Delegates to special general meetings on Saturday "voted with a degree of unanimity to signal historic change," with the Golfing Union of Ireland -- the oldest national governing body in world golf -- and the Irish Ladies Golf Union "set to be replaced by a new body, known as Golf Ireland." A transition period -- during which the GUI and the ILGU will continue to operate -- will take place, with the transfer of functions and staff to Golf Ireland so that the new organization will "go live" on Jan. 1, 2021 (IRISH TIMES, 1/20).
Australian PM Scott Morrison will pave the way for Fiji to play in one of the National Rugby League’s second-tier competitions with government grants to "boost a local rugby league team" led by former State of Origin player Petero Civoniceva. Morrison will pledge financial support, as part of the A$40M ($28.6M) Australia-Pacific Sports Linkages Program, for Fiji’s bid to compete in the NSWRL Intrust Super Premiership and hold NRL preseason trial matches in the Pacific by '20 (THE AUSTRALIAN, 1/18).
