Joel Kpoku flies the flag for English in the Challenge Cup final after reaping the rewards of a leap of faith with Lyon
Joel Kpoku played for England in the Under-20 World Cup in France in 2018 The 22-year-old came through the academy at Saracens but left club last year He moved to France on two-year contract, shelving any international ambitions English flag-bearer Joel Kpoku has rediscovered his love for rugby as he prepares to lead Lyon’s charge in Friday’s Challenge Cup final.

Ex-England and Premier League star 'considering' coming out as gay on TV documentary
The programme is reportedly in the works and would focus on the stories of gay professional footballers from the past and present and let them tell their stories A former England international and Premier League star is reportedly 'in talks' with television producers over the prospect of coming out in a new tv documentary about gay professional footballers.

Patrick Vieira wants more Palace ambition as club approach decade in top flight
Patrick Vieira knows Crystal Palace will not spend crazy money this summer but believes the club are ready to be more ambitious. The Eagles entertain Manchester United on the final day knowing a victory will give them a chance of a top-half finish in the Premier League. It was a different story at the beginning of the campaign with talk Palace, after they let a number of senior players leave and saw veteran boss Roy Hodgson move on last summer, were among the favourites to be relegated, but Vieira has kept them comfortably above the bottom three.

Ollie Robinson missed a chance to make a big point to the new England set-up
28-year-old bowled 18 overs in four spells and was unlucky to to take a wicket Robinson is not in the current England squad but could be included soon Ollie Robinson missed a chance to make a really big point to the new-look England set-up yesterday as Sussex toiled against a New Zealand team down to the bare bones.

STUART BROAD: I don't have any long-term targets now, I just want to make a positive impact on the new England as soon as I can
Stuart Broad says he has no long-term targets set other than helping England Right-arm seam bowler says he thinks his cricket style matches new coaching Broad says he has spoken with McCullum and is 'positive about what lies ahead' Whenever a new management team comes in, it’s always a bit of a stressful time because you never know if you are a player that they want to move forward with.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore is hoping to make his season debut in the Vitality Blast
Kohler-Cadmore has been hindered by long-term concussion symptoms 27-year-old Yorkshire batter has made two attempts at a return - both failed this week after being dogged by long-term concussion symptoms for four months. Two previous comeback attempts by the 27-year-old Yorkshire batter - who was struck a blow to the head while on Pakistan Super League duty in January - have proved false starts, after he experienced headaches and bouts of nausea.

Eric Dier emerges from dark days to become Tottenham’s guiding light
The defender has flourished under Antonio Conte having been made a scapegoat for the club’s struggles by José Mourinho “It felt like the end of the world,” Eric Dier says, referring to a specific point of last season. The away games against Crystal Palace and Liverpool in mid-December.

Shocked Pep Guardiola sends Manchester United fans a special message ahead of Liverpool FC title showdown
Man City boss was surprised to hear that many Man United supporters will be hoping his team beat their old rivals to the Premier League crown on Sunday Pep Guardiola invited Manchester United fans down to the Etihad Stadium to cheer on City's title push against Aston Villa on Sunday ... but insists they must wear a blue shirt!

Burnley slap whopping £40MILLION price-tag on West Ham and Fulham target Nick Pope – even if they get relegated
BURNLEY are asking a staggering £40million for keeper Nick Pope — whether they stay in the Premier League or not. Pope, 30, will be a wanted man this summer and Fulham are keen, with a potential three-year contract on offer. But the Clarets want a huge fee for the England ace.

Priti Patel to grab new powers to stamp out ‘mob rule’ of Just Stop Oil protests
Public Order Bill toughened to protect ‘key national infrastructure’ such as oil terminals Just Stop Oil activists block M25 petrol station at rush hour Priti Patel will grab new powers to stamp out the Just Stop Oil demonstrations when a controversial crackdown on protesting returns to the Commons on Monday.

MATCHDAY: Man City, AC Milan look to win titles in finales
A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Sunday: ENGLAND The title, qualification for the three European competitions, and relegation will all be decided on the final day for the first time in Premier League history. Manchester City and Liverpool are vying for the title.

From Sara Cox's Pottery Throw Down-inspired debut to The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan, a stylish saga from Cressida Connolly and Steve Toltz's latest, this week's best new fiction
Bad Relations Cressida Connolly Viking £14.99 History casts a long shadow in this stylish family saga. A soldier wins a Victoria Cross in the Crimean War, only for his marriage to collapse on his return to England. His tangled family tree stretches from Cornwall to Australia and, as we catch up with his dysfunctional dynasty in the 1970s and again post-Brexit, a lot of loose ends need to be tied up.

Eddie Jones casts Leinster’s power game as the template for England
Coach cited muscle, pace and guts as the holy trinity of international rugby as he announced his latest squad There is nothing new about the observation that rugby is a game of increasing power but, if we await the point in history when modern players have wrung every last morsel of actuated power from their jacked-up bodies, that longed-for plateauing-off has yet to be reached.

Eddie Jones favours 'gas, guts and power' in 'frightening combination' for Australia tour
England head coach is considering picking both Joe Cokanasiga and Henry Arundell as well as his preferred World Cup midfield Down Under Eddie Jones will consider the “frightening” prospect of picking Joe Cokanasiga and Henry Arundell on either wing as he aims to assemble an England backline brimming with “gas, guts and power”.

An energy windfall tax is doomed to failure. Ministers must condemn it
Windfall levies are retrospective, changing the rules on a whim by hiking taxes when people happen to have made more money. It is excellent that two more Cabinet members have spoken out against the asinine idea of a windfall tax on energy companies: Brandon Lewis, in an interview with this newspaper where he said it would be “damaging to the UK economy”, and Sajid Javid, who warned “we would come to regret” its effects.

Leicester ruin Dean Richards' swansong as Nic Dolly suffers horror injury
Dolly, who has enjoyed an outstanding campaign for Steve Borthwick’s side, was carried off on a stretcher with knee injury Newcastle Falcons 5 27 Leicester Tigers Nic Dolly suffered a horrific knee injury which looks certain to have wrecked the hooker’s hopes of touring his native Australia with England this summer.

Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell single again after ending his fling with Lewis Hamilton’s ex-girlfriend Camila Kendra
ENGLAND and Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell is single again after ending his fling with Lewis Hamilton’s ex-girlfriend, model Camila Kendra. They were first linked late last year when she shared a series of snaps taken inside the footballer’s home on social media. But sources reveal the pair have now cut ties.

Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell splits with model Camila Kendra and unfollows her on Instagram
ENGLAND and Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell is single again after ending his fling with Lewis Hamilton’s ex-girlfriend, model Camila Kendra. They were first linked late last year when she shared a series of snaps taken inside the footballer’s home on social media. But sources reveal the pair have now cut ties.
