Scotland the Brave Steal the Show on Day One in Birmingham
By JULIE O’HARE

It was a great day for Scotland as the 2019 European Team Championships got under way at the Edgbaston Priory Club in Birmingham with their men’s and women’s teams both causing upsets that put them within reach of unexpected semi-final places.

In Division One, comprising eight teams in two pools with the top two going through to the semis, all the teams played twice today, with women’s top seeds England and France and men’s top seeds France and England both notching up two wins to all but seal their semi-final places – but defending champions France needed to rely on points countback after Scotland’s Rory Stewart fought back from two-nil down to force a 2-2 draw.

Top seeds and defending champions France eased to an opening Men’s Pool A win 4-0 over Hungary and then had that thrilling draw with the Scots in the second match to secure their last four place. Scotland played 8th seeded Hungary seeking a win that would put them through.

Fifth seeds Scotland first met fourth seeds Germany – missing their injured number two Raphael Kandra – in a crucial opening encounter on the glass court, and emerged 3-1 winners thanks to victories from Alan Clyne, Rory Stewart and Angus Gillams who took the decisive final match in five games. Then came that thrilling fightback to thwart France.

Men’s Pool B went the way of the top seeds as England beat first Switzerland and then Wales – although Joel Makin made the second seeds work for it as he despatched Declan James in the top string match – and third seeds Spain also won twice, setting up a pool decider with England tomorrow.

Women’s Pool B followed a similar pattern, with second and third seeds France and Belgium both notching up wins over Spain and Switzerland – Tinne Gilis the Belgian heroine as she won the deciding match in both encounters – and they’ll meet tomorrow, effectively to see who avoids hot favourites England in the semis.

The English women didn’t have it all their own way in Pool A though, after a 3-0 win over Scotland they found themselves one-nil down to Wales after Tesni Evans beat Sarah-Jane Perry in straight games. They recovered to win, with Millie Tomlinson, late replacement for the injured Alison Waters winning twice on her European debut.

Scotland went on to shock fourth seeds Netherlands – who had beaten Wales in the opening match – as Lisa Aitken beat Milou van der Heijden 11-9 in the fifth and youngster Georgia Adderley got the better of Tessa ter Sluis in a tense four games.

With England to play the Netherlands and Wales meeting Scotland tomorrow, the semi-final places are still very much up for grabs.

More information, results and photos are available here:

Official website (featuring draws, results, photos and more):
www.edgbastonpriory.com/etc2019
Twitter: https://twitter.com/2019ETC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/etc2019
Daily updates via www.thesquashsite.com

Streaming: Watch the action via SquashTV: Facebook and SQUASHTV from 1-4 May

Pictures courtesy of  Edgbaston Priory Club

Worcester Warriors hope flanker Marco Mama can be fit to start next season following an 80-mile dash for surgery on a 'dead leg' complication that will keep him out for "a good few months".

Mama, captain for the past two games after injuries to GJ van Velze and Ryan Mills, tried to run off his injury in Sunday's win over Gloucester.

But he was then taken to Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital after the match.

"The doctors did a fine job," said director of rugby Alan Solomons.

"We're very fortunate to have such fantastic hospitals in this country," he told BBC Hereford & Worcester.

"He got a dead leg and the consequence of it was that on Sunday night it became very painful for him and he was admitted to hospital.

"He was admitted to the John Radcliffe, but he was very well looked after. They are specialists in this sort of injury, and will do a further procedure later in the week.

"With those kind of injuries, he'll be out for a good few months. But there's no reason why he shouldn't be back for the start of next season."

Both Mama and Mills, who has had shoulder surgery, will miss their side's final two league matches - away at Northampton and then at home to reigning Premiership champions and European Champions Cup finalists Saracens.

But a boost for Warriors, who secured their Premiership survival on Sunday, is that they will have Van Velze fit following his arm injury in February.

Winger Perry Humphreys will have an ankle operation during the summer but he will be fine for the last two matches, while Scott van Breda also needs a shoulder operation.

Wales have confirmed that defence coach Shaun Edwards will leave after the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

Edwards, who had been offered a new contract by Wales, decided not to join rugby league side Wigan as head coach.

The 52-year-old has also been linked with France's national union team as well as some English Premiership clubs.

"After more than 10 years with Wales this has been an incredibly difficult decision to reach but I won't be renewing my contract," Edwards said.

