The National Rugby League has "shelved plans to trial hair follicle testing but changes could be afoot for the game’s illicit drug testing regime," with the players’ union "preparing to push for a review of the system in the wake of Ben Barba’s suspension for a second positive test." It is understood the NRL "decided not to push on with hair follicle testing because it was confident its existing system is working effectively." The Rugby League Players Association has taken a different tack, with CEO Ian Prendergast confirming the union believes the illicit drug testing regime "is too onerous on players and potentially damaging to the game" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 11/10).
Seven Australian Football League clubs "broke the league's anti-doping rules" in '16, but the league has found they "did so unintentionally." All clubs have to provide up-to-date information on where their players are "so they can be drug-tested on any day of the year." The AFL announced on Wednesday that Hawthorn, West Coast, Geelong, Collingwood, Essendon, the Western Bulldogs and St. Kilda had all failed to do so on one or more more occasions this year. But none of the players involved missed a test and "the failures were found to be of an administrative nature, not intentional" (THE AGE, 11/9).
New Zealand Rugby will "form a panel to tackle sexism, after a series of scandals involving players." The "respect and responsibility review" will seek to change the "macho" culture of the country's national sport, NZR said. NZR CEO Steve Tew said, "In the same way that rugby seeks to do better on the field, we must constantly seek ways to improve off the field" (BBC, 11/9).
The Int'l Cycling Union's (UCI) WorldTour league remains 18 teams, "at least for now." Plans to reduce the top-level of the men’s peloton to 16 teams "are put on hold" until '20. In an agreement hashed out during meetings this week in Geneva, the Professional Cycling Council "steered around reducing the WorldTour status to just 17 teams next season." Despite the closure of IAM Cycling and Tinkoff, "there are new teams coming on next season," with Bahrain -- Merida and Peter Sagan’s new home at Bora -- Hansgrohe expected to step up. Dimension Data "was on the bubble, but will likely stay at the WorldTour level" thanks to the compromise approved Tuesday (VELO NEWS, 11/9).
Former Int'l Cricket Council President Zaheer Abbas, who was representing the Punjab Sports Board, said that an academy "would also be established in Karachi for women cricketers." He said, "Our first priority is to promote and encourage the game of cricket in the country" (AFP, 11/8).
