I Dig Sports
Newcastle's last trophy came in 2004 when they defeated Sale Sharks 37-33 at Twickenham in the Powergen Cup.
Since then, all of the current Premiership clubs have won a trophy - with the exception of the north east outfit.
The Falcons sit bottom of the league with two wins from their 11 games, but Diamond has targeted a strong showing in the Premiership Rugby Cup all season.
And with Newcastle not losing as many of their players to international duty as many other clubs, they sense an opportunity.
"Our captain, Callum Chick, produced a really good presentation ahead of the group stages called '21'," revealed Diamond, twice a winner in this competition with Sale in 2020 and Worcester Warriors two years later.
"It was about 21 years since we had won anything and he showed pictures of that day at Twickenham. Micky Ward, our defence coach, was playing for us.
"It really hit home with the players."
Kidwell eyes Tigers success as he makes coaching switch
Tigers are fourth in the table, 11 games into their 18-match Premiership campaign, and will face Glasgow Warriors in the Round of 16 of the European Champions Cup.
Kidwell, a rugby league World Cup-winning player with New Zealand in 2008 who went on to coach the national side between 2016 and 2018, had a spell playing the 13-man game in England with Super League side Warrington Wolves.
That stint came early in his career and before be collected a National Rugby League title with Sydney Roosters in 2002.
He got to another NRL Grand Final with Melbourne Storm later in his career, but it was not until he moved into coaching that he helped the Victorian club to the Australian crown.
Chieka says Kidwell will bring "a unique perspective" and "offer a valuable, new point of view" for the remainder of the season.
"Having worked with him before, I know what positives he will bring into our environment and that extends beyond just the players to the coaches and staff with the experience and knowledge he can pass on to them to help us improve," Cheika said.
"David was a tough player, successful player and both of those mindsets are going to be important for us."
Ex-England coach Jones returns to South Africa staff
Former England defence coach Felix Jones will become an assistant coach with South Africa from next week.
Jones stepped down from his position with England in December after becoming disillusioned in Steve Borthwick's set-up.
The 37-year-old was part of the Springboks' coaching staff during their 2019 and 2023 World Cup victories, working under head coach Rassie Erasmus in the first of those triumphs.
"We are delighted to welcome Felix back and we are excited to see him pick up where he left off in 2023," said Erasmus, who returned as head coach when Jacques Nienaber left for Leinster following the 2023 World Cup win.
"He was a vital cog in the coaching team from 2019 to 2023 and his experience, professionalism, and excellent work ethic will make him a great addition.
"After spending some time in England, his experience of studying opposition teams in the Six Nations and other international tournaments will add immense value in assisting us as we cast an eye on a tough international season ahead."
Former Ireland wing Jones is one of three new appointments to Erasmus' backroom staff along with physiotherapist Lance Lemmetjies and team dietician Robyn Moore.
"As a team we are well aware that we need to keep improving and growing if we want to remain one of the best teams in the world and to give ourselves the best possible chance to defend our World Cup title in Australia in 2027," Erasmus added.
"Felix, like all the other coaching and support staff, will play a key role in guiding us to do so."
Ireland's Peter O'Mahony, Cian Healy and Conor Murray will retire from international rugby at the end of this year's Six Nations.
The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) confirmed that Ireland's former captain O'Mahony and most-capped player Healy will retire from rugby at the end of the season, while Murray will "pursue a playing opportunity abroad" when his Munster deal concludes this summer.
All three players are five-time Six Nations champions, two-time Grand Slam winners and have earned over 100 caps for Ireland.
O'Mahony, Healy and Murray will hope to secure a sixth Six Nations title and third Grand Slam by helping Ireland win their final two matches against France and Italy.
"Hi everyone, we've got some news to share: this will be our last Six Nations in green," the trio said in a video posted on Ireland's X account.
"It's been an unbelievable journey and I consider myself very lucky but the job isn't done and we've a big couple of weeks ahead.
"The three of us have done some very special things together but we're not done yet.
"Your support over the years has been incredible and has never gone unnoticed, so thank you and we hope to see you in the Aviva [Stadium] one last time next weekend [against France]."
Ireland interim head coach Simon Easterby said it has been a "privilege" to work with O'Mahony, Healy and Murray since 2014, when he joined the coaching set-up.
"They have each played a huge role in the success of Irish rugby over the course of their careers and they continue to inspire their team-mates around them," said Easterby.
"Watching how openly they engage with players in their own position and continue to add value around the set-up is testament to their collective character and they are also adding real value on the pitch.
"Knowing each of the guys, they will be focused on achieving even more success this season and we are determined as a group to end their careers with Ireland on a high over these last two rounds."
SPEEDWAY, Ind. This years USAC Hall of Fame class of inductees has been revealed.
