National Hurling League: Cork's hopes of progressing to the final of the National Hurling League have suffered a major setback with the loss of defender Pat Mulcahy, a member of the championship team throughout last year and who in recent weeks helped inspire Newtownshandrum to their first All-Ireland club title.

Mulcahy was involved in a car accident on Sunday evening where he sustained a broken wrist, which is certain to leave him out of action for a number of months. The timing couldn't have been much worse for Cork as they face a real test in their first game in phase two of the league on Sunday, when they travel to face Galway at Pearse Stadium.

The absence of one of their more experienced players follows the retirement last week of another regular from recent seasons, the former All Star forward Seánie McGrath. Although he still made several appearances during the league - starting in four of the six matches - McGrath felt because he had not seen any action in the last outing against Tipperary he no longer had a future in the team.

Team captain from last year Alan Browne has also been a high-profile absentee, while the departure of Setanta Ó hAilpín to Australian Rules football last December cut deep into Cork's reserves of talent. It leaves manager Donal O'Grady with a few selection dilemmas. The Galway match, incidentally, will feature as the live TG4 broadcast on Sunday, starting at 3.15.

Meanwhile, the Ireland under-17 International Rules team yesterday departed for a two-week tour that will see them play three Test matches against AFL opposition, along with two further matches under GAA rules.

Their first Test match on Thursday will act as a curtain-raiser to the Brisbane- Collingwood AFL game, and the second Test is at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, also a curtain-raiser, this time to Western Bulldogs against Melbourne. The third and final Test is at the Freemantle Oval on Thursday, April 15th. Also, this Saturday the Irish team will play a Western Australia selection under GAA rules and the following day they play the Aboriginal All Stars in Perth.

And in a novel hurling move, a juvenile team from Louth will tomorrow travel to Croatia to play exhibition matches in Knin, Split and Siveric. The 21-strong team from the Naomh Moninne club in Dundalk will play four matches.