Wallabies coach Michael Cheika "moved to reassure Australian players concerned about their futures as Super Rugby prepares for cuts next season, promising to act swiftly to help them find contracts with other clubs if they lose their jobs." SANZAAR said last Sunday that the Super Rugby competition "would be cut from 18 teams to 15 from next year with South Africa to lose two sides and Australia one." Cheika said that the uncertainty "could impact performances on the field" and "he would do all he could to ensure axed players were signed by Australia's four other Super Rugby franchises" (REUTERS, 4/14).
The FIA extended its contract with the Automobile Club de l'Ouest to promote the World Endurance Championship until the end of '20. The new contract, signed at Silverstone on Sunday "ahead of the WEC season opener," covers '18-20. FIA President Jean Todt said, "When things go well, it is only rational to move forward and continue to make things better" (MOTORSPORT, 4/16).
The lack of progress made by Russia in anti-doping reforms has "disappointed" IAAF President Sebastian Coe. The Russians "vowed to make changes" but the taskforce set up to monitor those has delivered a "damning report." Coe: "There is no reason why better progress has not been made. It's not that complicated, frankly. The criteria we laid down is the criteria that stands. There is no timeline here. We are going to see this through" (BBC, 4/13).
The Rugby Players' Association said that the plans to extend England's domestic season by a month "will impact the welfare of the sportspersons." Premiership Rugby plans to extend the regular season starting in '20 with "longer breaks spread out through the season." The RPA, however, believes that the demands of a 10-month league competition "could harm the players" (REUTERS, 4/14).
The Indian Supreme Court said that former Board of Control for Cricket in India President N. Srinivasan "cannot represent the Board" at the Int'l Cricket Council meeting next week as he has been held "guilty of conflict of interest." The court allowed BCCI Secretary Amitabh Chaudhary to "represent the cricket board at the ICC meeting" on April 24 and directed BCCI CEO Rahul Johri to accompany him (PTI, 4/17).
WADA said that the Doping Analysis Laboratory in Doha has "had its suspension lifted and been reinstated." The Doha laboratory, which had its accreditation suspended last November because it did not comply with int'l standards, "can immediately resume all anti-doping activities, including the analysis of urine and blood samples" (REUTERS, 4/13).
