The National Rugby League has "reminded the three clubs over in the United Kingdom for
the World Club Series of their responsibility to ensure players adhere
to the code of conduct." In light of the "events in Arizona during South Sydney's pre-season camp," the NRL is "desperate to avoid another off-field scandal," but its
friendly reminder is "all it can do, with South Sydney, St George
Illawarra and the Brisbane Broncos responsible for their own players" (BRISBANE TIMES, 2/16). ... Competitors at the London Marathon and the "world's other great marathons will be forced to submit to a strict new drug-testing regime following last year's athletics doping scandal." Organizers of the six biggest marathons -- London, N.Y., Boston,
Chicago, Tokyo and Berlin -- are funding "increased out-of-competition testing
among elite runners who take part in the events."
The crackdown, details of which will be "formally announced at a press
conference in Tokyo on Thursday, was agreed by umbrella body World Marathon
Majors" (London TELEGRAPH, 2/16). ... Evidence uncovered by ABC's Four Corners program revealed that Greyhound racers "are secretly blooding their dogs with live bait as part of systemic and widespread cheating" within Australia's multimillion-dollar industry. Animal welfare groups "have called for the dismantling of the greyhound industry following the revelations of widespread cheating, illegal live baiting and archaic training methods" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 2/17).
