As I feared this morning the Vodafone announcement of throwing the poms out on their árse could be more widespread than initially reported. The ARU have just announced that Australia A will withdraw from the Pacific Nations Cup in 2009, and that the Australian Rugby Shield will be suspended. These has been no word of a Vodafone link, but the co-incidence is not a good sign. I write more on this development over at Green and Gold Rugby.

It gets worse for the combined cricket board of Denmark, White South Africa, Papua New Guinea, Wales and England with the news that Allan Stanford is pulling out of his Stanford tournament. Matt Prior is most upset as he has not yet floated his indecent proposal.