Australian Football League CEO Gillon McLachlan "has revealed club memberships are up about 10 per cent from this time last year, as the league looks to banish memories of a tough 2014." The '14 campaign "was a patchy one for head office, with clubs and supporters complaining about scheduling, the cost of attending games and the lack of fizz in the match-day experience." However, several changes "have been made during the post-season to appeal to supporters, including giving clubs more of a chance to create a greater home-ground atmosphere on match day." The return of the post-match kick to kick on the Melbourne Cricket Ground after some games "has also been endorsed" (THE AGE, 1/10). ... The Int'l Cycling Union (UCI) announced "it has awarded Team Europcar a Professional Continental licence" for '15. The UCI Licence Commission "had previously denied the team a WorldTour licence."
However, the UCI said that "on the basis of the new file provided, the UCI considers that Team Europcar has secured sufficient financial guarantees as required by UCI regulations" (CYCLING NEWS, 1/9).
