SAMOA ended their disappointing World Cup campaign on a high note as three first-half tries did for the United States in an entertaining Pool A dead-rubber in rainy St Etienne.

Samoa 25 United States 21

United States coach Peter Thorburn has challenged his side to improve their cutting edge and perform for the full 80 minutes when they take on Samoa in St Etienne tomorrow.

EVEN for non-sports enthusiasts, there can be no doubt they know how much the All Blacks rugby brand has done for New Zealand tourism over the years.

BABY emus have hatched at Stonehall Farm in Limerick. According to Sinead Shanahan of the visitor farm and RTÉ’s Mooney Goes Wild programme, this is the second year in which the birds have bred; a chick was born during Easter last year.

In a dramatic twist to French Polynesia’s political crisis, the ousted president declared that he and his ex-government had started a hunger strike to protest at what they called unlawful elections.