The first National Indigenous Cricket Championships will get underway in Alice Springs next week, providing Aboriginal and Torres Islander cricketers more opportunities to reach the top. The fields of the Red Centre will host 12 teams of Australia's men's and women's Indigenous cricketers. The championships form part of Australian cricket's elite development pathway (Cricket Australia). ... Rugby League Int'l Federation CEO David Collier has confirmed that the number of nations participating in the 2021 World Cup will rise from 14 to 16. Collier said, "The growth of rugby league internationally is reflected in the expansion of the tournament to four pools of four." In addition, the 2021 Women's World Cup, which will run at the same time, will be increased to six nations (NRL). ... St. Andrews is "set to complete a full set of majors when it stages the Senior Open Championship for the first time in 2018." The historic over-50s major on the Old Course "will add to 29 Open Championships and two Women's British Opens hosted at the home of golf" (THE SCOTSMAN, 2/2).
