Abu Jayed has become the latest Bangladesh cricketer to test positive for Covid-19, the update coming at the end of the latest round of tests conducted by the BCB on Monday. The news about Abu Jayed testing positive came on the day Saif Hassan tested negative - in his third test - after two positives in the last two weeks.

Fast bowler Jayed was in the 27-man camp ahead of the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, which, however, remains a little uncertain because of a disagreement between the two concerned boards on the quarantine protocols in Sri Lanka.

"Pace bowler Abu Jayed Chowdhury Rahi has reported positive for COVID-19. He will receive treatment in isolation for COVID as per guidelines and will undergo further tests in due course," BCB sports physician Dr Debashis Chowdhury said in a statement. The other 26 players tested all returned negative results, according to the BCB.

Hassan is also likely to return to training soon, after having quarantined at home since September 7.

The senior Bangladesh cricketers are currently in a training camp in Mirpur, near Dhaka, while putting up in a city hotel, where they will stay while training until September 26.

There are more than 30,000 Covid-19 cases in Bangladesh at the time of writing this, with over 5000 deaths; on Tuesday, the health authorities announced that 37 people had died, 1666 were infected, and there were 2163 recovered cases in the country in the last 24 hours.

The Georgia athletic department is disputing a former football player's claims that it maintains an "unsafe, unsupportive, or racially insensitive environment."

In a statement posted to social media Tuesday night, former Bulldogs safety Otis Reese wrote that his time on the team "took a devastating mental toll" on him.

"From the first moments I stepped on Campus, it was not what I expected," Reese wrote. "The Racist events that I kept experiencing weighed on me heavily and seemed never ending."

Reese, who transferred to Ole Miss in January, is seeking waivers from the NCAA and SEC to play for the Rebels this season. A junior from Leesburg, Georgia, Reese played in 25 games for the Bulldogs, including all 14 in 2019.

He wrote that when he informed Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart that he was leaving the team on Oct. 4, "I was led to believe by Coach Smart that if I finished the season and not 'Let my team down' as he requested, he would support both my decision to transfer and my request to be immediately eligible."

Reese said he submitted to the NCAA a text message that he purportedly sent to Smart on Oct. 4, which Reese says verifies his plans to leave, and "that I was manipulated to play the very next day, when I truly was at my darkest moment." The Bulldogs beat Tennessee 43-14 on Oct. 5.

"We cannot comment on student-athlete eligibility matters due to federal privacy laws, but we would be happy to share our full response to Otis Reese's waiver request, if he provides a signed release allowing us to do so," the Georgia Athletic Association said in a statement Wednesday. "UGA disputes any suggestion that it maintains an unsafe, unsupportive, or racially insensitive environment."

Some Georgia players, including wide receivers Demetris Robertson and Kearis Jackson, expressed support for Reese's waiver on social media.

In his social media post, Reese wrote that he was "pulled over and harassed by police officers" twice while attending Georgia.

"The first time I was driving alone and the second time I was a passenger in my teammate's car," Reese wrote. "On both occasions the officers were extremely aggressive, accusing us of using drugs and searching the car without any basis and told us they would take us to jail. This type of harassment was a constant discussion around players throughout my time at UGA as many of my teammates were falsely arrested and harassed."

Reese said he was "polite, respectful and compliant" during the encounters with police, incidents which "left me shaken." He indicated he received tickets and citations from the officers. Athens-Clarke County Police records show that Reese was stopped for a distracted driving/hands free violation on Dec. 13, 2018, and paid a $50 fine.

Reese also wrote that he was called a racial slur by a white student-athlete and that another group of white classmates "mocked slavery and pretended to whip each other" while attending Georgia.

"Coach [Lane] Kiffin and Ole Miss have been strong advocates against racism and have put in the work to change perceptions," Reese wrote. "I've seen first-hand what genuine commitment to change looks like in Oxford and I'm excited to be a part of this program. If I was permitted to leave when I attempted last year, I would be eligible to play right now."

