way for hockey to resume this summer. Training camps would open July 13 and games would resume Aug. 1 if approved by the league’s board of governors and players’ executive committee and full membership.

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Fordham’s football game against Hawaii on Sept. 12 has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Rams have now canceled their first three games. A school spokesman said Fordham will announce later this week whether the entire fall season will be canceled or potentially moved to the spring.

Fordham is a football-only member of the Patriot League, whose Council of Presidents announced last month a guidance plan for fall competition. One of the key provisions of that plan was that “No Patriot League teams will fly to competitions and, with rare exceptions, regular season competition will exclude overnight travel.”

The Rams were supposed to open the season against Stony Brook on Aug. 29 and then host Bryant on Sept. 5 before heading to Hawaii.

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Texas Rangers slugger Joey Gallo has tested positive for the coronavirus, though the team said the All-Star right fielder is asymptomatic.

General manager Jon Daniels said Monday that Gallo is isolated at his apartment in Dallas and not around teammates. Daniels said Gallo told him that he feels as good as he ever has.

Gallo initially took a saliva test as part of the team’s intake process June 27, and got a positive result two days later. The 26-year-old Gallo took a nasal swab test on June 30 which came back negative, but then had another saliva test that came back positive Sunday.

After being one of the local players that had been able to work out at the Rangers’ new ballpark the past several weeks, Gallo has missed the first four days of summer camp at Globe Life Field, including Monday. Daniels had said Sunday that Gallo was still in intake testing.

Gallo has 110 career homers in his 418 big league games. After consecutive 40-homer seasons, he had 22 homers in 70 games last season and was an All-Star before right wrist surgery. He homered in the All-Star game.

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England rugby will lay off 139 positions because it expects to lose 107 million pounds ($134 million) in revenue in the short term.

The Rugby Football Union will begin consulting with staff before announcing the redundancies at the end of August, chief executive Bill Sweeney said on Monday.

“To ensure we have a sustainable RFU we have announced to colleagues that it is proposed that the total number of roles across the organisation will reduce by 139,” he wrote on the union website.

“We have already made some significant cost savings. We furloughed 60% of our organisation; implemented a three-month pay reduction which has been extended for some; introduced pension pauses; and refined business planning and introduced stadium and office running efficiencies to reduce costs.

“Unfortunately, this is not enough to run a sustainable operation and safeguard our future.”

Sweeney predicts it will take five years for the RFU to recover, and the union will lose 20% of its normal revenue over that period.

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Frances Tiafoe will not play in the World TeamTennis season after testing positive for the coronavirus.

The American was playing in a weekend tournament in Atlanta and was tested after feeling symptoms during his match on Friday. He withdrew from the event the following day and said he was following the recommended quarantine protocol.

He was set to play for the Washington Kastles during the World TeamTennis season, set for July 12 to Aug. 2. It’s being played entirely at The Greenbrier in West Virginia because of the pandemic, instead of around the country as usual.

Under league rules, a player had to test negative before being allowed to travel to the resort. The league announced Monday that because Tiafoe’s positive test was within the advance travel window, he was ineligible to compete this season.

Tiafoe, a quarterfinalist at the 2019 Australian Open, will not be paid for this season.

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Atlanta Braves outfielder Nick Markakis has opted out of the 2020 season.

The 36-year-old Markakis said he was uneasy about playing the season without fans and then was swayed by his telephone conversation with teammate Freddie Freeman, who has tested positive for COVID-19 and has fever and other symptoms.

“Just hearing him, the way he sounded on the phone, it was tough,” Markakis said Monday. “It was kind of eye-opening. What everything that’s going on, not just with baseball but all over the world, it makes you open your eyes.”

Markakis became the second Braves player to opt out. Over the weekend, pitcher Félix Hernández said he wouldn’t play this year.

Dodgers pitcher David Price, Washington infielder Ryan Zimmerman and Colorado outfielder Ian Desmond are among the other players who have opted out.

Following nine seasons with Baltimore, Markakis was entering his sixth season with Atlanta. He was competing for a spot in a crowded Braves outfield following the offseason signing of Marcel Ozuna.

