The 2018 World Club Series is "looking unlikely to go ahead" with the two National Rugby League sides due to take part arranging a testimonial match against each other on the same weekend. Melbourne will face North Queensland in Brisbane on Feb. 23 to honor respective "club legends" Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston. With both sides "not keen on travelling to England," Super League sides Leeds and Castleford "may have to travel Down Under to save the concept" (SERIOUS ABOUT RUGBY LEAGUE, 10/10).
Venues for Hong Kong's next two int'l football matches have been approved by the government, "despite repeated booing of the national anthem causing further embarrassment" and reaching the ears of CEO Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor. Lam said that booing the national anthem was "very serious" and this was "an issue of respect for the nation and whether you recognize you are Chinese" (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, 10/12).
Gaelic Athletics Association Dir of Games Administration & Player Welfare Feargal McGill said that next year's All-Ireland football final will be held on Sept. 2. The GAA had initially planned the weekend of Aug. 26 for the final but that date has "been vacated in the event that Pope Francis attends the 2018 World Meeting of Families' mass in Dublin" (IRISH INDEPENDENT, 10/12).
Ticket sales for Wales' '17 autumn int'l rugby campaign have "already surpassed last season's with the opener against Australia on course to" sell out. Wales has sold 64,000 seats for the match against the Wallabies. New Zealand's visit to Cardiff on Nov. 25 has been "sold out for almost a month" (WALES ONLINE, 10/11).
