Ellis’s blow from Orient

HARLEQUINS chief executive Dave Ellis, who sacked director of rugby John Kingston yesterday, wasn’t at the Stoop to watch the 35-5 home defeat by London Irish that led to Kingston’s exit.

Ellis was actually at the global sevens tournament in Hong Kong — widely known as one giant party — rather than at his club’s crucial Premiership game.

Two months ago, Ellis and the board had extended the struggling Kingston’s contract for a further two years and gave new deals to coaches Graham Rowntree and Mark Mapletoft.

Former England head coach Stuart Lancaster and New Zealander Wayne Smith are on the shortlist to replace Kingston.

lGOLF’S

ruling bodies, who brought in new TV scrutiny routines after an armchair golf fan spotted a rules violation by American woman golfer Lexi Thompson last year, are now working to ensure they benefit from the betting boom in golf. Gambling firms plan to offer lucrative real-time golf betting — on length of drives, successful putts, etc — and the ruling bodies aim to charge plenty for the digital data that the firms require.