Georgia has also opposed an SEC waiver for former starting offensive lineman Cade Mays, who transferred to Tennessee in January. The NCAA granted Mays a waiver last week after initially denying his request, but he still needs one from the conference to play this season. Mays' lawyer called Georgia a "toxic environment."

"Unfortunately, I'm not able to respond to that, so in due time that will play itself out," Smart told reporters Tuesday. "But it's not something I'm allowed to comment on."

In an interview with WJOX-FM in Birmingham, Alabama, on Wednesday morning, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey was asked about players like Mays and Reese, who are still waiting for decisions on their intraconference waivers.

"There's a very direct rule that says if you transfer from School A to School B in the SEC, you serve an academic year of residence," Sankey said. "People send in waivers, but one of the questions that should be asked is not what the commissioner is going to do, but why haven't our members voted to change that rule?

"We're inviting people to campus knowing there's a clear rule, and now everyone points and says, 'Well, you need to let people out of that rule.'"

A day after Notre Dame canceled its upcoming game against Wake Forest, its previous opponent, South Florida, also called a halt to football activities while it awaits test results for possible coronavirus spread among players.

USF announced that it was pausing activities until receiving the results of Wednesday's tests, but it said that tests done last Friday before its 52-0 loss to Notre Dame as well Monday's post-game testing resulted in no positive cases.

The school said the pause in activities was due to "an abundance of caution."

USF is scheduled to play FAU this Saturday. FAU has yet to play a game this season due to virus-related scheduling difficulties.

Notre Dame postponed its game against Wake Forest, scheduled for Saturday, due to an outbreak of COVID-19 on the team. Seven Irish players tested positive. Combined with testing results from the previous week, 13 players are currently in isolation with 10 in quarantine.

"We knew COVID would present challenges throughout the season, and we'll always put student-athlete health and safety at the forefront of our decision making," Irish coach Brian Kelly said. "We look forward to resuming team activities and getting back on the playing field."

USF is reviewing contact tracing from the game, though CDC guidelines require contact within six feet for greater than 15 minutes to a person who tests positive, and several coaches have said typical game conditions would not meet this criteria. Prior to the season, both Miami and Virginia Tech conducted studies of practices and found that no two players were likely to be within the contact radius for greater than 15 minutes.

USF has not announced a decision on whether Saturday's game against FAU would be played.

Former Chicago Bears star Gale Sayers, considered one of the greatest running backs in the history of the National Football League despite a career cut short by knee injuries, has died at age 77 after living with dementia.

Known as the "Kansas Comet," Sayers was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977 despite playing just seven seasons, all with the Bears. At 34, he was the youngest player ever inducted.

"All those who love the game of football mourn the loss of one of the greatest to ever play this game with the passing of Chicago Bears legend Gale Sayers," Hall of Fame president and CEO David Baker said in a statement. "He was the very essence of a team player -- quiet, unassuming and always ready to compliment a teammate for a key block. Gale was an extraordinary man who overcame a great deal of adversity during his NFL career and life."

Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement, "The NFL family lost a true friend today with the passing of Gale Sayers. Gale was one of the finest men in NFL history and one of the game's most exciting players.

"Gale was an electrifying and elusive runner who thrilled fans every time he touched the ball. He earned his place as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. We will also forever remember Gale for his inspiration and kindness. Gale's quiet unassuming demeanor belied his determination, competitiveness and compassion."

Sayers was a five-time All-Pro who averaged 5 yards per carry for his career and twice led the league in rushing, including in 1969 (1,032 yards) after having torn the ACL and MCL in his right knee late in the previous season.

A major injury to his left knee in 1970 was too much for him to overcome, and he retired in 1971.

His career numbers of 4,956 yards and 39 touchdowns on the ground came primarily over five seasons, as he played sparingly in 1970 and '71.

As a returner, Sayers was also devastating, scoring six touchdowns and averaging more than 30 yards per kickoff return, with two touchdowns and 14.5 yards per punt return.

