Return of champion concerns manager

Motor Sport: The decision by Michael Schumacher to return for the last two races of the 1999 Formula One season after he broke…

Motor Sport: The decision by Michael Schumacher to return for the last two races of the 1999 Formula One season after he broke his leg during the British Grand Prix in July yesterday came under fire from an unexpected quarter.

The German's manager, Willi Weber, claimed the dual world champion's return from injury carried with it enormous risks.

"What will happen if he has another accident? He won't only be compromising his health, but also next season," he said. Schumacher announced last Friday that he would be back behind the wheel of his Ferrari for the Malaysian Grand Prix next Sunday and the last leg of the season in Japan on October 31st in a bid to boost team-mate Eddie Irvine's title chances.

The Irishman is two points behind reigning champion Mika Hakkinen.

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Rugby: Scotland fans will be able to pay on the day to see the Five Nations champions in action against Spain on Saturday.

Scottish supporters have been derided for not turning out to support the World Cup, only 4,700 attending Sunday's clash between South Africa and Spain at Murrayfield.

So far less than 2,000 tickets have been sold for the Springboks' match against Uruguay on Friday, with only slightly more expected to watch Scotland against the Spain. The SRU have pleaded with the World Cup organisers to be allowed to reduce prices but have met with a steadfast refusal.

Cricket: Former South African cricket captain Kepler Wessels has retired from first class cricket. Wessels, 42, who has captained the Griqualand team since last season, handed the captaincy of the national team to Hansie Cronje in December 1994 when he quit international cricket.

Motor Sport: French duo Francois Delecour and Gilles Panizzi dominated the first day of the San Remo Rally yesterday as the top contenders for the world championship lagged behind.

But Delecour, who won two of the day's six stages to finish two seconds ahead of Peugeot team mate Panizzi on the mountainous roads of north-west Italy, could be sanctioned after the event.

A tribunal of the sport's governing body FIA will meet to consider imposing a two-minute penalty if they decide Delecour broke the rules by reconnoitring part of the course on a bicycle before the start.

Joint championship leaders Tommi Makinen and Didier Auriol were 37.6 and 40 seconds off the pace respectively in sixth and seventh position.