Sports Briefs

■ Rugby Union
Players a little too excited

Six Portuguese rugby players spent a night in jail after their World Cup qualifying celebrations got out of hand. The players were freed on Sunday and flew home after the matter was resolved, a lawyer said. Police said a group of players had gone to an downtown area of bars and restaurants in Montevideo's "Old City" after Saturday's match against Uruguay, and that a police officer was struck in an encounter with the players, prompting the detentions. Portugal lost its match on Saturday to Uruguay 18-12 but qualified for its first World Cup later this year on aggregate points. The six players, after delivering their account to a local judge, were later released and a lawyer for the players, Jorge Barerra, told local televsion that they were allowed to return home.

■ Olympic games

500 days to go for Beijing

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge marked yesterday's milestone -- 500 days before the Beijing Olympics -- by calling for a strong focus on this summer's 26 test events. Events in China's capital marking the moment were low-key. The big day will be Aug. 8 -- the one-year mark -- which will also signal the start of several months of test events. "I have learnt through my Olympic experience that test events are the key to the success of the Games," Rogge said. "Great progress in venue construction should not mean that the organizers lose focus on other areas of Games preparations. Because it is these moments when you lose your concentration that mistakes can creep in."

■ Soccer

Club Cup format amended

The end-of-year Club World Cup will now involve a play-off between a team from Oceania and the host nation, this year Japan, to decide which lines up in the six-team continental competition. Previously, the Club World Cup has featured the champions of Europe, South America, Central and North America, Africa, Asia and Oceania, but in a bid to boost interest in the host country the format is being amended. "The executive agreed to introduce a qualifying play-off between the Oceania champions and the league champions of the host nation, with the victors then lining up alongside the champions of the five other confederations," FIFA said on its Web site. Japan will host the tournament for the third consecutive year in December, meaning the J-League champions will play off against what will likely be a New Zealand side with Australia now part of the Asian confederation.