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Former England wing McConnochie in Scotland Six Nations squad

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Former England wing McConnochie in Scotland Six Nations squad

Former England wing Ruaridh McConnochie was named in Scotland s 40-man squad for the Six Nations on Tuesday, with Ireland under-20 international Ben Healy also among a group of four uncapped players.

McConnochie, 31, was capped twice by England in 2019, featuring against the United States at the World Cup in Japan.

But World Rugby s eligibility rules allow a capped player to switch allegiance to another country for which they are eligible following a three-year cooling-off period.

The Bath back s change of allegiance follows a similar switch by former Australia-turned-Scotland international Jack Dempsey, who made his Dark Blues debut earlier this season, with McConnochie now opting to represent the nation of his father s birth.

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With fellow wing Darcy Graham injured, McConnochie has a chance of making his Scotland debut against England in the team s Six Nations opener — a Calcutta Cup clash at Twickenham on February 4.

Uncapped Munster fly-half Healy is also in Gregor Townsend s squad, together with Glasgow centre Stafford McDowall and Leicester lock Cameron Henderson.

Healy, qualified to play for Scotland through his maternal grandparents, has been called up following an injury to Adam Hastings.

The 23-year-old will be competing for the No 10 shirt with Finn Russell and Blair Kinghorn.

Healy, born and raised in Tipperary, is a former Ireland under-20 international but with Joey Carbery and Jack Crowley blocking his path at provincial level, he has decided to pursue a career in Scotland and is joining Edinburgh next season.

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He could face Ireland in the fourth round of this season s Six Nations and at the World Cup in France, with the two Celtic nations in the same pool.

Experienced backs Sean Maitland and Huw Jones have both been recalled, with back-row forward Jamie Ritchie continuing as Scotland captain.

Scotland squad:

Backs

Chris Harris (Gloucester/ENG), Ben Healy (Munster/IRL), Stuart Hogg (Exeter/ENG), George Horne (Glasgow), Huw Jones (Glasgow), Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh), Sean Maitland (Saracens/ENG), Ruaridh McConnochie (Bath/ENG), Stafford McDowell (Glasgow), Ali Price, Cameron Redpath (Bath/ENG), Finn Russell (Racing 92/FRA), Ollie Smith (Glasgow), Kyle Steyn (Glasgow), Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow), Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh), Ben White (London Irish/ENG)

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Forwards

Ewan Ashman (Sale/ENG), Josh Bayliss (Bath/ENG), Simon Berghan (Glasgow), Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow), Fraser Brown (Glasgow), Dave Cherry (Edinburgh), Andy Christie (Saracens/ENG), Luke Crosbie (Edinburgh), Jack Dempsey (Glasgow), Matt Fagerson (Glasgow), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh), Jonny Gray (Exeter), Richie Gray (Glasgow), Cameron Henderson (Leicester/ENG), WP Nel (Edinburgh), Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh, capt), Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh), Javan Sebastian (Scarlets/WAL), Sam Skinner (Edinburgh) Rory Sutherland (Ulster/IRL), George Turner (Glasgow), Hamish Watson (Edinburgh)

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World champion Brecel excited by new ‘golden ball’ format

World champion Brecel excited by new ‘golden ball’ format

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World champion Brecel excited by new 'golden ball' format

World champion Luca Brecel is excited to be among those looking to complete the first ever 167 break after the new golden ball was introduced at Saudi Arabia’s first professional snooker event this week.

The opening season of the Riyadh World Masters of Snooker offers players the chance to win a prize of $500,000 if they can complete a maximum 147 and then pot the golden ball.

The golden ball, worth 20 points, sits on the top cushion during the frame for as long as a player can still complete a maximum and is removed when the chance is gone.

The event, which runs until Wednesday, features players such as Ronnie O’Sullivan, Shaun Murphy, Mark Williams and Ding Junhui.

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“Yeah, it’s exciting the golden ball. Obviously it’s a big prize and well, it’s going to be very difficult. It’s a nice challenge and I’d love to have a go at it. Even if I don’t make it I would just like to have a try,” Brecel told Reuters on Tuesday.

