Yesterday, the football associations of Ireland, Scotland and Wales expressed an interest in hosting the 2020 European Championships.

Ulster’s former Auckland Blues prop John Afoa believes Joe Schmidt wouldn’t turn his back on Leinster to return to his old club.

With two finals on their doorstep and not an Aviva Premiership team in sight, the natives are getting restless

Munster’s list of prospective backs coaches was reduced by one yesterday after Canterbury confirmed Rob Penney’s assistant Tabai Matson had been appointed as his replacement at the New Zealand province.

Ireland head coach Declan Kidney has thrown down the gauntlet to Saturday’s Heineken Cup finalists on the fringes of the Test side to prove they are worth a place on next month’s tour to New Zealand.

Beating Leinster this Saturday and claiming European club rugby’s greatest prize can start a decade of dominance for Ulster Rugby, believes their back-row talisman Stephen Ferris.

It will be no comfort to Declan Kidney as he prepares for a three-Test series in New Zealand but Sky Sports analyst Stuart Barnes believes the Ireland head coach has the hardest job in international rugby.

IRFU chief executive Phillip Browne believes the governing body and the provinces are “singing from the same sheet” over the best way forward to implement the controversial Player Succession Strategy.

Malaga striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has announced his retirement from football, at the age of 35.

Richard Dunne wasn’t at The Point in March, 2007 when Bernard Dunne defeated Yersin Jailauov by TKO but the thoughts of how some of his Irish team-mates were booed by sections of the crowd still rings in his ears.

Cesare Prandelli, will continue as Italy coach regardless of how well they perform at Euro 2012, according to the country’s football federation.

Last summer at a sports conference in Liverpool’s John Moores University, Chelsea’s director of football operations, Mike Forde, recounted a conversation he had with Billy Beane of Moneyball fame.

Frankel is the star name among nine confirmations for the JLT Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.

I’ve no problem admitting it.

Neil Lennon believes five-goal Gary Hooper is good enough to play in any league in Europe but hopes to keep him at Celtic next season.

Colin Griffin achieved the 50k standard for the Olympic Games at the IAAF World Cup of Race Walking in Saransk, Russia over the weekend.

Roy Keane has warned that Ireland’s inability to keep possession for long periods means Giovanni Trapattoni’s men could struggle to make an impact in the European Championships next month.

The Tony McGahan era came to a disappointing end last night as Munster’s reign as league champions was ended emphatically by a rampant Ospreys in the RaboDirect Pro12 semi-final at Liberty Stadium.

It’s 4.52am on a Monday morning and while you’re asleep she’s going to work.

For Irish football, this is the calm before the storm.