Para shot-put and discus thrower Funmi Oduwaiye distinctly remembers the day her sister pointed to Paralympic champion Jonnie Peacock on the documentary Rising Phoenix and said “that could be you”.

While many would be flattered by the comparison to Peacock, who took home gold at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games, the Cardiff athlete’s immediate reaction was “god forbid”.

Oduwaiye was in recovery from one of 10 surgeries to her knee over the space of three years, but she was not ready to give up on a future in basketball. Accepting her disability felt like denying her destiny.

“I (wanted) my leg to heal and then have an amazing story and go back to basketball,” she told the PA news agency ahead of Sunday’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

“I was definitely above average with my dedication to basketball. It was tough.

“Not even the thought of being able-bodied and now being disabled, it’s like, I was an athlete. I wanted to pursue being a professional athlete as a career. In my head, I was like, ‘there’s no way I can do that’.

“I can’t even feel my leg. I can’t even move my leg. They’re talking about cutting it off.”

Four months ago, just a over year after starting a new journey in in para athletics, Oduwaiye finished sixth in F64 discus and fourth in F64 shot put on debut at the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris, where she confesses it took a while before she recognised one of her team-mates: Jonnie Peacock.

They had eaten dinner together, but Oduwaiye recalled: “When I first met him, I didn’t even realise because I was still trying to remember everyone, but I didn’t know it was him until we started watching Rising Phoenix at the championships and I was like, ‘Wait! No way!’”

Oduwaiye was playing for a basketball academy by age 11 and representing Wales by her mid-teens, when she was getting offers to play in Europe but ultimately aiming for US college ball.

Everything changed when she underwent surgery to rectify a joint issue, during which doctors damaged an artery, and subsequent surgeries to rectify the problem were unsuccessful.

One of Oduwaiye’s team-mates was married to Paralympic medal winner, Anthony Stevens, who put her in touch with the late Anthony Hughes, an influential coach and athlete in Welsh para-sport.

It was through him she met her coach, Josh Clark, who “immediately they saw me and said, ‘yeah, you’re a thrower’. I kind of wanted to try other stuff, but I just trusted in them.

“At first I just kept (the new sport) to myself. It was at that point where I was still in denial about my disability, I was still like, ‘I’ll come back and play basketball’.”

Acceptance was a gradual process but supported by Clark and fuelled by Oduwaiye’s unwavering faith, her sister’s prediction could well come true should she qualify for next summer’s Paralympics in Paris, with another world championships also on the horizon next spring.

Last month, Oduwaiye was a special guest at a conference organised by Urdd Gobaith Cymru and attended by 150 young women designed to inspire involvement in sport.

She is still getting used to the fact that she is now the athlete on TV, who someone might point to and tell a child, “that could be you”.

“I’m living the athlete lifestyle. I can still travel, I can still have team-mates, I can still travel the world. That’s what I always wanted to do,” she added.

“The fact that I get to be one of those faces is crazy to me. I’m representing me and I’m doing well. I’m going to be one of those faces that people see and are influenced by.

“I always knew I was destined for great things, it was just I didn’t know what I was destined to be great at.

“I thought it was basketball because that was working well, but little did I know that God closed one door and opened an even bigger one.”

Kevin Sinfield will set out on his latest super-human fundraising feat from Headingley on Friday morning with no end in sight to the initiatives which have so far raised in excess of £8million for research into Motor Neurone Disease.

The 43-year-old openly questioned his ability to continue pounding the streets prior to his most recent ‘7 in 7’ ultramarathon challenge last year, but says the overwhelming public support he has encountered is enough to push him forward for the foreseeable future.

Sinfield’s latest quest will take him from Leeds to York Minster on the opening day before six more back-to-back runs that will include visits to Birmingham, Brighton, Edinburgh and, for the first time in his series of challenges, Dublin.

Sinfield said: “Whilst my knees keep going, I will continue to do my bit and even then, when my knees won’t work like they should, we will find different ways of trying to raise money and awareness.

“We have been part of something that has been pretty powerful over the last couple of years and we are massive humbled by it.

“Last time we thought we shouldn’t go again, (but) on average three times a day people will stop me and tell me somebody they know has MND or someone has passed with MND, and they want us to keep going.

“The plan was to do three, but we haven’t got a cure, and we feel we can make a better impact on people’s lives who have MND, so why would we stop?”

Sinfield started his fundraising quest in support of his Leeds Rhinos team-mate Rob Burrow in 2020, when he ran seven marathons in seven days, and the following year he ran 101 miles in under 24 hours from Welford Road in Leicester to Headingley.

Last year, his ‘7 in 7’ challenge concluded on the pitch at half-time during the men’s World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand at Old Trafford.

This year, Sinfield’s final leg will lead him from Twickenham Stadium to The Mall, the traditional finish of the London Marathon.

“I promised myself last time I did the London Marathon that I would enjoy the last stretch so I was able to take a fair bit in,” added Sinfield.

“It will be a bit different with cars and pedestrians, but when we get to that finish point, I am sure we will be pretty tired but pretty happy.”

Four-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Matthew Pinsent announced his retirement from rowing on this day in 2004, three months after his final triumph in Athens in the coxless fours.

Pinsent, then 34, said he had lost his desire to train since securing his fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal in the summer.

“After Sydney I was happy to throw myself into a four-year campaign. After Athens it has been different, I think my body knows it is done,” said Pinsent.

“I always said I would retire after Athens and so it has proved. I will be cheering you on from the beer tent, perhaps a bit drunk and a bit jealous.”

