The Rugby Football Union "risked upsetting grassroots volunteers" by ruling that England will not attend the official function after its autumn internationals against South Africa, New Zealand and Australia for player-welfare reasons. RFU President Chris Kelly told the governing body’s council in an email, which conceded that the move was a "significant change to an important tradition here at Twickenham," before appealing for understanding that the players’ needs must come first. England Manager Eddie Jones and a senior England player, plus two representatives from the opposition, "will attend briefly for the speeches but the rest of the team will be allowed to skip the formalities" (LONDON TIMES, 10/31).
The County Championship will feature a 10-team Division One from '20, with "only one team being relegated next year and three going up from Division Two." The current structure -- in place since '17 -- will be reversed, with eight counties to compete in the second tier. The ECB also confirmed the One-Day Cup will run alongside the new competition -- unofficially known as "The Hundred" -- when it launches in July '20 (BBC, 10/31).
The South East Australian Basketball League will end but elite players will have a new competition next winter, with Basketball Victoria to manage a new "senior elite league." BV announced the 18 teams that earned men’s and women’s licenses for a new competition, which was created after Basketball Australia gave SEABL its last rites earlier this year. Having a "farewell SEABL season" was raised but ultimately the new league, which is yet to be named, was "given a green light" (THE AGE, 10/31).
A new policy was implemented in the Women's National Basketball League "aimed at breaking down the barriers that pregnancy and childcare had previously presented for players." A parental and pregnancy care policy was announced by the Australian Basketballers' Association and the WNBL on Wednesday, providing players access to the full provision of a qualified carer or player-elected support personnel for all away trips (London GUARDIAN, 10/31).
