GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Packers moved quickly to name a new special-teams coordinator, promoting assistant special-teams coach Maurice Drayton.

A source confirmed the move one day after coach Matt LaFleur fired Shawn Mennenga after two seasons in that role.

Drayton has been with the team since 2018, a year before LaFleur arrived. He previously worked for the Indianapolis Colts from 2016 to '17 as a special-teams assistant.

The Packers struggled on special teams throughout the season. Blocked kicks, long returns allowed and an ineffective return game cost them field position and momentum at various points during their 13-3 season.

The Packers ranked 29th in Rick Gosselin's annual special-teams rankings, widely considered the gold standard for special-teams evaluation around the league. They ranked 26th last season.

Mennenga inherited the worst special-teams unit in the league from 2018, when the Packers ranked 32nd under former coordinator Ron Zook. The Packers also ranked last in the league in 2014 under then-coordinator Shawn Slocum. The club's highest ranking on special teams between 2014 and 2020 was 16th in 2017.

A source told ESPN on Wednesday that Drayton was the likely replacement, and NFL Network first reported that it was made official Thursday.

England's women will play their first match of Rugby World Cup 2021 against debutants Fiji at Eden Park in New Zealand.

England and Wales are both in action on the opening day of competition, with both kicking off at 04:45 BST on Saturday, 18 September.

Tournament organisers hope to set new match records for attendance.

England head coach Simon Middleton says the opening match with Fiji will be "a fantastic occasion".

Wales will be play tournament hosts and reigning world champions New Zealand in their second Pool A match at Waitakere Stadium on Thursday, 23 September.

"International rugby doesn't come much better than that," said new Wales head coach Warren Abrahams.

"Playing New Zealand, the current champions and one of the most successful teams in the history of the women's game, in their own back yard will be a pretty special moment for all our players.

"Many of them haven't played New Zealand before and to play them in front of a huge crowd in New Zealand may never happen again."

Wales will also face Australia in Pool A.

Eden Park will be used on three days of the tournament, hosting seven games in total including the final on Saturday, 16 October.

The 44,000-capacity stadium was also the venue for the men's Rugby World Cup finals in 1987 and 2011.

New Zealand will open the defence of their title against southern hemisphere rivals Australia, also at Eden Park.

England have been drawn in Pool C along with Fiji, South Africa and France.

The Red Roses will face South Africa in their second match on 23 September before playing Les Bleus in the concluding match of the pool stage.

"We all know there's an even bigger picture outside of rugby and sport at the moment, but the World Cup is a huge opportunity for not only the worldwide rugby community but everyone to come together and celebrate a great event at a time when the world is struggling," added Middleton.

With New Zealand still experiencing some of the lowest levels of coronavirus in the world, details around travel and quarantine for squads and any travelling fans are yet to be unveiled.

It means New Zealand's ambition to break tournament records is likely to be achieved mainly through home supporters.

The biggest UK attendance for a women's rugby union match was the 2017 World Cup final at the Kingspan Stadium in Belfast, which was watched by 17,115 fans.

The biggest global attendance is thought to be the 2014 Women's World Cup final, when Paris' Stade Jean Bouin sold out its 20,000 seats.

However, with France failing to make the final, an official attendance was never recorded as many fans watched the host nation in the third/fourth place play-off with Ireland but did not stay on to watch England beat Canada in the showpiece.

Regardless of how New Zealand fill the seats, Abrahams said: "We all want to play in front of supporters.

"Having a big crowd ignites another level of energy in players and raises performance levels."

World Rugby is yet to confirm when qualifying for the tournament will be completed.

There are still three places to be filled in the tournament, with 12 countries in the mix to secure them.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – International Motor Sports Ass’n officials have announced the introduction of the GT Daytona PRO class to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship beginning in 2022.

GTD PRO will include race cars built to FIA GT3 technical regulations. GTD PRO offers the opportunity for factory teams and driver lineups to compete in the class, while customer teams, Pro-Am or Am-Am lineups have the option of competing in either GTD PRO or the standard GTD class. Michelin will be the exclusive tire supplier for both the GTD PRO class and the existing GTD class in the WeatherTech Championship.

