National Rugby League side Melbourne Storm Football Dir Frank Ponissi has urged the NRL to "consider allowing a select group of players to have off-season sabbaticals" in overseas rugby union as an influx of cash in Europe "threatens to have ramifications for rugby league" in Australia. The club has "already felt the ripple effect from European rugby union," with a "handful of recent departures to both England and France." Ponissi warned it would "be folly to ignore the threat." He said, "The clubs carry all the risk. They should at least be given the opportunity to decide whether they would allow a player to do it. At the moment the game prevents it. I don’t know why" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 5/18).
The Japan Professional Baseball Players Association on Monday requested that the start of the '17 season "be put back to allow enough preparation time for players that are picked for Japan for next year's World Baseball Classic" (KYODO, 5/16).
The R&A has published a manual to "give guidance to both clubs and players on ways to improve pace of play." The manual will be distributed to the sport's governing body's 152 affiliated organizations around the world, "and every club in Great Britain & Ireland." It provides "practical guidance in the three key areas" of management, course setup and player behavior (BBC, 5/17).
The Government of Mexico -- through the National Authority of Physical Education & Sport (CONADE) -- has become the latest to express its support to the Sport Integrity Global Alliance, an independent coalition of over 60 organizations representing sporting interests in business, governments, international organizations, NGOs and other key stakeholders. Supporters of SIGA are working toward the development of standards in three areas: Financial Integrity, Good Governance, and Sports Betting Integrity (AROUND THE RINGS, 5/15).
