EDDIE JONES has been confirmed as technical advisor to the South Africa national side until the end of their World Cup campaign.

FIFA are trying to persuade Zinedine Zidane and Marco Materazzi to bury the hatchet on a goodwill mission to 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa.

South African World Cup chiefs insist preparations for the 2010 finals are on course and that there will be no need for England to step in as contingency hosts.

The French football federation (FFF) have announced their unanimous decision to renew the contract of coach Raymond Domenech after he led Les Bleus to the World Cup final.

France have been awarded the 2007 Rugby World Cup after defeating England in a two-way bidding race.

Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has urged FIFA to hold the Qatar World Cup in April 2022.

Scotland have scored their second goal in Hampden park.

The numbers of overseas visitors to Ireland are set to reach record levels this year, boosted by the success of the Ryder Cup this autumn.

Midfielder Steven Reid does not expect a two-leg play-off against Iran to trouble the Republic of Ireland side who knocked Holland out of the World Cup.

FIFA are considering rewarding continents who do well in the World Cup next year by letting more of their countries compete in the next tournament.

Paul Robinson is a doubt for England’s World Cup qualifying game against Kazakhstan on October 11.

The threat of a winter World Cup in Qatar in 2022 affecting the traditional festive period for club matches will see English football united in opposition to the plan.

Brian O’Driscoll has compared Ireland’s clash with Argentina at Croke Park on Saturday to a World Cup qualifier.

Eir sport has unveiled a "new and fresh" looking Rugby World Cup team of experts, with Gordon D’Arcy, Peter Stringer and Jerry Flannery fronting studio analysis for Japan in the autumn.

Players at the Rugby World Cup will be tested for the newly discovered ’designer drug’ tetrahdyrogestinone from the beginning of next week.

Six teenagers were struck by lightning and killed as they listened to radio commentary of a World Cup soccer match, officials in India said today.

Rangers midfielder Hamed Namouchi will be fit to play for Tunisia in the World Cup finals next month.

Mark Kennedy has withdrawn from the Ireland squad for the World Cup finals.

FIFA will decide whether any action is necessary after Australian squad members admitted to gambling among themselves on their opening World Cup match.

A brand-new athletics World Cup will be held in London this summer.