Legendary Bears coach George Halas, as he presented Sayers for his Hall induction, said, "If you want to see perfection as a running back, you best get ahold of a film of Gale Sayers. He was poetry in motion. His like will never be seen again."

Sayers was born in Wichita, Kansas, and was an All-American at Kansas. He was a first-round pick of Bears in 1965 and once scored six touchdowns in a game.

For his bounce-back season in 1969, he was awarded the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award, which he promptly passed on to close friend and teammate Brian Piccolo, who was dying of cancer. Their relationship was detailed in Sayers' autobiography "I Am Third" and the TV movie "Brian's Song."

Sayers was named to the NFL's 75th Anniversary Team in 1994 at halfback and kick returner, the only player named at two positions.

Sayers' family earlier this year discussed his experience with dementia.

Roger Sayers, his brother, told the Kansas City Star in a phone interview that it's "tough to build memories all your life, and the next thing you know, you don't remember anything."

Myles Brennan leans on a tried and true metaphor when he looks back on the long arc of his career at LSU. It has been a mountain he has had to climb, he says. Even before he set foot on campus, there were missteps. A blue-chip quarterback prospect, he originally committed when Les Miles was head coach. He had a great relationship with offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. But then Miles and Cameron were fired and he forged ahead anyway.

Brennan put his faith in LSU and coach Ed Orgeron, even as he struggled to learn a complicated system under new offensive coordinator Matt Canada, and even as his dreams of playing as a freshman were dashed when Danny Etling was named the starter. Brennan kept his chin up and told himself to be patient, to wait until next year. By then, Canada and Etling were gone, and the road seemed to stretch out before him.

But then Joe Burrow transferred in from Ohio State, and then Brennan suffered a back injury that might have cost him what was by all accounts a close competition. That was tough, Brennan says. It's the only time he has felt personally defeated. The temptation to turn around and find a different path was there. He never told his parents -- never whispered a word to anyone -- but he considered transferring.

He stuck it out, though, and when Burrow came back for his senior year, Brennan cheered him on all the way to the Heisman Trophy. Brennan says he was ecstatic as the Tigers went undefeated and won the national championship. After waiting and waiting and waiting some more, it was finally going to be his turn. And through it all, he says he learned, "That I can't be stopped. No matter what's thrown in front of me, I'm going to persevere through it."

"I'm going to climb the mountain," he says. "And I know on top of that mountain, on the other side, is going to be a lot prettier than what it's been like climbing up."

The day after the championship, Brennan reached out to wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase, Terrace Marshall Jr., Racey McMath and Jontre Kirklin. "Hey," he told them, "we have nothing going on the next couple of days. Let's go get some routes in." They gave Brennan a hard time at first about not getting a moment's rest. He responded, "We've got to start somewhere." So they met up on campus for a quick 30-minute workout to go over footwork, depths and timing.

At the championship parade a few days later, Brennan watched as everyone celebrated a magical season. And, truly, he was happy, too. He just couldn't shake a sense of detachment -- that not being a starter meant he wasn't as much a part of the accomplishment.

"That's going to stick with me," he says, "until we get back there and until I know the other side of that feeling."

For the next few months, Brennan worked tirelessly. He started speaking up more and holding others accountable during winter conditioning. He hadn't been named the starter, but he was damn sure acting like one. And by the time spring practice began, he was fired up -- about the opportunity, about the team coming back, about everything. He took the bulk of first-team reps and the offense was humming. Brennan says it was "identical" to what they'd done the year before, when they broke nearly every record imaginable.

Then, after three practices, everything came to a screeching halt due to the coronavirus pandemic. Then came the doubts that a season would happen at all. And when it did, who would rejoin Brennan in Baton Rouge? He was already without 15 starters and both coordinators were gone from the previous year.

LSU finally started practice again in August and then came the opt-outs, including Chase, who was perhaps the best receiver in college football.

