The Australian Football League commissioned a major study on the use of helmets in football which "could have far-reaching ramifications at junior and senior levels." The study will "also involve introducing AFL standards for headgear used in all football." The league’s official position is that it does not recommend helmets -- the pliable headgear used commonly in rugby union. But a Monash University study commissioned by the AFL "seeks to better understand whether head knocks could be lessened by head gear" (HERALD SUN, 4/26).
The head of a global probe into match-fixing in tennis criticized the Australian judiciary for being "too lenient when it comes to dealing with players convicted of corrupting the sport." But sports law expert Adam Lewis, who chaired a 27-month, multimillion-dollar probe reviewing allegations of corrupt behavior in the sport, "praised the Australian police forces pursuing the scourge." The English lawyer said that "greater deterrence and harsher penalties were needed in criminal jurisdictions when it came to dealing with match-fixers" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 4/27).
The British & Irish Lions will award ceremonial caps for the first time. A total of 419 living Lions players and next of kin of 416 deceased Lions "will receive a one-off, hand-stitched cap that bears a unique playing number awarded only to players who have played competitively in the red shirt" (London TELEGRAPH, 4/26).
The GAA's Club Players Association will "push for next year’s Congress to draft a mandatory closed period for inter-county activity" into its rule book. It is understood that the CPA will "up the ante" and look for four consecutive weekends annually, during the period from April 1 to May 20, to be officially documented into Gaelic Athletic Association rules. Last year, the GAA took the "landmark decision" to free up April to give clubs access to county players to play fixtures throughout the month (LONDON TIMES, 4/26).
