South Africa international Eben Etzebeth has been named in the Springboks World Cup squad after denying allegations of assault.

Reports on social media claimed the lock pointed a gun at a homeless man in Langebaan, a town north of Cape Town.

"It is completely untrue and unfounded to claim that I physically or racially abused anyone in Langebaan as has been reported on social media," he said.

"Multiple witnesses can corroborate that."

He added: "I am and will always strive to be a true ambassador to this beautiful rainbow nation and the sport that I love."

Etzebeth was part of the South Africa squad who reached the semi-finals of the 2015 World Cup and is now set to travel to Japan with the side, who begin their campaign against defending champions New Zealand on 21 September.

The South African Rugby Union released a statement saying it would "co-operate with the authorities in any way necessary".

"SARU is a law-abiding member of South African society and has no tolerance of acts of violence or racial abuse," the statement added.

"Our Rugby World Cup squad will have no place for anyone who transgresses those principles."

South Africa World Cup squad

Forwards: Steven Kitshoff, Tendai Mtawarira, Schalk Brits, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi, Vincent Koch, Frans Malherbe, Trevor Nyakane, Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, Franco Mostert, RG Snyman, Siya Kolisi (c), Francois Louw, Kwagga Smith, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Duane Vermeulen.

Backs: Warrick Gelant, Willie le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe, Sibusiso Nkosi, Lukhanyo Am, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Francois Steyn, Makazole Mapimpi, Elton Jantjies, Handre Pollard, Herschel Jantjies, Faf de Klerk, Cobus Reinach.

Former British and Irish Lion Richie Gray's absence from Scotland's World Cup training squad is his own decision, says assistant coach Danny Wilson.

Toulouse lock Gray was a shock omission from Gregor Townsend's 44-man training squad in May and was overlooked on Tuesday when Sam Skinner was ruled out.

The 29-year-old become a father to son Ostin at the end of May.

"Due to family reasons and returning from injury, he decided he couldn't commit to the World Cup," Wilson added.

"As I understand it, Gregor has been in conversation with him for a long time. Timing does come into these things at times and that's the situation. It's a personal choice which we understand from Richie.

"He's not been in the squad since I began my time with Scotland. Hopefully that will happen in the future, but we'll see."

Gray has not played for Scotland since the win over Italy in Rome in March 2018, mainly because of back and hip complaints.

However, he ended last season by helping Toulouse to the Top 14 title and has been in "constant conversation" with Townsend, according to Wilson.

As it stands, Skinner has been replaced by Tim Swinson. However, the Glasgow Warriors lock only has until Tuesday to earn himself a place in the 31-man squad for the tournament.

Swinson, who was selected for the World Cup four years ago, can play in both the second and back rows, which Wilson said could aid his case.

"We've obviously got a decision to make around that second-row/back-row situation that Sam offered us some flexibility around," Wilson said.

"There's an opportunity for boys to perform in these games then get picked but, first of all, Tim would have to get picked and right now he's just in to train. We'll see how that goes over the next two days."

Scotland lock Sam Skinner will miss the Rugby World Cup after suffering a hamstring injury in Saturday's win over France.

The Exeter Chiefs second row had scans after limping off during the 17-14 win at Murrayfield, and it has been decided that he would not recover quickly enough to "play a meaningful part" in the tournament in Japan.

Glasgow Warriors second row Tim Swinson will join up with the training group as cover, with Gregor Townsend naming his final squad on 3 September.

Swinson who has made 38 appearances for the national team, the most recent against Argentina in last summer, and can also cover the back row.

Scotland's opening game is against Ireland on 22 September.

And, while Skinner will miss at least four weeks, assistant coach Danny Wilson has not ruled out him being given a late summons to Japan once the tournament has started.

"Hopefully Sam will return as quickly as possible and in five or six weeks, depending on injuries [to other players], we'll have a fit body to look at," Wilson said.

"But that's not for me to decide the time frame, that will come from the physios."

Each month in SPEED SPORT Magazine we highlight some of our favorite Twitter posts from racing personalities from various disciplines. Here is the SPEED SPORT Twitter Me This from August 2019.

Hailie Deegan (@HailieDeegan): Is it just me or does NC @ChickfilA taste so much better than Cali @ChickfilA?

Noah Gragson (@NoahGragson): If you’re at Daytona and have a blow-up pool, tweet me where you’re at. I’m coming to jump in it.

