A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
Brookes throws lot in with England
RUGBY:Promising young prop Kieran Brookes, who will join Leicester next season, was yesterday selected on the England Saxons squad for the Churchill Cup, which means the tighthead, who is also qualified for Ireland, has made his choice to throw in his lot with England, writes Johnny Watterson.
Brookes had been on the radar for some time and had generated significant interest in Ireland but yesterday’s announcement of the England squad to play in the June competition has Brookes grouped as one of a number of young players tagged as England’s emerging talents.
Although Stoke-born, he played for Ireland at Under-18, Under-19 and Under-20 levels, but last season played for the English Under-20s in the Six Nations. In two seasons at Newcastle, he made 34 appearances, with five starts and appeared off the bench 15 times for them in the Aviva Premiership this season before being snapped up by Leicester.
He had also attracted the interest of Leinster, Munster and Ulster.
Taylor gets EU defence underway
BOXING:World and European lightweight champion Katie Taylor will get her European Union defence underway with a last-16 clash with Denista Eliseeva of Bulgaria in Katowice, Poland, today.
The four-rounder is a repeat of February’s Strandja Multi-Nations duel in Bulgaria which Eliseeva – beaten comprehensively by Taylor in their two meetings prior to Bulgaria - was adjudged to have won 5-1 despite Taylor dominating the bout.
Drimnagh BC light-heavyweight Sinéad Kavanagh meets Spaniard Tamara Fabiana Garcia.
McNulty tightens grip on rally series
MOTOR SPORT:With his fourth successive victory in the Dunlop National Rally Championship, Meath's Tim McNulty (Subaru) has tightened his grip on the series.
His win in Sunday’s Hotel Kilmore Cavan Rally, the fourth round of the campaign, was, however, the toughest so far. After nine demanding stages, his Subaru finished 24 seconds in front of Dubliner and Billy Coleman award winner Robert Barrable in his Skoda Fabia S2000.
Niall Maguire finished 25 seconds further behind in third. Sam Moffett (Mitsubishi) won the Group N category and Damien Gallagher (Ford Escort) the two-wheel drive award.