USACs 12th Hall of Fame includes driver/car owner Jack Bowsher, driver Dave Darland, car owner/official Bob Estes, car owner/crew chief Bob Hampshire, promoters Roger and Linda Holdeman, official Tommy Hunt and driver Gordon Johncock.
The official 2025 USAC Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place at USAC headquarters in Speedway, Ind., on Wednesday afternoon, July 2.
JACK BOWSHER
Although he never earned a championship in USAC Stock Car competition, Jack Bowsher was undoubtedly one of the preeminent figures of the sport.
Born in Harmony, Ohio on Oct. 2, 1930, the U.S. Navy veterans USAC career spanned more than two decades. Prior to tackling USAC full-time, Bowsher found major success with three consecutive ARCA crowns in 1963-1964-1965.
His USAC resume ranks among the upper echelon. His 21 wins as a driver rank seventh; his 32 pole positions as a driver place him third; his 162 starts as a driver are eighth best; and his 38 car owner victories slot him third.
As a driver and car owner, Bowsher was equally proficient, finishing as the runner-up in USAC entrant points on three-straight occasions in 1968-1969-1970, while also placing two entries inside the top-five of the points in all three seasons. In 1971, he took second in the standings as a driver, boosted by a four-race winning streak.
Among those winning USAC Stock Car races in Jack Bowsher-owned cars are Parnelli Jones and A.J. Foyt, the latter of whom won four times in Bowshers ride en route to the 1968 driving title. Bowsher died on April 8, 2006, at age 75.
DAVE DARLAND
One of eight USAC career Triple Crown champions, by the time he hung up the helmet in 2023, Dave Darland had amassed more USAC National Sprint Car victories than any other driver.
Born on Sept. 4, 1966, in Lincoln, Indiana, Darland earned his stripes by becoming a force on the local Indiana sprint car circuit. In time, hed take the USAC world by storm, capturing four national driving titles: Silver Crown (1997), Sprint (1999) and Midget (2001-2002).
The first of his 62 USAC National Sprint car triumphs arrived in 1993, and proved to be the first of his 115 total USAC feature victories (nationally and regionally), which also includes 30 National Midget triumphs and 14 Silver Crown. Hes one of only seven drivers to surpass 100 career USAC wins.
His 1,334 USAC National starts rank number one all-time as do his 797 USAC Sprint Car starts between 1986-2023. One of Darlands greatest attributes is his longevity of success.
In fact, Darland scored at least one USAC national feature victory in a record 24 consecutive seasons between 1993-2016. All these years later, Darland has solidified his position as one of the all-time USAC greats, a status he will retain for eternity.
BOB ESTES
As one of USACs founding fathers, Bob Estes was monumental in the clubs formative years both on and off the track.
Born in Los Angeles, California on Sept. 21, 1913, following a foray as a driver himself, Estes focus soon shifted toward business and race team ownership.
Following his service in World War II, Estes purchased a Lincoln-Mercury dealership in Inglewood, California. With his dealership employee and car builder Jud Phillips as his sidekick, Estes team captured AAA Midwest Sprint Car championships in 1953-1954 with Pat OConnor.
At USACs inception in 1955, Estes was elected as the national car owner representative, a role he helmed until 1960. Later, hed also serve USAC as its western regional representative.
OConnor and Estes earned the inaugural USAC Midwest Sprint Car title in 1956. With Don Branson in 1959, Estes team duplicated its USAC Midwest Sprint championship. Estes also fielded several Indianapolis 500 entries, finishing a best of third with Don Freeland in the 1956 race.
Aside from the ovals, Ken Miles captured victory during the 1959 USAC Road Racing opener in Pomona, California, driving a Porsche RS Spyder owned by Estes. Estes died on Dec. 11, 2001, at the age of 88.
BOB HAMPSHIRE
Without question, Bob Hampshire was instrumental in two of the most dominant eras by any driver in USAC history.
Born on Sept. 25, 1946, Hampshires initial success as a USAC car owner came with Jac Haudenschild, who corralled a pair of wins in 1982. Yet Hampshires most iconic seasons came in association with Jack Hewitt. In all, the pair teamed up for 22 USAC Sprint Car victories between 1985-1997.
That said, Hampshire and Hewitts success on the USAC Silver Crown trail was simply dominant. Armed with their Challenger Chevy nicknamed Gussie, they annihilated the competition, winning all six dirt races they entered in 1986. In 1987, they repeated as series champs.
Hampshire is credited with 14 USAC Silver Crown owner wins, which once ranked as the most in series history. However, as a crew chief, Hampshire has orchestrated a boatload of victories with Hewitt at 6R Racing and 21 more with Kody Swanson at DePalma Motorsports between 2014-2018, a run which included four series titles in a five-year span.
In 2014, Hampshire was named USACs Chief Mechanic of the Year, and in 2018, his 63 became the first number officially retired for use in the USAC Silver Crown series.