Julia Landauer (@julialandauer): We haven’t taken off on a flight to London and someone’s feet already smell …

Matt DiBenedetto (@mattdracing): All I want to do during rain-delays is eat. Oh wait … that’s me pretty much every day.

Andy Seuss (@AndySeuss): Someone should make sure @RyanPreece_ is properly qualified for the @MonsterEnergy Cup race today. I mean, the kid’s Twitter account isn’t even verified.

Kevin Swindell (@KevinSwindell): How do all of these Chic-Fil-A’s keep completely redoing their parking lots and not making traffic any better at all?

Anthony Alfredo (@anthonyalfredo): If the plural of goose is geese, why is the pural of moose not meese? What about mooses?

Cole Custer (@ColeCuster): If someone is near pit road with an umbrella @iowapseedway, come rescue me … I’m taking shelter in a port-a-jon as it pours rain.

Kaz Grala (@KazGrala): Finally got around to switching my license from MA to NC at the DMV. Homeboy at the counter just told me because I got my license under the age of 18 in MA that I have to retake the written and road tests today … This is a disaster. Wish me luck. I’m gonna need it.

Tyler Erb (@Terbo_91): Ran fifth at the Dream and didn’t have a phone for 24 hours. Life is good.

Clint Bowyer (@ClintBowyer): Deer standing in the beans this morning got me excited.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr): I hope I never say the words “lightning clock” again.

Kurt Busch (@KurtBusch): I feel Thunderstruck. Cue the AC/DC.

MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Memphis Int’l Raceway and parent company IRG Sports + Entertainment have named Justin Kamm as the venue’s general manager.

Kamm brings a vast amount of motorsports industry knowledge, facility management, event marketing and sales experience to the largest motorsports facility in the Mid-South.

“I am appreciative of this opportunity to lead Memphis Int’l Raceway and the dedicated team as we prepare for our 34th year of business,” Kamm said. “The venue has great growth potential that we as a team will continue to build on. I can’t wait to get started and meet the entire Memphis team, our racers and partners.”

Kamm will oversee the day-to-day operations of the 342-acre multi-use facility which includes a combined quarter and eighth-mile dragstrip, 1.8-mile road course and three-quarter mile, high-banked paved oval.

Kamm has spent much of his career in motorsports, most recently serving as director of corporate partnerships for John Force Racing in Yorba Linda, Calif.

Before joining John Force Racing, Kamm was part of the management teams at Palm Beach International Raceway and New Jersey Motorsports Park focusing on event management, sales and marketing. Prior to joining the management ranks at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Kamm was a member of the operations team zMAX Dragway, Charlotte, N.C.

The former Junior Dragster racer is a graduate of Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C.

“Justin is someone that we have worked with and know well. He brings great enthusiasm and valuable sports management and operations experience to us as the new leader of the Memphis team,” said Lou Partenza, IRGSE President and CEO.

“He joins our passionate IRGSE leadership team that is committed to the continued growth and development of Memphis International Raceway.”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – American Flat Track is set to unleash a dirt track racing extravaganza at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in the form of a Springfield AFT tripleheader during Labor Day weekend.

Friday night will see the running of the Springfield Short Track starring the Roof Systems AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys before the AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines and AFT Production Twins take center stage with Saturday’s Springfield Mile I and Sunday’s Springfield Mile II.

AFT Twins title leader Briar Bauman comes into Springfield with freight train-like momentum and eyeing two opportunities to claim his first-career Mile victory.

Doing so would not only cement both a career and season Grand Slam, it would also place that much more pressure on multi-time defending champion Jared Mees, who currently trails Bauman by 38 points with just five races remaining in which to make up that ground.

Mees was victorious at the two Miles run thus far in 2019. He’ll likely need that trend to continue if he hopes to complete the championship threepeat with four of the final five remaining races on the calendar taking place on high-speed Miles. Considering that two of the four Miles are packed into one high-profile weekend, this year’s visit to Springfield has massive championship implications.

The list of potential spoilers is long and decorated, right at the top of that list are Bryan Smith and Jeffrey Carver Jr.

The savvy Smith has established himself as one of the greatest Mile competitors the sport has ever known, and his next Springfield Mile win will be his tenth in the iconic race. Home-state favorite Carver, meanwhile, aced all his competitors to score a hugely popular win at the venue last season.

