Ebner skips Patriots training camp to join U.S. rugby squad for Rio

When the New England Patriots reported for training camp on Wednesday, Nate Ebner wasn’t with them.

The special teams player has taken a leave of absence to play for the U.S. Olympic rugby team.

“It’s a great opportunity for him to follow his passion, participate in the Olympic Games,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “We’re pulling for him to bring back something around his neck.”

Ebner played rugby but not football in his first two years at Ohio State before walking onto the football team as a junior. He was selected by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2012 draft and has appeared in 57 NFL games, mostly on special teams.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Elena Delle Donne returned home to score 10 points, helping the U.S. beat France 84-62 in an exhibition game at the University of Delaware on Wednesday night.

A loud, spirited crowd gave the Delaware native quite the ovation when she was announced before the start of the game.

“It was by far the most emotional game I played at (Delaware),” said Delle Donne, who helped Delaware reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament her senior year.

TRACK AND FIELD: Usain Bolt has touched down in Rio de Janeiro, ready to fine-tune his preparations for another bid at an Olympic double in the 100- and 200-meter sprints.

The 29-year-old Jamaican has won six Olympic gold medals — the 100, 200 and sprint relays at Beijing in 2008 and at London in 2012 — and is the undisputed star of track and field.

The official website of the Rio Games noted Bolt’s arrival on a flight from London with the headline: “The main man has landed.”

WRESTLING: The International Weightlifting Federation says 11 more weightlifters, including six silver and bronze medalists, have tested positive in retests of samples from the 2012 London Olympics.

The IWF said Wednesday in a statement that all 11 athletes, who include four Russians, have been provisionally suspended until their cases are closed.

So far, weightlifters have produced 31 positives in doping retests carried out on samples taken at the 2008 Games in Beijing and the London Games. From staff and wire reports