Rugby Football League's longest-serving full-time referee RICHARD SILVERWOOD has been "suspended pending an investigation" by the RFL. The RFL has "not disclosed the circumstances leading to the inquiry" (BBC, 6/27). ... Former Olympic short track speed skating champion OH SE-JONG "has been killed in a motorcycle crash in Seoul." Oh, 33, reportedly died on Monday "after his motorcycle collided with a car making a U-turn." He was a member of South Korea's Gold Medal-winning 5,000m "relay team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and retired later that year" (AAP, 6/28). ... Former New Zealand int'l cricketer CHRIS CAIRNS is "seeking damages" from the Melbourne Cricket Club after the club apologized to him for "wrongly writing" on its YouTube channel that he was involved in match fixing. The MCC made the mistake in a headline on its YouTube channel when it put up clips of BRENDON MCCULLUM’s Spirit of Cricket lecture last month. The video "was removed after 11 hours." Cairns' solicitor RHORY ROBERTSON said, "He has been through two trials and been vindicated in both and he is not going to allow the MCC or anyone else repeat the libel" (London TELEGRAPH, 6/27). ... Doubts over NBA Milwaukee Bucks Australian draft pick THON MAKER "have re-emerged." The No. 10 pick’s age is listed as 19 on the NBA website, but Internet users "have posted pictures and video claiming he graduated from a secondary school in Perth in 2010." Students who graduate from high school are usually 17 or 18, "giving rise to claims Maker could actually be closer to age 23 or 24, as some NBA sources believed on draft day" (HERALD SUN, 6/28). ... MARIA SHARAPOVA is "headed to Harvard Business School for a two-week course this summer." The 29-year-old posted on Facebook and Twitter on Saturday a picture of her seated next to a sign for the school and the message: “Not sure how this happened but Hey Harvard! Can’t wait to start the program!” (AP, 6/27). ... RAFAEL NADAL's lawsuit against former French Sports Minister ROSELYNE BACHELOT will reportedly "be heard next year." The case "will be heard before a Paris court" on July 7, 2017. Bachelot, who served as minister between '07 and '10, "alleged that Spaniard Nadal faked an injury" in '12, when he missed the final six months of the season due to knee problems, "in order to hide a positive drug test" (AFP, 6/28).
STEPPING DOWN: Media conglomerate Vivendi Chair VINCENT BOLLORÉ "strongly suggested" that he would soon step down from the supervisory board of pay-TV service Canal Plus, which Vivendi owns. At a Canal Plus news conference, Bolloré was asked to confirm "whether he was on his way out" of Canal Plus’ supervisory board, "following rumors to that effect in the French press over the weekend." Bolloré said, "I will chair Vivendi's board until February 17, 2022. At Canal Plus, I don't need to be much present." Leaks have suggested that Vivendi CEO ARNAUD DE PUYFONTAINE "might replace" Bolloré as chair of Canal Plus' supervisory board. Puyfontaine "declined to comment" (VARIETY, 6/27).