Retired Wales rugby player Andrew Coombs is "disgusted and devastated" that his former club, Pro12 side Newport Gwent Dragons has ended his insurance policy. Coombs, 32, injured a knee in April '15 and had to quit 14 months later. He said that he is left with "thousands of pounds of medical bills for treatment not available on the NHS." Dragons CEO Stuart Davies said that the region gave Coombs "financial support over and above our contractual obligations" before his retirement (BBC, 12/21).
EPL side Fulham opened a new elite training center that will not only be used by academy players but will also serve the wider community. Funded by club Chair Shahid Khan and opened by Premier League Exec Chair Richard Scudamore, the all-weather dome at Motspur Park, in Surrey, will enable the club's community charity, Fulham Football Club Foundation, to deliver a range of schemes, including Walking Football and Premier League Kicks. The club's Down's Syndrome team (DS Badgers) and Ladies team will also play there (Premier League).
Premiership rugby side Northampton Saints will "face no sanction" following the investigation into its treatment of Wales wing George North's latest head injury. However, the concussion review panel "concluded that the 24-year-old should not have returned to the field of play" after he fell in a mid-air tackle against Leicester on Dec. 3. The panel's 17-page report stated that Head Injury Assessment protocol "was followed correctly, but the Saints medical team have accepted that North may have lost consciousness" (BBC, 12/21).