Manager Brian Snitker plans to play Ozuna and Ronald Acuña Jr. every game, though Ozuna could be the designated hitter. Markakis, Ender Inciarte, Adam Duvall and others were competing other spots and were joined by rookies Cristian Pache and Drew Waters.

Markakis hit .285 with nine homers and 62 RBIs in 2019, a year after he was an All-Star. He said he doesn’t know how opting out could affect his hopes for playing in 2021.

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Count the Tennessee Titans among the NFL teams offering season-ticket holders the option of opting out of this season and putting that money toward 2021 or getting a refund.

The Titans sent a letter to their season-ticket holders Monday. The team also posted a notice on its website.

Tennessee told season-ticket holders the team suspended any payment plans July 1 for this season.

Team officials will be working with state and local governments on how many fans will be allowed to attend games at Nissan Stadium, which seats approximately 69,143.

But the Titans say the coronavirus pandemic makes it “increasingly likely” that NFL teams will be playing in front of fewer fans this season.

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The National Hockey League says 35 total players have tested positive for the coronavirus over roughly the past month.

The league says 23 of 396 players checked for COVID-19 at team facilities have tested positive since voluntary workouts began June 8, a 5% rate. In that same period of time, it is aware of 12 additional positive test results.

The NHL and NHL Players’ Association on Sunday night agreed on protocols to start training camps and resume the season. That includes daily testing once games get under way for players, coaches and staff.

Resuming is contingent on each side approving an extension of the collective bargaining agreement and the return to play agreement.

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Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell says shortstop Luis Urias and pitcher Angel Perdomo tested positive for COVID-19 before the intake process.

Counsell says both players are asymptomatic.

This marks the second setback for Urias since the Brewers acquired him from San Diego in November. Urias, who is expected to compete with incumbent Orlando Arcia for the starting shortstop job, underwent surgery in January to repair a broken bone in his left hand.

Major League Baseball and the players’ association announced Friday that 31 players and seven staff members tested positive for COVID-19 during intake for the resumption of training, a rate of 1.2%. Teams resumed workouts Friday for the first time since the coronavirus interrupted spring training on March 12, two weeks before the season was to start.

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The Washington Nationals have canceled Monday morning’s team workout because of COVID-19 testing delays.

Players and staff were tested Friday, and general manager Mike Rizzo says the team still hasn’t received its results. Rizzo said it’s not safe to continue holding camp without accurate and timely testing and that the workout was canceled to prevent putting players and staff at risk.

Rizzo says: Major League Baseball “needs to work quickly to resolve issues with their process and their lab. Otherwise, summer camp and the 2020 season are at risk.”

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Two players on the Indiana Fever were among the seven positive tests for the coronavirus across the WNBA, the team announced.

The league and teams didn’t reveal who the players were. All 137 WNBA players were tested over the past week as the teams prepared to head to Florida on Monday for the upcoming season, which will be played at IMG Academy.

The Fever will delay their travel by at least five days to self-quarantine in case any of them came into close contact with the infected players.

The WNBA hopes to start training camp later this week, with the regular season set to begin around July 24.

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More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.



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HKFC coach Jack Wiggins heading to US and role with MLR side San Diego Legion – South China Morning Post

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Wigan Warriors 2010 Grand Final winners – Where are they now?

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2010 saw Wigan Warriors finish the season as League Leaders and Grand Final winners, defeating St Helens 22-10 at Old Trafford to lift the Super League trophy.

Thomas Leuluai claimed the Harry Sunderland Trophy on the day, while team-mates Martin Gleeson, Darrell Goulding and Sam Tomkins all crossed for four-pointers.

We take a look at where the Wigan line-up are today… 

6 Sam Tomkins

Sam Tomkins was rewarded with the number six shirt for the 2010 season, replacing Tim Smith. Scoring a try in the Grand Final, the full-back is still one of the best in the game heading into 2022. The 2021 Steve Prescott Man of Steel winner will be eyeing up a spot in the England squad for the upcoming Rugby League World Cup.

24 Darrell Goulding

The former Wigan outside-back was forced to retire at the age of 27 due to injury, having made more than 150 top flight appearances for the Warriors, Hull KR and Salford. Goulding won two caps for England during his playing days, and now oversees the youth development at Wigan. He was also part of the first team coaching staff in 2020.

