Latest - Wallabies fullback Israel Folau has refused to address questions about his future despite Rugby Australia saying he'll be sacked if he can't offer a good reason for a social media post that said gay people would go to "hell" if they did not "repent".
Israel Folau. Photo: © Clay Cross / Photosport Ltd 2018
The 30-year-old fullback escaped any sanction when he posted similar comment last year but Rugby Australia are taking a much stronger stance, having repeatedly warned him, when the offence was repeated on Wednesday.
The multi-million dollar contract Folau signed in February looks certain to be torn up unless he can convince Rugby Australia and the New South Wales Waratahs that there are compelling mitigating factors for sharing the post.
Rugby Australia and the Waratahs say they have made several attempts to contact Folau, who has not posted anything further on social media, nor deleted the offending message since the furore broke.
Media reports say he visited Rugby Australia headquarters today and an Australian television news channel questioned him on the street but he declined to answer.
-Reuters
Latham to lead New Zealand XI
Tom Latham will lead side made up current Black Caps and World Cup stand-bys against an Australian eleven in Brisbane next month, as part of the buildup to the World Cup in England and Wales.
Tom Latham. Photo: Photosport
Latham is joined in the side by fellow world cup squad members Henry Nicholls, Matt Henry, Jimmy Neesham and Tom Blundell for three 50-over matches.
With nine World Cup squad members currently playing in India in the IPL and Ross Taylor set to play one-day county cricket in England before the tournament, the New Zealand squad features a host of players vying to be considered as back-up options for the World Cup.
Squad: Tom Latham, Todd Astle, Hamish Bennett, Tom Blundell, Doug Bracewell, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Henry Nicholls,
Hamish Rutherford, Blair Tickner, George Worker, Will Young.
Williams named A-League player of the month
The Phoenix forward David Williams has won the A-League player of the month award for March.
Last month Williams scored five goals, including a hat trick against Newcastle Jets.
Meanwhile Tottenham Hotspur's England striker Harry Kane suffered serious ankle ligament damage in their 1-0 Champions League victory over Manchester City.
Kane rolled his left ankle in the second half of the quarter-final first leg after a hefty tackle on City defender Fabian Delph and left the field immediately.
Spurs gave no timeframe for when Kane might be fit again.
The England captain, who has scored 24 goals in all competitions this season, left the club's new stadium on crutches with a protective boot on his foot.
Spurs also said England midfielder Dele Alli had fractured his left hand in the game and was being assessed.
-AAP
McGregor claims he broke foot before Khabib loss
Conor McGregor Photo: Photosport
Mixed Martial Arts fighter Conor McGregor says he broke his foot before his defeat by Khabib Nurmagomedov at the now infamous UFC 229.
The Irishman tapped out in the fourth round of the October 2018 bout in Las Vegas, on his return to the octagon after a 693-day absence, before a post match brawl ensued between the rival camps.
After the fight, McGregor, 30, said he had made errors at a "crucial time" and felt he had been beaten fair and square by the Russian.
But he said this morning that "I broke my foot three weeks out from the bout," in a Twitter post.
IAAF head Coe cleared of lying to parliament
The world athletics governing body (IAAF) has closed an ethics investigation into its president Sebastian Coe, finding no evidence that he provided misleading answers to a British parliamentary committee in 2015.
The IAAF's ethics board said, following a six-month investigation, that it had found there was no basis on which "any disciplinary case could be established".
Coe has denied throughout that he misled the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee when he appeared before it in December 2015, four months after being elected IAAF president.
Coe, previously an IAAF vice-president, was questioned about what he knew about doping in Russian athletics before he took office.
In its final report 'Combating doping in sport' in 2018, the committee criticised Coe's answers as misleading.
-Reuters
Cyprus postpones football games due to match fixing
The Cyprus Football Association (CFA) has postponed this weekend's second division fixtures following warnings from UEFA regarding suspected match-fixing.
The CFA board of directors will meet next week to examine rule changes to stamp out any perceived corruption, including a points deduction, relegation or removal of a team found to be guilty of match-fixing.
It is also considering halving the number of teams in the division from 16 to eight for the 2019-20 season.
The CFA received a number of warning letters from the European game's ruling body concerning second division fixtures. Four of those matches are being investigated by the police, the Cyprus Mail newspaper reported.
-Reuters