The Roof Systems AFT Singles title fight couldn’t be any closer with Dalton Gauthier and Dan Bromley equal at 216 points apiece. Both riders have put themselves in their respective positions by running up front consistently, no matter the style of track, but Friday’s Short Track showdown will truly be a matchup of strength versus strength.

Gauthier has taken four short track wins during his career, including two of the three contested this season, while Bromley reigned supreme at the Springfield Short Track in both 2017 and 2018.

In the AFT Production Twins championship outlook, Cory Texter maintains a comfortable 27-point advantage. That said, he no longer has a stranglehold on the class in the way he enjoyed earlier this season.

After opening the year by stringing together three straight weekends in which he was the top qualifier, lap leader, and Main Event winner, Texter has seen three different riders – Chad Cose, Ryan Varnes and Dalton Gauthier – split the three available wins since.

Texter could be primed to return to his winning ways, however, considering he’s shown to be strong enough at the Springfield Mile to podium there even in the premier class.

Not surprisingly, AFT’s Springfield tripleheader will serve as an unofficial celebration of the sport supported by a number of highly anticipated related activities. The on-track action in Springfield will actually kick off on Thursday with AMA Amateur Short Track, Vintage National, and Astro Bultaco Invitational racing.

During Saturday’s Springfield Mile I, ‘97 and ‘99 Springfield Mile winner Kevin Atherton will serve as Grand Marshal. That same honor will go to legendary Harley (and Springfield event) t-shirt designer Ron Stratman during Sunday’s Springfield Mile II.

Rookies of ’79 – American Flat Track’s Official Charity – will play a big role during the weekend as well. The Class of ‘79 will host an afterparty following Saturday’s Mile in the Orr Building, while the proceeds of the Gus Miller Ride the Mile charity parade lap will go to the Class of ‘79 on Sunday.

WELCOME, N.C. — Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick will celebrate NASCAR’s history at Darlington Raceway with a throwback car design honoring Kyle Petty’s 1980s 7-Eleven scheme.

The paint scheme will prominently feature both 7-Eleven and blu, a leader in the electronic cigarette industry, that retails at 7-Eleven.

“We’re excited to enter the sport of NASCAR and partner with Richard Childress Racing, one of the most iconic teams in the sport,” said Greg Moser, VP of Marketing at blu. “Naturally, we did a lot of homework before taking this step and in the end, it was a natural fit. NASCAR is a passion point of our existing blu consumers and the sport has a well-documented adult audience, where the incidence of smoking is higher than the national average. This was a perfect opportunity to connect adult smokers with our myblu product and recognize one of our top retail partners, 7-Eleven, with an iconic scheme for the No. 2 myblu Chevrolet.”

“The Throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway is always one of my favorite races of the year because I love NASCAR history and it’s so fun to celebrate the heritage of our sport at one of NASCAR’s oldest and most exciting tracks,” said Reddick. “I grew up watching Kyle Petty race, so being able to celebrate his career and impact on the sport is special to me. I’m so thankful to be able to participate in NASCAR’s Throwback weekend and honor an icon of the sport this year.”

Petty’s 7-Eleven machine was an iconic scheme for much of his career in the 1980s, including his 1986 win at Richmond Raceway that came after Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip wrecked hard on the final lap.

The No. 2 myblu Chevrolet Camaro pays homage to the scheme with its layered lines and 7-Eleven orange stripe.

When the Columbus Blue Jackets were eliminated by the Boston Bruins in Game 6 of the second round of the playoffs, it marked the furthest the franchise had ever advanced in the postseason. It also marked the end of the Blue Jackets as we had come to know them.

There was some muted optimism that the band could be kept together. "You never know what's going to happen this summer. Who's going to stay? Who's going to go?" said winger Cam Atkinson.

Here's who decided to go: Winger Artemi Panarin, one of the league's top point producers, who signed with the New York Rangers; goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, a two-time winner of the Vezina Trophy, who signed with the Florida Panthers; center Matt Duchene, a trade-deadline acquisition who signed with the Nashville Predators; and Ryan Dzingel, another trade-deadline acquisition who signed with the Carolina Hurricanes.

All four of these players were involved in one of the boldest decisions by an NHL franchise in recent memory, as the Blue Jackets went "all-in" by holding on to Panarin and Bobrovsky -- despite many signs pointing to their imminent departures in unrestricted free agency this summer -- while acquiring rentals in Duchene, Dzingel, goalie Keith Kinkaid and defenseman Adam McQuaid, none of whom are under contract with the team for next season, and all of whom cost the team a bevy of picks and prospects.