3 Martin Gleeson

The former Great Britain and England representative is now the assistant attack coach at rugby union side, Wasps RFC. He joined the club ahead of the 2019/20 season, and made the switch from Salford where he was the club’s assistant coach. 

4 George Carmont

George Carmont made his first team debut for Newcastle Knights in 2004, and went on to join Wigan ahead of the 2008 season. The former Samoa captain went on to make more than 150 appearances for the club. According to his LinkedIn, the former centre now works as a distribution officer in Mount Wellington. 

5 Pat Richards

Pat Richards made more than 350 career appearances across stints in both the NRL and Super League, while also winning seven caps for Ireland. He retired at the end of the 2016 season after a year in Perpignan with Catalans, but returned to the game in 2020 as he was named for Wests Tigers in the Perth Nines. According to LinkedIn, Richards now enjoys life as a business development manager at United Forklift and Access Solutions, while also holding the title as Wests Tigers’ Foundation Ambassador. 

19 Paul Deacon 

Paul Deacon was a member of the Wigan coaching staff for four years since retiring from playing in 2011 and also worked as assistant to then-head coach Steve McNamara with England. He now works as a coach for Sale Sharks.

7 Thomas Leuluai

The New Zealand half-back was named Wigan’s captain in 2021, and has signed a new one-year deal for the upcoming Super League campaign. He will enter his 12th season with the Warriors and his 20th in his career.

8 Stuart Fielden

The former England and Great Britain international started as prop in the 2010 Grand Final, and made more than 370 career appearances across stints with Bradford, Wigan and Huddersfield. He once held the world record for a transfer fee. According to his LinkedIn, Fielden now works as a pastoral and behavioural interventions, as well as earning his level two gym instructor and level three personal training qualifications in 2016.

15 Michael McIlorum

Michael McIlorum started at hooker over Mark Riddell in the 2010 Grand Final, and still features in the Super League for the Dragons. The England and Ireland international signed a new deal with Catalans Dragons for 2022.

10 Andy Coley

Andy Coley made more than 400 career appearances, having made his debut for Swinton. He went on to appear for Salford and Wigan, playing more than 200 games for the Warriors. According to his LinkedIn, Coley now works as operations director at Greenmount Projects Ltd.

11 Harrison Hansen

Harrison Hansen made his debut for Wigan at the age of 18, and went on to win two Challenge Cup and two Super League titles with the Warriors. He will feature again in Super League in 2022 with newly-promoted side Toulouse.

12 Joel Tomkins

Joel Tomkins made 237 appearances for Wigan over two stints with the club, scoring 64 tries. He won six caps for England, as well as three with England rugby union during his code-switch. He had signed with Leigh in the Championship for the 2022 season, before announcing his retirement from the sport.

13 Sean O’Loughlin

After a 19-year career with his hometown club, Sean O’Loughlin announced his retirement at the end of the 2020 season. He had played 459 games for the Warriors, and won ten major honours. The former skipper now works as assistant coach at the DW Stadium side.

Bench

9 Mark Riddell

The former Super League and NRL hooker made 62 appearances for Wigan. Mark Riddell retired in 2011 after a 10-year career at the top. Since retirement, he enjoyed a role as coach of the Australian women’s team and a commentator for Sydney radio station 2GB.

14 Paul Prescott

The prop forward was forced to retire from the sport at the age of just 27 due to injury. An Ireland international, Paul Prescott made 145 appearances for Wigan after making his debut for his hometown club in 2004. According to LinkedIn, he is now head of operations – Youth at The Premier League, MBA. 

17 Iafeta Paleaaesina

The powerful New Zealand forward enjoyed more than 350 first-grade games in the sport. He made his debut for New Zealand Warriors, and featured for Wigan, Salford, Limoux Grizzlies, Hull and Doncaster. He became Hull’s full-time player welfare manager at the end of 2016 having taken the role part-time during last season.

25 Liam Farrell

Liam Farrell started the 2010 season on dual-registration at Widnes. Maguire gave Farrell his Wigan first team debut in April against Wakefield, scoring a try from the bench. He was named in the 17 for the club’s Grand Final that year, and still features for the Warriors. The England international was named in the Super League Dream Team in 2021 for his fourth time.

