The Rugby Championship is in "disarray after the All Blacks cancelled two Tests against South Africa then said they won’t travel to Western Australia" for next weekend’s test against the Wallabies. The Covid lockdown of New Zealand and restrictions in Australia have made a "relocation of the tournament to Europe more likely, if it goes ahead at all." Argentina is set to play at South Africa on Saturday and the two sides "planned to fly to Australia together in a bubble for games in Brisbane and Sydney, before the Boks were supposed to go on to New Zealand." But Sunday’s flight "has been put on hold" (London TIMES, 8/20). Another alternative could be South Africa, which have "offered to host the remainder of the Rugby Championship" (PLANET RUGBY, 8/20).

New Zealand Rugby CEO Mark Robinson has been "forced to defend the decision" after "emotive criticism from Wallabies coach Dave Rennie, Rugby Australia and Sanzaar." Sources said that NZ Rugby gave RA a Friday deadline to "confirm whether Queensland will host the Rugby Championship." When that assurance "did not arrive, NZ Rugby delayed the team's departure." Rennie said, "I'm bloody angry. Our boys all found out through social media. NZ Rugby didn't even have the respect to consult RA about their decision, and that's hugely disappointing" (NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 8/20).

There has been a recent exodus of senior figures at Burnley as "more indications emerge of how much of the Premier League club’s own money was used in the leveraged takeover by the American firm ALK Capital." Burnley Technical Dir Mike Rigg, Academy Manager Jon Pepper, Head of Commercial Affairs Anthony Fairclough, and Media Manager Darren Bentley, have followed former club CEO Neil Hart's departure, "leaving some fans anxious about the direction the club are taking." ALK Capital bought the club last December for roughly £200M ($271M) using a "hefty loan," thought to be £60M ($82M), and used cash held in Burnley’s bank account to "help finance the takeover as well as some of their own funds."

New Burnley Chair Alan Pace has "refused to say how much of the club’s own money was used in the takeover," although he has said it is “absolutely reasonable and sustainable." The most recent accounts published on Companies House last month show Burnley Holdings had £80.6M in the bank in July '20, "almost double" the £41M of '19. That means there was "significantly more cash available to finance the leveraged buyout than previously thought", but sources insist the bank balance "still remains healthier than at many other clubs." Burnley was not very active in the transfer market this summer but Pace said, "We are very comfortable that the funds are going to continue to be available to do the things that we need to do and we have set out a very thoughtful process to accomplish that" (LONDON TIMES, 8/20).

Real Madrid are planning to turn their in-house digital terrestrial television (DTT) channel into a new streaming service after requesting up to €8M ($9.3M) under Spain’s "Audiovisual Hub of Europe" project. The efforts seeks to strengthen audiovisual production in the country. The club would "reinvent" Real Madrid TV as an OTT platform (BROADBAND TV, 8/20). The initiative, reportedly called "Real Madrid Digital Factory," will see the overhauled channel offer "live streaming and on-demand content via all devices, including mobile, online and Smart TVs." Reports add that the service will have "cloud distribution supported by AI." Real Madrid are also reportedly looking to "consolidate all production in a dedicated content studio," which the club believes will "help expand its offering for fans" (EUROPA PRESS, 8/20).

ViacomCBS will provide Italian-language commentary for its Serie A games on Paramount+ when its new U.S. rights deal kicks off this weekend. In March, CBS Sports acquired the U.S. broadcasting rights to Serie A for the '21-24 cycle in a deal worth around €170M ($200M) over its duration (Serie A).

Meanwhile, Viacom18, the Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani-controlled entertainment network, has acquired Serie A media rights for the Indian sub-continent region for the next three seasons (ECONOMIC TIMES, 8/20). Additionally, fans in Belgium also will get to continue watching Italian soccer, with Eleven having renewed its deal to air Serie A exclusively to fans in Belgium until '23-24, following the completion of a "new three-year deal." The agreement was brokered by Infront, Serie A’s exclusive int'l media rights partner (ADVANCED TV, 8/20).

The Brisbane Broncos have "confirmed they are exploring the prospect of buying" a potential A$60M ($42.85M) majority stake in the Supercars Championship as the National Rugby League's richest club "looks to diversify its iconic sporting brand." Officials at the Broncos, owned by News Corp., have "begun due diligence on buying a stake in the Supercars Championship as part of a two-pronged consortium that includes five-time Moto GP champion Mick Doohan." Private-equity firm Archer Capital owns a 65% stake in Supercars, with the remaining 35% "belonging to the Championship’s teams." Sources said that Archer is seeking A$60M to "offload their share, piquing the interest of News Corp via their sporting arm the Broncos, who have joined forces with a consortium" comprising Aussie businessman Peter Adderton, former driver Paul Morris, broadcaster Pete Smith, Doohan and racing exec Alan Gow (THE AUSTRALIAN, 8/20).

