Samoa

Building on the platform of this year's Rugby World Cup, Japan is lobbying to be included in the Southern Hemisphere's Super 12 series from 2006.

The International Rugby Board (IRB) has scheduled a crisis meeting in November following the postponement of an inter-hemisphere team clash.

The 2002 Pacific Rim rugby tournament has been scrapped to make way for regional qualifiers for the 2003 World Cup, Japanese officials of the game have confirmed.

Australian rugby union chief John O'Neill is to push for a Super 15 series in 2003 with the addition of a combined Pacific team from Tonga, Samoa and Fiji.

A South Pacific rugby union team seems likely to become a reality with England proposed as its first opposition.

The International Rugby Board (IRB) has defended its plan to stage an annual match between the northern and southern hemispheres after criticism from the Australian and New Zealand unions.

Sir Rodney Walker, the UK’s Rugby Football League (RFL) chairman, has rejected calls for his resignation after making losses at last year’s World Cup.

Preparations for the Rugby League World Cup have been rocked by the threat of a players? boycott based on a labour dispute in New Zealand.

Organisers of the Rugby League World Cup are hoping for an upturn in the event?s fortunes after dire weather and disruptions to UK train services caused chaos over the first weekend of matches.

Soccer Australia (SA) chairman Basil Scarsella has won a vote 12-11 to succeed controversial New Zealander Charlie Dempsey as president of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC).

The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) said on Wednesday that Port Moresby would host the 2001 OFC Club Championship.

International rugby union officials have decided to expand the Pacific Rim championship from four to seven teams.

International rugby union officials are to give countries the power to cancel tours if they feel their opponents are sending sub-standard teams following controversial trips to the southern hemisphere by British teams this year.

The three southern hemisphere rugby superpowers have announced they would not in future accept tours from understrength United Kingdom teams.

The International Rugby Board (IRB) has recommended adding Fiji, Tonga and Western Samoa to the four-nation Pacific Rim championship.

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.