Pinsent had helped Sir Steve Redgrave to three of his five consecutive Olympic titles but the victory in Athens – secured in a photo finish over Canada – was arguably the finest of his career as he broke out of his old team-mate’s shadow and defied the odds.

Pinsent had been unbeaten at a major championships for 12 years but that run came to an end in 2003 as Britain’s preparations for the Olympics were marred by injuries and crew changes.

That meant Canada started as favourites but Pinsent, joined by James Cracknell, Ed Coode and Steve Williams, snatched victory by 0.08 seconds.

Pinsent had previously won Olympic gold in the coxless pairs alongside Redgrave 1992 and 1996, with the pair then joining Cracknell and Tim Foster in the coxless four in 2000.

As Pinsent announced he was stepping away, Redgrave predicted his former team-mate would do as he had done, reversing his 1996 retirement to triumph again four years later, but Pinsent was true to his word and has gone on to make a new career in broadcasting.

He was knighted a month after his retirement as part of the New Year’s Honours list.

Global revenues for women’s elite sport will top £1billion for the first time in 2024, finance company Deloitte predicts.

Rapidly increasing attendances and television viewing figures across different sports, coupled with more lucrative commercial and broadcast deals, sees Deloitte’s TMT Predictions report (technology, media and telecommunications) predict global revenues of 1.28billion US dollars (£1.03bn).

Commercial revenue contributes 55 per cent of that total, backed up by broadcast deals and matchday income.

Jennifer Haskel, insights lead for Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, said: “We wrote a prediction in 2021 and the revenues that were generated, from 2021 to now, is over 300 per cent higher. So you can see over the past few years there has been an incredible amount of growth.

“We’re seeing a lot of popularity in terms of viewership, attendances etc. That’s showing it’s also a great business decision to invest in and support women’s sport – that’s what I think that billion dollars shows.”

This summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup final between Spain and England was watched by 75,784 in Sydney, with attendances at the tournament averaging nearly 31,000.

Over 86,000 watched hosts Australia beat India to win the women’s T20 Cricket World Cup in 2019 while last year’s Ashes drew significant crowds to English Test grounds including Lord’s and Trent Bridge.

Football’s Women’s Super League – which on Tuesday announced a new governing body also covering the Championship – has increasingly staged games at men’s Premier League grounds, with Arsenal hoping to sell out the Emirates Stadium next Sunday against Chelsea.

The NWSL and basketball’s WNBA have led the way in the United States, helping establish football with the largest share of Deloitte’s projection at 555m dollars (£436.7m) followed by basketball with 354m dollars (£278.5m). Tennis comes next with the WTA Tour competing on an equal footing to the men’s ATP Tour.

Haskel continued: “Because women’s sport is in this nascent phase, there’s this ‘test and learn’ culture where you can trial playing a certain amount of games at the main stadium or increasing and decreasing ticket prices – that matchday environment is only going to get better because the data will be there to show what fans want.

“Matchday and broadcast (income) are going to continue to grow but commercial is really that biggest lever for women’s sports right now.

“You’re starting to see women’s-only commercial deals, but also percentages of full club deals being attributed to the women’s team so that value is starting to become more apparent.

“It is a lower-cost entry point but there is potential for very high reward, as well as opportunities for different sponsors that could enter women’s sport because of the demographic or the marketing message.”

Commercial expansion is not without risk, as demonstrated by the controversial European Super League proposal in men’s football and the over-saturation of the global cricket calendar.

Women’s football finds itself at the other end of the process, with the Champions League qualifying structure coming under scrutiny after the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Juventus and Wolfsburg missed out.

Haskel said: “I think one of the benefits is women’s sport can learn from the mistakes of men’s sport but change paths and be a bit more agile because of how early on in the cycle they are.

“Every female sports organisation right now is looking at, what are the governance structures that need to be in place to make sure that as women’s sport continues to grow, it maintains financial sustainability.

“Maybe at first the structure was set up to mimic what the men’s side used to do but now women’s sport, as its own distinct product, can carve its own path and its own structure.”

Monday, November 27

FOOTBALL: Premier League, Fulham v Wolves – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League 1830; Serie A, Verona v Lecce – TNT Sports 1 1730, Bologna v Torino – TNT Sports 1 1930; LaLiga, Girona v Athletic Bilbao – Viaplay Sports 1 2000.

GRIDIRON: NFL, Minnesota Vikings v Chicago Bears – Channel 5, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports NFL 0100 (Tues).

BASKETBALL: NBA, Philadelphia 76ers v Los Angeles Lakers – TNT Sports 2 0000 (Tues).

SNOOKER: UK Championship – Eurosport 1 1245, 1845, BBC Two England 1300.

Tuesday, November 28

FOOTBALL: Champions League, Lazio v Celtic – TNT Sports 1 1700, Paris St Germain v Newcastle – TNT Sports 2 1900, Barcelona v Porto – TNT Sports 4 1945, Manchester City v RB Leipzig – TNT Sports 1 1945, Shakhtar Donetsk v Antwerp – TNT Sports 3 1730, AC Milan v Borussia Dortmund – TNT Sports 3 1945, Young Boys v Red Star Belgrade – TNT Sports 7 2000, Feyenoord v Atletico Madrid – TNT Sports 6 2000; Championship, Watford v Norwich – Sky Sports Main Event 1930.

CRICKET: Women’s Big Bash League, Eliminator play-off match – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Cricket 0805; Third T20, India v Australia – TNT Sports 2 1315.

