MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Having left the muddy fields of South Wales to play rugby Down Under three years ago, Gareth Delve cannot help but feel the slightest bit conflicted ahead of the upcoming British and Irish Lions tour.

While, like many an elite British rugby player, the former Wales forward has dreamt of wearing a Lions jersey himself, next month he will find a barrage of them hurtling towards him when his Melbourne Rebels side host the tourists.

MELBOURNE, May 15 (Reuters) – Having left the muddy fields of South Wales to play rugby Down Under three years ago, Gareth Delve cannot help but feel the slightest bit conflicted ahead of the upcoming British and Irish Lions tour.

While, like many an elite British rugby player, the former Wales forward has dreamt of wearing a Lions jersey himself, next month he will find a barrage of them hurtling towards him when his Melbourne Rebels side host the tourists.

MELBOURNE, May 14 (Reuters) – Kurtley Beale has drawn praise for his decision to enter a private health clinic to tackle his alcohol problems, and while the troubled Wallabies back has walked a fine line with his behaviour, Australian rugby is unlikely to turn its back on one of its brightest stars.

Blessed with explosive pace and skill in abundance, the 24-year-old playmaker has been treated with patience since first donning the Wallabies’ golden jersey in 2009 as a callow 20-year-old against Wales.

MELBOURNE, May 13 (Reuters) – Troubled Wallabies back Kurtley Beale has checked into a private health clinic and will take an indefinite leave of absence from rugby to deal with “personal issues”, the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) said on Monday.

Beale was stood down from his Super Rugby side Melbourne Rebels last week for the second time this season after breaching behavioural guidelines related to a programme to deal with his alcohol issues.

MELBOURNE, May 12 (Reuters) – Quade Cooper’s chances of playing flyhalf for Australia against the touring British and Irish Lions look to have strengthened following a polished display for Super Rugby’s Queensland Reds, while injury and discipline doubts hang over his two main rivals for the number 10 shirt.

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans will name his first 25-man squad for the Lions series next weekend and may find it hard to exclude the mercurial 25-year-old, who had a hand in all four of the Reds’ tries in a 32-17 win over the Durban-based Sharks on Friday.

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Kurtley Beale’s hopes of earning selection for the Wallabies against the British and Irish Lions have been jeopardised after the troubled back was stood down from Super Rugby side Melbourne Rebels on Thursday for a second breach of discipline this season.

The 24-year-old was sidelined for more than a month for punching two team mates in an alcohol-fuelled incident in South Africa in March and will miss at least another week in his latest suspension, coming days after his contrite return to the team.

MELBOURNE, May 9 (Reuters) – Kurtley Beale’s hopes of earning selection for the Wallabies against the British and Irish Lions have been jeopardised after the troubled back was stood down from Super Rugby side Melbourne Rebels on Thursday for a second breach of discipline this season.

The 24-year-old was sidelined for more than a month for punching two team mates in an alcohol-fuelled incident in South Africa in March and will miss at least another week in his latest suspension, coming days after his contrite return to the team.

MELBOURNE, April 20 (Reuters) – Australian soccer authorities will ask CONCACAF for a formal briefing as to the fate of over $400,000 earmarked for a stadium in Trinidad but which is alleged to have been misappropriated by the regional body’s former president, Jack Warner.

CONCACAF’s integrity committee released a detailed report on Friday which accused Warner and former general secretary Chuck Blazer of fraud and financial mismanagement.

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Former Australia flanker George Smith is in the frame to face the British and Irish Lions a second time after securing a contract extension with the ACT Brumbies that should pave the way for a recall to the Wallabies.

The 32-year-old, one of Australia’s finest loose forwards in a glittering 110-cap career, was to head back to Japan after finishing his short-term Brumbies contract at the end of May, but his Tokyo-based club Suntory have allowed him to remain with the Canberra-based side until the end of the Super Rugby season.

MELBOURNE, April 18 (Reuters) – Former Australia flanker George Smith will remain with Super Rugby side ACT Brumbies until the end of the current season after his Japanese club Suntory approved his contract extension, a Brumbies team spokesman told Reuters on Thursday.

“He’s been given the all-clear (by Suntory) to complete the rest of the season for us,” the spokesman said by telephone.