The Australian Rugby Union "expressed its support" following news rugby powerbrokers have taken a "significant step" toward a global calendar. Following a two-day meeting in San Francisco this week, World Rugby said that major stakeholders have been "working together in a bid to create a global calendar" that could come into effect after the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. The meeting "focused predominantly on the potential tweaking of the June and November international windows and the alignment of the northern and southern hemisphere domestic seasons." The ARU has been a supporter of a global season "for some time, given the financial value of an uninterrupted Super Rugby season" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 2/1).
Paul Thompson has reportedly been "cleared of bullying following a British Rowing investigation and he will continue in his role as the chief coach for women and lightweights." British Rowing "launched a review last June" after Thompson, whose crews won four Gold Medals and three Silvers at the last two Olympic Games, was accused of operating a “culture of fear” and of being “over-bearing.” Past and present athletes and coaches were "invited to contribute confidentially to the inquiry." The conclusions will be presented to the squad by British Rowing CEO Andy Parkinson on Thursday and then published (LONDON TIMES, 2/1).
Horse Racing Ireland said that it is "at one" with the Turf Club over the importance of out-of-competition drug testing within the bloodstock industry and is "keen for recommendations from last year's Anti-Doping Task Force report to be implemented as soon as possible." A year after the task force report was published, talks between the Turf Club and the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association are "ongoing in relation to officials from racing's regulatory body accessing stud farms in order to drug test horses" (IRISH TIMES, 2/1).
World Sailing's HQ will relocate from Southampton to central London late this summer. The selection of London as the new home for the int'l federation comes after an evaluation process of possible locations undertaken since the election of a new president and board of directors in November. World Sailing evaluated Southampton, Geneva, Lausanne, London, Winchester, Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia (World Sailing).