BASKETBALL: NBA, Miami Heat v Milwaukee Bucks – TNT Sports 1 0030 (Weds), Sacramento Kings v Golden State Warriors – TNT Sports 1 0300 (Weds); EuroCup, Wolves Vilnius v London Lions – TNT Sports 4 1645.

SNOOKER: UK Championship – Eurosport 1 1245, 1845, BBC Two England 1300.

Wednesday, November 29

FOOTBALL: Champions League, Galatasaray v Manchester United – TNT Sports 1 1700, Arsenal v Lens – TNT Sports 2 1900, Bayern Munich v FC Copenhagen – TNT Sports 4 1945, Sevilla v PSV Eindhoven – TNT Sports 3 1745, Benfica v Inter Milan – TNT Sports 6 2000, Real Madrid v Napoli – TNT Sports 3 2000, Real Sociedad v RB Salzburg – TNT Sports 8 2000, SC Braga v Union Berlin – TNT Sports 7 2000; Championship, Ipswich v Millwall – Sky Sports Main Event 1930; LaLiga, Mallorca v Cadiz – Viaplay Sports 1 2000.

CRICKET: Women’s Big Bash League, Challenger play-off match – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Cricket 0805; Abu Dhabi T10, Delhi Bulls v Deccan Gladiators – TNT Sports 2 1115, Team Abu Dhabi v Chennai Braves – TNT Sports 2 1345, Bangla Tigers v New York Strikers TNT Sports 2 1615.

BASKETBALL: NBA, New Orleans Pelicans v Philadelphia 76ers – TNT Sports 1 0100 (Thurs).

GOLF: DP World Tour, The ISPS HANDA Australian Open – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Golf 0100 (Thurs).

SNOOKER: UK Championship – Eurosport 1 1245, 1845, BBC Two England 1300.

Thursday, November 30

FOOTBALL: Europa League, TSC Backa Topola v West Ham – TNT Sports 1 1700, AEK Athens v Brighton – TNT Sports 2 1700, Sparta Prague v Real Betis – TNT Sports 4 1730, Marseille v Ajax – TNT Sports 4 1945, Liverpool v LASK – TNT Sports 1 1945, Rangers v Aris Limassol – TNT Sports 3 2000; Europa Conference League, HJK Helsinki v Aberdeen – TNT Sports 3 1745, Aston Villa v Legia Warsaw – TNT Sports 2 1945.

CRICKET: Abu Dhabi T10, Abu Dhabi v Northern Warriors – TNT Sports 1 1115, Morrisville Samp Army v Chennai Braves – TNT Sports 1 1345.

GOLF: DP World Tour, The Investec South African Open – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Golf 1000, The ISPS HANDA Australian Open – Sky Sports Golf 0100 (Fri); PGA Tour, The Hero World Challenge – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Golf 1830; DP World Tour.

GRIDIRON: NFL, Dallas Cowboys v Seattle Seahawks – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports NFL 0000 (Fri).

BASKETBALL: NBA, Miami Heat v Indiana Pacers – TNT Sports 1 0030 (Fri), Golden State Warriors v Los Angeles Clippers – TNT Sports 1 0300 (Fri).

SNOOKER: UK Championship – Eurosport 1 1245, 1845, BBC Two England 1300, 1900.

Friday, December 1

FOOTBALL: Championship, Preston v QPR – Sky Sports Main Event 1930; FA Cup, York v Wigan – BBC Two England 1930; Women’s Nations League, Wales v Iceland – BBC One Wales 1900, England v Netherlands – ITV4 1900, Belgium v Scotland – BBC Alba 1930; Ligue 1, Reims v Strasbourg – TNT Sports 4 1945; LaLiga, Las Palmas v Getafe – Viaplay Sports 2 2000; Serie A, Monza v Juventus – TNT Sports 3 1945; A-League, Brisbane Roar v Western Sydney Wanderers – TNT Sports 1 0845.

CRICKET: Abu Dhabi T10, Northern Warriors v New York Strikers – TNT Sports 2 1115, Morrisville Samp Army v Team Abu Dhabi – TNT Sports 2 1345, Delhi Bulls v Chennai Braves – TNT Sports 2 1615; Fourth T20, India v Australia – TNT Sports 1 1315.

GOLF: DP World Tour, The Investec South African Open – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Golf 1000, The ISPS HANDA Australian Open – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Golf 0300 (Sat); PGA Tour, The Hero World Challenge – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Golf 1830.

RUGBY UNION: Premiership, Harlequins v Sale – TNT Sports 1 1900.

BASKETBALL: NBA, Boston Celtics v Philadelphia 76ers – TNT Sports 2 0030 (Sat), Phoenix Suns v Denver Nuggets – TNT Sports 2 0300 (Sat).

BOXING: Hamzah Sheeraz v Liam Williams – TNT Sports 2 1900; Nathan Gorman v Bohdan Myronets – Channel 5 2200.

HORSE RACING: Newbury – ITV4 1305.

SNOOKER: UK Championship – Eurosport 1 1245, 1845, BBC Two England 1300, 1900, BBC Two Northern Ireland, BBC Two Scotland 1900.

Saturday, December 2

FOOTBALL: Premier League, Nottingham Forest v Everton – Sky Sports Premier League 1700, Newcastle v Manchester United – TNT Sports 1 1900; FA Cup, Alfreton v Walsall – BBC One 1215; Euro 2024 draw – BBC Two England 1715; Serie A, Lazio v Cagliari – TNT Sports 2 1715, AC Milan v Frosinone – TNT Sports 2 1930; Ligue 1, Nantes v Nice – TNT Sports 4 2000; LaLiga, Girona v Valencia – Viaplay Sports 1 1300; A-League, Western United v Wellington Phoenix – TNT Sports 1 0630, Sydney FC v Perth Glory – TNT Sports 1 0845, Central Coast Mariners v Melbourne Victory – TNT Sports 2 0400 (Sun).

