League Notes: English Premiership Clubs Close Contract Loophole

English Premiership clubs "closed a contract loophole which threatened transfer chaos in rugby union." The clubs acted after England int'l Jonny May "used a little-known clause in his contract" to leave Premiership side Gloucester for Leicester for a fixed compensation fee, despite being under contract. Following talks on Tuesday, the 12 existing Premiership clubs "voted unanimously to amend the stipulation." The Rugby Players' Association "was not consulted" on the change (BBC, 8/10).

The Pakistan Cricket Board's new boss wants to welcome int'l tours back to the country but "urged for patience because of the prevailing security situation." Speaking after being named PCB chair for the next three years, Najam Sethi "expressed hope" that next month's proposed World XI tour in Pakistan would be the "first step" toward the return of int'l cricket (REUTERS, 8/10).