So now what? Have the Blue Jackets swung for the fences only to end up face down in the batter's box? Or do they still have another swing in them?

We spoke with Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen about the team's deadline gamble, his efforts to keep Panarin and Duchene, and whether those who are forecasting a step back for the team are underestimating them.

ESPN: With the benefit of hindsight, do you have any regrets in going for it like you did at the trade deadline?

Jarmo Kekalainen: Not at all. It was a decision that we made as an organization, from the ownership all the way down to the management. Let's have this group together, for the last time, and let's see what we can do. It was a calculated risk. It had a price that we felt we could endure with the depth of our prospects. We beat Tampa Bay, one of the all-time best teams in the regular season. We gave Boston a hell of a run. It was a close series. The better team wins the series, and we lost, but we were right there with them. I think we showed everybody that we did have a chance to go all the way and win the Cup. That was our goal.

We weighed the risks. It wasn't just us swinging [at] something because we felt it at the time. We talked about it. We weren't going to trade Panarin and Bobrovsky for just picks and prospects. Now, if someone came along and gave us a package that was just too good to pass up, we might have made a different decision. But it wasn't there. So we decided to go all-in. There are no regrets.

ESPN: Why don't you think Matt Duchene stuck around?

Kekalainen: I'm not the guy to answer that. It was his personal decision. He was fine with us. Did what was expected, and was that guy we needed in our top six.

But it was a bit of a two-way street [in the offseason]. We felt where our team was at, to give up another first-round pick [to Ottawa, per conditions of the trade if Duchene re-signed] and then go into the term of that new contract with the dollar amounts that were involved ... it was a tough decision for us, too.

I'm sure he had a lot of options. Everyone talked about Nashville. Everyone seemed to think that's where he was going all along. And that's where he did go. It is what it is. Panarin was the guy we did everything to keep.

ESPN: Before Panarin signed with the Rangers, you made a last-ditch offer to keep him, an offer that the Rangers have told me had them worried in the 11th hour that he might still head back to Columbus. Did you think that last pitch was enough to retain him?

Kekalainen: We just wanted to make sure that we showed him we did everything we possibly could to keep him. That it wasn't going to be a matter of not giving him a fair contract. We're going to do everything we could to make him feel appreciated. And he decided to move on. That's his decision. We have to respect that.

ESPN: When I spoke with him after taking over as Rangers president, John Davidson told me that people writing off the Blue Jackets are short-sighted. That this team can still contend.

Kekalainen: Yeah, I like that. Let's have all the people write us off. That's perfect motivation for our group.

We made the playoffs three years in a row. In the last three years, there are four teams with more wins in the regular season than we had. The year before Panarin arrived, we had 108 points. We didn't have Pierre Luc-Dubois then, for example. And we didn't have Duchene or Dzingel until the deadline, and we were in the playoffs. Our core group -- the guys that wanted to be here, the guys that wanted to win with the Blue Jackets -- they're all here.

There's not a player that can replace Panarin one-for-one. Not too many around the league can. We're going to have to do it by committee. And there's going to be a lot of players hungry for that ice time that he's going to leave open. A lot of guys hungry for that power-play time that he leaves open. We have some young guys that are ready to take that next step -- [Oliver] Bjorkstrand, who scored at a 40-goal pace that last 40 games of the year. And Dubois, who is only 20 years old. Josh Anderson is just scratching the surface. Cam Atkinson will be motivated to show that he scored before Panarin and can score after Panarin.

We have one of the best D corps in the league with Seth Jones and Zach Werenski hopping over the boards for 26 and 27 minutes a game. You feel pretty safe that the puck is coming out of our end. And I think we go eight or nine deep when you start counting them up on our end.

There's a lot of those [veterans] in our lineup, and a lot of young guys coming in. It's a great opportunity, and it's going to be a hell of a battle for that ice time. We're in pretty good shape, in our opinion.

ESPN: And then there's the goaltending.

Kekalainen: The goaltending's going to be a bit of a question mark. We'll see. We have two talented young goalies that wanted to take the opportunity and make the most of it.

ESPN: Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins have potential. But is this a situation where you're looking at a certain time period for this to work out before you explore other options? Was there any thought in doing that before the season?