CRICKET: Women’s Big Bash League, Final – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Cricket 0805; Women’s T20, New Zealand v Pakistan – TNT Sports 1 2330.

GOLF: DP World Tour, The Investec South African Open – Sky Sports Golf 1000, The ISPS HANDA Australian Open – Sky Sports Golf 0200 (Sun); PGA Tour, The Hero World Challenge – Sky Sports Golf 1700.

RUGBY UNION: Premiership, Bristol v Gloucester – TNT Sports 1 1330, Saracens v Northampton – TNT Sports 1 1615; URC, Lions v Dragons – BBC Two Wales 1505, Viaplay Sports 1505, Benetton v Ospreys – S4C 1915, Viaplay Sports 1935, Bulls v Sharks – Viaplay Sports 1300, Cardiff v Scarlets – Viaplay Sports 1500, Stormers v Zebre – Viaplay Sports 1715, Ulster v Edinburgh – Viaplay Sports 1715, Connacht v Leinster, Viaplay Sports 1935.

HORSE RACING: Newbury – ITV1 1325.

MMA: UFC, Beneil Dariush v Arman Tsarukyan – TNT Sports 2 0000 (Sun).

SNOOKER: UK Championship – Eurosport 1 1245, 1845, BBC Two England 1300, 1630, 1830, BBC One 1445, BBC Two Northern Ireland, BBC Two Scotland 1630.

Sunday, December 3

FOOTBALL: Premier League, West Ham v Crystal Palace – Sky Sports Premier League 1300, Sky Sports Main Event 1400, Manchester City v Tottenham – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League 1600; FA Cup, Eastleigh v Reading – ITV 1240; Scottish Premiership, St Johnstone v Celtic – Sky Sports Main Event 1100; Serie A, Lecce v Bologna – TNT Sports 2 1130, Fiorentina v Salernitana – TNT Sports 1 1400, Udinese v Verona TNT Sports 5 1400, Sassuolo v Roma – TNT Sports 3 1700, Napoli v Inter Milan – TNT Sports 3 1945; Ligue 1, Le Havre v Paris St Germain – TNT Sports 3 1200, Monaco v Montpellier – TNT Sports 3 1400, Lille v Metz – TNT Sports 5 1605, Marseille v Rennes – TNT Sports 4 1930; LaLiga, Mallorca v Alaves – Viaplay Sports 1 1300, Almeria v Real Betis – Viaplay Sports 1 1515, Sevilla v Villarreal – Viaplay Sports 1 1730, Barcelona v Atletico Madrid – ITV4 1930, Viaplay Sports 1 2000; A-League, Newcastle Jets v Melbourne City – TNT Sports 1 0600, Macarthur FC v Adelaide United – TNT Sports 2 0600.

CRICKET: ODI, West Indies v England – TNT Sports 1 1300; Fifth T20, India v Australia – TNT Sports 4 1330.

GOLF: DP World Tour, The Investec South African Open – Sky Sports Golf 0930; PGA Tour, The Hero World Challenge – Sky Sports Golf 1630.

RUGBY UNION: Premiership, Leicester v Newcastle – TNT Sports 2 1430; Premiership Women’s Rugby, Leicester v Loughborough – TNT Sports 2 1715; Top 14, Stade Francais v Toulouse – Viaplay Sports 2 2000.

GRIDIRON: NFL, TBC – Sky Sports NFL 1700, TBC – Sky Sports Main Event 1930, TBC – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports NFL 2115, Green Bay Packers v Kansas City Chiefs – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports NFL 0115 (Mon).

SNOOKER: UK Championship – Eurosport 1 1245, 1845, BBC Two England 1300, 1900.

A date for Tyson Fury’s undisputed world heavyweight title fight with Oleksandr Usyk is set to be revealed on Thursday.

Fury had been expected to clash with WBA, IBF and WBO champion Usyk on December 23, but the British boxer was left blooded and bruised in a contentious points win over Francis Ngannou last month.

That fight was rumoured to be the preamble to the announcement of Fury taking on Usyk and even though the pair got in the ring together, the swollen eye and cut on the forehead of the Gypsy King pushed back the widely-reported proposed date, but an announcement is expected for Thursday.

Bob Arum, chief executive at Fury’s American promoter Top Rank, told Sky Sports: “I can confirm they will fight each other in Saudi Arabia.

“There will be a press conference in London for Thursday of this week – the 16th – and they’ll confirm the date and all the other circumstances of the fight taking place.

“Tyson is ready to fight in February, if that’s when it happens. Remember going in with Ngannou, who showed himself to be very talented, nobody had a book on him because he had never had a prize fight.

“Fighting Usyk is totally different because they have reams and reams of film on Usyk. So, I think Tyson will be a lot better prepared against Usyk than he was against Ngannou.

“I have great confidence in Tyson Fury.

“I really believe Fury against Usyk will be a classic match.”

Lauren Williams has still not got over her Olympic heartbreak in Tokyo.

Photos show a smiling Williams posing with her taekwondo silver medal and a victory bouquet shortly after her narrow defeat to Matea Jelic at the women’s -67kg final at the Makuhari Messe Convention Centre in 2021.

