WORLD OF SPORT

EnGlanD rugby league head coach Wayne Bennett has warned that his team could go backwards if he fails to get a mid-season international in 2019. Bennett says the 2017 mid-year test with Samoa in Sydney was vital preparation for his side’s decent World Cup campaign where they lost in the final to australia. this year’s clash with new Zealand in Denver was also critical to his longterm planning. Proposals for a second trip to Denver have been shelved and Bennett’s hopes of replacing it with a game against France in June appear misplaced after the 2019 Super league fixture list revealed on tuesday made no provision for a mid-season international break. ‘If that’s the fixture list that’s come out, then you know more than I do,’ said Bennett after an open training session at Headingley ahead of Sunday’s third test against the Kiwis. ‘I want a game. It’s not by accident that we’re doing what we’re doing, we’re building something and we want to maintain doing those things, otherwise we’ll go backwards.’ ThE British Paralympic Association have appointed Mike Sharrock as their new chief executive from January. Sharrock, who had a 30-year career with BP and oversaw their involvement with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, will succeed Tim hollingsworth who is set to be chief executive at Sport England. Sharrock said: ‘Our Paralympic athletes have inspired a change in attitudes towards disability. There’s still much more to do.’