Looking back on the strenuous leadup to the Tokyo Olympics, IOC VP John Coates feels he "did not flinch from his belief that the Games would proceed safely and successfully." Coates said, "Never ever. Whether I was foolish or not saying that ... but my position was that I was committed, that the Games had to go ahead for the athletes, it wasn’t going to go away and I would do whatever I could to ensure that they went ahead." Coates, who is also CEO of the Australian Olympic Committee, added, "Tokyo is the most complex thing I’ve ever done in my life, it was a big job. ... And then, to be really the one directing the Brisbane campaign and candidature at the same time. It is by far the most difficult time of my life." After decades "in the spotlight, Coates has worked out how to ignore the naysayers and continue on" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 8/20).

The International Paralympic Committee is predicting that the Tokyo Paralympics will break all viewing records with an estimated cumulative global TV audience of 4.25 billion people likely to watch the Games. The combination of more broadcasters, increased levels of coverage and more live sport than any previous Games could help the Paralympics to surpass the 4.1 billion cumulative viewers who tuned into the '16 Rio Paralympic Games. The Games will be covered by more than 150 television, radio and online outlets in a record 177 territories. Thanks to increased investment from broadcasters, live coverage from 21 disciplines across 19 sports, more than ever before, will be available to broadcasters by Olympic broadcasting services. As a result, many broadcasters are planning to show more hours of coverage (Paralympics).

Tennis Channel Int'l has "launched its online streaming service," marking a "significant development in the tennis broadcasting landscape" in the U.K. (LONDON TIMES, 8/20). Click here to see more in SBJ.

Amazon Prime Video has acquired the exclusive media rights in India for the second half of the WNBA '21 season. Prime members in India will have access to six games starting from Aug. 21, marking the first live sports streaming experience for Prime Video views in the country (WNBA).

Rafael Nadal has joined Roger Federer and Dominic Thiem on the growing list of US Open absentees "after announcing that a persistent foot injury has forced him to call a premature end to his season" (LONDON TIMES, 8/20).

PSG fans were "barred from entering the stadium" and from "wearing jerseys near it" until 90 minutes before kickoff for the club's match at Brest on Friday. Police "classified the match as high-risk" (LE PARISIEN, 8/20).

Premiership Rugby side Leicester Tigers has launched a women's team in a merger with Midland League side Lichfield to compete in the second tier of English women's rugby (BBC, 8/20).

National Rugby League players are "set to get up to 10 weeks of annual leave at the end of the season, the most ever offered, under a new deal to ensure they can recuperate from the strains of living in bubbles" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 8/20).

Juventus has agreed to a deal with high-end Italian fashion brand Loro Piana to become its official formal suit partner. The deal will cover the '21-22 Serie A season and will see Juventus players wear Loro Piana suits on match days (Juventus).

"Today I’m calling them and telling them, take down their names, remove their identities, take down their photos for their safety. Even I’m telling them to burn down or get rid of your national team uniform. And that is painful for me, for someone as an activist who stood up and did everything possible to achieve and earn that identity as a women’s national team player" -- former Afghanistan women’s soccer team captain Khalida Popal, calling for women’s soccer players in the country to “remove all trace of their sporting history” (London TELEGRAPH, 8/19).

"There is a lot of planning that goes into that game. I think the conversations will come to a head in the next days. There is no doubt about that, probably got up to a week" -- Australian Football League CEO Gillon McLachlan, on when a decision will be made on a grand final venue (BRISBANE TIMES, 8/20).

The London Times' Bill Edgar asks whether Man City is "setting the trend with their new look" for new club kit designs.

The Sydney Morning Herald's Paul Cully looks at why the U.S. is the "biggest hurdle for Australia’s hopes" to host the '27 Rugby World Cup, including a conversation with USA Rugby CEO Ross Young.

Armani dresses Napoli

This is our shirt!
This is our second skin!
These are our colours!

💙 #ForzaNapoliSemprepic.twitter.com/XBgrK4ttdd

— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) August 19, 2021

Rise up this mornin’, smile with the rising sun.

Introducing our new 21/22 third jersey, inspired by our collective love for @BobMarley and his Three Little Birds. pic.twitter.com/YiPUS7AR19

— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) August 20, 2021