Crossword Genius

Players gathering stage right for message (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

telegram

'for message' is the definition.
(telegram is a kind of message)

'players gathering stage right' is the wordplay.
'players' becomes 'team' (sports team).
'gathering' is an insertion indicator.
'stage' becomes 'leg' (a leg is a stage of a competition).
'right' becomes 'r' (common abbreviation).
'leg'+'r'='legr'
'team' placed around 'legr' is 'TELEGRAM'.

(Other definitions for telegram that I've seen before include "Electric message" , "Message sent by wire" , "Pre-1980s electronic message" , "Message transmitted by wire" , "It may bring word" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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