New Zealand

Speculation is mounting that the FIFA executive committee member who abstained from the last round of voting in today?s 2006 vote was New Zealand?s Charles Dempsey.

Facts about the FIFA vote to decide who stages the 2006 World Cup finals, which will take place on Thursday in Zurich.

In a move that should add significant revenues to the coffers of cricket?s poorest affiliate nation, the Bangladesh Cricket Board has confirmed that Bangladesh has been granted Test status.

The London-based soccer advisory company, Media Content Sports Media Advisors Ltd, has secured its most prestigious consultancy project to date.

Hok Sport has won a top award for its design of the world?s first purpose built cricket stadium in Wellington, New Zealand.

The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions called on the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU) on Friday to boycott the final round of the World Sevens Series in Paris because of concerns over the political crisis in Fiji.

NHL International, in conjunction with ESPN International, will distribute the 2000 NHL

Snider Capital has secured an additional investment of $1.22 million in Virtual Spectator, the live internet sports channel based in New Zealand.

England and France have emerged as the front runners in the bid to hosts the Rugby World Cup in 2007.

South African Rugby Football Union President Silas Nkanunu has been elected Chairman of the International Rugby Board's (IRB) Game Regulations Committee for the year 2000.

The New Zealand Rugby Football Union has appointed Media Content, the UK-based agency, to advise on exploiting its media and broadcasting rights.

The New Zealand Rugby Football Union, whose All Blacks team is one of the world?s best recognised sports brands, has appointed Media Content Sports Media Advisors as television and media rights consultants.

Fans of the Ironman Triathlon will have unprecedented access to live coverage of races around the world this season through a partnership between the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) and Sportvision. Sportvision will produce exclusive Internet webcasts featuring live scoring, webcams and audio and video feeds from a series of races, beginning with the Air New Zealand Ironman later this month.

The editor of cricket bible Wisden, Matthew Engel, has announced he is quitting the job at the cricket almanack for at least a year because he was tired of having to write about England's "relentless failures".

UK sport radio station talkSPORT has won the ball-by-ball rights to the next England/Australia Ashes series Down Under.

CricInfo, the digital cricket information company, is to sponsor the Women's World Cup 2000, which will take place in New Zealand in November and December this year.

The three nations with clubs in the Super 12 rugby competition have agreed to test a system for television officials to assist match referees this season, the New Zealand Rugby Union has confirmed.

Last-minute negotiations are underway to ensure the introduction of video referees for the Super 12 rugby union competition, starting later this month.