Brennan had waited all this time and climbed this treacherous mountaintop to get to this? Replacing a Heisman Trophy winner is hard enough. To do it with a depleted roster in the middle of a pandemic while navigating a grueling 10-game, conference-only schedule is so preposterously difficult, it's almost laughable.

"In my eyes, it's just one more thing I have to overcome," Brennan says matter-of-factly. "Here I am still at LSU, and here I am still having to overcome adversity. I'm going to persevere."

Orgeron walked into a staff meeting on the morning of Sept. 1 and sensed something he hadn't experienced in a while: doubt. It was as if the joy and confidence of the national championship they'd won eight months earlier had evaporated onto shaky ground. In the past few days, two of their most talented players -- Chase and defensive tackle Tyler Shelvin -- had unexpectedly left the program.

There were suddenly dark clouds overhead, Orgeron said, and they had nothing to do with an overactive hurricane season brewing in the Gulf of Mexico.

Looking around the room, it felt like Troy all over again. Who could forget that loss and the swirl of doubt it kicked up in 2017? It was Orgeron's first full season as head coach then, and everyone was still wondering why he and not some hotshot like Tom Herman was given the job. Losing by 30 points to Mississippi State in Week 3 was bad enough, but then Troy came into Death Valley and dealt the Tigers one of the biggest upsets of the past decade.

In some ways the situations weren't comparable. Orgeron and LSU had clearly recovered from the loss three years earlier, and they hadn't lost a game in 647 consecutive days. Their tricked-out national championship rings said they were perfect. But what was left of that perfect team? Coordinators Joe Brady and Dave Aranda were gone. Seventeen of 22 starters had turned pro and a handful of players had left via the transfer portal.

"I caught myself thinking, 'Hey man we've got to do this, we gotta do this, it's gotta be this way,'" Orgeron said of that staff meeting three weeks ago. "And that's the wrong thinking. The best thinking is, take it one day at a time, this is the team we have, let's get them better, let's see what's going to happen."

Taking a step back, he could look out to the practice field and see promise. They were young and they lacked depth, but nevertheless this was a team in which he could believe.

Sure, he'd lost wunderkind offensive coordinator Brady, but he loved what Scott Linehan brought to the table in terms of the tweaks he could make to the playbook and the experience he provided as a former head coach in college and the NFL. He still had Steve Ensminger as an OC, too. And while losing Aranda certainly hurt -- his leadership of the defense was perpetually underrated -- scooping up another former head coach in Bo Pelini as his replacement felt like a home run. Switching to a more attacking style of defense appealed to Orgeron's instincts.

So what if the national pundits predicted that LSU would struggle? Orgeron said it didn't bother him one bit. "We've been picked high, we've been picked low," he said, "and none of them usually pan out."

If anything, Orgeron acknowledged their reasoning -- "They lost this. They lost that. New quarterback." -- and welcomed the challenge. Brennan still needed to be tested under fire, of course, but Orgeron loved his new quarterback's accuracy. He could extend plays with his feet and Orgeron said he believed Brennan might even have a stronger arm than Burrow.

"I think we are underestimated because they don't know the young talent that we have, they don't know the new coaches that we have," he said. "But, again, we have to go out and prove it week in and week out."

He smiled. He loves the doubters, who add to what he calls his "internal fuel."

"Ten SEC games, man." he growled. "Buckle up, it's going to be fun."

Some programs like Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State choose to project a quiet -- borderline mute -- sense of confidence. There's a reticence to say anything remotely inflammatory, to set expectations or place some sort of imaginary target on their backs.

LSU doesn't subscribe to that way of thinking. Not by a long shot.

Burrow decidedly projected that confidence. He told anyone who would listen last summer that the offense, which had long been the laughingstock of the SEC, would score "40, 50, 60 points a game." Some snickered. Some called B.S. But then Burrow went out and proved it, putting together the best statistical season by a quarterback ever.

