The 2013 Rugby League World Cup will be staged in four countries, the Rugby Football League announced today.

There is little prospect of Pakistan returning home any time soon to a country which has suffered more than 7,000 terrorist incidents since 2006.

MUNSTER and Leinster might have their own domestic duties to focus on today, but they will keeping one eye on the action across the water, as their respective Heineken Cup pool rivals meet in the Guinness Premiership.

RICKY PONTING accepts his pantomime villain role in this summer’s Ashes simply “goes with the territory” for a touring Australia captain.

DARREN SAMMY has inflamed the build-up to the start of the one-day series against England by signalling West Indies’ intent to “grind them into the ground.”

JACQUES KALLIS has promised a different South Africa side will turn out today after a rare one-day loss opened their NatWest Series campaign against England.

ENGLAND recovered from a pedestrian start to yesterday’s opening match of the NatWest Series with Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen propelling them to a competitive total against South Africa.

Ireland have been approached by international rugby union players considering switching codes ahead of this year’s Rugby League World Cup in Australia.

BATH have further bolstered their second-row options for next season by signing former Australia lock Justin Harrison on a one-year contract from Ulster.

England star Jonny Wilkinson produced a superb wet-weather display of goal-kicking to lead Newcastle to a European Challenge Cup victory over Brive at the Parc Municipal des Sports.

Newcastle head coach John Fletcher believes yesterday’s thrilling 22-19 triumph at Saracens showed Jonny Wilkinson exactly why he should remain in the north-east.

Leeds Carnegie shrugged off their Premiership blues to take pole position in Pool Five of the European Challenge Cup at Headingley tonight with a 35-18 win over Castres Olympique, while Connacht lost away at Brive.

Thousands of people are expected to arrive at a “climate change camp” near Heathrow Airport today.

IAN BELL settled into his most successful position in the batting order to rescue England against the West Indies at Old Trafford yesterday.

ENGLAND have set their sights on finishing their summer with a flourish when they attempt to complete an emphatic victory over Pakistan in next week’s final Test.

PAUL COLLINGWOOD made partial amends for a costly error by becoming England’s unlikely candidate to halt Pakistan’s record-breaking march towards a major lead in the third Test yesterday.

SRI LANKA capped a fine summer by breaking the world record for a one-day international total, posting 443 for nine against the Netherlands in Amstelveen.

Mike Ruddock’s resignation as Wales coach has stunned planet rugby and left the reigning Six Nations Championship holders in the caretaker hands of Australian Scott Johnson.

LEEDS coach Daryl Powell has expressed his delight after Tykes were awarded maximum points from last weekend’s postponed Heineken Cup clash against Calvisano.

Cardiff Blues and Jonah Lomu are facing Heineken Cup misery after Perpignan clinched a priceless victory at the Arms Park.

Cardiff Blues 41 Newport Gwent Dragons 23

Leeds 21 Perpignan 20

Formula One organisers today announced a minute’s silence will be held before Sunday’s British Grand Prix as a mark of respect to those who died and were injured in the terrorist attacks in London.

Mark Evans tonight underlined the stark reality facing his Harlequins side as they prepare for judgement week.

Concerns over the fitness of Iain Balshaw receded tonight when it was revealed the England full-back has suffered only a slight quadricep tear.

London Irish are ready to hit the high spot of their season tomorrow after what coach Gary Gold admits has been a “rollercoaster” ride.

England World Cup winner Mark Regan was tonight fined £500 (€726.40) for bringing the game into disrepute.

London Irish can compound Northampton’s relegation fears at the Madejski Stadium on Monday – but Exiles coach Gary Gold has braced his team for a tough examination.

London Irish coach Gary Gold believes his team have got “a tough hill to climb” in their quest for a European Challenge Cup quarter-final place.

Nasser Hussain will today deliberate whether to extend his international career beyond his match-winning 14th Test century against New Zealand at Lord’s.

The English Rugby Football Union today revealed they will take no disciplinary action after reviewing a tape of Leeds’ Zurich Premiership clash with Wasps at Headingley last Sunday.

Wasps second row Simon Shaw has been given the green light to play in Sunday’s Heineken Cup semi-final showdown with Munster.

Diego Albanese has signed a new one-year contract with Leeds Tykes.

Wigan and Great Britain winger Brian Carney has called for Ireland to be included in rugby league’s 2008 World Cup as a stand-alone nation.

Wasps 46 Calvisano 13

Leeds 0 Edinburgh 23

Leeds go into a crucial Heineken Cup clash against unbeaten Edinburgh tomorrow, with Tykes boss Phil Davies declaring: “Our European adventure is still alive.”

Edinburgh 19 Leeds 9

Gloucester coach Dean Ryan insists events of last season will count for little as the Cherry and Whites prepare for tomorrow’s crunch Pool Five showdown with Munster.

Edinburgh 23 Toulouse 16

Leeds face a mission improbable against Zurich Premiership wild card opponents Saracens tomorrow in what should be their last game of an impressive season.