SportShorts: Gatland doesn’t want All Blacks job, Nadal slumps

CYCLING

Mud-slinging by disgraced ex-Team Sky doctor

Former Team Sky head coach Shane Sutton has been called “a doper” and a “serial liar” by the lawyer of the team’s one-time doctor Richard Freeman at a medical tribunal in Manchester.

Sutton, who resigned as British Cycling’s technical director in 2016 after enjoying success with their track team, has been named as the person Freeman ordered testosterone for in 2011.

“Our case about Mr Sutton is that he’s a habitual and serial liar,” said Freeman’s lawyer Mary O’Rourke.

“He’s a doper, with a doping history.”

Sutton, who was accused of discriminatory language while he was at British Cycling but cleared of all but one of the nine accusations, denies he “bullied” Freeman into ordering 30 Testogel sachets to treat his erectile dysfunction.

He is due to give evidence later on Tuesday.

Freeman, who was British Cycling and Team Sky’s doctor from 2009 till he resigned in 2017, is facing a charge of medical misconduct from the General Medical Council. – AFP

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RUGBY

Van Wyk joins Hurricanes

In a rare move, a New Zealand Super Rugby franchise has actually signed a South African.

The Hurricanes continued their recent tradition of engaging in this “practice” by announcing the signing of Kobus van Wyk for next year’s tournament.

The 27-year-old winger has fallen way behind in the Sharks’ pecking order, particularly with the Durbanites boasting Springbok stars in Makazole Mapimpi and S’bu Nkosi.

Coach John Plumtree’s previous association with the Sharks – he played for the union and coached between 2008 and 2013 – undoubtedly helped.

“John has obviously spent a lot of time in South Africa, so he knows a lot of people over there,” Lee said. “Kobus’ name came up and then John and [assistant coach] Jason Holland had a look at him play and he was really keen to come out.”

Earlier this year, Plumtree recruited former Lions lock Andries Ferreira, only for him to become injured.

He later joined the Bulls. – Sport Staff

‘Old school’ Gatland declines All Blacks role

Steve Hansen, Head Coach of New Zealand and Warren Gatland, Head Coach of Wales in conversation in the dressing room during the Rugby World Cup 2019 Bronze Final match between New Zealand and Wales at Tokyo Stadium on November 01, 2019 in Chofu, Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Former Wales coach Warren Gatland confirmed Tuesday he has turned down an offer to apply for the All Blacks head coaching job.

The New Zealand-born Gatland told Radio Sport his loyalties lie with the Chiefs in Super Rugby and coaching the British and Irish Lions in 2021.

New Zealand Rugby has invited 26 New Zealand coaches to apply for the All Blacks coaching post vacated by Steve Hansen, and has previously said if Gatland wanted to be considered then he would have to give up the Lions role.

“It was nice to be contacted. I politely declined putting my name forward,” Gatland said.

“I’m a little bit old school. I’d made the commitment to the Chiefs and I’d made the commitment to the Lions, it was important that I carry on with that … honour the commitment I made to those two sides.” – AFP

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TENNIS

Only the pain of losing for Nadal

Rafael Nadal refused to make excuses after being outplayed by defending champion Alexander Zverev at the ATP Finals on Monday as Stefanos Tsitsipas got his campaign off to a flying start.

The Spanish top seed, who has never won the season-ending event, came into the tournament at London’s O2 Arena under an injury cloud and was well short of his imperious best as he went down 6-2, 6-4.

Nadal is locked in a battle with Novak Djokovic to finish as the year-end number one but was not serving flat out in practice last week due to an abdominal strain that forced him to pull out of the Paris Masters at the semi-final stage.

“The physical issue was not an excuse at all,” said the Spanish 19-time Grand Slam champion, who said he did not feel any pain from his abdominal injury. “The only excuse is I was not good enough tonight.” – AFP

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