Scottish world curling champion Bruce Mouat is ready to embrace pyrotechnics, pints and possibly a bit of profanity if it draws audiences to Rock League, his sport’s answer to cricket’s The Hundred.

The first professional curling league counts a trio of NFL players amongst its early investors and will premiere Monday in a condensed proof-of-concept tournament set to feature live music, dramatic walk-outs, innovative formats, fans in fancy dress and even an on-ice spectator bar.

Its founders drew influence from darts, golf and the WWE in an attempt to entice the committed and curious to a venture they are confident will eventually be profitable, and, most importantly for athletes like 31-year-old Mouat, provide a rare income stream.

“I think curling has had a lot of tradition in its past, and we still hold on to that at some points,” Northern United captain Mouat told the Press Association. “But I don’t think we should shy away from having pyrotechnics and a good time.

“I think as the sport evolves we need to evolve with it. You see The Hundred in cricket has created this, more similar to the darts, they want to make it a bit of a party, a bit of a laugh, people come in costumes, people choose one franchise to support.”

The first season will see curlers converge on Toronto, where six mixed-nationality franchises based in Europe, Canada, the United States and “Asia-Pacific” will face off.

Teams collectively compete for a $250,000 (£189,000) prize pot across a multi-format week that, unusually, includes mixed fours. Athletes also receive a participation fee, a development which Mouat admitted “wasn’t necessarily something I thought was going to happen in my career lifespan.”

Curling received considerable attention at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, largely due to ‘Boopgate’, a clash between the Canadian and Swedish teams – including an f-bomb caught on a hot mic – over alleged cheating.

Mouat, who skipped the British men to Olympic silver in Italy, said: “That moment brought a lot of eyes to our sport, and they say no publicity is bad publicity.

“We’ve seen a massive influx of people looking at our sport because of that situation. It was also quite a meme-able moment for curling.

“You have to have a bit of a laugh. As much as it was intense in the moment, I think it’s now a bit of a funny story for a lot of the curlers.”

Rock League’s early investors include NFL tight ends George Kittle and TJ Hockenson, and Hall of Fame defensive end Jared Allen.

Founder Nic Sulsky, who also owns parent company The Curling Group, is happy to take on disgruntled purists.

“Sport needs villains,” he told the Press Association. “If I have to play (that role) in the early days, that’s cool.

“You can’t dislike what we’re doing and the change we’re trying to bring into the sport and at the same time, loving the curlers who are supporting what we’re doing.

“You can’t love curling without respecting the fact that curlers should be paid more money.”

IPA

The Derby win allowed Baker to accomplish a key career target, emulating his father, famed New Zealand preparer Murray Baker with five victories in the storied Randwick feature.

This Derby ranks among the country’s most enduring premier races, first held in 1861 coinciding with Archer’s initial Melbourne Cup triumph.

After the colt’s dominant display, Baker affirmed intentions to target the 2026 Melbourne Cup with Green Spaces.

“Melbourne Cup – bring it on!” Baker said

King delivered a tactically superb steer to become the first woman jockey to win the Derby, just 40 minutes after Jamie Melham prevailed on Sheza Alibi in the Doncaster Mile.

“This is just so satisfying,” King said.”I’ve had some much belief in this horse, the whole team has, they’ve done an amazing job and Bjorn has timed the colt’s Derby preparation to perfection.

“He’s a beautiful horse and I was very confident he would stay. He relaxed so well and did everything I asked.”

Green Spaces, at $4.40, proved his class with superior staying power, bolting in by more than three lengths from Dezignation ($151) and Storm Leopard ($4.60) a long neck away in third.

Favourite Observer ($3) fought back to fifth but was not fully at ease on the “shifty” track.

Those beaten by Green Spaces have few alibis, such was his total command.

Baker had long planned the Derby for Green Spaces after the colt’s easy win in the Group 3 Spring Stakes at Newcastle’s lone meeting last November.

“This is so special, what a great watch,” Baker said.”When they are in the zone like that, his trackwork has been in the zone, I was very confident, I couldn’t have him any better going into today.

“Every time I looked at him in the box, his coat was great, he was in the zone, and his work on Tuesday was great.”

