It’s rare you’ll find a Waterford football team wear the tag of ‘reigning champions’, and while manager Tom McGlinchey is relishing the opportunity to successfully defend their McGrath Cup crown, his hand isn’t quite what he was dealt 12 months ago.

2013 intermediate champions De La Salle have reached the Waterford SFC quarter-finals after a tense 2-8 to 1-10 win over Ballinameela in Fraher Field last night.

Rathgormack sub Jamie Kirwan grabbed a decisive goal in injury time at Fraher Field on Saturday to secure their first win of 2014 and inflict a second defeat on Clashmore.

Two years ago, St Saviours and Ballinameela faced off in a battle to avoid the drop from top flight football but this weekend both booked their places in the Waterford SFC quarter-finals.

Since 2005, any year ending in an odd number has seen Cork claim the Munster and All-Ireland junior football titles.

The quarter-final line up in the Waterford SFC has now been confirmed after the concluding weekend of games.

The Nire booked their place in the last eight of the Waterford senior football championship with a 1-13 to 1-5 victory over 2011 champions Ballinacourty in Saturday’s group stage clash at Fraher Field.

Disappointment tempered by relief, that was the reaction of former Kilkenny great Eddie Keher to the news yesterday that while Richie Power will miss Sunday’s Allianz Hurling League Division 1A final, the injury he suffered playing for Carrickshock in Saturday’s club game against James Stephens isn’t as bad as first feared.

ST. SAVIOURS secured their top flight status for 2012 with a facile victory in this Waterford SFC relegation play-off at Carriganore on Saturday.

HOLDERS Stradbally suffered their first defeat in the Waterford SFC at Fraher Field, Dungarvan, on Saturday evening going down 0-8 to 0-4 to a Nire side brilliantly led by county hurling stars Liam Lawlor and Shane ‘Brick’ Walsh.

KENNY EGAN took a major step towards the world championships and, ultimately, next year’s London Olympics when he outpointed Tommy McCarthy (Oliver Plunkett BC) in a heavyweight semi-final that had its share of controversy at last night’s box-offs at the National Stadium.

HURLING manager Davy Fitzgerald was greeted with worrying news last night after defender Liam Lawlor retired from the Nire’s Waterford SFC match with Rathgormack with a leg injury.

ROSS HICKEY, who won a national senior title at lightweight back in 2008, launched his campaign at light-welter at last night’s national elite championships at the National Stadium with victory over Crumlin’s Stephen Carroll.

WILLIE CASEY will provide Kiko Martinez with an opportunity to explore the “Big Bang” theory when he challenges the Spaniard for his new European super bantamweight belt on what will be an historic night’s boxing at the University Sports Arena in Limerick on November 6.

BALLYDUFF UPPER and Abbeyside square off tomorrow in the Waterford SHC semi-final replay at Fraher Field, Dungarvan (2pm).

DARREN SUTHERLAND has finally joined the professional ranks after signing a three-year contract with Frank Maloney, who promised yesterday that the 26-year-old Dubliner would become his fifth world champion.

Irish boxer Paddy Barnes is guaranteed at least an Olympic bronze medal after his victory at the Worker's Indoor Arena in Beijing today.

Light heavyweight prospect Tommy McCarthy is two bouts away from claiming an Irish title at the National Youth Championships just a few weeks after going all the way in the Ulster Senior Championships.

WATERFORD hurling goalkeeper Clinton Hennessy suffered an injury scare in the opening round of the senior football championship.

DARREN O’NEILL may have put what seemed like the perfect finishing touch to his preparations for this weekend’s box-off against Darren Sutherland when he won another gold medal at the multi-nations tournament in Zagreb but he admitted yesterday his preparations for the big rematch have not been perfect.

DARREN SUTHERLAND has gone back to his roots in defence of his national senior middleweight title and he cannot believe that some people have written him off in advance of the anticipated showdown between himself and Darren O’Neill in the finals of the national senior championships at the National Stadium tomorrow night.

THE St Saviours Olympic Boxing Academy club in Dublin will meet this week to discuss the situation regarding twin brothers Graham and Gavin Keating.

IRISH AMATEUR boxing president Dominic O’Rourke believes the future stars of Irish boxing will be on display at the National Intermediate Championships which glove off at the National Stadium tonight.

Irish middleweight Darren Sutherland is through to the last 16 at the World Boxing Championships in Chicago.

Nine Irish boxers are included on the Men's and Women's World and European rankings just released for March 2007 on the ABA Amateur Boxing website.

DUBLINER Ben Dunne hopes to finish off his apprenticeship in style when he boxes his final four-rounder against Eric Trujillo, a reigning Golden Gloves champion from Colorado, at Sam’s Town Casino in Las Vegas tomorrow night.