A Trump acolyte, a rival billionaire and a power struggle: how civil war erupted in Australian basketball | Jack Snape

Soon-to-be US ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa Jared Novelly is leading NBL clubs in a messy dispute that could reshape the sportDonald Trump’s appointment as the next ambassador for New Zealand and Samoa, who is also a Republican political donor and the son of a St Louis oil baron, has emerged as the catalyst in the battle for control of one of the world’s top basketball leagues.It is a story of international athletic A-listers, a controversial property development and high-net-worth individuals with pockets billions of dollars deep. But most of all it is about whether professional basketball in Australia can be viable, and whose vision may prove it so.Jared Novelly, owner of Australian National Basketball League (NBL) club the Illawarra Hawks, is a respected sports investor. The son of Apex Oil owner Paul “Tony” Novelly, who died in February, is leading a group of aggrieved team owners against the NBL and the man who purchased the competition a decade ago, Larry Kestelman

Henman Hill to get shelter under fresh Wimbledon expansion plans

Different generations of tennis fans may disagree on its name – to traditionalists it will always be Henman Hill, millennials probably plump for Murray Mound and gen Z may know it as Raducanu Rise or even, regrettably, Jack’s Stack – but all ages can agree that bringing a little shelter to Wimbledon’s most famous viewing area can only be a good thing.Wimbledon’s Hill – which since 1997 has allowed tennis fans with a grounds pass to watch the action on No 1 Court live atop its grassy knoll – is getting a makeover, the All England Lawn and Tennis Club (AELTC) has announced.A multimillion-pound development, due to be finished in time for the 2027 championships, will boost the Hill’s capacity by 20% and improve accessibility for wheelchair users. Plans include a new pergola – and there is little Wimbledon likes more than a pergola – which will provide a space for more hanging plants to provide shade and protection from British summer rain.The pergola, which will replace the structure at the top of the Hill, will wrap around the area’s 150-year-old oak tree while the AELTC hopes to make the area more environmentally sustainable by replacing tarmac paths with permeable resin

ECB insists sale of Hundred teams will go through despite TV rights wrangle

The England and Wales Cricket Board insists that the sale of the eight Hundred franchises will be completed by the end of April, despite the delays to negotiations.The governing body’s chief executive, Richard Gould, said that the high valuations were not one of the issues behind the delays, but admitted that future broadcasting rights were. “All the discussions are on a very, very sound footing,” Gould said, “we’re just trying to work out how to maximise value from sponsorships, tickets sales and broadcast revenues. They’re investing a lot of money into our game and we want to make sure that pays dividends.”One sticking point is the issue of overseas TV rights

Spain could include Camp Nou final in bid to host 2035 Rugby World Cup

The 2035 Rugby World Cup final could be staged at the revamped Camp Nou in Barcelona with the Spanish rugby federation in discussions with La Liga over using celebrated football stadiums as part of its bid to host the tournament.Delegates from the Spanish federation met World Rugby executives last weekend to demonstrate their intentions to host the tournament in 2035 and discussions are said to have piqued interest.The Camp Nou is undergoing a £1.3bn refurbishment and is set to reopen with a 105,000-capacity in June 2026 while Real Madrid’s Bernabéu has recently undergone a similar facelift. Using both venues for a first World Cup in Spain has obvious appeal while the San Mamés stadium in Bilbao hosted the Champions Cup final in 2018 and will do so again next year

Worcester wind back to life with second-tier return and vow to clear debts

Worcester Warriors insist they will be both sustainable and competitive when they return to English rugby’s second tier next season almost three years after going bust. The club’s new owners have had to provide stringent financial guarantees and commit to repaying rugby creditors left high and dry when Worcester went into administration with debts of more than £2 5m in September 2022.In the past clubs such as Richmond and London Welsh have been forced to start again at the foot of the English pyramid but a condition of Worcester’s return to the new-look Tier 2 league is that outstanding debts to, among others, HMRC and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will be settled by the end of the year. In addition, the new owners have already made substantial payments to the administrators.Worcester are now set to take their place in a 14-team league that will include the 12 existing Championship clubs and the top side in National One, which Richmond currently lead by 10 points with three games remaining

County Championship bursts back into life with calm before the storm

The 125th edition – the calm before the 2026 storm – begins on Friday with notable names headlining the cast list The cut of the grass, the shine of a boot, the sigh of a drop, the joy of a catch, the crunch of a four, the hope of the spring. Time stealthily gouging out lines, on faces, over scars, around knees. A first season. A last.Here, suddenly, is April, unexpectedly sunny and dry