Kekalainen: We're going to have an open mind. We're going to give the guys a proper chance to show that they belong. They're going to have that opportunity and we're not going to be in any rush. We're going to be patient.

The philosophy that we have here is that we have these two talented young goalies. Korpi was a No. 2. Elvis has been patiently waiting in Europe to become the best goalie over there at age 25. There are lots of examples of goalies who waited and waited and they then come over and step right in: Niklas Backstrom I had in Helsinki as a kid; it wasn't until he was 28 years old when he made it to the NHL. Jonas Hiller in Anaheim was about the same age as Elvis is right now. Elvis is a Swiss league superstar and a world championship superstar. That doesn't mean he's going to step right into the NHL and play great. But I think there's potential there.

If you look around the league, almost every goalie has been a No. 2 or moved once or twice before they become a No. 1. I've been involved in drafting a couple of them. Like Ben Bishop, who we had in St. Louis, and then he went from Ottawa to Tampa to Dallas before he was a Vezina finalist. It's not too many that become No. 1 right away. You can count on one finger on one hand the number of goalies who stepped into the league as No. 1s. So we're going to give these guys a chance to prove they can do it.

There's not a real No. 1 available, so to speak, right now, that you can just go and get. Rather than watching our guys get moved and become No. 1s somewhere else, we're going to give them the chance to show they can do it with us.

ESPN: I ask this next question with no disrespect to Bobrovsky, but do you think the system that your team plays is beneficial to a goalie, to the point where his numbers are bolstered by it?

Kekalainen: I think time will tell. I don't want to take anything away from Bob or his accomplishments. But I think with the D that we have playing in front of the goalies, I think goalies can appreciate that. Let's put it that way.

[Bobrovsky] was a great goalie for us. He decided to move on and he had that right. Now he's an opponent. So we're not going to wish him too much luck.

ESPN: Are you at all worried about the development of Alexander Wennberg? That's a player a lot of fans mention as a point of frustration, as far as potential not being met.

Kekalainen: It certainly hasn't gone in the right direction the last couple of years. There's no physical decline, so I'm still confident that he can bounce back. He has the skill. He has the sense. He has the instincts to play the game. He's shown us he can do it. He had 59 points the year we signed him to that long-term contract.

He's disappointed in himself. He needs to change the way he plays a little. He's a pass-first guy. If you want to score in the NHL, you need to have a more direct line to the net to create more offense. It can't always be a dish off. He needs to shoot the puck more. Go to the net more.

It's funny how things work: We sign him to that contract and everyone says how great the contract is. And then we sign Seth Jones, and everyone says we're paying him too much money. And now it's the other way around. People say we have a great contract in Seth Jones and the s---tiest contract with Wennberg. But we still believe he can bounce back.

ESPN: Speaking of contracts: As we speak, Zach Werenski doesn't have a contract as a restricted free agent. You've said you expect him in by camp. But how frustrating is it for you, as a general manager, to constantly have to wait for the dominoes to fall in free agency?

Kekalainen: Yeah, but the real frustration for me [is when it] drags on into training camp, because that's a time for "team." That's the time when the boys come here together. They start preparing and jelling and building that chemistry that we need as a team. When it goes to training camp time, it takes away from that preparation. It takes away from the team. That's what I'm concerned about.

And that's where we've drawn the hard line before: We don't believe in taking that preparation time away from the team. We think it should be resolved before the team gets together and gets ready for the season.

ESPN: Finally, there was a big name that rejoined the Blue Jackets this offseason: Rick Nash returned to the organization as a front-office executive. Obviously, we all wish it were under different circumstances -- considering he had to retire because of issues with concussions -- but he comes back home. How did that come together?

Kekalainen: We talked a lot about him playing for us, if he was going to play. That was the first contact, last summer. But with the concussion symptoms not going away, and his health concerns, he decided to retire.

As soon as he made that decision, I was in contact with him. I said if he ever wanted to have a coffee and talk about his career off the ice, we'd be interested in talking with him. We met, we were impressed with his knowledge of the game and the insights that he had that he could bring into a front office. All things together, we decided to make him a full-time guy, learning the ropes. We'll see what he wants to do, but I think he's into it. And he's willing to put in the hours, go to the games, and do the work.

ESPN: When do you retire his number?

Kekalainen: [Laughs] That's for another conversation, in the future.