ROGER & LINDA HOLDEMAN
When Roger Holdeman purchased Indianas Winchester Speedway in 1970, the half-mile, high-banked oval was already world famous for its breathtaking speed and incomparable competition.
But in the years to follow, Holdeman took the hallowed grounds to another level while hosting 123 races between USACs Sprint, Midget and Stock Car divisions, many of which featured unique double and tripleheader formats along with cornerstone events such as the Rich Vogler Classic, Sammy Sessions Memorial, Border Wars and Oldtimers Weekend.
It was also a perfect match. Born and raised in Winchester, Roger graduated in 1957 from Winchester High School where he served as class president. As caretaker of Winchester Speedway, he oversaw a complete reconstruction of the grandstands, multiple repaves, the creation of a tunnel and new track lights.
In 1988, Roger married Linda, who had served as the promoter at Oswego Speedway. By 1989, the two were managing the tracks day-to-day duties and even constructed their new home outside turn one. A year later, Roger and Linda were named USACs Race Organizers of the Year for 1990.
Roger passed away at age 58 in 1996. Later that year, Linda was the recipient of the Diana Fell Gilmore Woman Behind the Scenes award.
TOMMY HUNT
The Hunt family was born to be motorsports lifers, and Tommy Hunt certainly fits the mold to a T.
Tommys father, Joe Hunt, was a magneto magnate and a longtime champ car team owner, employing many of the greatest drivers of the era. Tommys son, Tony Hunt, is a 10-time USAC driving champion in both rear engine machinery and sprint car racing.
Tommy was entrenched in the sport from day one, serving on the crew for his dads team. Eventually, Tommy became a driver himself, most notably scoring three California Racing Assn Sprint Car feature wins, plus 1974 Most Improved Driver honors, while also running the familys magneto business until 1986.
Those experiences prepared Tommy for his role of 28 years at USAC between 1986-2013 in which he served as Vice President and the head of the series west coast operations where he oversaw the Midget, Sprint Car, Supermodified divisions, and was instrumental in introducing both the F2000 and Russell Pro series to USAC as well as the introduction of the Ford Focus Midget series.
Serving the sport with integrity, professionalism and doing things the right way, Tommy was honored with the Dick Jordan Award of Excellence in 2024.
GORDON JOHNCOCK
Gordon Johncock was a natural behind the wheel and became one of the premier drivers of his era, and of any era.
Born on Aug. 5, 1936, in Hastings, Mich., Johncock initially made his mark in supermodifieds, winning throughout the Midwest and as far east as New Yorks Oswego Speedway.
In sprint cars, Johncock scored the inaugural Williams Grove National Open in 1963. With USAC in 1964, he opened eyes by conquering Indianas daunting Winchester Speedway, while also setting a new world record in qualifying, doing so without brakes at an average speed of nearly 105 mph.
Finishing fifth as an Indianapolis 500 Rookie in 1965, Johncock carried onward to his first Indy Car win at Milwaukee that same year, the first of his 20 career USAC National Championship victories.
His defining moments came at Indianapolis in the tragedy-marred 1973 race, and again in 1982, when his 0.16 second winning margin over Rick Mears proved to be the closest in race history at the time. In 1976, he earned the series championship.
Johncock was adept at adapting to any setting, even winning a pair of USAC Stock Car races in 1972 at Milwaukee and in 1973 at Texas World Speedway.
Wyshynski's NHL trade deadline Big Board: From superstar shocks to pending free agents to glue guys
The rise of the salary cap changes everything in the NHL.
On Jan. 31, the league and the NHLPA announced an agreement to create "increased predictability" about the salary cap over the next three seasons, provided there's a new collective bargaining agreement beyond the 2025-26 season. The upper limits for the cap are projected as:
2025-26: $95.5 million
2026-27: $104 million
2027-28: $113.5 million
It's a shrewd negotiating tactic, giving the players a sense of the league's prosperity and their own future earning potential under a skyrocketing cap. But it also materially changed how teams could approach the March 7 NHL trade deadline.
"I think this is going to be an interesting deadline. Everybody's like, 'We're going to have money next year.' So I wonder if you might see some actual contracts move," one NHL team executive said. "I think teams might be looking at free agency this summer and wondering what they're actually going to get out of it. So maybe they're willing to trade for Seth Jones or something at the deadline."
With that salary cap bump on the horizon, here's a look at the players who could move before the NHL trade deadline on March 7 at 3 p.m. ET, from the shocking possibilities to the pending free agents to the players with low-cost contracts who could be the difference in winning the Stanley Cup.
This list was compiled through conversations with league executives and other sources, as well as media reports. ESPN insiders Kevin Weekes and Emily Kaplan added their input in its creation. Salary figures are from Cap Wages and PuckPedia.
Let's begin with the biggest names.