GTD PRO replaces the GT Le Mans class, which will contest its final WeatherTech Championship season in 2021 using LMGTE technical regulations developed by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO).

“The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship has long been regarded as featuring the world’s greatest GT manufacturers, teams and drivers and some of the world’s most exciting and competitive professional GT endurance racing through the GTLM class,” said IMSA President John Doonan. “We believe the move to GTD PRO offers the best opportunity for manufacturers and teams to continue that legacy well into the future. We expect considerable manufacturer participation when we kick off the GTD PRO class a year from now in the 60th Rolex 24 At Daytona.”

New FIA GT3 technical regulations will debut in 2022. New cars built to those specifications, as well as any existing cars upgraded through Evo kits will be eligible to compete in GTD PRO and GTD starting next year. There are nine manufacturers currently participating in IMSA with GT3 cars in the GTD class.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Kyle Larson’s Daytona 500 paint scheme and the sponsor of his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro were revealed Thursday, with NationsGuard backing Larson in his return to the NASCAR Cup Series.

The color scheme Larson will carry at Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway will feature a black base on the front half of the car and a white base on the rear quarter panels, with green accents and a black side number.

NationsGuard focuses on giving automotive dealerships a package for creating a dealer-owned warranty company, with more than a quarter century of experience in providing customer-focused administration and risk management to Hendrick Automotive Group.

NationsGuard is part of Hendrick Autogard, the vehicle protection service under the Hendrick Automotive Group banner.

Larson’s run in The Great American Race will mark his first Cup Series start since March 8 at Arizona’s Phoenix Raceway. He’s a veteran of 223 Cup starts, with six wins, 56 top-five and 101 top-10 finishes.

The Elk Grove, Calif., native was fired by Chip Ganassi Racing and dropped by multiple sponsors last year after using a racial slur during a streamed esports event in April, while the sports world was shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite that setback, Larson went on a tear in the dirt-racing world, winning 46 feature events across four different disciplines — sprint cars, midgets, Silver Crown cars and dirt late models — last season.

Larson recently won the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals for the second straight year in a self-owned midget and believes he’ll be in a good position when he returns to stock car racing at Daytona.

“I imagine there might be some growing pains in the beginning with no practices and things like that and trying to get used to a new team and new guys, but they have so much experience and knowledge there, and I have three teammates I can lean on for advice,” Larson said this week on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “I think we should be able to get up to speed quickly.”

Practice for the 63rd Daytona 500 begins on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at noon ET. The Great American Race is set for Sunday, Feb. 14 at 2:30 p.m. ET.

INDIANAPOLIS – Circle City Raceway officials announced the schedule for Indianapolis’ newest dirt track on Thursday, with 31 nights of on-track action from May to October.

The schedule for the quarter-mile dirt oval features appearances by the All Star Circuit of Champions, USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Series, USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series, DIRTcar Summer Nationals late models, Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour winged sprint cars and more.

Two stand-alone events are on the docket as well. The Circle City Sprint-O-Rama on June 28-29 will pay $5,000 and $7,000 to win, respectively, while the Hoosier Harvest Shootout on Oct. 15-16 awards $6,000 and $21,000 to win.

By the end of the season, Circle City Raceway will pay out more than $1 million in prize money to teams and competitors.

In addition to sizable purses, Circle City Raceway will hold events for over 20 different classes throughout the season. This brings challenges to not only the drivers, but also for the facility to produce an ideal race track for each type of car.

Jonathan Byrd II, the general manager of Circle City Raceway, is in the process of forming a diverse team capable of completing that task.

“We want Circle City Raceway to be an all-inclusive track which performs to and exceeds the expectations of any fan, driver, or team who walks through those gates,” said Byrd. “As our preparation is in full force for our season opener with the All-Star Circuit of Champions, each detail is being carefully planned and executed to give the best experience possible #INtheDirt.”

The full Circle City Raceway schedule can be viewed here.

The Metropolitan Riveters are pulling out of the National Women's Hockey League's Lake Placid tournament due to "health and safety concerns" related to COVID-19, multiple sources told ESPN.

