Rugby All-Ireland League countdown:  The race is on to succeed Waterpark as All-Ireland League Division Three champions. The Waterford club are now happily ensconced at a higher level while Portadown and Greystones made the reverse journey.

Wanderers, who recruited heavily during the summer and won the divisional play-offs last season, beating Waterpark in the final, will be favourites to succeed, while Corinthians, Greystones, Instonians and Old Wesley will have ambitions.

Monkstown dropped out of senior rugby last season, the hugely popular club now operating in the Leinster provincial league. Just who will suffer a similar fate will be decided when the 17 clubs complete their programme on Saturday, April 17th.

Ballina will be hoping the final weekend won't have too much relevance for them as they are the club without a match that day.

On the evidence of last season's final league placings, Naas, Skerries, Queen's University, Belfast and Suttonians will be looking for a significant improvement.

Naas, in particular, will have to cope without the presence of two former representative players in prop Ian McLaughlin and number eight Colin McEntee.

Tomorrow there will be a club by club guide to Division Two, with Division One assuming the spotlight in Friday's newspaper.

The opening rounds of matches in all three divisions are on Saturday.