Former English heptathlete KELLY SOTHERTON "has had a Commonwealth Games gold medal, stolen in a recent burglary, returned to her after appealing to the public on BBC's Crimewatch." Sotherton's medal "was found in a post box on Wednesday morning," just two days after the she had appeared on the program. And Sotherton "took to Twitter to celebrate the medal's return, along with a gold English schools medal, and expressed her thanks that she had managed to 'appeal to someone's better nature'" (London DAILY MAIL, 3/4). ... Footage of JARRYD HAYNE's "State of Origin heroics" helped convince U.S. agent JACK BECHTA that the former National Rugby League side Parramatta Eels fullback "can make it in the NFL and play for a long time." Bechta "studied hours of footage of Hayne highlights, including full games of him playing for NSW." Betcha: "Once I heard his name and that he was coming over, I just didn't watch highlight films, I watched Origin tapes. ... Seeing him in Origin won me over because you could tell the guy plays with a deep, dark passion and determination that is head and shoulders above everyone else" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 3/4). ... ManU’s ANDER HERRERA is “clear to concentrate” on playing for the club for the rest of the season after the “match-fixing case in Spain in which he may be called to give evidence was postponed until the close season” (London GUARDIAN, 3/3).