Liverpool have confirmed that women's first team manager Matt Beard will leave his post with immediate effect.
Beard first joined LFC Women in 2012, winning back-to-back Women's Super League (WSL) titles in 2013 and 2014 before he left in 2015.
He rejoined the club in May 2021 and helped return Liverpool to the top-flight ahead of the 2022-23 season.
After defying expectations to finish fourth in the WSL last season, Liverpool have struggled this term and are seventh in the table after 14 games.
In a statement on Thursday, a club spokesperson said: "On behalf of the LFC Women Board, Mike Gordon, President, Fenway Sports Group; Billy Hogan, Chief Executive Officer, LFC and Susan Black, Communications Director, LFC thank Matt for his significant contribution.
"We have all experienced some fantastic moments with Matt as manager of LFC Women and we express our gratitude for his significant contribution. Our priority was to return this team to where it belongs and we collectively achieved that in 2022 by winning promotion to the WSL.
"We need to build on that momentum and although this has been a difficult decision, we believe it provides us with the best opportunity for future success on the pitch.
"The search for a new manager of LFC Women is underway with Amber Whiteley stepping into the Interim LFC Women's Manager role with immediate effect."
Van Dijk on Prem title race: 'Nothing decided yet'
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk insists "nothing is decided yet" in the Premier League title race despite his team moving 13 points clear with a 2-0 win over Newcastle United.
Goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister helped Liverpool ease past Eddie Howe's side at Anfield on Wednesday night, with second-place Arsenal drawing away to Nottingham Forest. It was a fifth game in the space of 15 days for Arne Slot's side who are now unbeaten in 24 matches in league.
"I think it was a good performance; offensively, defensively," Van Dijk said after the game. "What I enjoyed the most, and what I like to see, was the last 20 minutes and how we controlled the game in possession and let them run.
"I think we did that well. It is the most difficult thing to keep running behind the ball and trying to win the ball but if you have the ball then you can create the open space and more chances and I think we did that in a good way."
There was a celebratory atmosphere at Anfield as news of Arsenal's result filtered through, with supporters inside the stadium singing: "We're Gonna Win The League." However, Van Dijk is confident that he and his teammates won't be distracted by the outside noise as they bid to secure a record-equalling 20th league title this term.
"They can sing whatever they want," he said. "We have to deal with that. It was a good atmosphere today like always and we have to make sure that definitely the rest of the games here will be an amazing atmosphere and we have to keep going.
"We definitely enjoy the atmosphere. There is no 'almost there.' There are 10 more games to go for us and nothing is decided yet. Until it gets decided we don't get carried away whatsoever."
"I'm going to be the boring guy in that sense because I'm going to say 'Onto the next, keep calm,'" he added.
"You have to enjoy winning games but not for too long as you play almost every three days. Now we have a little gap. That's the only thing we have to do, prepare for the next.
"It was an intense 15 days with a lot of intense games and I think we came out of it pretty well and we have put ourselves in a very good position but it doesn't mean that anything is done, I keep reminding players and also to the outside world that there is no time and space for complacency.
"The message today was we had to show what we are all about because after a very good win against Man City and then drop points or have a bad performance then the performance against City doesn't stand for anything.
"I think we showed a very good reaction, a great game offensively, defensively and a clean sheet again. I think we have also the most clean sheets in this season and that's all down to the hard work of the team and we have to keep that going and see what that brings."
Kevin Pietersen joins Delhi Capitals as team mentor
Pietersen also captained England across 15 internationals, including a two-match Test series in India in 2008.
"I've got incredible memories of representing the Delhi franchise in the IPL, and I've been able to maintain that passion for the team even as a broadcaster over the years. I shared the field with Venu (Venugopal Rao) during the 2012 season, and it's great to be reconnecting with him as we begin a new chapter at this amazing franchise."
Outside of the IPL, Pietersen has featured in the Big Bash League (BBL), Pakistan Super League (PSL) and Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Overall, he played 200 T20s, scoring 5695 runs at an average of 33.89 and strike rate of just under 137.
Pakistan, Bangladesh share points after washout
Match abandoned without a ball bowled Pakistan vs Bangladesh
Steady rain fell all afternoon at the stadium, with no opportunity for the covers to come off at any point. The match was called off at 3.27pm local time, just under an hour-and-a-half after the scheduled start time.
Only one match now remains in Group A, with India taking on New Zealand in Dubai on March 2 in a clash that determines who finishes top of the group. Both teams are already through to the semi-finals.
For the record, Bangladesh (-0.443) finish the tournament above Pakistan (-1.087) on net run rate.
Pakistan's next assignment is a white-ball tour of New Zealand later this month, comprising five T20Is and three ODIs. Bangladesh, meanwhile, are set to host Zimbabwe for three ODIs and three T20Is.
Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: 
Email: 