But the brave face put on by the then 22-year-old Williams masked a sense of heartbreak from which the Blackwood athlete admits she is still yet to fully recover as a second chance to achieve what she describes as her own ‘Jade Jones moment’ looms in Paris next year.

Only last week was Williams – who had led her Olympic final by three points with 10 seconds remaining – finally convinced to retrieve the medal from a box in her attic and hang it alongside her others in her new home in south Wales.

“I haven’t got over it yet and I don’t think I ever will,” Williams told the PA news agency.

“It was only about six days ago that I decided to put that medal on my wall. I didn’t want to look at it because it brought back so many bad memories of that Games. There are things I associate with it that are quite challenging.”

Williams’ new coach Steve Jennings, who coaxed Lutalo Muhammad through the aftermath of a final defeat in even more dramatic circumstances in Rio in 2016, urged Williams to be proud of an achievement that was all the more remarkable given a hamstring injury she suffered in the final stages of her pre-Games preparation.

For Williams, the aftermath of her near-miss was equally difficult as she struggled to return to reality and ultimately renew the motivation to begin the process of preparation for another shot at the Games in 2024.

“It was the coming down afterwards that I found particularly hard,” added Williams. “It’s a very lonely place to be.

“I went home and walked my dog and I felt like I had no purpose. My next major goal was years away, and the whole dynamic changed. Outside my home town I didn’t feel the medal was celebrated as it could have been. It wasn’t really what I expected.”

Bronze at the European Championships in Manchester in 2022 suggested Williams was back on track but her ill fortune with injuries continued when she ruptured her hamstring again at this year’s Rome Grand Prix, as well as battling a couple of untimely concussions.

It has left Williams playing catch-up in her quest to secure an automatic qualification place for Paris, with her last opportunity looming at the season-ending World Grand Prix finals in Manchester in December.

But rather than wallow in the negative associations of her near-miss, Williams says she will instead switch her attention to those who have achieved an ambition that she has coveted since she started combat sports at the age of nine at a kick-boxing club in Caerphilly.

“It’s not that silver medal that spurs me on,” said Williams. “I’m good friends with my opponent (Jelic), and it’s been great seeing all the success she has had since she won the gold, and what her country thinks of it.

“I also still watch footage of Jade’s finals in London and Rio every so often. That’s what I want – that moment when she throws her headguard in the air and knows she’s achieved what she always dreamed of.”

Sport England has announced a £250million expansion of a scheme designed to bring investment into local communities.

The investment extends the Place Partnerships programme which aims to break down barriers to ensure people in the greatest need are able to be physically active.

Sport England chief executive Tim Hollingsworth and Sports Minister Stuart Andrew announced the investment – funded by the Government and National Lottery – at Waterside Leisure Centre on Canvey Island, one of the places which will benefit from the scheme.

Mr Hollingsworth said: “Access to sport and physical activity in England is still not close to being a level playing field.

“Where a person lives and the environment around them has a huge impact on how likely they are to be physically active. Too often, people in low-income communities don’t have access to the same facilities or opportunities as wealthier areas.”

He continued: “This is manifestly unfair – and must be addressed as a real priority. That is why our expanded Place Partnership programme will unashamedly see us target our resources and efforts on communities that need the greatest levels of support and experience the greatest levels of inequality.

“We will invest most in those that need it most so that everyone has an equal chance to access the very real benefits of playing sport and be physically active.”

Of the £250million over the next five years, £190million will be focused on an additional 80-100 places which have the greatest need.

An additional £35million will go to strengthen work with existing partnerships with a further £25million creating key tools and resources to ensure every area of England can access support.

A statement from Sport England said: “We’ll target the greatest resource to areas with highest inactivity levels and other social need indicators.

“This is where this commitment can have the biggest impact on our key outcomes.

“Our targeted investment is on top of our universal place-based support, and over the coming months we’ll be developing and expanding this offer that includes leadership development, the transfer of learning and access to resources, advice and guidance for partners.”

England scored two tries in each half to complete a series whitewash over Tonga with a convincing 26-4 win at the AMT Headingley Stadium.

The hosts started the game in the same dominant fashion as they had finished in Huddersfield and ran over twice in the opening 26 minutes through Ben Currie and Matty Ashton before Matty Lees and Keon Koloamatangi were sent to the sin bin.

England continued to be ruthless in the second half and Elliott Whitehead bowed out of international rugby with a farewell try before Harry Newman got in on the act, but England were denied a clean sheet when Eliesa Katoa grabbed a consolation for the visitors in front of a series-high attendance of 15,477 fans.

England were keen to mark a clean sweep and threatened to score first when Currie burst down the right and crashed over the try line only to be held up by the Tonga defence.

The hosts did score the first try of the game in the 14th minute as South Sydney Rabbitohs prop Tom Burgess picked a gap in the Tongan line before setting Harry Smith through and he offloaded to Currie to finish a well-worked England move.

Tonga got to grips with the contest for a few minutes following the try. They capitalised on some lazy England possession and looked to outnumber them on the left side until Tyson Frizell threw the ball into touch.

England extended their advantage in superb fashion – Newman broke the line and set Ashton free in the corner and he dived over for his third try in the last two games.

After Smith kicked a penalty to make it 14-0, both teams had a player sent to the sin bin after Lees was sent to the floor by 18th man Junior Tupoa. The England prop was being held to the ground by Koloamatangi, who in turn had his hair pulled by Lees and that sparked a mass brawl between the two sets of already heated players.

It only took five minutes for England to open their account in the second period. They broke down the left and Tom Johnstone found Currie before he gifted Whitehead a path for his 12th international try on his 27th and final cap.