An official announcement and a revised schedule are expected later on Thursday. Sources said the team can either remain in Lake Placid for the remainder of the tournament or pack up and leave the bubble.

The Riveters were removed from a scheduled game on Wednesday night against the Buffalo Beauts, with the Toronto Six taking their place. The NWHL said that the change was "made in line with the NWHL's medical protocols prioritizing the health and safety of all participants during this season in Lake Placid."

The Riveters were scheduled to play Buffalo on Thursday night.

The NWHL is holding its 2020-21 regular season and postseason in Lake Placid due to concerns about COVID. Games are held inside an empty arena. The remaining five teams are taking part in a round-robin before the playoffs, with the Isobel Cup final scheduled for Feb. 5.

Multiple members of the Vegas Golden Knights are in the NHL's COVID protocols, resulting in Thursday night's game against the St. Louis Blues being postponed.

The NHL said a player and another member of the Vegas coaching staff has entered the protocol, and that the team's training facilities have been indefinitely closed "effective immediately."

The league said it is currently reviewing Vegas' schedule and will make a decision on next week's games "in the next 24-48 hours."

The Knights lost to the Blues on Tuesday night without any regular members of their coaching staff behind the bench, as they self-isolated "out of an abundance of caution" after a member of that staff tested positive.

Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon and coaches from the AHL's Henderson Golden Knights oversaw the game and would have coached again Thursday night.

"The decision was made by the League's, NHLPA's and Club's medical groups after recent tests warranted more caution while the League continues to analyze test results in the coming days," the NHL said in a statement.

"The Golden Knights organization has, and will continue to follow, all recommended guidelines aimed at protecting the health and safety of its Players, staff and community at large as set by the NHL, local, state and national agencies," the league's statement said.

This is the ninth NHL game to have been postponed due to the COVID protocols, and the first one for either the Blues or Golden Knights.

PITTSBURGH -- Sidney Crosby is used to change. More than 15 years in the NHL has taught the Pittsburgh Penguins longtime captain that it's simply part of the business.

Not all change, however, is created equal. Having a teammate traded, sign with another club or incur a long-term injury is one thing. Having the architect who put together a roster that led the Penguins to consecutive Stanley Cups resign without warning is another.

So, yes, it was weird for Crosby and the rest of the Penguins to learn after practice Wednesday that general manager Jim Rutherford decided to step down. Rutherford cited personal reasons and declined to get into specifics with anyone, including Crosby.

"I think everyone was surprised," Crosby said Thursday.

Still, Crosby believes the contribution Rutherford made to one of the NHL's premier franchises and the state he left it in leaves the Penguins in decent shape, at least after the initial shock wears off.

"I think there's some great people here that will continue to do good work," Crosby said.

Patrik Allvin gets the first crack at picking up where Rutherford left off. A longtime member of the scouting department before becoming assistant general manager in the fall, the 46-year-old becomes the first Swedish-born NHL general manager. Not that he's had time to let the significance sink in.

"It's definitely been a roller-coaster here for sure," Allvin said. "A lot of emotions. A lot of mixed feelings."

Allvin takes over a team that's survived a series of injuries - particularly on defense - to work its way into the middle of the pack of what will be a crowded and competitive East Division. The Penguins are 4-2-1 heading into Thursday night's game against Boston despite losing defensemen Marcus Pettersson, Brian Dumoulin and Juuso Riikola for an extended period in a truncated 56-game season.

While team president David Morehouse is plunging head-first into finding Rutherford's full-time successor, there's no telling how long that might take. There are still more than 10 weeks until the trade deadline, but Rutherford developed a reputation for not waiting when he saw a need to be addressed. Even in the hours before he left, Rutherford signed veteran defenseman Yannick Weber to give Pittsburgh a boost at the blue line.

Allvin believes the tone set by coach Mike Sullivan and the fact he can bounce ideas off of co-owner and Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux means Rutherford's departure should not signal a shift in approach.

"I think the work that Sully has done over the last five years, the culture we have and the mindset and the identity of our team, I think it's set up for success," Allvin said.

