Skip to main content

EFL Statement: Harrogate Town v Rochdale AFC

EFL Logo

Rochdale AFC will receive a bye into this season’s Round Two of the Carabao Cup after it was determined opponents Harrogate Town would be unable to fulfil the Round One fixture within the required time period.

Statement from RFL Chair Simon Johnson following confirmation of the postponement of RLWC2021

RFL Logo

“The RFL shares the bitter disappointment of the RLWC2021 team that they have been left with no choice but to postpone the Rugby League World Cup. They tried everything within their power to continue with the tournament this year. We are so grateful for their efforts, especially to create a world class and safe biosecurity regime but we note their view that ultimately the challenges were too great to hold the Tournament this year.

The ITA concludes Tokyo 2020 pre-Games anti-doping program, reports 80% implementation rate of testing recommendations

ITA Logo

THE INTERNATIONAL TESTING AGENCY (ITA), LEADING AN INDEPENDENT ANTI-DOPING PROGRAM FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES TOKYO 2020, CONCLUDES AN EIGHT-MONTH LONG COMPREHENSIVE PRE-GAMES PROGRAM IN THE LEAD-UP TO THE EVENT AND REPORTS A HIGH TESTING IMPLEMENTATION RATE OF 80% ON RECOMMENDATIONS FOR QUALIFIED ATHLETES. THIS PROGRAM IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN THE ITA, NATIONAL AND REGIONAL ANTI-DOPING ORGANISATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC SUMMER FEDERATIONS AND DEMONSTRATES A GLOBAL MOTIVATION TO ENSURE A LEVEL-PLAYING FIELD IN THE RUN-UP TO THE GAMES. IT CONSTITUTES THE MOST EXTENSIVE ANTI-DOPING PROGRAM EVER IMPLEMENTED AHEAD OF AN EDITION OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES.

First ECA Executive Board meeting chaired by Nassar Al-Khelaifi

ECA Logo

The ECA Executive Board met today in Munich for its first in-person meeting since February 2020, convened by new ECA Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi and attended by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin. The meeting came at a time of continuing challenge for the game in light of the ongoing impacts felt due to the COVID pandemic and the ramifications of the ill-fated European Super League (ESL) project.

AFC Cup 2021 ASEAN Zone matches cancelled

AFC Logo

Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has today confirmed that all matches of the AFC Cup 2021 ASEAN Zone, comprising Groups G, H and I as well as the Playoff Stage have been cancelled due to the challenges imposed by the global pandemic in finding a suitable host to stage the centralised matches.

ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 to move to UAE and Oman

ICC Logo

The International Cricket Council (ICC) today confirmed that the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 will be staged in the UAE and Oman due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation in India. The BCCI will remain the hosts of the event, which will now be held in Dubai International Stadium, the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the Sharjah Stadium, and the Oman Cricket Academy Ground, from 17 October to 14 November 2021.

Joint Statement on Spectator Capacities at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020

IOC Logo

Today, on 21 June, the five parties, namely the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) and the Government of Japan (GoJ), met to discuss spectator limits for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The IOC and IPC were informed about and support the policies the three Japanese parties have decided on.

EFL statement: Harrogate Town

EFL Logo

Harrogate Town’s next three fixtures will not take place as scheduled due to positive cases of COVID-19 being identified within the Club’s squad.

It means a number of individuals are unable to play or train due to either a positive test or the requirement to self-isolate in line with Government and EFL guidance.

Points deduction and fine for Featherstone Rovers

RFU Logo

Featherstone Rovers have been deducted two Betfred Championship points and fined £10,000 after being found guilty of breaching the RFL’s Operational Rules. 

This is an Agreed Decision between the RFL and the club.  

Rovers were found to have held an indoor gathering on Saturday 27 March – a direct breach of the national lockdown restrictions in place at the time – and to have subsequently included in the team for the following Friday’s (2 April) fixture against Batley 12 players who took part in the illegal gathering and who would ordinarily have been forced to stand down under RFL Covid protocols. 

WADA leadership engages Clean Sport partners during Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

WADA Logo

The World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA’s) President, Witold Bańka; Vice-President, Yang Yang; and Director General, Olivier Niggli, spent time in Tokyo last week and this week to attend the 2020 Olympic Games; and, have taken advantage of the opportunity to meet face-to-face with a significant number of WADA’s Clean Sport partners.

Updated Covid-19 Guidelines and Operating Procedures for race meetings from 19 July

BHA Logo

The BHA has today shared updated COVID-19 Guidelines and Operating Procedures that will apply at British race meetings from Monday 19 July 2021.

This follows the publication yesterday of specific guidance for sports and large events in England, and announcements from the Scottish and Welsh Governments about their own plans for easing COVID-19 measures.

IOC publishes Tokyo 2020 Sport-Specific Regulations

IOC Logo

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) this week published the Tokyo 2020 Sport-Specific Regulations (SSRs), which aim to determine how any impact of a confirmed positive COVID-19 case would be managed in competition formats and structures at these Games. The regulations have been jointly developed between the IOC and the International Federations (IFs) whose sports are on the Olympic programme of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

RFU Council vote in favour of covid recovery plan

RFU Council vote in favour of covid recovery plan

The COVID Recovery Plan is aimed at improving the financial stability and sustainability of professional rugby during the next three seasons while also providing benefits for England Rugby and the community game. 

The Covid Recovery Plan, with a temporary pause on relegation, follows a detailed consultation that was announced in February after the RFU Council voted in favour of no relegation from Gallagher Premiership Rugby or the Greene King IPA Championship for the 2020/21 Season. The extensive consultation included Premiership Rugby and their clubs, Championship clubs, The RPA, RFU Board and RFU Council. 

NFL players have July 2 deadline to opt out of 2021 season

NFLPA Logo

Several players around the league exercised their right to opt out in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They'll have that option again this year.

NFL players have until 4 p.m. ET next Friday, July 2 to inform their team if they're opting out of the 2021 season, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported. Players deemed "higher risk" for COVID are again entitled to a $350,000 stipend but voluntary opt-outs will not be compensated, Pelissero added. The stipend for voluntary opt-outs was $150,000 last season.

Third version of Tokyo 2020 Playbooks published

IOC Logo
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 (Tokyo 2020) began publishing the third and final editions of the Tokyo 2020 Playbooks today.

These comprehensive guidelines, which are a key part of the overall countermeasures being put in place for the Games, provide extensive details for each key stakeholder group to help them complete their preparations for travelling to and arriving in Japan, their time at the Games, and their departure from Tokyo.

WADA publishes global testing figures showing return to normal levels despite COVID-19

WADA Logo

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is pleased to note that the number of samples collected by Anti-Doping Organizations (ADOs) around the world is quickly returning to normal despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The latest testing figures, outlined in the tables below, reveal that in March 2021, 22,649 samples were collected by 145 ADOs, the highest number of samples recorded since the pandemic started in March 2020.

Upcoming Events

Oct
07
Global Summit 2024 Global Summit 2024