Olivier Giroud climbed off the bench to rescue a point for Arsenal in a 1-1 draw at Southampton.

World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper has hinted that Ireland’s timing hasn’t been right as the country finds itself ranked behind “two masters of the universe in terms of putting on major world events” in the race to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

The England 2018 World Cup bid team made a determined effort to win over former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner and “often accommodated his wishes, in apparent violation of bidding rules”, the Garcia report has found.

England World Cup winner George Cohen and former Manchester United star Pat Crerand have pledged to donate their brains to science after research tentatively linked heading the ball with dementia.

Prehistoric’ was one of the kinder words used by critics of Jack Charlton’s brand of football when he was manager of Ireland but in the foreword he has penned for a newly published biography by Colin Young, the man himself makes the claim that, au contraire – or, more likely, ‘bugger that’ – his Ireland team actually laid the foundations for the game as we know it today.

A new initiative to encourage more London blue plaques for notable black and Asian figures has been launched.

A barmy and bonkers season. There will not be another like it.

Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal has launched an audacious bid to see his three-time European champions join the Aviva Premiership.

Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal has angrily denied allegations of doping made against the triple European champions.

Toulon made rugby union history at Twickenham as they clinched a hat-trick of European titles by defeating fellow French heavyweights Clermont Auvergne 24-18 in the Champions Cup final.

There were different agendas at play for Leinster, Munster and Ulster approaching their final pool games in the inaugural Champions Cup over the weekend, writes Donal Lenihan.

World-renowned physicist Professor Stephen Hawking has taken a swipe at "ballerina" Luis Suarez after producing a formula to guarantee England World Cup success in Brazil.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers intends to keep every one of his players grounded as the club closes in on a first championship in more than 20 years following the 3-2 win at relegation-threatened Norwich on Easter Sunday.

Dan Carter admits he could not have climbed to the top of world rugby without Jonny Wilkinson’s workaholic precedent.

Premier League

Jonny Wilkinson has admitted he is unsure if he will be able to line out against Munster in the Heineken Cup semi-final in Marseille on April 27.

John Terry’s own goal blew the race for the Barclays Premier League title wide open once again as Crystal Palace snatched an unlikely lifeline.

Manager Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal have earned their FA Cup semi-final trip to Wembley the hard way.

Arsenal 1 Everton 1

ASM Clermont Auvergne 15 Toulon 16

Andre Villas-Boas thinks a meeting that he held with Gareth Bale earlier this season may have been the spark that ignited the Tottenham forward’s devastating campaign.

Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni believes Leeds midfielder Paul Green could be Ireland’s answer to Gennaro Gattuso.

CON HOULIHAN, the Castleisland colossus, cast such a gigantic shadow that it once temporarily obscured one of the most revered figures in English football history.

Jack Charlton believes that guiding the Republic of Ireland into the knock-out stages of Euro 2012 would be an achievement to rank alongside Giovanni Trapattoni’s greatest in a distinguished career.

England World Cup winner and former captain Lewis Moody has retired from rugby with immediate effect.

Investigators from the FBI have interviewed officials from England’s 2018 World Cup bid as part of a probe into possible computer hacking.

With the big names away in Akron, Londoner Brian Davis will be disappointed if he does not give himself a chance to end his long wait for a PGA Tour victory at this week’s Reno-Tahoe Open in Nevada.

World champion John Higgins admits he “needs to knuckle down” after his shock first-round elimination from the Australian Goldfields Open in Bendigo today.

ENGLAND World Cup hopeful Manu Tuilagi looks likely to miss the English Premiership final with Saracens after a “thuggishness” attack on Northampton winger Chris Ashton.

England’s bid for the 2018 World Cup will be boosted today when it is officially judged as “low risk” in FIFA’s evaluation reports of the bidding countries.

MARTIN JOHNSON warned his players the toughest challenge was yet to come after England missed an opportunity of recording a famous victory against New Zealand at Twickenham on Saturday.

DOUBTING the quality of the players lining out for Toulon in this afternoon’s Heineken Cup game against Munster at Thomond Park would serve no useful purpose.

LIVERPOOL manager Roy Hodgson last night refused to comment on reports he has made a bid for Aston Villa’s Luke Young.

Roy Hodgson travelled to Macedonia this morning with a makeshift squad for his first competitive match as Liverpool manager.

England manager Fabio Capello must shoulder the ultimate responsibility for England’s failure in the World Cup, according to Sunderland manager Steve Bruce.

ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger maintains his summer spending has not finished yet.

British sportswear retailer JJB Sports today shrugged off England’s early exit in the World Cup as it said sales had soared in recent weeks.

Benni McCarthy is determined to make a major impact at West Ham next season - but looks set to face competition in attack as new manager Avram Grant aims to strengthen the squad.

The ‘Big Brother’ housemates will be able to watch today’s England World Cup match against Germany.

FABIO CAPELLO has accused John Terry of making “a very big mistake” with his staggering attack on the England World Cup set-up.

ENGLAND’S hopes of hosting the 2018 World Cup were dealt a blow yesterday after chairman for their bid David Triesman stood down from his post following allegations he accused the Spanish and Russian football federations of bribery.