RUGBY UNION: Slemen back in favour

Mike Slemen, the distinguished ex-Engand wing who was the first victim of Jack Rowell's management regime, was officially rehabilitated yesterday when he was appointed to replace the long-serving John Elliott as an England selector.

Slemen, 44, was unceremoniously demoted from assistant England coach to assistant England A coach as soon as Rowell succeeded Geoff Cooke last year, though he had previously been Rowell's assistant with England B as they were then called. Les Cusworth took his place and Dick Best, who had been coach under Cooke, soon followed with Rowell becoming coach as well as manager.

Slemen's elevation follows Elliott's appointment as the Rugby Football Union's national player-development officer. Elliott, along with Don Rutherford, the Rugby Football Union technical director, and Peter Rossborough, the A-team manager, will continue to sit in on selection.

Keith Richardson's new assistant coach with England A is Richard Hill, the former England scrum-half, who yesterday filled another vacancy as Gloucester's coaching director. Earlier this month Hill acrimoniously resigned as chairman of selectors at Bath, the club from whom he won all his 29 caps.

The Welsh Rugby Union yesterday announced a sponsorship deal of pounds 400,000 with Scottish Life covering Wales's games at Cardiff Arms Park against England and Scotland over the next four years. The insurance company has supported these fixtures for the past two seasons.

A threat to French participation in this season's inaugural European Rugby Championship was lifted yesterday. Bernard Lapasset, president of the French federation, said that a request for Toulouse, Castres and Begles to withdraw because revenues were being paid directly to them and not to the federation had in fact been a misquotation.