THE International Rugby Board (IRB) could face a revolt by players over its refusal to share some of the profits from this year’s World Cup, a leading players’ representative has warned.

GLASGOW struck gold yesterday as the city landed the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

ENGLAND boss Brian Ashton has hailed Dan Ward-Smith as “an incredibly fit athlete” after the uncapped Bristol forward thrust himself into World Cup contention.

SVEN-GORAN ERIKSSON will have “no excuses” if England fail at the 2006 World Cup finals after being granted his four-week break ahead of the tournament.

CHRISTY O’CONNOR Snr has been accorded honorary life membership of the European Tour.

UKRAINE midfielder Sergei Rebrov is finally beginning to believe he and his team-mates could become World Cup winners on July 9.

Rugby World Cup Pool D

Republic of Ireland have been given a tough group in today’s 2010 World Cup Qualifying draw.

David James has blasted Steve McClaren's "ludicrous" treatment of his goalkeepers during his ill-fated England reign.

All of the focus may be on the Six Nations and World Cup next year but Ireland are also looking beyond that, with a three-match summer tour to South Africa confirmed for 2016.

Scotland and Wales joined a congested group at the top of the Omega Mission Hills World Cup leaderboard as the opening round headed towards a close today.

Michael Owen’s World Cup is over after he was ruled out for the remainder of the tournament in Germany..

– A tearful Michael Ballack claimed “it just isn’t meant to be” for him to play in a World Cup final after Italy clinched an epic semi-final victory over Germany in Dortmund last night.

Doctors in the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires reported progress today in treating Diego Maradona for alcohol abuse and other excesses that prompted the soccer great’s latest trip to hospital.

David Beckham’s England career appears to be over as Steve McClaren prepares to axe him from his squad.

Triumphant goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon wants Italians to celebrate the Azzurri’s World Cup title instead of immediately turning their attention to the match-fixing scandal.

A Frenchman believed to be linked to the al-Qaida terrorist network may have been in Japan during the 2002 World Cup finals, when the country was on alert for a possible terror strike, a Japanese newspaper said.

French hardman Jean-Jacques Crenca promised referee Jonathan Kaplan he will be a paragon of virtue during Sunday’s World Cup quarter-final showdown with Ireland.

THE FAI is to set up an independent investigation into its handling of Roy Keane’s expulsion from the World Cup.