"I would like to thank Warren [Gatland, Wales head coach] and the WRU [Welsh Rugby Union] for the opportunity I have had working with the national team.

"We have won four Six Nations titles during my time with Wales, but I sincerely hope and believe that the best days are yet to come and I am fully focused on seeing what we can achieve in Japan."

Edwards has helped Wales win four Six Nations titles - including three Grand Slams - since joining in 2008. His contract expires after the 2019 World Cup.

Gatland praised Edwards' contribution but said he was pleased his future had been settled.

"Shaun has been an important part of the Wales set up over the past 11 years for what has been a hugely rewarding time for Welsh rugby," Gatland said.

"It is pleasing that we can draw a line under the speculation regarding Shaun's future with this announcement and we can look forward to preparing the squad for the RWC and the tournament itself in Japan later this year."

Former Wasps coach Edwards had been due to take over at rugby league side Wigan in 2020 but revealed after the Grand Slam victory over Ireland in March that he had not signed a contract.

Byron Hayward, who has been part of future Wales coach Wayne Pivac's backroom staff at the Scarlets, is expected to follow Pivac to join Wales' coaching team.

"Shaun has a great history with Wales and has been part of a coaching team that has been very successful," Pivac said.

"When Shaun's availability post-RWC recently became apparent we worked with him to offer him a new contract which he was happy with and for him to be part of the new-look coaching team going forward.

"Shaun has decided not to take that contract, which we must respect and we wish Shaun the very best in what lies ahead for him post Wales."

SEBRING, Fla. – Sebring Int’l Raceway officials have confirmed that Super Sebring weekend will return March 18-21, 2020.

The doubleheader will feature the International Motor Sports Ass’n 68th annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Advance Auto Parts on March 21, preceded by the FIA World Endurance Championship 1000 Miles of Sebring on March 20.

The Super Sebring doubleheader endurance-race format made a successful debut in March at the legendary 3.74-mile road course and produced record-setting results on and off the track. Attendance, media coverage, sponsorships, hospitality and merchandise sales all surpassed previous records. I

n addition, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Advance Auto Parts U.S. television viewership on CNBC and NBCSN saw a 46 percent increase over 2018.

Super Sebring was history making on the track as well as two-time Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso broke Sebring’s all-time lap record and then went on to win the WEC 1000-mile race with co-drivers Sebastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima aboard their Toyota Hybrid prototype.

The next day, the 12-hour classic had seven different leaders and 28 lead changes, ending with the closest finish in Sebring history when the Whelen Engineering Cadillac prototype of Eric Curran, Pipo Derani and Felipe Nasr won by a margin of just over one second.

“A tremendous amount of work by the Sebring team and all parties involved went into making the 2019 SuperSebring weekend a success, and our goal is to build on that success and again surpass the milestones established this year,” said Wayne Estes, Sebring Int’l Raceway president and general manager. “Many of the improvements implemented to accommodate the increased attendance and additional teams were well received and we will continue to put both our long-term fans and our new fans first in planning for another spectacular weekend.”

Super Sebring 2020 will be round six of the 2019-2020 FIA WEC season and round two of the 2020 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Supporting events at Super Sebring tentatively include the Alan Jay 120 for the Michelin Pilot Challenge and the IMSA Prototype Challenge.

“The 2019 Super Sebring weekend exceeded expectations and we are looking forward to working with the FIA World Endurance Championship and Sebring Int’l Raceway staffs to make the 2020 event even more spectacular for everyone involved,” said IMSA President Scott Atherton.

“The Sebring event this year was greatly enjoyed by competitors and fans alike, and it’s a real pleasure to come together again with our partners at IMSA and Sebring to put on an even better show for 2020,” added Gerard Neveu, CEO of the WEC.

Off track, Super Sebring 2020 will offer a varied lineup of fan activities and attractions including music and entertainment at the Spring Brake Party Zone, autograph sessions, manufacturer displays on the Midway and a display of historic racecars in the Panoz Gallery of Legends.

Tickets to Super Sebring 2020 are scheduled to go on sale by Sept. 1.

COMMERCE, Ga. — Paul Lee returns to NHRA Funny Car competition this weekend at Atlanta Dragway after a two-year absence from the sport.