Tonga’s challenge to get back into the contest was made even harder before the hour when Konrad Hurrell was sent to the sin bin as he appeared to punch Mike McMeeken.

Whitehead thought he had claimed his second try of the afternoon when he latched onto Danny Walker’s grubber kick but the video referee adjudged him to lose control before grounding the ball to keep the score 20-0.

England made their temporary man advantage count to put another score on the board after Smith’s superb cross-field ball found Newman and he powered over on his home ground for his first international try.

Tonga worked the ball from right to left and Katoa barged over the line to bring up their first score of the game, but it was nothing more than consolation as England wrapped up the series in style.

Sam Burgess revealed he was given the blessing of Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe to leave Australia behind and pursue his first head coach role at Warrington.

Burgess enjoyed two successful playing stints at South Sydney Rabbitohs, the NRL club Crowe co-owns, and the ex-dual code England international stayed on as assistant after hanging up his boots in 2019.

The pair remain close and Burgess admitted he sounded out the A-list star and listened to the advice of mother Julie, plus brothers Luke, Tom and George, before signing a two-year deal with Wolves.

Warrington have endured a couple of challenging seasons but owner Simon Moran and chairman Stuart Middleton have backed Burgess, who was named the permanent successor to Daryl Powell in August.

Burgess said: “I’ve got Russell who I have known for a long time. I speak to him weekly. We are great friends. He just urged me to be myself and enjoy the ride. He was very encouraging.

“He is good friends with Simon, they have a great relationship, so they had spoken in the background. Russell’s guidance was that Warrington have a strong position in the community. He is huge on that.

“But I lean on a lot of different people. Some other great friends. My brothers and my mum are great counsel.

“I am not going to copy or be anyone else. I will manage it my own way. But there will be things that I’ll ask for advice on or lean on a couple of people that have done it for a number of years.”

Burgess batted away suggestions Kevin Sinfield could join Warrington as an assistant, amid speculation the Leeds Rhinos great could leave his job as England rugby union defence coach after the World Cup.

The 34-year-old, who says his coaching team is fully in place, said: “I’ve not heard anything about that.

“I’ve spoken to Kevin. That’s it. We are going to catch-up for a coffee. But I’ve not said anything about coming to Warrington. That’s a good rumour.”

Burgess is set to become Super League’s youngest head coach but he insisted neither his age nor his considerable profile will have any bearing on how he will approach this latest challenge.

He added: “It’s all external for me. I think I was the youngest Super League player at some point as well. It just comes and goes. It’s part of the job. I don’t see myself as a young coach.

“The recognisable stuff is not going to help me coach. You’ve got to do your job and connect with the players and grow that stuff. I have a good feeling about it. I won’t make any bold statements.

“It’s not going to help the team. It’s not going to help me. We have plenty of hard work to do between now and the start of the year.”

Matty Ashton scored two tries as England sealed a Test series victory over Tonga with a 14-4 victory at the John Smith’s Stadium in Huddersfield.

Fresh from their opening victory at St Helens, England looked intent on putting the series to bed from the outset and had a two-try lead thanks to a pair of Ashton tries without reply in the first period.

Harry Smith’s two penalties extended the score to 14 before Toluta’u Koula scored Tonga’s solitary try of the afternoon, which was not enough to stop England from gaining an unassailable 2-0 series lead.

England picked up where they left off last weekend and opened the scoring in the sixth minute after the ball was spread from left to right, Ashton waiting in the corner to collect the ball and rush over the whitewash – Smith’s conversion followed by a penalty made it 8-0 to the hosts.

Tonga came close to a try as the ball went through the hands and Moses Suli unleashed Koula down the left but he was ushered into touch, which sparked a brawl between the two sets of players.

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles winger Koula looked the main danger for the visitors and for a moment it looked like he had unlocked the English defence with a superb turn of foot before spilling the ball in touch.

Moments after Tonga were denied a reply on the try line, England went up the other end and scored their second try of the afternoon when Mikey Lewis’ neatly threaded grubber fell beautifully for the onrushing Ashton who touched down for the second time.

England ran onto the field in the second half with the same intensity and could have had a third try when Mike McMeeken’s kick found Tom Johnstone in acres of space but he dropped the ball with the try line at his mercy and had to settle for Smith’s penalty to make it 14-0.

The away side were still looking for their first points of the game and almost had them when Isaiya Katoa’s dummy freed Dion Teaupa up for the try line but Johnstone and Lewis brought him down to prevent a first try.

Tonga did most of the attacking in the second period and they looked to break away once again when Tyson Frizell latched onto a long kick and set Tui Lolohea free with his sights on the whitewash, but Johnstone was on hand once again to bring those efforts to a halt.

A few seconds later, Tonga were awarded a penalty and finally had their first score of the game as the ball went through the hands and Koula was waiting on on the byline to storm over in the corner and reduce the deficit to 10 points.

But that was all they could muster as they suffered a second straight defeat with one Test match to play at Headingley.

England forward Mike McMeeken has credited his move to Catalans Dragons with revitalising his career as he prepares to play another pivotal role in the second autumn Test against Tonga in Huddersfield on Saturday.

The 29-year-old impressed in last week’s 22-18 opening victory in St Helens as Shaun Wane’s side got off to a winning start in a series that will conclude with a third meeting at Headingley next weekend.

Having also proved crucial to his club’s march to this season’s Grand Final, McMeeken believes he is hitting the kinds of career heights that may not have been possible had he not made the brave switch to the south of France in 2021 after six seasons with Castleford.

