Rugby Football Union Council execs have been "urged not to address female Twickenham staff as sweetheart, love, gorgeous or girl." The plea came from Lucinda Pullinger, the RFU’s head of human resources. Pullinger called it a "specific ask" for the majority male council to change their behavior and cease using "inappropriate" language when talking to the RFU’s female workforce, who had made "a number of complaints about lack of respect" (London DAILY MAIL, 2/13).
Scotland Rugby U20 assistant coach Nikki Walker is "one of several backroom staff suspended pending an investigation." The suspensions "follow a dispute in a bar in Llandudno, North Wales." One of the Scotland physios was taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries. Assistant coaches Ben Fisher and Walker and team Manager Andy Miller are among those suspended. The incident involved a disagreement with another group in the bar. No members of the Scotland party were arrested (BBC, 2/13).
Uruguayan club Nacional was fined $80,000 and its fans were banned for three games after "some taunted Chapecoense about the plane crash which killed 19 players and staff." During a Copa Libertadores match in January, some Nacional fans made gestures referring to the '16 crash involving the Brazilian side. Nacional said that the "horrendous" incident brought a "deep sense of shame" (BBC, 2/14).
Formula 1 fans will have the chance to be driven around race circuits "in supercars this season" by the likes of McLaren’s Fernando Alonso and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. The "Pirelli hot laps" program, announced on Wednesday, will start at the Bahrain Grand Prix in early April and be featured at nine other rounds of the 21-race championship. McLaren, which is "owned largely by Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat," and Red Bull’s new title sponsor, Aston Martin, "have signed up already with other manufacturers to be announced soon" (REUTERS, 2/14).
Chris Froome said that he is "prepared to race the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France even if the investigation into his adverse drugs test is unresolved." Froome "competes in the Ruta del Sol this week in his first race since the case became public in December." He said, "I hope it doesn't get that far but I'm still allowed to race now and I don't see why not" (BBC, 2/14).