“The 147 in itself is really difficult but now you need to be perfect on the black as well to go to the golden ball which is even more difficult.” Former world champion Judd Trump is also enjoying the challenge.

“It’s something cool. I think it’s always good to kind of push new ideas and I think the challenge of making a different break, a 167 here, would be very special,” Trump said.

“I think the 167 is just that little bit harder now and with that comes a bigger prize. So, I think that 167 is very special for the first time.”

Following the announcement last month of the creation of a Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters which will become the ‘fourth major’, Brecel said it was good to see the sport expanding into new countries.

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“(It’s) very good for us and for snooker. It’s nice to be able to come to these countries and hopefully maybe Qatar and Dubai will follow and in the future maybe go up to the U.S. as well and make snooker really, really big in all the countries in the world,” he said.

With a 10-year deal agreed, the tournament’s first edition will take place in Riyadh from Aug. 31 to Sept. 7. It will be a ranking event open to all tour players, plus six local wild cards. 

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Scaled-back opening ceremony for Paris Olympics to offer 326,000 tickets

Scaled-back opening ceremony for Paris Olympics to offer 326,000 tickets

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Scaled-back opening ceremony for Paris Olympics to offer 326,000 tickets

A total of 326,000 tickets are set to be sold or given away for the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on the River Seine, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Tuesday, giving the exact number for the first time. Security fears have seen the size of the waterborne parade dramatically reduced.

“We will have 104,000 spectators on the lower bank who have paid for a ticket,” Darmanin told a hearing in the Sénat. “Then you have 222,000 people on the higher banks (with free tickets).”

Darmanin estimated that another 200,000 people would watch the event along the river from buildings that overlook the Seine, with an additional 50,000 in fan-zones in the capital.

Resistance from French security services and worries about potential terror attacks saw the number of spectators downgraded from as many as two million people.

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However the event is still set to break records in terms of its size, with all previous opening ceremonies taking place in an athletics’ stadium.

The open-air ceremony on boats is in keeping with promises to make the Paris Olympics “iconic”, with the local organising committee keen to break from past traditions in the way it stages the world’s biggest sporting event.

A total of 180 boats are set to sail around six kilometres down the Seine, of which 94 will contain athletes, the top security official for the Paris region, Marc Guillaume, told the same hearing.

Darmanin added: “No country has informed us that they do not want to take part … They have confidence in our organisation.”

Special security

The executive in charge of planning and risk management at the Paris organising committee told AFP last week that special security measures would be considered for high-risk delegations such as those from the US or Israel.

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“Every delegation has its own unique circumstances, and we’ll look at solutions that are adapted to the risk,” Lambis Konstantinidis said.

The Olympics have been targeted with attacks in the past, notably Munich in 1972 and Atlanta in 1996.

France was placed on its highest alert for terror attacks in October after a suspected Islamist burst into a school in northern France and stabbed a teacher to death.

The country has been consistently targeted by Islamic extremists over the last decade, particularly from the Islamic State group, while Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza is seen as exacerbating domestic tensions.

Around a million people are set to be screened in advance by French security forces for possible security risks, including the athletes, journalists, private security guards and people who live close to key infrastructure. 

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Sinisterra signs long-term deal with Bournemouth

Sinisterra signs long-term deal with Bournemouth

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Sinisterra signs long-term deal with Bournemouth

Luis Sinisterra has made his move to AFC Bournemouth from Leeds United permanent, signing a long-term deal with the Premier League team on Friday.

Bournemouth reportedly agreed to a £20 million fee with Championship (second-tier) side Leeds.

The 24-year-old Colombian had been impressive since joining Bournemouth in September on a loan spell from Leeds United, with three goals and three assists in his 17 appearances.

“I’m really happy to make this move. I’m excited to play for Bournemouth for the long term,” Sinisterra said. “I feel really comfortable here and the fans are really nice. When I meet them in the streets, they show the love.”

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Andoni Iraola’s team are 12th in the table on 27 points, but are winless in their last four games. They play Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday. 

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