“I had reached the stage where I knew I needed to get out of my comfort zone and there are not many better places to go than somewhere you can’t speak the language and don’t really know anyone,” McMeeken told the PA news agency.

“It was the best thing for my career at the time and it’s something I’m glad I did. I’ve played with so many great players over there, including Sam Tomkins and Mitchell Pearce, and without it I probably wouldn’t be back in the England set-up.”

Basingstoke-born McMeeken, who has blazed a trail beyond rugby league’s traditional heartland for much of his career, starting with three seasons at London Broncos, jetted straight into the England camp after his side’s Old Trafford loss to Wigan.

But he admits he scarcely had time to dwell on the disappointment of that defeat before switching his focus to a series which it is hoped will put international rugby league back on top of the agenda after the unfortunate axing of the 2025 World Cup in France.

“It was obviously disappointing to lose the Grand Final but it’s not something I really got the chance to dwell on, and as soon as I joined up with the England camp on the following Tuesday I was able to put it to the back of my mind,” added McMeeken.

“We’ve got a great opportunity here, the most important thing is getting the win on Saturday to win the series, but our aim is to win the series 3-0, and from there we can dissect and look at what we can improve in the future.”

Wane has made two enforced changes to his squad for the second match at the John Smith’s Stadium, with Warrington duo Matty Ashton and Ben Currie coming in to replace Tommy Makinson and Morgan Knowles, both of whom sustained injuries in the opening fixture.

Huddersfield prop Chris Hill is expected to win his 36th cap on home soil and will come face to face with Giants team-mate Tui Lolohea, who has promised to show no mercy as he looks to leave the outcome of the series hanging in the balance heading into next week’s concluding clash.

“It’s going to be a special day for both of us,” said Lolohea, who joined Huddersfield from Leeds in 2021. “We like to laugh and joke together and we’ll be good friends before and after the game, but while we’re on the pitch it’s war.

“I’m looking forward to playing in my home stadium at international level for the first time, but the main thing is we know if we want to win this series we’ve got to win the next two matches, and it’s as simple as that.

“We were a bit disappointed on Sunday. We played well but were let down by a lack of concentration and we think we can be a bit more competitive. It will be another tough game and that’s exactly what we came over here expecting.”

England head coach Shaun Wane believes his side left plenty of room for improvement after they kicked off their three-match autumn series with a hard-fought 22-18 win over Tonga in St Helens.

Two second-half tries from Tom Johnstone sealed victory for the hosts in their first significant international test since their World Cup semi-final defeat to Samoa at the Emirates Stadium last year.

But a late try from Tolutau Koula kept the visitors in with a chance until the final hooter and Wane admitted he expects more in the second meeting in Huddersfield next Saturday.

Wane said: “We were really good but not perfect. I’m happy we won a Test match against a team, but I do honestly know that we can improve massively on that. We did good things but not for long enough periods.”

Wane singled out Hull KR stand-off Mikey Lewis, who shone on his debut in the halves, his first surging run setting up the opening try for Toby King before the 22-year-old went all the way to touch down for England’s second before the half-hour.

“Mikey can do a lot better, there’s no question in my mind about that, and he won’t mind me saying it,” added Wane.

“I know he’s a lot more talented but he did really well today against a big, athletic team. I knew he was a running threat and once I committed to him that was it. He’s conducted himself so well and he’s a credit to his club.”

Johnstone’s quickfire double began with a brilliant, floating pass from Jack Welsby which flew over the heads of three opponents, and the Saints 22-year-old also earned praise from Wane.

“Jack is like a throwback to the eighties,” added Wane. “He just plays like he used to play at school. He’s an outstanding talent, I loved coaching him in the World Cup last year and getting back with him has been so enjoyable.”

Wane confirmed that Welsby will continue as captain next week before George Williams returns from his two-game suspension to wear the armband for the final match of the series in Leeds in a fortnight’s time.

And Wane knows his side will face a sterner test against a Tongan side stacked with NRL talent who more than matched their hosts in the first period at the Totally Wicked Stadium.

He added: “They will improve and we need to improve, no question. It’s going to be game on next Saturday because they’ve got a lot of really good players and they won’t like losing so it’s going to be full-on next week.”

Tonga’s head coach, the former St Helens boss Kristian Woolf, pronounced himself broadly satisfied but agreed that he expected his side to improve next week.

“It was a good Test match and we showed plenty of courage and gave ourselves a chance to win the game,” said Woolf.

“We’ll learn a lot and we’ll be a hell of a lot better next week. But lot of these guys haven’t played for six or seven weeks and that affected them.”

Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold and jockey Hayley Turner had lucky escapes as Storm Babet continued to wreak havoc in the UK.

Alexander-Arnold was involved in an accident after a 40ft electricity pylon smashed onto a car in front of the England international, according to The Sun.

The high voltage power line was pulled up by 70mph winds and landed in front of Alexander-Arnold’s black Range Rover near Knutsford, Cheshire, the newspaper reported.

Alexander-Arnold reportedly slammed on the brakes before colliding with a BMW X5. Cheshire police said nobody was injured in the incident.

The footballer’s agent was contacted by the PA news agency, but declined to comment on the story.

Turner made it safely to Ascot on Saturday after requiring a dramatic rescue from her flooded car the previous day.

She was expecting to ride in Redcar on Friday but never made it to the North East track after having to place an emergency call when her car was stranded nearby in a flood caused by Storm Babet.

Turner told ITV Racing: “My dream was nearly in place, but I had a bit of an incident yesterday. Basically my car is floating down the Great North Road somewhere on my way to Redcar.