READ MORE: The impressive XIII of academy products handed their senior Wigan debuts by Shaun Wane

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Kathy Flores, Pathbreaking Women’s Rugby Coach, Dies at 66

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The 1991 Women’s Rugby World Cup came down to a face-off between the brash but underdog Americans and the established England team, the product of a long British tradition in the sport.

But it was the United States team that won the final, in Cardiff Arms Park in Wales, capturing what came to be considered the first major world championship ever played in women’s rugby.

Kathy Flores wore No. 8 for the Americans, handling a key position at the center of the field.

Over her 40-year career in the sport, Flores helped bring about some of the formative events of U.S. rugby history. She captained the USA Women’s Rugby Team in 1987 and coached the same team from 2003 to 2010, returning with it to the women’s rugby World Cup in 2006 and 2010. And from 2014 until Oct. 21, when she died of colon cancer at 66 in Providence, R.I., she was the coach of Brown University’s Division I women’s rugby team. The J.F. Skeffington Funeral Home in Providence reported her death in an obituary.

Flores’s legacy as a coach was one of inclusion. She pushed for more support for women’s rugby, telling The Associated Press in 2010 that “women have always wanted to be physical, but they haven’t had the opportunity.”

She also coached the San Francisco Fog, an LGBTQ rugby team, and played for and later coached the Berkeley All Blues, a Bay Area semiprofessional team, winning 11 league championships from 1994 to 2010.

“I love the sport, and I want to expose as many people to it as I can, particularly young women,” Flores told The Bay Area Reporter in 2013. “It’s important for their confidence and self-esteem.”

“With college girls, after playing rugby, they start thinking better of themselves and realize what they can do better,” she said. “You see them walk into interviews differently. Working with gay men, I see the same things. After playing a little bit of sports, there’s a whole change in how they see themselves, kind of like a flower blooming.”

Flores often received a meager salary for playing or coaching rugby, and she recalled in a 2017 interview with the BBC that a majority of the players on the 1991 national team had held jobs to support themselves and often lost them when they traveled to compete.

Women’s rugby at the national level has historically been underfunded and under-promoted in comparison with the men’s game, she said in a 2011 interview with the blog Rugby Wrap Up.

When asked about her desire to continue coaching World Cup teams, she said she was unsure given the inadequate funding. “It’s lip service to say the women get support when our Eagles have to do raffles and sell last World Cup’s gear to raise money,” she said. “Next it will be bake sales. Are the men doing this too?”

Women’s rugby has long had to fend for itself. The 1991 World Cup was organized not by the International Rugby Board, the sport’s governing body, but by four players from the Richmond Women’s Rugby Club in Britain. They wrote to national teams, booked fields for the matches and raised money to cover costs.

The Rugby Board, now called World Rugby, acknowledged the legitimacy of the tournament in 2009, when, in a news release, it listed the U.S. Women’s National Team as 1991 champions.

The Americans won that 1991 final game, 19-6, before 3,000 fans, whose mere presence was nerve-racking, Flores said in the BBC interview. “Just, you know, having people watching us was something different,” she said.

The game was a triumph of athletic prowess over the long experience of European rugby teams. “They obviously may have understood the strategy of the game a bit better than we did having grown up with it,” Flores told scrumhalfconnection.com, a women’s rugby website, “but our fitness and mobility between our fast backs and forwards outlasted them.”

But she said that American rugby officials had failed to capitalize on the team’s success. “They didn’t really promote it as you could have,” she said.

Kathleen Theresa Flores was born on Feb. 7, 1955, in Philadelphia to Catharine (Miles) and Joseph Flores. She graduated from Monmouth Regional High School in New Jersey and attended East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, earning a bachelor’s degree in physical education.

She went on to Florida State University for a master’s degree in exercise physiology and began playing rugby there at 23. (Information on her survivors was not available.)

Zyana Thomas, a senior at Brown and a women’s rugby player who wears No. 8, as Flores did, said in an interview that Flores, who was of Filipino and Hawaiian descent, supported players of color in particular. And when Thomas experienced homelessness in college, she said, Flores gave her a place to stay.

Last year, the position of women’s rugby coach at Brown, through a donation, was endowed in her name.

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