Whitehall officials ‘pushing for the Open to return to Trump-owned Turnberry’

Senior Whitehall officials have asked golf bosses whether they can host the 2028 Open championship at Donald Trump’s Turnberry course after repeated requests from the US president, sources have said.Officials had asked senior people at the R&A, which organises the world’s oldest major golf championship, what the hurdles would be to hosting the 2028 Open at Turnberry.One source described the talks as direct lobbying from the government, although others said officials had asked about hypothetical problems with the idea, rather than insisting that it happen.One person with knowledge of the discussions said: “The government is doing everything it can to get close to Trump. One concrete thing is that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) have been involved in pushing for the Open to return to Trump-owned Turnberry

RFU opens door to hosting Chelsea if they need temporary home

The Rugby Football Union chief executive, Bill Sweeney, has said Twickenham could host Chelsea matches if the Premier League club is seeking a temporary home – but he believes the local council would attempt to stand in the way.Sweeney acknowledged the financial carrot of hosting an elite football team on a short-term basis and revealed discussions had previously taken place. Chelsea have long since been looking to either upgrade Stamford Bridge or relocate elsewhere in London and in 2017 it was said that moving temporarily to Twickenham was an option being considered.Ultimately Chelsea stayed put and are still exploring their options with either a move to Earl’s Court or the redevelopment of their current home being considered. Should the RFU host Chelsea at Twickenham, it would be a lucrative move for the union, which last November announced record losses and is struggling to break even

County cricket: Derbyshire v Middlesex drawn and five things we have learned – as it happened

The kids are alright The brave new world of international franchise cricket might sing only white-ball tunes, but bright young things still love the red ball game. Item: Farhan Ahmed, Nottinghamshire’s 17-year-old off-spinner, with the optimism of youth but the wisdom of an old head, bringing control and surprise. Item: Ben McKinney, Durham’s 2.66 metres (6ft 7in) left-handed 20-year-old opening batter, who made 153 against Warwickshire in early April at Chester le Street and played a vital role in Durham’s victory in two days on a terror track at New Road. Item: Josh Hull, another 2

ICC rejects Ben Stokes’ plea for review of over-rate penalties in Tests

Ben Stokes’ plea for changes to the system of over-rate penalties that led to England being docked 22 points in the World Test Championship and condemned them to a fifth-place finish has been rejected by the International Cricket Council. The ICC Board has opted to maintain the existing rules that impose fines and points deductions on fielding sides who fail to bowl an average of 15 overs per hour in the next edition of the WTC, which begins with England’s five-Test series against India in June.Stokes first raised complaints about the issue when England and New Zealand were docked three WTC points and all their players were fined 15% of their match fees after the tourist’s eight-wicket win in Christchurch last December. The England captain revealed he had been refusing to sign the over-rate sheets presented by the ICC’s match referee in protest at the system since the 2023 Ashes. England were docked 19 of the 28 WTC points they had won during the thrilling 2-2 series due to their slow over-rate

NFL draft 2025 winners and losers: bold Jags to a very weird Falcons weekend

It can take years to properly evaluate if a prospect works out. But here are a few early takes on the ups and downs from this year’s selection processGrading NFL drafts right after they happen is like grading a meal after you order it: all you know is what was said on the menu. That said, drafts do tell you a great deal about how NFL teams think about themselves at a particular point in time – what they need, where they’re lacking, and how they want it all to come together. Whether right or wrong in the end, there’s no more clear indicator of team philosophy than the annual three-day exercise, and that’s why it’s important beyond the players who are actually selected.While it will be years before we know how wise each move was in the 2025 draft, here are those who benefited most and least, as well as the decisions we feel are worthy of applause, and the ones that had us shaking our heads

Mitchell puts pressure on New Zealand and maintains England’s World Cup focus

“New Zealand have more pressure on them to win the upcoming Rugby World Cup than us because they are on for the three-peat,” the England head coach, John Mitchell, said as his focus turns from celebrating Six Nations success to the looming global tournament.The Black Ferns have won the past two Rugby World Cups, beating England in the 2017 and 2022 finals. But they have done a four-peat in the competition as they won the trophy from 1998-2010.The Red Roses, who won their seventh consecutive Women’s Six Nations title on Saturday with a 43‑42 victory against France, have not won the Rugby World Cup since 2014 despite dominating the sport in all other competitions in the past few years: in their past 62 games they have lost only one, that coming in the World Cup final three years ago.Mitchell was asked if he and his coaches are keeping an eye on New Zealand pre-World Cup, particularly now that the Rugby World Cup all‑time try-scorer ­Portia ­Woodman‑Wickliffe has come out of retirement to compete in it