R91 Sports and Recreation Activities

Record crowds fuel AFL clubs

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian – Page: 3 : 28-Aug-18

The Australian Football League will announce on 28 August that 6,894,700 spectators attended its matches during the 2018 season, up 2.7 per cent on last year. An average of 34,822 people attended games during the season, while AFL membership was at a record 1.008 million. Five clubs had more than 70,000 members, with reigning premiers Richmond increasing its membership by 38 per cent to 100,726. Richmond CEO Brendon Gale says the upcoming finals will determine whether it exceeds its 2017 operating profit of $3.06 million.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, RICHMOND FOOTBALL CLUB, WEST COAST EAGLES FOOTBALL CLUB, COLLINGWOOD FOOTBALL CLUB, HAWTHORN FOOTBALL CLUB

Whistleblower embroils Eels in fresh NRL salary cap claims

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Original article by Nick Tabakoff
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 21-Aug-18

New South Wales Gaming and Racing Minister Paul Toole has confirmed that he is aware of allegations that the Parramatta Eels have again breached the National Rugby League’s salary cap. The allegations have been made by an unknown former Parramatta executive, and relate to claims that the club has been providing some players with free or significantly discounted rental properties in the local area. The allegations come just two years after the Eels were severely penalised for a previous salary cap breach.

CORPORATES
NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF GAMING AND RACING, PARRAMATTA EELS, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE

Village eyes rebound as salaries, discounts cut

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Original article by Jemima Whyte
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 16 : 11-Jul-18

Village Roadshow will use the proceeds of a $51m right issue to reduce its debt. The new shares will be offered at $1.65 apiece, which represents a discount of 24 per cent to the stock’s most recent trading price. The theme parks and cinemas group has also advised that it will cease offering discounted tickets via resellers, with co-CEO Graham Burke noting that the majority of consumers now buy tickets directly from Village Roadshow. The company will reduce its joint CEOs’ salaries and its directors’ fees as part of a strategy to cut costs.

CORPORATES
VILLAGE ROADSHOW LIMITED – ASX VRL, WARNER BROS MOVIE WORLD ENTERPRISES, SEAWORLD, WET `N’ WILD WATER PARK, TOPGOLF, VILLAGE ROADSHOW CORPORATION LIMITED, ARDENT LEISURE GROUP – ASX AAD, DREAMWORLD, GROUPON AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Village Roadshow to target debt and cinemas

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 10-Jul-18

Shares in Village Roadshow went into a trading halt on 9 July, pending an announcement on a possible capital raising. There is speculation that the cinemas, theme parks and film group will seek to raise about $50m. Village Roadshow has significantly reduced its debt in the last year, while it recently divested the Wet’n’Wild Water Park in Sydney. The new Topgolf business is one of its priorities looking forward.

CORPORATES
VILLAGE ROADSHOW LIMITED – ASX VRL, WET `N’ WILD WATER PARK, TOPGOLF, PARQUES REUNIDOS, ORANGE SKY GOLDEN HARVEST ENTERTAINMENT (HOLDINGS) LIMITED, WARNER BROS MOVIE WORLD ENTERPRISES, LGIASUPER, ARDENT LEISURE GROUP – ASX AAD, DREAMWORLD, LIONS GATE ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MINTER ELLISON

Fixers say they paid off Aussies

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Original article by Peter Lalor
The Australian – Page: 32 : 28-May-18

Australian cricket players have been embroiled in a match-fixing scandal. An investigation by broadcaster Al Jazeera has raised allegations that two unidentified Australians were paid to score runs slowly during a Test match at Ranchi in India in 2017. The match-fixers are also alleged to have doctored the pitch for a Test between Australia and Sri Lanka in Galle in 2016. Cricket Australia has released a statement saying that it is not aware of any "credible evidence" to suggest that Australian players are involved in match fixing, and that it will fully co-operate with an investigation by the International Cricket Council’s Anti-Corruption Unit.

CORPORATES
CRICKET AUSTRALIA, AL JAZEERA, INTERNATIONAL CRICKET COUNCIL

Toyota latest to dismiss Warner

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Original article by Nick Tabakoff
The Australian – Page: 7 : 6-Apr-18

Disgraced former vice-captain David Warner has advised that he will not challenge a 12-month ban imposed by Cricket Australia for his role in the ball-tampering scandal. Meanwhile, car-maker Toyota has terminated its sponsorship deal with the batsman, after Asics and LG also ended their association with him in the wake of the scandal. Prior to the ball-tampering affair, Warner had been on track to earn around $A6m in 2018 from sponsorship deals and contracts with CA and the Indian Premier League.

CORPORATES
CRICKET AUSTRALIA, TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION AUSTRALIA LIMITED, ASICS, LG ELECTRONICS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE, NESTLE AUSTRALIA LIMITED, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW

Smith won’t fight against year in exile

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Original article by Peter Lalor
The Australian – Page: 32 : 5-Apr-18

Disgraced former cricket captain Steve Smith has advised that he will not challenge a 12-month ban on playing international and state cricket. Cameron Bancroft has also indicated that he will not contest a nine-ban over his role in the ball-tampering scandal, while David Warner must decide on 5 April whether to appeal against his 12-month ban. Smith and Warner will be eligible to play club cricket during the 2018-19 season, and their international bans will be lifted prior to an Australia A tour of England in 2019, which will be followed by the Ashes series.

CORPORATES
CRICKET AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN CRICKETERS’ ASSOCIATION, ENGLAND AND WALES CRICKET BOARD, INTERNATIONAL CRICKET COUNCIL

Result’s in: AFL the richest code by far

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 : 23-Mar-18

The Australian Football League will reveal on 23 March that it earned income of $A650 million for the 2017 fiscal year, enabling it to post a surplus of $A48.8 million. The AFL’s total assets rose to $A399 million, following its purchase of Etihad Stadium for $A200 million. The AFL’s revenue from broadcasting increased from $A264 million in 2015 to $A381 million, while its distribution to clubs totalled $A305 million.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS

Davis Cup greats dismayed over plan to dump century of tradition for fast format

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Original article by Courtney Walsh
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 28-Feb-18

Australian tennis legends such as Neale Fraser and Pat Cash has criticised the International Tennis Federation’s proposal for a major overhaul of the Davis Cup tournament. Although the trophy would still be called the Davis Cup, the tournament itself would be renamed the World Cup of Tennis Finals. It would played at a neutral venue over one week in November rather than the traditional format of home-and-away ties for each competing nation. In addition, each match would feature just three sets instead of the five at present.

CORPORATES
INTERNATIONAL TENNIS FEDERATION

Davis Cup greats dismayed over plan to dump century of tradition for fast format

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Original article by Courtney Walsh
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 28-Feb-18

Australian tennis legends such as Neale Fraser and Pat Cash has criticised the International Tennis Federation’s proposal for a major overhaul of the Davis Cup tournament. Although the trophy would still be called the Davis Cup, the tournament itself would be renamed the World Cup of Tennis Finals. It would played at a neutral venue over one week in November rather than the traditional format of home-and-away ties for each competing nation. In addition, each match would feature just three sets instead of the five at present.

CORPORATES
INTERNATIONAL TENNIS FEDERATION