December 19 - China and the United States have started planning for the debut of rugby sevens at the Olympics in 2016 by both approaching New Zealand coach Gordon Tietjens (pictured).

opening two tournaments of the International Rugby Board World Sevens series in Dubai and George, South

Africa, enhancing Tietjens' reputation.

By Duncan Mackay December 18 - Queensland's Premier Anna Bligh (pictured) has cast doubt over the Gold Coast's proposed $1 billion (£570 million) bid for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, admitting it is unlikely to go ahead if Australia's campaign to to host the World Cup is successful.

Nigerian capital who lost out for the 2014 Games to Glasgow, Port-of-Spain in Trinidad, Durban in South

Africa and Nairobi in Kenya.

By Duncan Mackay December 18 - Queensland's Premier Anna Bligh (pictured) has cast doubt over the Gold Coast's proposed $1 billion (£570 million) bid for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, admitting it is unlikely to go ahead if Australia's campaign to to host the World Cup is successful.

Nigerian capital who lost out for the 2014 Games to Glasgow, Port-of-Spain in Trinidad, Durban in South

Africa and Nairobi in Kenya.

confirmed they are back on the winning trail by defeating old foes Fiji 21-12 to emerge victorious from the South

Africa leg of the International Rugby Board World Seven Series.

leaving the Kiwis with an unassailable nine-point advantage as time ticked away on a warm evening in the south-west

Defending World Series champions South Africa failed to get beyond the last eight for the second consecutive

December 8 - Athletics South Africa (ASA) is stable after its board was suspended and replaced with

an interim leadership body in the fall-out from the Caster Semenya (pictured) scandal, the South African

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Africa November 2009: Chuene suspension to be investigated by South African Parliament

December 6 - New Zealand coach Gordon Tietjens is confident victory in Dubai has set his side up for more success in the long season ahead, which includes the International Rugby Board (IRB) Sevens World Series and next year's Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

  "Kenya are close to beating South Africa, we only beat them [in the quarter-final] at the

December 5 - New Zealand claimed first blood in this season's International Rugby Board (IRB) Sevens World Series when they saw off Samoa 24-12 in a gripping final to lift the Dubai title today in the first major event since the sport was voted onto the Olympic programme for Rio 2016.

December 2009: Olympics will make rugby sevens bigger than 15's predicts Kirwan November 2009: South

Africa and England excited by start of new era for rugby sevens November 2009: Olympics will make it

December 3 - Rugby sevens is set to surpass the 15-a-side game as the number one version of the sport after it was voted onto the Olympic programme, former All Blacks captain John Kirwan (pictured) has predicted.

Rugby will not be a truly global sport until it involves Asia, Africa and South America and sevens will

But imagine how this will grow if sevens introduces the sport to Asia, Africa and America."

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November 30 - A new era for rugby sevens will open in Dubai on Friday when the International Rugby Board Sevens World Series takes place, the first major competition to be held since the sport was voted into the Olympics for Rio 2016.

South Africa, the defending champions, will be hoping for a repeat of last year's performance

All of the hard training was done before we left South Africa so we're just working on a few more small

South Africa have been placed in Pool A with Australia, Wales and hosts Arabian Gulf for company.England

They [South Africa] probably are the team to beat, but when you get to the top the list of teams able

to win is very long, whether it's South Africa, Fiji, ourselves, New Zealand, Argentina, Samoa, Kenya

By Duncan Mackay   November 29 - Trinidad & Tobago seems set to revive its bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games having originally scrapped the idea following the cancellation earlier this year of the inaugural Caribbean Games because of the swine flu crisis.

are likely to include Auckland and the Gold Coast while bids could still emerge from Durban in South

Africa and Nairobi in Kenya.

By Duncan Mackay   November 29 - Trinidad & Tobago seems set to revive its bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games having originally scrapped the idea following the cancellation earlier this year of the inaugural Caribbean Games because of the swine flu crisis.

are likely to include Auckland and the Gold Coast while bids could still emerge from Durban in South

Africa and Nairobi in Kenya.

By Duncan Mackay   November 29 - Trinidad & Tobago seems set to revive its bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games having originally scrapped the idea following the cancellation earlier this year of the inaugural Caribbean Games because of the swine flu crisis.

are likely to include Auckland and the Gold Coast while bids could still emerge from Durban in South

Africa and Nairobi in Kenya.

By Duncan Mackay in Johannesburg   November 28 - South African athletics must put the Caster Semenya

  Mali, the administrator put in charge of Athletics South Africa (ASA), following the suspension

"   The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) - of which

secretary escorted from building by police November 2009: Former ICC President to oversee Athletics South

Africa November 2009: Chuene suspension to be investigated by South African Parliament November 2009

: South African athletes come forward to complain about Chuene and ASA  

By Duncan Mackay in Johannesburg   November 28 - South African athletics must put the Caster Semenya

  Mali, the administrator put in charge of Athletics South Africa (ASA), following the suspension

"   The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) - of which

secretary escorted from building by police November 2009: Former ICC President to oversee Athletics South

Africa November 2009: Chuene suspension to be investigated by South African Parliament November 2009

: South African athletes come forward to complain about Chuene and ASA  

By Duncan Mackay in Johannesburg   November 28 - South African athletics must put the Caster Semenya

  Mali, the administrator put in charge of Athletics South Africa (ASA), following the suspension

"   The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) - of which

secretary escorted from building by police November 2009: Former ICC President to oversee Athletics South

Africa November 2009: Chuene suspension to be investigated by South African Parliament November 2009

: South African athletes come forward to complain about Chuene and ASA