Brennan's attitude is no different. He believes his talent is on par with Burrow's. If anything, he says he thinks they're similar. He can make every throw. He can pick up extra yards with his feet. He's tough, too. They both ran the spread in high school and they both waited three years to get their shot to start. If he'd transferred, Brennan said, "That would make the story identical to Joe's."

Time and time again, Brennan has insisted that the offense won't change with him at the helm. Regularly scoring 40-60 points a game, he said, "is pretty accurate."

"I still feel very, very confident in what we have," he said.

And his confidence is not without reason.

The defense is young, but the secondary is in good shape with the return of veteran safety JaCoby Stevens and everybody's All-American, cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.. Former FCS All-American linebacker Jabril Cox has been everything coaches have hoped he'd be and more. At one point in preseason practice Orgeron said Cox was the best player on the field. And last week Orgeron got some more good news when defensive lineman Neil Farrell Jr. decided to opt back in, providing some much-needed depth up front.

"We are so much better on defense right now than any part of the season last year," Orgeron said.

They've had to retool the offensive line, but bringing in Harvard transfer Liam Shanahan to play center was a huge help. Austin Deculus returns after starting 13 games at right tackle last season, and word is that left tackle Dare Rosenthal might be the most improved player on the team.

People forget, but wideout Marshall was a handful when he was healthy last season, catching 13 touchdowns. What's more, the staff has raved about the development of McMath and believes in youngsters Kayshon Boutte and Koy Moore.

Then there's the buzz surrounding freshman tight end Arik Gilbert. A source typed a short but eye-opening response when asked about the former Gatorade Player of the Year: "He's a FREAK." Marshall has started calling Gilbert "eye candy" because at 6-foot-5 and 249 pounds he's bigger than some linebackers and can move like a wide receiver. In fact, there's been talk about Gilbert playing some receiver this season, with some comparing him to Megatron.

"I'm not comparing him to Calvin Johnson," Orgeron said in reference to the former Detroit Lions All-Pro receiver. "I don't want to put too much on him, but he's that type of football player and has that type of body and can do those type of things."

You'd almost think that Chase and Justin Jefferson and their 200-plus receptions last season weren't missing.

"We're LSU," Marshall said. "We're always stacked. It's next man up."

There's that trademark LSU confidence again. Clyde Edwards-Helaire is selected in the first round of the NFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs and now there's talk of a dynamic three-player attack at running back with Tyrion Davis-Price, John Emery Jr. and Chris Curry. Orgeron recently described the speedy Emery as a "home run hitter."

"You know what we're going to do, but at the end of the day are you going to stop it?" Marshall said. "We may have some tweaks or whatever, but we're going to keep being LSU, keep doing what we do and nobody is going to be able to stop us."

Time will tell, of course. Depth is still a huge concern, especially in the age of COVID-19, and now every team in the SEC will be aiming to take down the defending champs.

Ask Nick Saban or Urban Meyer or Dabo Swinney and they'll tell you the hardest thing to do in football is to have repeat success.

In many ways, it's Brennan's job to shoulder that responsibility. But he already has gotten a taste of those lofty expectations. On the rare occasions he leaves his apartment, he's almost always stopped by strangers who tell him, "You've got some big shoes to fill."

Brennan says he laughs it off as if it's no big deal.

He's good-natured about it, but he said he's not concerned about Burrow's stats or his records or any of his other accomplishments. He said he throws those things out, wakes up and tries to get better every day.

"That's how I'm going to be successful," he said.

Brennan's predecessor is gone, it's a new day and now it's his turn.

This is a new team. His team.

British number one Dan Evans was unable to earn a clay-court win before next week's French Open after losing to Greek second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Hamburg Open first round.

Evans will head to Paris for the Grand Slam event which starts on Sunday.

Liam Broady could join him in the main draw, but must beat Botic van de Zandschulp later on Wednesday.

British number six Broady plays the Dutchman in their second qualifying match at Roland Garros and victory would leave the 26-year-old one more win from playing in the main draw for the first time.

