Essendon chairman David Evans has denied reports he will resign following revelations about their supplements crisis.

There had been media speculation about Evans’ future following another major development in the Bombers’ supplements crisis.

It has emerged AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou made a phone call to Evans the night before the Bombers went public in February about the supplements issue.

Demetriou has acknowledged speaking to Bombers president David Evans on February 4, but says he did not tip off Essendon as he did not know which club was under investigation.

Essendon are under Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) and AFL investigation, with the league hopeful that ASADA will report their findings next month.

“I want to make this really clear – tonight was a regular and scheduled monthly board meeting,’ Evans said outside Essendon’s Windy Hill headquarters.

“In relation to media reports late this afternoon, I am not standing down as chairman.

“The board did not ask me to explain my version of events.

“This was a routine board meeting.

“If you don’t mind, I’m going to go off to dinner and it’s not a farewell dinner.”

BT Sport is to create 400 jobs across the UK, abortion including at two of its Scottish call centres, viagra with the launch of its sports television service.

Around 45 long-term posts will be at the sites in Glasgow and Dundee in a move the telecommunications firm describes as an “important new chapter”.

The other jobs are being created in centres in Accrington, Canterbury, Doncaster, Truro, Warrington and Newcastle.

BT Sport will show 38 live Barclays Premier League matches, which the firm says will safeguard the jobs of almost 200 people being retrained to work on customer support.

The initial launch will also create 400 short-term sales jobs for six months.

Gavin Patterson, chief executive of BT Retail, said: “BT Sport is an important new chapter for us and it also promises to give a boost to the UK economy by creating hundreds of new job opportunities across the UK. BT Sport is about giving people more choice about what they watch, where they watch it and how much they pay.”

The Maracaná stadium, the site of the final match and the closing ceremony of the 2014 World Cup and the main venue for the 2016 Olympic Games is set for a makeover after upgrade to the stadium was agreed.

The governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Sergio Cabral Filho, and the director representative of CAF -development bank of Latin America- in Brazil, Moira Paz Estenssoro, signed a $121-million loan agreement with CAF for the renovation and upgrade of the Jornalista Mario Filho Stadium, better known as Maracaná.

After the signing ceremony, Ms. Paz Estenssoro, highlighted the contribution of urban centers as engines for development in Latin America and pointed to CAF’s contribution in that regard. “CAF’s support for Latin American cities is based on a comprehensive agenda that promotes a series of investment programs that address social, economic, productive, cultural and environmental issues.”

The Maracaná renovation project is within these guidelines, as it seeks to improve the quality of life of the population and promotes safe and modern spaces for sports and healthy entertainment, as well as tourism, while generating new employment opportunities and added value for tourism-related products. Ms. Paz Estenssoro also said the new Maracaná will feature technological innovations and “green” technology, that will allow a rational use of water and increase energy efficiency in a sustainable manner.

In 2010, CAF created the Program to Support 2014 World Cup in Brazil, with $1 billion in funding for economic and social infrastructure, basic services, and environmental projects in the host cities. Fortaleza, Rio de Janeiro and Manaus have benefited from this program.

Rugby in Pakistan has received a huge boost with the announcement that a national club Fifteens league has been established to serve the burgeoning interest that exists in the Game there.

The league consists of 20 teams playing across a number of divisions with the winners being crowned Premier Champions. This first-ever formal club league in Pakistan represents another stage in the ongoing development of Rugby in Pakistan, which has been competing in the HSBC Asian 5 Nations and other regional tournaments for some time.

IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: “The news that another of our Member Unions has established a league with a robust structure is very heartening for us. An important aspect of the IRB’s work is to develop the Game, bring it to new territories and then continue to strengthen it where it already exists. This news is a huge boost for Rugby in Pakistan and, more broadly, for Asia.”

“Asian Rugby is on the rise. The HSBC Asian 5 Nations tournament is going from strength to strength and we have seen the emergence of a number of relatively new teams which are challenging the traditional order. The fact that Rugby World Cup 2019 is taking place in Japan is another milestone for the Game in Asia and will benefit Rugby at all levels throughout the region.”

An independent study highlights an 18 per cent increase in participation rates in Asia since Rugby World Cup 2007. The reasons for that growth have been attributed to the growing profile and success of Rugby World Cup, the IRB’s investment strategy and also Rugby’s re-introduction into the Olympic Games from 2016.