With Murray’s five Derby successes in 12 years – Quick Thinker (2020), Jon Snow (2017), Mongolian Khan (2015), It’s A Dundeel (2013), Nom Du Jeu (2008) – Baker tapped his father for tips this week.

“I spoke to Murray a lot this week, I asked him what would you do with this horse,” Baker said.”He said don’t leave him short son. Then when the rain came this morning, I was very confident he was fit enough.”

Baker highlighted King’s ride as exceptional in the Derby.

“Rachel’s done so much work for our stable and she delivers, she delivers on the big stage,” Baker said.”She rode him perfectly today, it was an exceptional ride.”

King hailed Baker as a “massive supporter of mine”.”I disappear for a month to ride in Japan but he’s always there for me when I come back,” King said.”I made an effort this year to come back and trial this horse during my trip because I wanted to stay with the colt so thanks to Bjorn and the Godolphin team for sticking with me.”

Godolphin-Darley’s Street Boss notches a fourth unique Group 1 winner this season via Green Spaces, after Tentyris, Tempted and Pericles.

Anamoe, the champion former Horse of the Year, is also by Street Boss.

Dezignation, prepared by Matthew Smith, ran a huge second, grinding home best over the tough 2400m Derby distance bar the superb Green Spaces.

“He has run out of his skin,” said jockey Tyler Schiller, rider of Dezignation. “He stays all day.”

Storm Leopard’s rider Tommy Berry sensed a win after passing Observer inside on the corner to lead.”I thought it was an extraordinary effort off the back up,” Berry said of Storm Leopard, who won the Tulloch Stakes last week.”The winner was set for the race and won accordingly but Storm Leopard has a bright future in the staying ranks.”

Visit trusted betting sites to check racing odds for the Australian Derby.

INDIANAPOLIS — The ultimate hero of UConn’s game-clinching sequence in its 71-62 Final Four victory over Illinois on Saturday night inside Lucas Oil Stadium was a familiar one, as freshman phenom Braylon Mullins drilled a 3-pointer from the left wing with 52 seconds left that cemented the outcome.

But the defining shot of a tight late-game situation required something from all five starters who were on the floor with just over a minute to play as the Huskies surged to the national title game for the third time in the past four seasons.

“If that moment is going to be set up for me, absolutely,” said Mullins, who was 0 for 5 in the second half. “You’ve got to shoot it with confidence, and if that moment arises, then we’re going to hit it.”

Therein lies the beauty of Mullins’ place on the UConn roster. He’s played the role of hero lately, and it’s because the entirety of the Huskies’ machine of a program sets him up perfectly to nail the role.

Illinois had roared back from a 14-point deficit to cut the UConn edge to just 63-59, and the Illini were one defensive stop away from potentially trimming the Huskies’ lead down to one possession for the first time since late in the first half.

Before Mullins planted his feet and sank a memorable sequel to his heroic Elite Eight game-winner against Duke, four other players did their part.

First, senior forward Alex Karaban hit Illinois’ Kylan Boswell with a sinister pump fake that created an opportunity for a clean 3-point look at the 1:13 mark. It clanged off the iron, but point guard Silas Demary Jr. fought for the offensive rebound over two taller Illinois players.

Demary, who has been gutting through an ankle injury, then passed the ball to the safety in the hands of Solomon Ball, who had the presence of mind to pass up a wide open 2-point look, instead opting to pull the ball out and run more clock.

The last and most aesthetically pleasing sequence of the game-clinching possession involved center Tarris Reed catching just enough of Illinois guard Keaton Wagler on a screen so that Mullins could get a clean look. As he fired off the Reed screen, Mullins squared up and caught a pass from Demary in stride. Then, he banged home the dagger from beyond the arc that put UConn ahead 66-59 with 52 seconds remaining.

“We have so many actions, and it’s tough for a team to be locked in on the movement,” Karaban said

For four seasons, Karaban has been the master of peeling off of UConn’s intricate web of screens for quality looks. He spoke of Mullins’ footwork on the clinching shot like a proud uncle.

