The Australian Football League "is preparing to trial names on the back of players' jumpers for one round this season." In a major break from the game's tradition, the AFL "is trying to finalise plans for players from all clubs to wear their surname on the back of their guernseys during an allocated round early in the season" (THE AGE, 1/31). ... National Rugby League side Cronulla will not have its A$1M ($878,000) fine increased if the NRL determines that "the club breached its responsibilities by not providing a safe environment for players" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 1/31). ... The Int'l Centre for Sport Security and DFL Deutsche FußballLiga have announced a partnership agreement in the areas of int'l cooperation and education across safety and security planning. The agreement will see the DFL and ICSS work together, utilizing the existing networks and expertise of both organizations (ICSS). ... The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee said on Wednesday that it had lifted its suspension of embattled Athletics South Africa, adding that "it would deal with the interim board running the federation." The move means athletes "will be eligible for selection for multi-sport events, such as the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow" from July 23-Aug. 3. But ousted ASA President James Evans, who insists he is still in charge and that the interim board is illegal, warned that "SA's athletes could be banned" from int'l competition. He said that only the IAAF "could recognise a national federation" (SOWETAN LIVE, 1/30). ... MDR Sports Management, a full-service sports management firm representing baseball players with a specialization in Latin American players, has signed "seven new baseball players as clients in the past six months." The addition of those seven players means that MDR’s current client base has reached a total of 71 players "under contract with the company." The newly added players include Puerto Rican Carlos Corporan and MLB Houston Astros backup catcher Eddie Rosario (SPORTS AGENT BLOG, 1/28).
