Gregory joins Wigan as coach

Wigan have appointed the former Great Britain captain and Swinton coach, Mike Gregory, to coach their Under-19 side. Gregory, who spent most of his playing career at Warrington, has also coached Great Britain at Academy level.

"Mike was Great Britain captain on the tour to New Zealand and Papua New Guinea in 1990 when I was tour manager and his leadership qualities were outstanding," said the Wigan chairman, Maurice Lindsay, as he announced the appointment.

Gregory's arrival at his home-town club, to work alongside Stuart Raper and his assistant, John Kear, completes the top of the coaching pyramid at Wigan, but the rest of the structure is still to be resolved.

Billy McGinty, who coached the Alliance side to the title last season, has found himself squeezed out by the ending of that level of competition and has since joined Sale. Last year's Academy coach, Ged Byrne, was hoping to coach the newly-formed Under-17s, but is also likely to find himself pushed out if Denis Betts accepts an offer to stop playing and start a coaching career when he returns from holiday next week.

Stuart Cummings has been given the job of refereeing the World Club Championship between the Bradford Bulls and the Newcastle Knights at Huddersfield on 1 February. The Bulls' chairman, Chris Caisley, has predicted that the game at the McAlpine Stadium will be the first WCC game of the Super League era to be played in front of a full house.

The Brisbane and Australia full-back, Darren Lockyer, spent a night in hospital after being involved in a street fight after celebrating the wedding of his former team-mate, Wendell Sailor, at the weekend. Lockyer was a key man in the Kangaroo side that beat Great Britain in the recent Test series and is a contender to succeed Brad Fittler as captain.

Salford City Reds have signed the Australian second row forward Greg Ebrill from Northern Eagles. The 22-year-old has agreed a 12-month contract with the Super League side.

South Sydney, who are to return to the National Rugby League next season, have said that they have no intention of signing Anthony Mundine, the former St George-Illawarra stand-off who suffered his first defeat as a professional boxer last week.