“He does it better than I do,” Karaban said. “I think it took him time to adjust just with the speed. You’ve got to come off pins reading whether guys are going to go under or whether they’re chasing you. So it’s definitely an adjustment from high school that he’s done a great job of. But, shoot, he gets the ball off quicker than I do, so I didn’t teach him nothing.”

Demary followed up his massive offensive rebound — which was his ninth board of the night — by hitting Mullins right in the heart of his shooting pocket for his seventh assist.

“I think as the year went on and the chemistry got better and better, I was able to read his feet when he’s coming off that screen so he can get into his one-two, and not pass it too early but pass it just on time,” Demary told CBS Sports.

And don’t forget about the screener. Reed has been an NCAA Tournament hero in his own right for UConn with monster stat lines. Quality screens don’t get properly quantified anywhere on a box score. But for the Huskies to be effective in their detailed off-ball actions, they are a necessity. Reed’s name shows up nowhere in the official play-by-play documenting the clinching sequence, but the 6-foot-10 bruiser played the role of screener to perfection.

“When he really screens, no one wants to keep running through that screen over and over again,” Demary said. “So now guys are second-thinking, ‘should I run through this screen, or should I try and find a way to run around him?’ I think that’s what makes him get even more option shots.”

Reed led the Huskies in points with 17 and rebounds with 11. Demary led the Huskies in assists. Ball led UConn in +/- at a remarkable plus-19, and Karaban is the anchor of it all as the program’s all-time wins leader.

Collectively, they have created the framework for Mullins’ glorious return to Indianapolis. Collectively, they set the stage on Saturday night for the pride of nearby Greenfield, Indiana, to continue living the hero’s role that no other program could have cast so well.

“I wouldn’t want to be doing it anywhere else,” Mullins said. “I’m so happy for the spot that we’re in. This is what the coaching staff pushed for, so just to be a part of this moment, it’s a blessing.”

Kye Goalby was in grade school when his father won the Masters, too young to fully grasp the magnitude of the feat.

He learned soon enough.

Bob Goalby’s victory in 1968 came, of course, with a lifetime Masters invite, which in turn gave rise to a gig for his son. By his late teens, the younger Goalby was caddying for his dad in the tournament. Even as the years wore on and he gave up those looping duties, he kept coming back to watch and walk the grounds. His ties to the Augusta area run deep.

In more recent years, those ties have extended to Aiken, S.C., which Goalby says has become something of a “home away from home.” That affection is due partly to Palmetto Golf Club, a historic layout whose understated atmosphere and character-rich design suit Goalby’s own laid-back sensibility, not to mention his love of great golf architecture. But his affinity for the area has a professional dimension as well. A former shaper for the likes of Tom Doak and Gil Hanse, Goalby has built a reputation as a skilled architect in his own right, and one of his credits is in Aiken.

GOLF recently spent time with Goalby in the Aiken area, tracing his fondness for the region and touring the Tree Farm, one of the standout courses in a swath of South Carolina that has become one of the hottest destinations in American golf.

Routed by Doak and designed by Goalby on behalf of Tour pro Zac Blair, the Tree Farm doesn’t clamor for attention. Then again, neither does the unassuming Goalby. Not one for chest-beating, he took a restrained approach to the project, which his collaborators shared.

“At the time we were building this, and even still today, the courses you see are trying to get Instagram photos and trying to get a dramatic look, and I was kind of sick of it,” he says. “No one cared about ratings when we were building this. Let’s not rely on a lot of flash and let the land speak.”

The result is an expansive, rumpled course that takes advantage of ample elevation shifts, draping elegantly across the terrain in ways that, in places, call to mind the broad-shouldered movement of Augusta National. The fairways are generous, but angles off the tee are essential. The greens appear serene, but they demand careful thought and a delicate touch. The bunkering is free of the flamboyant edges fashionable elsewhere, and around the greens, Goalby often dispensed with bunkers altogether, trusting the ground itself to conjure more than enough intrigue.

For more on Goalby, Tree Farm and the wealth of golf in Aiken, check out the video above.