Fellow Briton Samantha Murray Sharan was also aiming to reach the main draw of the women's singles for the first time, but lost 6-3 7-6 (7-1) to Australia's Arina Rodionova in her opening qualifier.

Meanwhile, British men's number three Cameron Norrie suffered a shock defeat at a Challenger event in Italy.

Second seed Norrie, who is ranked 71st in the world, lost 6-2 6-4 to Italian world number 343 Andrea Pellegrino.

Exeter's upcoming European Champions Cup semi-final is not as important in the club's history as winning promotion to the Premiership in 2010, says director of rugby Rob Baxter.

Exeter, who are top of the Premiership, will host French side Toulouse in the last four this weekend.

"Getting out of the Championship's been our biggest hurdle," Baxter said.

"You don't have to look back through the history of this club to not work out that the step that was the big one was getting out of the Championship.

"Getting out of the Championship took a hundred and whatever years, the reality is getting into the Premiership and staying in the Premiership has been relatively simple compared to getting out of the Championship in terms of time itself."

This season Exeter have dominated at home and abroad for the first time, winning five of their six European pool games and establishing an unassailable lead at the top of the Premiership with two rounds to play.

But they have come up short in three-quarters of the Premiership finals they have played - losing to Saracens in 2016, 2018 and 2019, as well as being beaten by Wasps in the last minute of their only previous Champions Cup knockout match back in 2016.

But Baxter believes the experience of losing those big games has helped his players form the squad he has today.

"We've been very open and assessed all the wins and losses in finals together," he said.

"We've got a large group of players now who have been involved in quite a few of those finals and quite a lot of them understand the emotional difference between getting to a final or getting to a big game and that being the biggest stepping stone and that being the all important thing and actually making sure the performance justifies you being there.

"I think actually there's a genuine understanding that it can't be a feeling of relief to be in a semi-final, it has to be a feeling of challenge.

"There's no feeling in this club at all of guys walking around with big smiles on their faces like they've just won the lottery, they're walking around like there's a job to be done and that's purely come from being involved in finals and the experience of it being great to just have a great day out, and also moving on beyond that which is what they've done."

Meanwhile Exeter have confirmed that plans for a crowd of 1,000 to watch their Premiership game with London Irish on Wednesday 30 September have been called off.

The fixture at Sandy Park had been one of a number of pilot events to allow the safe return of spectators to matches in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

But following increased government restrictions due to the rise in cases the match will now be played behind closed doors.

Former Ireland captain Claire Molloy has returned to Adam Griggs' squad for October's rescheduled Women's Six Nations fixtures.

Ulster's Claire McLaughlin and forwards Edel McMahon and Aoife McDermott will miss the games through injury.

Ireland host Italy on 25 October before rounding out their Six Nations campaign away to France on 1 November.

The 2021 Rugby World Cup European qualifiers are scheduled to be played as a single round-robin tournament from 5-19 December.

Ireland sit third in the Six Nations table with two wins from their three games in the spring and the return of back row Molloy is a timely boost for Griggs.

The 32-year-old represented Ireland at three World Cups and adds significant experience in a 34-player squad which includes the uncapped trio of Shannon Touhey, Neve Jones, and Katie O'Dwyer.

Ireland squad

Backs: Breen, Claffey, Considine, Cronin, Dane, Delany, Doyle, Fitzhenry, Hughes, Keohane, Muldoon, Murphy, Naoupu, Parsons, Sheehan, Touhey, Tyrrell

Forwards: Bobbett, Caplice, Cooney, Dabanovich O'Mahony, Djougang, Feely, Fryday, Griffin, Jones, Lyons, Molloy, Moloney, O'Connor, O'Dwyer, Pearse, Peat, Wall

Former Wales coach Rob Howley has been named assistant Canada coach following his return to the sport after being banned for a betting breach.

Howley, 49, was banned from rugby for 18 months from 16 September, 2019, with nine suspended, for betting on matches, including Wales games.

