How rugby could take a leaf out of NFL’s book regarding off-season

Are you “all rugby’d out”? That’s how a former international referee, who Johnny Watterson bumped in to recently, described himself, this season, just like last, having “a never-ending feel to it”. If either Leinster or Munster reach the URC final, that will mean their campaigns, which began in September, will stretch to June 14th - and after that it’ll be a Lions tour or Irish duty for a good chunk of their players. Johnny reckons rugby could learn from the NFL and their nine-week off-season programme which is designed to ease the workload on their crew.

Alex Nankivell is, though, very much hoping Munster’s season will extend to June 14, Johnny talking to him ahead of their quarter-final against the Sharks in Durban. And John O’Sullivan hears from Rónan Kelleher who was thrilled to receive that Lions call-up, but his focus for now is on Leinster’s meeting with Scarlets.

In soccer, we preview the Republic of Ireland’s game away to Turkey this evening in the women’s Nations League, and Gavin Cummiskey brings news of the men’s squad named by Heimir Hallgrímsson for the friendlies against Senegal and Luxembourg. In his mid-season report, Gavin also looks at Shamrock Rovers’ campaign so far, the table-toppers driven by the era-defining trinity of Roberto Lopes, Dylan Watts and Graham Burke.

In hurling, Joe Canning has his doubts about the wisdom of playing Sunday’s Leinster final between Galway and Kilkenny in Croke Park, but that aside, “if you’re a Galway supporter, you’d be hopeful”, their win over Dublin in Parnell Park “a big result on several levels”. But? “This Kilkenny team, pound-for-pound, are still as good as any team out there,” he says.

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Paul Keane talks to New York’s Tipperary-born hurler Tom O’Meara in the build-up to tomorrow’s Lory Meaghar Cup final against Cavan, while Ciarán Kirk has a word with Derry’s Cormac O’Doherty ahead of their Christy Ring Cup final meeting with London.

In her column, Sonia O’Sullivan writes about Achilles injuries, the ones “that all athletes dread to even think about”. Just such a blight has Norwegian star Jakob Ingebrigtsen off-track at the moment, and cost Ciara Mageean an Olympic appearance last year, Sonia no stranger herself to the scourge.

And in horse racing, after the case involving the Ted Walsh-trained Ta Na La, the horse suspended for breaching the “non-trier” rules, Brian O’Connor believes it’s time for the sport to “professionalise” and ditch its “outmoded stewarding model”. Otherwise, the betting public will remain less than reassured.

TV Watch: Shane Lowry and Leona Maguire are back in action today in the second rounds of the Memorial (Sky Sports Golf, 4.30) and US Open (Sky Sports Mix, 5.0), Lowry in contention after opening with a 69, but Maguire, who carded a 76, well off the pace in Wisconsin. Later, the Republic of Ireland’s women are away to Turkey in the Nations League (RTÉ2, 6pm) and at 7.45, Bohemians host Derry City in the Premier Division (Virgin Media Two, 7.45).