Oceania

South Africa has said it would investigate a controversial vote by soccer's world governing body FIFA which denied Africa its best chance yet to host the World Cup.

The decision to abstain from the last round of voting in the 2006 World Cup decision has left Charles Dempsey of New Zealand facing a backlash both at home and abroad ? see SportBusiness.com `FEATURES? section for the full story of how one man changed the destiny of soccer?s biggest prize.

A German satirical magazine has said it had sent hoax faxes to FIFA delegates this week urging them to vote for Germany as the host of the 2006 World Cup in return for a gift.

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.

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.

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".

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.

A bruising three-month battle for the FIFA presidency reaches a climax on Monday when Sepp Blatter and Lennart Johansson contest the biggest job in soccer.

A Dutch proposal to limit the number of countries allowed to bid to host the World Cup was rejected by FIFA's 51st Congress on Monday.