Lee suffered a widow-maker heart attack at the end of 2016 and now returns as a team owner and a partner with Straightline Strategy Group. The Jim Oberhofer-tuned entry made successful test laps earlier this week and they are anxious to hit the track on Friday. Lee will be primarily backed by McLeod Racing.

Atlanta is the site of Lee’s first NHRA event victory in the Top Alcohol Funny Car class in 2004. Lee is optimistic as a team owner and driver.

“Atlanta has always been special to me because this is where I won my first national event,” says Lee, owner of McLeod Racing. “To be here is a feat in itself. The last 6 months, I have been training to be able to return to both the physical and mental condition it takes to successfully drive a Nitro Funny Car. I feel great and have never been more ready to return to my mission and purpose of racing.”

Over the winter, Lee announced his alliance with the Straightline Strategy Group. As a marketing partner, the McLeod team would like to welcome Lucas Oil, Weld Wheels, TMS Titanium, Champion Spark Plugs, and Mac Tools.

“Working with the SSG has been a great way to expand sponsorship partners,” says Lee. “We are able to appeal to big companies and be able to cater a sponsorship that works with their marketing and business objectives.”

Jim Oberhofer has also joined the team as crew chief. Lee and Oberhofer have a great friendship that started many years ago.

“I’m excited to work on a funny car, but I am more excited to work with Paul,” says Oberhofer. “It doesn’t matter what he drove. If he drove a Super Stock car I would be happy. Racing is about friendship and that is what the team is built from.”

On Monday after the 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, the team tested their new race car with two test hits. First was a 330 ft planned shutoff and the second, Paul went to the finish line with a 3.94 at 323 mph. Lee also reacted with .060’s on both runs.

“After Paul passed the finish line on the second pass, we are all pumped up to see what comes this weekend at Atlanta,” says Oberhofer. “With a driver who looks like he hasn’t stepped away a single day from the seat to the talented crew we have assembled, this race will be fun no matter what happens.”

CATAWBA, N.C. — As part of NASCAR Speedweeks in Charlotte for the second consecutive year, Mountain Creek Speedway is promoting the Clash at the Creek for mini-outlaw karts.

The Clash at the Creek is a major, big-money event at the facility just outside of Mooresville, running May 18-19.

The event features a $2000-to-win purse for open cars, a guaranteed $150 to feature starters, with $500 on the line to win the intermediate feature and a live TV broadcast for viewers across the globe.

Mountain Creek Speedway recently completed its first full season hosting outlaw karts with improved car counts and competition each week. Promoter Adam Stewart is optimistic for this year’s Clash after a packed house turned out for last year’s event.

“We were blown away at the response last year,” Stewart said. “People from all across the industry and the region came to see who would claim the trophy and the check for the Inaugural Clash at the Creek. This year, we’ve worked on speeding up the show and have even made some adjustments to the track based off of input from racers, specifically outlaw kart enthusiast and NASCAR star Kyle Larson, who raced with us last year.”

The Clash at the Creek will feature preliminary events for beginners and box stock teams on Saturday morning with the opportunity to practice for intermediate and open drivers.

Sunday’s schedule is feature-contest oriented, with practice and qualifications for opens and intermediates along with heats, consolation races and features also on the docket.

The race’s format will use traditional time trials and heats, with the top racers from each qualifying heat advancing to Sunday night’s feature.

Beginner and Box Stock features will also be contested on Sunday.

“With all the racers in town for other events, we are working to continue to build this week up for racers from all disciplines, outlaw kart racing included,” Stewart noted. “For outlaw kart racers, they have the opportunity to win nearly eight grand in the course of a week in this region. That’s almost unheard of.

“Most likely, racers questioning the adventure will be making the trek to Charlotte to compete for a week, making this a must-see and must-do week for fans of this style of racing.”

To showcase the event for the second consecutive year, Pit Row TV will broadcast Sunday’s racing in a live, multi-camera production.

Pit Row TV is the production group behind popular events such as the CARS Tour late model series, LegendsNation TV and their Legend Car productions, plus karting events like King of the Concrete and Thanksgiving Thunder.

Online entries are now being taken for the event where racers can register and pay for their entry fees with a credit card, or traditionally-mailed entries will also be accepted.

A discount is offered to open division racers who pre-enter on or before May 12, a savings over the regular $75 entry fee. Additionally, pre-entered drivers will be permitted to practice on the Saturday prior to the event with no additional cost.

