New Zealand
ENGLISH RAIDERS TARGET MELBOURNE CUP
The record number of imported horses contesting Tuesday's A$2.5 million (US$1.55 million) Australian Melbourne Cup has triggered a war of words between the Cup's organisers and some of the country's most successful trainers.
LIONS TO CONTINUE TOURS EVERY FOUR YEARS
International rugby union officials have agreed that the British Lions will continue to tour every four years.
MALLETT CALLS FOR SHORTER INTERNATIONAL SEASON
South African coach Nick Mallett has called for a shorter season as the world champions embarked on their seventh grand slam tour of Britain and Ireland.
FIFA CONSIDERING CONFEDERATIONS’ CUP RESCHEDULING
FIFA are looking into the possibility of rescheduling the Confederations Cup from January to August 1999 after world champions France withdrew last month.
ICC POISED TO OPEN PROBE INTO MATCH-FIXING
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is poised to appoint a commission to investigate allegations of betting and match-fixing, and it has vowed to take tough action against anyone found guilty.
ICC PRESIDENT TO MISS KEY MEETING
The president of the International Cricket Council (ICC), India's Jagmohan Dalmiya, will not attend a key meeting of the ICC's executive board in New Zealand this weekend.
S.AFRICA BOSS WANTS MORE BLACK SPRINGBOKS
South Africa's rugby boss Silas Nkanunu has said the Springboks' World Cup squad should be more racially representative and team selection needed to take into account the injustices of apartheid.
NZ SCALE DOWN GAMES BID
New Zealand's capital Wellington has scaled down its bid for the 2006 Commonwealth Games after its backers decided they could not afford to match funding levels available to the only other applicant, Melbourne.
DOPING DECLARATION PROMPTS WORLDWIDE RESPONSE
National governments have expressed serious reservations about the final declaration adopted at a global anti-doping conference.
AUSTRALIA PLANS SYDNEY ANTI-DOPING SUMMIT
Australia plans to host an international drugs-in-sport convention in Sydney this year to push for a tougher stance on drugs after the International Olympic Committee failed to approve uniform doping bans.
MELBOURNE HOPES FOR 2006 COMMONWEALTH GAMES
Melbourne is almost certain to host the 2006 Commonwealth Games after its last rival pulled out of the bidding, Victorian state premier Jeff Kennett has said.
SUPER 12 – NO EXPANSION ‘FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS’
The southern hemisphere's Super 12 competition will not be expanded for at least two years, the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) has announced.
LANGE STEPS DOWN FROM RUGBY ROLE
New Zealand Rugby League vice chairman and former prime minister David Lange has stood down after three years involvement at management level.
NZ MINISTER SHEDS TOURISM PORTFOLIO IN POLICY ROW
New Zealand minister Murray McCully recently resigned his tourism portfolio amid a row over policy but will retain responsibility for sports, fitness and leisure.
NZ STADIUM CASH DECISION DUE SOON
Millions of dollars of funding for the planned Waikato stadium in New Zealand are on the line in the next few weeks as the region's councils debate their input.
SARACENS SIGN NEW KIT DEAL
Leading rugby apparel company, Canterbury of New Zealand, has been appointed official kit supplier to English rugby union team Saracens.
STADIUM SALES ‘ENCOURAGING’
Membership sales for a new stadium in Wellington, New Zealand have passed the halfway mark - six months before construction of the $121 million complex is completed.
LEAGUE PLANS EXPANSION
The Australian soccer league is set to be expanded to 17 - if it gets approval from world governing body FIFA.