Sore knee overshadows NZ fallout

SYDNEY - It might be huge news in New Zealand, but the Eichelbaum Report on how Australia ended up being sole hosts of next year's World Cup has been rated a minor issue on this side of the Tasman.

Following the release of the report on Tuesday, NZRFU chairman Murray McCaw, deputy chairman John Spicer and chief executive David Rutherford all resigned.

But that development has been overshadowed in Australia by the revelation that Wallaby winger Ben Tune was given a banned drug 18 months ago in what the Australian Rugby Union says was a doping error.

The Sydney Morning Herald's coverage of the Eichelbaum Report was restricted to just three sentences and relegated to its sports briefs column. The item highlighted the resignations of McCaw and Rutherford.

The Daily Telegraph in Sydney and national newspaper The Australian gave a little more prominence to the story, but their reports on the inside pages of their editions contained no commentary.

The main sports story in Australia yesterday was Tune's use of the drug probenecid, given to him by his orthopaedic surgeon in March last year to treat a knee infection.

The International Rugby Board was not notified, which means the ARU could be in breach of international regulations.

Under IRB rules, a player testing positive to the drug - which helps the body retain antibiotics but can be used as a masking agent for anabolic steroids - faces a mandatory two-year ban.

- NZPA