Rowing: Tomorrow's Home International regatta at Ghent gives many of the up-and-coming competitors who starred at last weekend's National Championships a chance to test themselves against some of the best from these islands, reports Liam Gorman.
One of the interesting points is that Debbie Stack and Mary Hussey, who have given a great deal to women's rowing, join Carol-Ann Smith as coaches on the women's senior team.
Trials for men's and women's lightweight quadruple sculls are scheduled for Sunday to determine whether either or both go to next month's World Championships in Zagreb. The men's heavyweight coxed four which competed at Lucerne last weekend made a strenuous case to be given a trial, but the executive of the Irish Amateur Rowing Union turned them down.
The four finished third in the demonstration race in Lucerne on Saturday and fourth and last on Sunday, but their case is that it is important for development purposes to have a senior heavyweight crew compete for Ireland. But the official decision is that they would not be competitive enough at Zagreb for the exercise to be meaningful.
Motor Sport: Eddie Irvine has been passed fit to compete in the German Grand Prix at the end of the month after being released from hospital. The Ferrari driver has been advised to rest for a few more days after pulling out of the Austrian Grand Prix last Friday complaining of abdominal pains.
After leaving the London hospital where he underwent extensive tests, Irvine said: "I've been given the all-clear which is a huge relief."
Meanwhile, Mika Hakkinen will have to wait until next Tuesday to learn whether he will be disqualified as the winner of last Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix. Technical commissioners are set to meet to assess the report by experts from world governing body FIA as to why the electronic box in his McLaren was missing a seal.
Athletics: Sarah Reilly has achieved a new Irish record over 200 metres of 23.23 seconds. Competing in Finland, the Birchfield Harriers athlete who recently declared for Ireland improved the previous best of 23.49 and was also just outside the Olympic A qualifying mark of 23.20 seconds.
Rugby: Garryowen have announced the appointment of former New Zealand flanker Andy Earl as coach for the coming season. Earl played over 50 times for the All Blacks and enjoyed 170 appearances for Canterbury. He succeeds John Hall.
Cricket: Indian tax officials seized "incriminating" evidence in a series of raids yesterday on the homes of top cricket players, officials and bookmakers, a government spokesman said.
Among the homes raided in a new twist to the match-fixing scandal gripping the sport were those of cricket legend and current national coach Kapil Dev, former captain Mohammad Azharuddin, and current stars such as Ajay Jadeja, Nayan Mongia and Nikhil Chopra.
Hockey: The European Under-21 championship goes into its final stages in Madrid today. After the 3-1 victory over France Ireland should have the confidence and ability to beat Scotland today in the first of the fifth to eighth place play-off.
