May 20 (Reuters) - Sports news from around the world:
Rugby - Leicester centre Dan Hipkiss was called into the
England squad on Tuesday to replace injured flyhalf Danny
Cipriani for next month's two-test tour of New Zealand, the
Rugby Football Union (RFU) said in a statement.
Cipriani was ruled out for six months on Monday after
suffering a fracture dislocation of his ankle in Wasps' weekend
English Premiership semi-final playoff win over Bath.
"There was good cover at flyhalf with Charlie Hodgson, Olly
Barkley and Toby Flood," new manager Martin Johnson said in a
statement. "So we decided to go with Dan. He gives us further
options at centre and deserves his chance."
England play New Zealand in Auckland on June 14 and
Christchurch on June 21.
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Soccer - Czech midfielder Daniel Pudil will miss next
month's European Championship due to injury, the Czech Soccer
Union said on Tuesday.
Pudil, the only player from Czech champions Slavia Prague in
the training camp squad announced last week, broke his hand in
Saturday's final league game against Jablonec.
The Czech Soccer Union said on its Web site (www.fotbal.cz)
that Pudil would be replaced by Hertha Berlin left winger Rudolf
Skacel.
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Soccer - Deportivo Coruna's Argentine defender Fabio
Coloccini was the only outfield player to play every minute of
every league game in the Primera Liga this season.
The 26-year-old said he was proud of the achievement: "It is
very difficult for a defender to achieve something like this
because you have to make sure you don't get suspended."
Recreativo Huelva goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino was the only
other player to play the full 3,420 minutes of the season.
Soccer - Cameroon have called up German junior international
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to a 26-man squad for their World Cup
qualifiers despite his being due to play in the UEFA Under-19
championship for Germany later this week.
The 19-year-old striker from Hamburg SV was included in a
squad list released by the Cameroon Football Federation ahead of
the African group qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup finals.
Choupo-Moting has already made six appearances at under-19
level for the Germans and would need to have his status changed
by FIFA in order to be eligible for Cameroon's qualifiers, which
start on May 31 with a home match against the Cape Verde
Islands.
A FIFA spokesman told Reuters on Tuesday no request for a
change in Choupo-Moting's international eligibility had been
received.
Soccer - Sevilla's highly rated Brazilian fullback Daniel
Alves has reiterated his desire to leave the club.
"I want to leave and I hope to sort everything out as soon
as possible," he was quoted as saying in sports daily AS on
Tuesday. "I've said goodbye to my team mates because I'm off on
holiday and we'll have to see if it is definitive."
Sevilla rejected a bid from Chelsea for Alves at the start
of the season and the Brazilian is now reported to be on the
verge of joining Barcelona.
Soccer - Real Zaragoza's sporting director Miguel Pardeza
has resigned from his post following the team's relegation from
the Primera Liga at the weekend, the club said on their Web site
(www.realzaragoza.com).
"I would like to apologise to the fans for any errors I have
made and I hope they understand my decision," said the former
Zaragoza and Real Madrid player.
Soccer - Portugal midfielder Deco believes that his lack of
matches for Barcelona this season could work to the advantage of
the national team at Euro 2008.
"I would have liked to have played more for Barcelona but
the truth is it might help me when I play for Portugal," the
30-year-old was quoted as saying in the Spanish media on
Tuesday.
Deco, who was struggled with a calf injury for much of the
campaign, was in the starting line-up for just 14 of Barcelona's
38 league matches this season.
(Editing by Clare Fallon)