He was withdrawn from Wales' 2019 World Cup campaign when the breach surfaced.

Howley will also act as a consultant to Toronto Arrows for their 2021 Major League Rugby (MLR) campaign as he helps Jones prepare the Canucks ahead of the 2023 World Cup.

Howley said: "I'm excited to get to work and help prepare Canada for Rugby World Cup qualification.

"I am also looking forward to my first season in MLR with the Toronto Arrows.

"There is a tremendous opportunity to leverage the synergy of a professional club loaded with domestic players in an emerging league to help support the national team - it is very similar to my past experience coaching in Wales."

Canada boss Jones said: "Rob is one of the most highly regarded coaches in international rugby and I'm ecstatic that he will be joining us at Rugby Canada.

"He's someone that I've known and respected for a long time and the opportunity to have Rob join our programme is a huge step forward for Canadian rugby.

"His experience and expertise will benefit not only our young players but our entire coaching staff."

In the wake of his ban from the sport after he had placed 363 bets on 1,163 matches over four years, Howley apologised for breaching betting rules as he "battled demons" in the wake of his sister's death.

He had been due to leave his role as Wales assistant coach after the 2019 World Cup and was linked with coaching Italy before the betting breach was revealed.

Since being eligible to return to active rugby duty, Howley was linked with returning to a coaching role with one of his former clubs, Wasps.

But Howley's future now lies back in international rugby with Rugby Canada's director of rugby operations Dustin Hopkins expressing his satisfaction with the former scrum-half's appointment.

"I'd like to thank Bill Webb and the Toronto Arrows for their partnership, in conjunction with philanthropic donations from dedicated Canadian rugby supporters in aiding Rugby Canada's ambition in bringing Rob to Canada," said Hopkins.

As a coach, Howley joined Cardiff Blues before becoming part of Warren Gatland's Wales set-up that won four Six Nations titles, including three Grand Slams between 2008 and 2019.

Howley was also the Lions backs coach for three tours in 2009, 2013 and 2017.

Pro14 organisers have confirmed they are in talks about increasing the number of South African teams in the competition.

Cheetahs and Southern Kings have been the two sides involved in the Pro14.

Kings will not be involved in 2020-21 after going into liquidation and negotiations are ongoing about which franchise will take their place.

A Pro14 statement said: "On August 25, Pro14 Rugby acknowledged under current international travel restrictions it is not possible for South African teams to fulfil Guinness Pro14 fixtures until 2021.

"Pro14 Rugby welcomes the news that the South African Rugby Union (SA Rugby) has been able to arrange a domestic schedule for its professional teams and that this is the first step in the return of their teams to on-field action.

"SA Rugby's long-standing commitments are to field two teams in the Guinness Pro14 and in light of the withdrawal of the Southern Kings, discussions are on-going about fulfilling this agreement from 2021 using a replacement team from its current professional franchises.

"Additionally, both Pro14 Rugby and SA Rugby are in early discussions about potentially expanding the tournament and deepening our partnership to include more South African franchises from 2021."

The league confirmed in August the South African sides will not play in the Pro14 for the rest of 2020, missing the start of the 2020-21 season, but Pro14 bosses are still negotiating with SA Rugby about involvement in this campaign.

The 12 teams from Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Italy will begin the new campaign with the first round of 11 fixtures not involving the South African sides.

In the longer term, and as a result of significant changes to rugby's global competition structures, the Pro14 is the likely future home for more South African involvement.

When the southern hemisphere's Super Rugby was cut from 18 to 14 teams in 2017, SA rugby's Kings and Cheetahs were the ones to lose out before being welcomed into the what became the Pro14 fold.

In recent months, New Zealand has set out plans for its own future path, which does not involve Bulls, Lions, Stormers and Sharks.

Top tiers in English and French rugby involve domestic promotion and relegation, leaving the Pro14 - a competition of franchises, regions and provinces - open to potential expansion.