“I had to call 999 and get the fireman to come and rescue me – I actually got a fireman’s lift out of my car window.

“The horse then won about 15 lengths so a very frustrating day. I’m car-less and win-less as well.”

The storm showed no signs of abating as downpours continued to batter the UK on Saturday, with three people dead and another red “danger to life” warning in place.

Ross County’s home match against St Mirren in the cinch Premiership became the latest fixture to be postponed north of the border.

After conversations with the SPFL and Police Scotland, the decision was taken to call the game off on Saturday morning with supporters’ safety in mind.

A club statement said a new date and kick-off time would be rearranged in due course.

Several others fell victim to the storm on Friday, including Aberdeen’s home game against Dundee and Motherwell’s trip to St Johnstone.

Other Saturday fixtures to be postponed included Mansfield’s home clash with Forest Green in Sky Bet League Two, and Altrincham’s match against Dorking in the Vanarama National League.

Chesterfield’s home fixture against Gateshead was also called off “on the recommendation of various external partner agencies”.

The Scottish Championship game between Arbroath and Raith Rovers – in the worst-hit area of Angus – was postponed, as was Greenock’s match against Inverness.

Cove Rangers against Montrose in League One was also postponed along with two games in League Two – Elgin versus Forfar and Stenhousemuir against Peterhead.

Saturday’s race card at Market Rasen was also postponed due to standing water on areas of the track.

An inspection was held on Friday but the race course confirmed after 50mm of rainfall in the area that the decision was made to abandon the meeting.

Rotherham’s Championship game with Ipswich, scheduled to be played on Friday night, was also postponed due to the stormy conditions.

The area was hit with torrential rain which caused the River Don, which runs behind the AESSEAL New York Stadium, to burst its banks which left areas around the stadium flooded.

Rotherham’s Championship game with Ipswich on Friday has been postponed due to Storm Babet.

The area has been hit with torrential rain over the last 24 hours and the River Don, which runs behind the AESSEAL New York Stadium has burst its banks.

That has left areas around the stadium flooded and after discussions with the Safety Advisory Group and the English Football League, the game has been called off.

There was no problem with the pitch at the stadium, with the game due to have been shown on Sky Sports.

A club statement read: “Rotherham United’s Sky Bet Championship fixture against Ipswich Town has been postponed on the grounds of supporter safety following discussions with representatives from the Safety Advisory Group and the EFL which took place shortly after 4:30pm on Friday.

“After the River Don – which courses around the perimeter of AESSEAL New York Stadium – burst its banks, urgent discussions between representatives from the Safety Advisory Group/Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and club safety personnel and the EFL – were held with the conclusion deeming the weather conditions and their subsequent effect on the surrounding area a danger to supporters.

“This coupled with continued rainfall resulting in the flood waters rising and Don Street being closed to the public left the authorities with no choice but to postpone the game.

“Throughout the day the pitch at AESSEAL New York Stadium has remained playable but with the safety of everyone attending the match at the height of our priorities, the difficult decision to postpone the fixture has been taken.

“The decision was relayed to the EFL and our counterparts at Ipswich Town with all parties in agreement that postponing the fixture was the only possible way to ensure the safety of players, staff and supporters.

“It goes without saying that we are obviously disappointed for supporters due to attend and those set to watch at home given the game was being broadcast live on Sky Sports.”

Two cinch Premiership matches are among six Scottish league games which have been postponed amid severe weather warnings.

Aberdeen’s home match against Dundee and Motherwell’s trip to face St Johnstone have fallen foul of the storm.

The news came after a second person died in Angus as a result of the storm, which has brought floods and high winds, and after warnings of a risk to life were extended to all day Saturday as more heavy rain is forecast.

The Championship game between Arbroath and Raith Rovers, in the worst-hit area of Angus, has been called off.

Cove Rangers against Montrose has been postponed along with two games in League 2 – Elgin versus Forfar and Stenhousemuir against Peterhead.

The games all involve teams in the north east of the country and Perth and were all due to take place on Saturday.

The Scottish Professional Football League called off the games on safety grounds following discussions with police, clubs and other authorities with people being advised not to travel in large areas of the country.

SPFL chief operating officer Calum Beattie said: “We have been in close contact with Police Scotland and our clubs and it’s clear that we continue to face very severe weather, particularly in the north east, in the coming days.

“We never postpone any matches lightly, but our discussions with the emergency services left us in no doubt that this was the correct decision.”

The SPFL added that it would continue to monitor the situation involving the remaining fixtures across the country.

St Johnstone had told supporters their game was going ahead as it stood less than three hours before the wider decision was taken.

A club statement early on Friday afternoon said: “Whilst heavy rain has affected the local area, our dedicated ground staff and officials have been working tirelessly to ensure the pitch is in optimal condition, and we’ve taken all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of both players and spectators.”

Altrincham’s home game against Dorking in the Vanarama National League on Saturday has also been postponed.

Friday’s jumps fixtures at Fakenham and Uttoxeter were called off as Storm Babet continues to bring heavy rain and strong winds across the country.

Both tracks had called inspections for 7.30am but neither venue held their respective cards due to the weather conditions.

Uttoxeter had 12mm of rain overnight, with clerk of the course Richard Fothergill anticipating a further 20mm at least over the day.

Saturday’s National Hunt card at Stratford has been cancelled due to a waterlogged track, with 31mm of rain overnight and more forecast, while Market Rasen have also called off their meeting.

Catterick, Newton Abbot and Leopardstown have all called precautionary morning checks to assess conditions.