The Int'l team at this week's Presidents Cup "will not follow in the footsteps of NFL players" who responded to criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump by "staging silent protests during the U.S. national anthem." Tony Johnstone, an assistant to Int'l team captain Nick Price, said on Monday that his squad of 12 players from around the world, excluding Europe, "discussed the issue and decided it best not to get involved." Johnstone: "We've had a unanimous agreement that none of us are Americans, so it's got absolutely bugger all to do with us" (REUTERS, 9/25).
The England & Wales Cricket Board's cricket committee "is likely to discuss" the possibility of reducing the number of counties relegated from Division One of the County Championship from two to one. At least two counties have reportedly "made representations to the governing body," arguing that demoting 25% of the eight-team top division is "too much," and that the present system "increases the chance" of one of the wealthier clubs that could "dominate Division Two the next year" being relegated (LONDON TIMES, 9/26).
EuroLeague Basketball acknowledged that it received a proposal from FIBA regarding the so-called "FIBA windows" and their interference with the clubs' domestic and int'l calendars. The league said in a statement, "The FIBA proposal does not solve the main issue of the national team windows, namely the absence of the best players during the majority of the windows. This problem remains. The proposal puts extra stress on players, as it would require them to play numerous games in a reduced time period without rest days and with lengthy travel in between" (EuroLeague).
New Zealand Cricket has "made progress in developing the women's game since releasing its Women and Cricket report one year ago." NZC PR Manager Richard Boock said that since May '16, the game "had seen women in governance positions across the country rise from just 11 to 30." Released in November, the Women and Cricket report's purpose was to "tackle issues for female cricketers" (STUFF, 9/26).
New Rugby Football Union CEO Steve Brown admitted "the growing concern of player welfare needs to be heard and that strike action is a genuine possibility." This follows the announcement of the new global calendar which is to take effect from Aug. '20 and will see int'l players playing 11-month seasons. England int'ls Billy Vunipola, Ben Youngs and Joe Marler "have hinted about taking action." Brown: "We have no game if we have no players. Players have always been central to the RFU, but we need to bring it to the fore much more now" (SKY SPORTS, 9/26).
