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Commonwealth Games Watch

Kiwis favourites to extend streak

Kiwis favourites to extend streak

New Zealand goes into the Commonwealth Games rugby sevens on a 25-match unbeaten streak, and with its major rival not in Glasgow.

The New Zealanders have won all four gold medals in Commonwealth Games competition since 1998. The top sides in the 16-team tournament today will advance to the medal round tomorrow.

Fiji, which has won two silver medals and a bronze in past games, will not be competing. Although the country was partially reinstated to the Commonwealth after a promise to hold democratic elections, the decision came too late for organisers to revise the draws to include the South Pacific island team.

Seven-a-side rugby will feature at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro for the first time. AP

Wales hurdler ousted by doping charge

Welsh 400m hurdler Rhys Williams is out of the Commonwealth Games after being charged with an anti-doping violation, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) said yesterday.

Williams, 30, who won gold at the 2012 European Championships and bronze at the Delhi Games in 2010, and was co-captain of the Wales squad In Glasgow, said he was “utterly devastated” at the news.

UKAD chief executive Andy Parkinson said Williams has the opportunity to respond to the charges against him, and to have those charges determined at a full hearing before the National Anti-Doping Panel.

Williams, the son of former Wales and British and Irish Lions rugby winger JJ Williams, failed an in-competition test at the Glasgow Grand Prix event on July 11 and has been given a mandatory provisional suspension from all competition.

He said he had not knowingly taken a banned substance.

Welsh 800m runner Gareth Warburton was provisionally suspended this month for an anti-doping violation, ruling him out of the Games.

Welsh Olympic silver medal-winning boxer Fred Evans had his accreditation refused after an investigation by the Home Office and Games officials. REUTERS

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