In "a move to shut down possible communication" between National Rugby League players and gamblers, "mobile phones will be banned from dressing rooms on game day." Channel Nine TV footage has in the past "shown players who have been injured during games, speaking on mobile phones." Such footage has "sparked integrity concerns" that an injured player could talk to betting agencies or big punters "keen" to know whether the player will return to the field. Coaches have "embraced the ban, relieved that players will not be communicating on social media" in the minutes before a match. However, it is understood the NRL is introducing the ban "solely for integrity reasons" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 1/25).
In a "bid to achieve parity," the Hong Kong Tennis Association has "boosted prize money" by 40% for women in this year's national championships with a "view to equal pay" by '19. The women's winner of the 2017 Hong Kong National Tennis Championships will now receive HK$28,000 ($3,600), compared with the men's check of HK$42,000 ($5,400) (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, 1/26).
British Cycling is "braced for more damaging revelations as the inquiry into the governing body's culture prepares to publish its findings in the next few weeks." Nicole Cooke, who gave a "fierce critique" of British Cycling to a parliamentary committee this week, is among "dozens within the sport," from Gold Medal winners to mechanics, who have submitted evidence to a panel. A "measure of the concern" within the organization is the hiring of "crisis-management spin doctors." Paddy Harverson, one of the founders of PR company Milltown Partners, is understood to be working with British Cycling to prepare its defense after allegations of "bullying, sexism and other acts of discrimination" (LONDON TIMES, 1/26).
Olympic Gold Medalist Elinor Barker said that there is "still a lot of sexism" within the sport of cycling, but it is not "blatantly obvious." The 22-year-old's comments come after Cooke said that British Cycling was run "by men for men." However, Barker said that "there has never been a better time to be a female cyclist." She said, "There's still a lot of sexism in cycling today. It's not always blatantly obvious like a pay gap or races not being put on. Times have changed a little bit since Nicole's time" (BBC, 1/26).
Jamaica "may appeal against the decision to strip the rest of its Beijing 4x100m relay squad" of their Gold Medals after Nesta Carter's failed drug test. Usain Bolt "stands to lose" one of his nine Olympic Golds after a retest of Carter's sample from the 2008 Games was found to contain a banned stimulant. Jamaican Olympic Association CEO Mike Fennell said, "We have to decide what the best legal process is" (BBC, 1/26).
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children has "urged" the British government to close a "loophole" that allows sports coaches to have sex with 16 and 17-year-olds in their care following football’s pedophile scandal. The child protection charity also called for a "tightening of regulations designed to prevent potential abusers working with children within sport," declaring the crisis to "engulf" the game had exposed "gaps" in how the Disclosure and Barring Service operates. It is already illegal for certain professionals, such as teachers and social workers, to have sex with anyone in their care under the age of 18 but the NSPCC said that "position of trust" legislation did not currently apply to sports coaches and other youth workers (London TELEGRAPH, 1/26).