Every ticket to the Clash at the Creek doubles as a pit pass for fans to see karts and drivers up close and personal, and a two-day admission ticket is only $20, with single-day options available starting at only $10.

The rain date for the 2nd Annual Clash at the Creek will be on Monday, May 20.

INDIANAPOLIS — The best part of any Indianapolis 500 is the history that’s walking around the joint.

Why, look: It’s Johnny Rutherford, talking with Bobby Unser. There’s A.J. Foyt’s golf cart, slowing down so A.J. can shake hands with Parnelli Jones. And that slow-moving cluster of fans is a signal that, in the center of the scrum, Mario Andretti is signing autographs.

This month I look forward to seeing all of those legends and to seeing four more who won’t be there.

One of the delights of Mays gone by was catching a glimpse of George Bignotti, the storied chief mechanic who played a role in seven Indy victories: 1961 and ’64 with Foyt, ’66 with Graham Hill, 1970 and ’71 with Al Unser, 1973 with Gordon Johncock and 1983 with Tom Sneva.

That said, spotting Bignotti was not easy. In his later years, he was quiet and unassuming, almost blending into the crowd. But if you did happen to see him, you’d find it hard to look away.

COLUMBUS -- Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand doesn't regret punching Blue Jackets defenseman Scott Harrington in the back of the head at the end of Game 3, though he did say Wednesday that his actions were "unnecessary."

Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy plans on having a chat with Marchand about the winger's discipline. Marchand has taken two penalties in the second-round series that have directly led to Columbus power-play goals.

But an even bigger hot-button issue emerged Tuesday as Marchand -- long known as one of the league's biggest agitators -- came up on Harrington from behind and punched him in the head during a stoppage late in the third period of Columbus' 2-1 win in Game 3 on Tuesday night.

Marchand was not called for a penalty, and the NHL Department of Player Safety decided not to implement any supplemental discipline other than a warning.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, asked about the punch while attending a Canadian Parliamentary hearing on concussions, said Marchand should have been penalized and, if it happens again, "he should look forward to a suspension."

Marchand called the punch "a reaction" after, he said, his teammate Jake DeBrusk was bullied in front of the Blue Jackets' net. Marchand said DeBrusk took "about six punches there from two guys" and therefore he felt he needed to defend his teammate.

"Having to talk about it today, is probably not something I'd go back and do it again," Marchand said Wednesday.

"I'm not overly concerned about what's said in the media and what fans say, and stuff like that. It was an unnecessary play, but it is what it is. Games go on, and I'll worry about the next one."

The Blue Jackets lead the series 2-1. Game 4 is Thursday in Columbus.

Entering these playoffs and through the first round, a new narrative was emerging regarding Marchand: The NHL's ultimate troll had turned a new leaf after being suspended six times over seven years for penalties such as slew footing, elbowing, clipping and spearing.

After last year's playoffs were marred by Marchand's unusual behavior of licking two different opponents, the NHL's Department of Player Safety privately and publicly asked Marchand to tone things down.

The 30-year-old Marchand made a commitment to stay out of trouble.

"I've got to cut that s--- out," Marchand said after the Bruins were eliminated by the Tampa Bay Lightning last spring. "After having a couple days, kind of looking back on the year and seeing what's happened the last few days with all the media and everything, I think the biggest thing for me now is to really take a pretty hard look in the mirror and realize the actions, some of the things that I'm doing have much bigger consequences.

"... I think it's kind of gotten to the point where the last thing I ever want to do is bring the embarrassment to my teammates and the organization that it did."

Marchand, the winger on Boston's top line, went the entire 2018-19 regular season without any discipline from the Department of Player Safety.

He went on to have a breakout offensive campaign, becoming the Bruins' first player to reach 100 points since Joe Thornton in 2003. Over the past three seasons, no other left wing -- not even Alex Ovechkin -- has more points than Marchand's 270.

"We need him on the ice," Cassidy said Wednesday.

Marchand leads the Bruins with nine points this postseason, but he's been scoreless in the three games against the Blue Jackets.

Earlier in the playoffs, the Bruins' Torey Krug told ESPN that he noticed Marchand was making a concerted effort to change his ways.

"The other part is his natural maturation into a leader in this room," Krug said. "We know the weapon that he is on the ice to win hockey games. He's not doing anything to hurt the team, and that's become something we rely on. We need him to win hockey games, so he can't be doing some crazy things on the ice to hurt the team. He's realized that, and he's done a good job growing up."