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Manchester United are expected to be busy in the summer transfer window and there are some deals that could be easier to complete than others

As Manchester United look to consolidate their position in the top four and seal a Champions League return, focus has started to shift towards their summer transfer activity. While the club may harbour ambitious targets in the market, there are also some transactions which could prove far more straightforward to complete.

In recent windows, United have chosen to insert buy-back clauses when selling certain players. They haven’t always activated them – for instance, they permitted Real Madrid an uncontested move for Alvaro Carreras when the defender departed Benfica – but they have been keen to keep their options open, particularly when it comes to younger players who can kick on away from Old Trafford.

Should Michael Carrick finish what he’s started and seal European qualification, it could enhance the club’s appeal to prospective signings. It might also leave senior figures believing they have little alternative but to award the interim manager the position permanently in what already looks like being a busy summer.

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Former United midfielder Carrick might not be the only man to clinch a reunion, though. We’ve examined four players who could be brought back if the club opts to exercise one of those buy-back options.

Hannibal Mejbri

Academy product Hannibal made an impression when he progressed through the youth system and earned a first-team opportunity. His determination and combative nature drew praise but he didn’t manage to fulfil his potential at Old Trafford.

The Tunisian international netted his maiden United goal in a loss to Brighton under Erik ten Hag early in the 2023/24 campaign but didn’t add to it and saw a loan stint at Sevilla bring limited minutes. He departed on a permanent basis at the end of that term, signing for Burnley for a knock-down initial fee which could rise to £9.4million.

As previously reported by the MEN, United possess a buy-back clause worth an undisclosed sum and also hold matching rights. This means should Burnley accept an offer for Hannibal from another club, his previous employers are entitled to submit an identical offer to the Clarets.

United are also understood to have a 50 per-cent sell-on clause for the 23-year-old. Burnley are facing relegation from the Premier League this season, yet Hannibal – who featured in 37 league matches during last term’s promotion push – has caught the eye despite the side’s difficulties.

Mason Greenwood

United sold Mason Greenwood to Marseille for a little under £30m in 2024 and didn’t have any serious plans for a return at the time. Nevertheless, The Telegraph reported that a buy-back clause was incorporated into the agreement despite ‘no expectation or intention’ of any comeback.

The Premier League outfit had determined well before that point that Greenwood had no future at the club. However, those reports of a clause prompted some to question whether the door remained slightly open.

He had spent a season on loan at Getafe before completing a permanent switch to Marseille. He has an impressive record of 47 goals in 74 outings for the French club as they finished second in Ligue 1 last season and fell agonisingly short of the Champions League knockout stages this term.

Alongside the buy-back clause, United also inserted a sell-on clause into Greenwood’s Marseille transfer. Figures differ depending on the source, though it is understood to sit somewhere between 40-50 per-cent of any profits generated by the Ligue 1 side.

Facundo Pellistri

Uruguay prospect Pellistri arrived at United in 2020 but started more frequently for his country than for the Premier League club. After 25 outings – and a number of loans – he made a permanent move to Panathinaikos in a deal worth just over £5m plus potential add-ons in 2024.

MEN reports at the time indicated a three-year buy-back clause was written into the agreement. United are also believed to hold a 45 per-cent sell-on clause should the Greek side choose to offload the winger

Now 24, Pellistri played his 50th Panathinaikos match earlier this season. He scored against Chelsea in last season’s Conference League and has played in the Europa League this season.

Willy Kambwala

Kambwala was thrown into first-team action very suddenly during an injury crisis. Three of his 10 appearances were Premier League starts, including one against rivals Liverpool in April 2024.

His displays under Erik ten Hag attracted attention from clubs on the continent and United couldn’t keep hold of him. After the French youth international turned down a contract extension, Villarreal submitted a bid worth up to £9.6million.

According to The Guardian, United ensured a buy-back clause was included in that deal, as well as in the sale of left-back Carreras earlier in the same window. Carreras moved to Benfica for £5m before completing a switch to Real Madrid for close to £50m just 12 months later, after United chose not to activate their £25m option.

Kambwala featured in 19 league matches for Villarreal last season as they finished fifth in La Liga and secured Champions League qualification. He has yet to feature this season owing to a hamstring injury, though he recently returned to the matchday squad as he closes in on a comeback.