The IRB will invest GBP9 million into the development of Rugby in Asia between 2009-12. There has already been a significant uplift in China, where Rugby is played in schools, Sri Lanka and India as well as Japan, where the Game already has a rich history.

President of Pakistan Rugby Union Fawzi Khawaja said: “The establishment of this exciting competition is another step forward for Rugby in Pakistan. It will give certainty around how the game is played at domestic level, it will give real context to the Game at club level and will make talent identification easier as we seek to bolster the strength of our national side.”

“The Pakistan Rugby Union is serious about improving the quality and popularity of the sport here and we see this competition as another step along the way to making Pakistan a force to be reckoned with on the international stage.”

Pizza Hut are set to approach England penalty flops Ashley Cole and Ashley Young to appear in a remake of their famous 1996 advert according to reports.

That commercial saw Gareth Southgate – who had just failed from the spot in the Euro semi-final against Germany – joining 1990 villains Chris Waddle and Stuart Pearce in the restaurant chain and poked fun at their blunders from 12 yards.

Pizza Hut want football fans – and fans of the original advert – to launch the campaign on Twitter, drugs using the hashtag #PizzaHutAshleys.

TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company today announced a unique partnership with Mass Relevance, the technology leader in social curation and integration, on a breakthrough, first-of-its-kind social experience to drive golfer social engagement for the US Open this week.

Through Mass Relevance, TaylorMade will offer golf fans an innovative online destination to engage, interact with and create social buzz around the U.S. Open, key players and even media covering the event.

The announcement follows TaylorMade’s decision earlier this year to be the first golf brand to launch a social media strategy into their traditional advertising when promoting the #DriverLove campaign around the launch of its R11S driver. The experience, a social media aggregator which complements TaylorMade’s overall marketing strategy around the U.S. Open, also places TaylorMade top of mind with fans — and shoppers — as the key Father’s Day shopping week wraps up.

“An integrated social strategy is key to our marketing efforts and driving fan engagement,” said Bob Maggiore, TaylorMade chief marketing officer. “We started 2012 with the #DriverLove campaign, and this U.S. Open social hub powered by Mass Relevance brings a whole new interactive social experience to golf fans all over the world. Bringing the fans closer to the players is a win-win for everyone.”

The partnership with Mass Relevance allows TaylorMade to pull the world’s relevant social conversations happening on Twitter surrounding the U.S. Open into an online experience connecting fans, athletes and television viewers.

“TaylorMade understands that traditional media can no longer standalone, and participation is in,” said Sam Decker, CEO of Mass Relevance. “Golfers love to share their passion for the game and this experience gives them a chance to be part of the conversations around the U.S. Open from fans all over the world.”

Automotive governing body Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) have announced that 11 teams, check comprising of 16 riders, purchase have been invited to take part in the next stage of selection to compete in MotoGP.

The invitation is likely to substantially increase the grid size, erectile which for the last four seasons have been made up of around 17 bikes. The new regulations have led to plenty of interest, particularly from Moto2.

Now the remaining hopefuls must lodge a security deposit with the International Road Racing Teams Association (IRTA) by the Friday of the next grand prix weekend in Barcelona, June 3.

At the Catalan Grand Prix, series-rights holders Dorna and IRTA will decide which teams will be offered a participation deal.

The existing ten teams have been reassured of their position on the grid ahead of a potential influx of new riders.

Ruroc have agreed a deal to become an official supplier to Formula One’s Team Lotus, offering their Ruroc RG-1 helmet and goggle system to Team Lotus’ pit crews for the rest of the current Formula One season.

The Ruroc logo will also appear on the team’s trucks, motorhome and garages in a deal likely to be worth a low six-figure sum.

Team Lotus chief executive Riad Asmat said: “I am delighted that we have Ruroc on board as an official supplier. Ruroc’s ‘Think Extreme’ approach is  exactly what we need from our suppliers, and we are all excited about the commercial and brand benefits we will bring each other.”

David Pearson, the managing director of Asmad, added: “We are obviously delighted to be supporting Team Lotus and believe that our approach to extreme protection will keep us working together to achieve first-class results.”