OTTAWA, Ontario -- NHL commissioner Gary Bettman hit back Wednesday at the notion of banning any kind of head contact in hockey, telling a Canadian parliamentary panel that such a rule would be impossible to enforce and would lead to the end of hitting.

The league has faced calls to penalize any head contact in the hope of eliminating potentially debilitating concussions. Those calling for a strict rule include Ken Dryden, the former Montreal Canadiens goalie and cabinet minister in Paul Martin's Liberal government.

In sometimes combative testimony, Bettman said such a rule at the NHL level would mean larger players would be penalized when they inevitably land blows on smaller players' heads in the normal course of play. Ultimately "there would be no more body checking," something players and fans think is an "exciting, appealing, entertaining" and important part of the game.

Bettman decried what he called "blanket statements about changing a rule" on head contact that might not address "where the injuries are being caused."

He said the game is safer for players and different in terms of physical contact from football, in which there are repeated blows to players' heads. He questioned any direct link between multiple hockey concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain condition associated with repeated blows to the head. CTE can be profoundly debilitating, with symptoms that include memory problems, personality changes, aggression and depression.

"I don't believe there has been, based on everything I've been told -- and if anybody has information to the contrary, we'd be happy to hear it -- other than some anecdotal evidence, there has not been that conclusive link," Bettman said.

When asked if there were any rules or changes he would make to the game to reduce head contact, Bettman told parliament that he likes the way professional hockey is being played. "Right now, I don't believe there's much we can do," he said.

The special committee has spent months holding hearings on the issue of concussions, including options for treatment, prevention and what, if anything, the federal government should be doing about sports-related head injuries. Experts and athletes have appeared before the cross-party panel, as have high-profile figures such as CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie and Eric Lindros, the former NHL player whose Hall of Fame career was cut short by multiple concussions.

Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly were the final witnesses of the committee's study before it tables a report in the coming weeks. Although attention has focused on amateur athletics, the committee could recommend concussion protocols for professional sports.

"I'm hoping that's not the case," Bettman said after the meeting about that possibility.

San Jose Sharks coach Peter DeBoer wouldn't rule out a return by star captain Joe Pavelski to the lineup during their series against the Colorado Avalanche.

Pavelski has missed the first three games of the series, which San Jose leads 2-1, following a gruesome injury he suffered when his head struck the ice in Game 7 against the Vegas Golden Knights on April 23.

"He's getting better every day. He was FaceTiming us after the game last night, so he's feeling better," DeBoer said Wednesday, the morning after the Sharks defeated the Avalanche in Game 3. "We're all excited about the progress he's making."

DeBoer said Pavelski was expected to resume skating on Wednesday back in San Jose.

Midway through the third period in Game 7, Pavelski's head hit the ice following a cross-check to the chest by Knights center Cody Eakin and a collision with Vegas forward Paul Stastny. Pavelski was motionless for a moment, bleeding profusely through the top of his helmet. Brent Burns and other Sharks players surrounded their captain, calling for the training staff to come out. Pavelski eventually sat up and gingerly skated to the back, his teammate Joe Thornton pressing a towel against his head.

Pavelski would not return to the game. The Sharks used the energy of that moment to rally from a 3-0 deficit and tie the game, thanks to a five-minute major to Eakin on the play. They'd eventually win Game 7 in overtime.

DeBoer has declined to specify if the injury was a concussion, but has said "he was feeling the effects. You can put two and two together on that."

Pavelski had 38 goals and 26 assists in 75 games this season, and two goals and two assists in seven playoff games. In his career, Pavelski has 95 points in 128 playoff games, including an NHL-best 14 goals during the Sharks' run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016.

"Pavelski is a big hole for us. He's a big piece of everything we do. We knew the challenge coming into this series. When Pavs has been out in the past, we haven't handled it well. We've been exposed a little bit by missing him in different situations," DeBoer said.

But the Sharks have managed to fill that void with their depth, moving forward Gustav Nyquist up to Pavelski's usual spot on the top line with Logan Couture and Timo Meier.

"We've gotten contributions from a lot of different guys," DeBoer said.

Pavelski has had a presence around the team since the injury, hanging around the practice facility, although he did not make the trip to Denver. His injury has continued to be a rallying point.

"We're trying to win as many games as we can so we can see him back out on the ice again," Thornton said.