"We're getting tested here and we've always had the next man up mentality and that's where we're going to test the depth of our organization and the character of our players."

Sullivan, hired by Rutherford in December 2015 to provide an underachieving club a jolt, stressed that his job remains the same even with Rutherford no longer part of day-to-day operations. That doesn't mean it's particularly easy moving on, not after the two oversaw an overhaul that led the Penguins to Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017.

"We're all human and we build relationships over time. ... Jim and I have developed a great friendship through our working experiences here with the Penguins and I can't say enough about how much respect I have for him as a professional," Sullivan said. "But he's a good friend. It's just, it's hard."

Though Crosby and Allvin began working in the organization around the same time. Crosby arrived with the top pick in the 2005 draft, and Allvin joined the Penguins as a scout in 2006. Yet their interactions have been limited at best.

"I've met him at different points," Crosby said. "Haven't spent a lot of time with him over the years, but definitely familiar with him, but that's about the extent of it though."

That relationship figures to evolve now with Allvin overseeing a roster that still has two of the NHL's biggest stars in Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Morehouse said Allvin is a candidate to land the job full time. The next few weeks could go a long way toward determining how serious a candidate he becomes.

"I don't anticipate anything other than me being in Pittsburgh and being prepared," Allvin said. "That's my message to the staff. Obviously, I'll spend some more time with Sully here and see what's needed or not.

"But I think we have a lot of good pieces in place here. Basically, I'm going to do my part, my job here and we'll see how far that takes me."

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Richard Sterne took a one-stroke lead at the Dubai Desert Classic with an 8-under 64 on Thursday in the first round.

The South African rolled in his ninth birdie of the day – on his ninth and final hole – to move ahead of American Kurt Kitayama (65) at the Emirates Golf Club.

Sergio Garcia and Justin Harding (66) were tied for third.

The 39-year-old Sterne, who has battled an array of injuries in his career, last won on the European Tour nearly eight years ago. His only blemish on Thursday was a bogey on the sixth.

“When I was in trouble, I got out of it and made some good par putts and kept the round going and I hit a lot golf shots as well. Made quite a few birdies,” said Sterne, who has had knee, hip and wrist problems in the past.

Robert MacIntyre, Paul Casey, Adrian Otaegui and Thomas Detry (67) were all tied for fifth.

Tyrrell Hatton’s hopes for a desert double took a blow with five bogeys en route to a 4-over 76. The Englishman reached a career-high No. 5 after winning the Abu Dhabi Championship on Sunday.

With No. 4 Collin Morikawa in the field, Kitayama wasn’t the American to watch heading into the tournament. But he recorded an eagle and six birdies, dropping only one shot at the 14th.

“I haven’t played this well in a while, so it’s nice to get a round like this,” Kitayama said.

Morikawa (71) was seven shots off the lead. The 23-year-old American, who won the PGA Championship last year, is making his second appearance in a regular European Tour event. The first came in December at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, which was also staged in Dubai.

Garcia, who won in Dubai in 2017, was flawless with six birdies. The 41-year-old Spaniard withdrew from the rescheduled Masters in November after testing positive for the coronavirus.

“I felt comfortable out there, for sure,” Garcia said. “I’m very happy with the way it went. It shows I’m putting some good work in.”

Nacho Elvira (71) hit a hole-in-one on the par-3 11th.

The Dubai Desert Classic is the second stop of the Gulf swing. The Saudi International is next.

ATLANTA -- - Atlanta Hawks guard Kris Dunn will be out at least another two weeks as he continues his recovery from ankle surgery.

Dunn, who signed with the Hawks as a free agent, has yet to play for his new team. He underwent surgery on his right ankle Dec. 29.

The Hawks said Dunn has been participating in impact-based rehab activities, including skipping, jumping and spot shooting. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks, meaning he will miss the next six games and likely more before he's fully recovered.

The Hawks have been plagued by injuries in the first month of the season. Guards Bogdan Bogdanovic (fractured right knee) and Rajon Rondo (sprained left ankle) are currently sidelined along with Dunn, who was expected to be a defensive stopper in the Atlanta backcourt.