Schofield may be missing for Leeds

Rugby League

DAVE HADFIELD

Leeds could be without their captain, Garry Schofield, for the start of the Super League. Schofield tore a pectoral muscle during Leeds' narrow Silk Cut Challenge Cup victory over Swinton on Sunday and could be out for up to two months, which would mean him missing the big kick-off at the end of March.

That is a further blow for a club without a specialist scrum-half, following the sale of James Lowes, who, like Schofield, has filled in there this winter, and the failure to sign Canberra's Jason Ferres.

The former New Zealand forward and Salford coach, Kevin Tamati, has been appointed coach at Chorley, one of the clubs warned that they will be kicked out of the league unless their results improve.

Lindsay Hoyle, the club chairman, said: "Bob Eccles has been a great servant to the club and has done well to achieve good results in our first season back in the professional ranks. However, we are an ambitious club and feel that future development would be better served by someone with the high profile and reputation of Kevin Tamati."

The other club under a suspended sentence, Highfield, have appointed Jim Crellin as team manager.

Bev Risman, the former dual international and the driving force behind the growth of the Student , has been named as director of development at the London Broncos. London appointed Tony Currie as their new coach last week.

Two ties in the fourth round of the Challenge Cup have little prospect of being played before this weekend's scheduled fifth round. Workington, whose game against Widnes last night was postponed until tomorrow and Whitehaven, paired with Halifax, are both under heavy snow.

Meanwhile, the tie between Warrington and Leeds has been confirmed as the televised match on Saturday. The surviving amateurs, West Hull, will play their home tie against Wakefield Trinity at The Boulevard on Friday night.

There are fears that rugby league could fold in South Africa, following complaints that they have not received the pounds 110,000 they are owed from last autumn's World Cup.

The SARL's president, Ockie Oosthuizen, said: "If we do not get the money we will be forced to liquidate. Believe me, if that is allowed to happen, rugby league will never be played in South Africa again."

The World Cup director, Maurice Lindsay, has told them that their share of the profits is being withheld because of qualms over the way the game is being run there.