When the inaugural Australian Football League Women's season begins early next month, "most of the fans at the ground will be standing unless the league changes its plans." The first match of the new women's competition will be held on Feb. 3 "under lights" at Collingwood's Holden Centre training base, with the Magpies "squaring off against traditional" rival Carlton. Sitting adjacent to the club's training base, the Olympic Park Oval -- Collingwood's home Victorian Football League venue and the ground on which the Pies train during the season -- "has almost no fixed seating." The AFL said that "it has no plans to install temporary seating at the venue, meaning it will be virtually a case of standing room only for the historic clash." There are also "no plans to close off roads around the venue" (THE AGE, 1/16).
National Rugby League side Auckland Nines has "turned matchmakers creating a singles zone at the annual rugby league tournament," which will be held at Eden Park on Feb. 4 and 5. While the New Zealand Warriors have "come up short" during the event's three-year history, "fans might prove luckier in the stands." Organizers of the Nines are "encouraging single supporters to grab their best costumes and hang out with like-minded singles, while watching their league heroes." An online advertisement for the tournament said, "Who knows, you might find your soul mate in the stands. If you don't, you'll still have fun watching the biggest stars carve up on the field" (STUFF, 1/16).
The Int'l Ski Federation (FIS) said that "Quebec City will host the FIS Cross-Country World Cup Final 2017 instead of Russia's Tyumen." The Russian Ski Federation said earlier that it had decided to refuse to host the 2017 FIS World Cup finals, scheduled to be held in the Western Siberian city of Tyumen from March 16-19, "in the wake of a doping scandal." Following the release of the second part of Richard McLaren's report on a Russian doping investigation, a number of int'l competitions have been "relocated from Russia" (TASS, 1/15).