Rugby-Chiefs coach confident Sonny Bill will return to union

April 9 (Reuters) - Waikato Chiefs coach Dave Rennie is confident standout centre Sonny Bill Williams will eventually return to rugby union from the rival league code, perhaps in time to play at the next World Cup in 2015.

Williams helped New Zealand win the World Cup in 2011, and the Chiefs last year's Super Rugby title, before honouring a commitment to return to Australian rugby league with the Sydney Roosters this year.

The 27-year-old has been in excellent form since returning to the code where he made his name but Rennie said the prospect of helping the All Blacks defend the rugby World Cup in England might help lure him back to the Chiefs.

"We're working pretty hard in that area and we are pretty confident we can maybe lure him back here at some stage," Rennie told Australian Associated Press on Tuesday.

"He made a real commitment to league and he might be there for a couple of years yet. There's no guarantees about that but he's certainly committed there this year.

"(With 2015) being a World Cup year, hopefully that will be attractive to him."

While Rennie would welcome Williams back with open arms, Canterbury Bulldogs fans are unlikely to roll out the welcome mat when he lines up against their team for the first time on Friday.

Williams controversially walked out on Canterbury 18 months into a five-year contract in 2008 to play rugby union in France with Toulon.

A small group of fans in Canterbury colours held aloft a banner reading "SBW we will never forget" at the Sydney Football Stadium in Williams's first match back last month, and he can expect a hostile reception at the same stadium on Friday.

Passions among Bulldogs fans have been running so high that Canterbury captain Michael Ennis was moved to appeal for calm.

"I wasn't here so I can't comment on what the fans are feeling, but our focus is about winning the game and not Sonny Bill," he said on Tuesday.

"Personally I hope that our fans travel out there and watch a good game of footy and there's nothing silly going on.

"It should be a great game, they are coming off a loss and we need to win. We don't need any distractions from that." (Reporting by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney, editing by Peter Rutherford)

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CP Rail sees Keystone approval, confident in crude-by-rail

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd assumes Washington will approve the northern leg of the Keystone XL pipeline, and remains confident in the long-term viability of its crude-by-rail business, its chief executive said on Wednesday.

"I happen to think maybe there's a play or a need for both," said Hunter Harrison, CEO of Canada's second-largest railway, referring to rail and pipelines.

He said trains can redirect shipments according to market needs more easily than pipelines.

"If the pipeline ought to be built for North America, so be it. I'm not against pipelines," he said on a webcast of an industry conference in New York. "But I don't think whether Keystone comes or doesn't happen, it's going to affect those numbers."

TransCanada Corp is awaiting approval from the U.S. government for its controversial $5.3 billion oil pipeline proposal. When completed, Keystone would carry Alberta crude to Texas refineries.

The U.S. State Department said in a draft report last Friday that building the pipeline would not demonstrably boost emissions of greenhouse gasses.

Harrison reiterated his view that "pretty significant" growth is expected in its crude-by-rail business this year - likely double - and will swell two to three times by 2016.

Shipments of crude by rail in the United States have surged from around 11,000 barrels per day in 2007 to an estimated 340,000 bpd in 2012, becoming a booming niche market for North America's railroads.

Harrison also said that the company's operating ratio - a key productivity measure - could bounce "against that 70 percent barrier" in 2013. The lower the number, the more efficient the railway.

"We've said low-70s, but if things come together and everything hits, is there a probability that we could be below that? Certainly," he said.

During an earnings conference call earlier this year, Harrison said the company expects its operating ratio, which stood at 74.8 in the fourth quarter, to be in the low-70 percent range.

(Reporting by Solarina Ho; Editing by David Gregorio)

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