Sporting Digest: Rugby League

WALES are appealing against the decision to exclude them from the 1995 World Cup, in which Fiji, Tonga and Western Samoa will be taking part for the first time. 'We will fight the International Board. Wales are surely the fourth Rugby League playing nation after Australia, England and New Zealand, and should be included,' the Wales manager, Jim Mills said. 'We beat France twice last season and deserve a place.'

1995 WORLD CUP (England) Pool A: Australia, Great Britain, Tonga, Western Samoa. Pool B: New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, France, Fiji. (Top two sides to semi-finals).

SE'E SOLOMONA, the Oldham prop, is the surprise selection in the New Zealand side to play Australia in Auckland on 20 June. Also in line for his first league cap is the former All Black centre, Craig Innes, who is named among the substitutes. The Australian captain, Mal Meninga, will miss the match after being suspended for a foul on the Great Britain player, John Devereux, in the club match between Canberra and Manly-Warringah on Sunday.

NEW ZEALAND (v Australia, Auckland, 20 June): Ridge (Manly-Warringah); Hoppe (Canberra), McCracken (Canterbury-Bankstown), Watson (Bradford), Donnelly (St George); Ropati (St Helens), Freeman (Eastern Suburbs, capt); Todd (Gold Coast), Mann (Warrington), Solomona (Oldham), Pongia (Canberra), Mercer (Leeds), Nikau (Castleford). Substitutes: Kemp (Newcastle), Tuuta (Featherstone), Lomax (Canberra), Innes (Leeds), Halligan (North Sydney).