In a land of fresh starts, who better to shed some light on the transformation of the England rugby team than new father, Ben Foden?

A piece of Irish history sold for just over €5,000 as an auction bidder snapped up a rare ticket for the football game that ended in tragedy at Croke Park on Bloody Sunday in 1920.

England’s World Cup winning fly-half Jonny Wilkinson has retired from international rugby.

JOEY BARTON, inset, lived up to his reputation for outspoken honesty yesterday with attacks on Ryan Giggs, John Terry and the England rugby team.

DECLAN CULLEN claimed the feature three-star class at the Johnson & Perrott Land Rover International Horse Trials in Ballindenisk, Co Cork, yesterday.

BRITISH royal Zara Phillips has described as “quite sad” coverage of alleged groping of a woman by her husband, England rugby captain Mike Tindall, at a team outing during the World Cup in New Zealand.

OFTEN the measure of a team is not by how it wins or how often it wins but by how it loses.

THE embarrassing extent of the England rugby team’s kit sponsors Nike’s plans to commemorate the team’s foiled Grand Slam triumph can today be revealed by the Irish Examiner.

WE like to believe that all champions are the best. But often teams succeed by virtue of not being as bad as everyone else. There is a difference.

MARTIN JOHNSON was barely able to contain his excitement on the eve of England’s showdown with South Africa as he told his men: “This is what you play for.”

NORTHAMPTON captain Dylan Hartley is looking forward to this evening, when he and his teammates will pack down against Munster in their Heineken Cup opener. You’d expect him to talk up his opponents, and he doesn’t disappoint.

New Zealand police today admitted they were powerless to investigate sex attack allegations made against four England rugby players unless the woman involved gives an official statement.

England rugby players are to be banned from bringing women back to their hotel rooms after four members of the touring squad were accused of a serious sexual assault.

WORLD champions South Africa want to play Ireland in a one-off Test in the United Arab Emirates later this year.

No complaint has yet been made against four England rugby players at the centre of a “serious allegation” over an incident at a New Zealand hotel, police said today.

Auckland police are investigating an allegation that has been made against four England players following an alleged incident in the team hotel.

AS a GAA member I must protest at the presence of Stormont minister Edwin Poots at the recent Dr McKenna Cup football match between Donegal and Down in Newry.

Heather Mills’ 19-minute GMTV rant has been voted the “Most Cringeworthy Moment of 2007” by UK internet users.

It was not the performance the England rugby team or Lewis Hamilton wanted, but for English golfer Steve Webster it was the best weekend of his career.

Martin Johnson has no ambition to take on the role of restoring the England rugby team to their former glory.

YOUGHAL native Daniel Moloney happily threw a rugby ball in the air in front of Brian O’Driscoll as God Save the Queen boomed around Croke Park.

Arsene Wenger insisted that Clive Woodward could be a success if he replaced Harry Redknapp as Southampton boss – but only if he surrounded himself with a strong coaching team.

Jonny Wilkinson has been named as new captain of the England rugby team.

Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe will discuss ways in which England rugby coach Clive Woodward could get involved at St Mary’s at a board meeting tomorrow.

PAUL McGINLEY has yet to achieve his goal of getting back into the top 100 golfers in the world and so gain an invitation to next month's US PGA Championship in Wisconsin.

Mobile phone group mmO2 pledged today to review its cautious stance on dividends after posting maiden full-year profits of £95m (€139.6m).

The streets of London will be echoing to Swing Low Sweet Chariot today, as thousands of rugby fans cheer Jonny Wilkinson and his team-mates on England’s victory parade.

ENGLAND fans basking in the glory of their side’s heroics Down Under have been given another reason to celebrate — Clive Woodward wants to deliver further World Cup glory.

ENGLAND boss Clive Woodward said he would be furious with any of his World Cup players if they became embroiled in media “sledging”.

Boxer Chris Eubank has tried to ban his teenage son from playing rugby - because he reckons the sport is too violent.

A feng shui expert will be visiting a five-star hotel today where he will attempt to end a losing streak for football teams staying there.