Australian Rugby Union side ACT Brumbies is confident it will "have stability and continuity with two-Test Wallaby Bob Brown set to be elected president, avoiding a potentially ugly boardroom tussle at the annual general meeting on Wednesday." Former ARU Chair Peter McGrath said that he "withdrew from a three-way battle because he didn't want the role to be politicised as rumours swirled of a potential shake-up." McGrath, Brown and John Gillespie were "poised to put their cases forward at the AGM." It is understood that Gillespie is "likely to also withdraw, leaving Brown as the only standing candidate, to be elected to the position unopposed" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 12/13). ... The West Indies cricket team has "almost guaranteed" itself a winter series in the Northern Territory and north Queensland following its "poor showing in Hobart in the first Test." The squad is "due back in four years and the future tours program has Pakistan visiting" in the first half of the '19-20 season. There is "little chance Cricket Australia will risk scheduling the uncompetitive West Indies into its Boxing Day and New Year’s schedule again." CA CEO James Sutherland has "floated the idea of lumping West Indies with Bangladesh and Zimbabwe and banishing them from the summer schedule" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 12/14).
