THE New Zealand Rugby Football Union's (NZRFU) top two officials quit yesterday and its board offered New Zealanders an abject apology for losing the right to co-host next year's Rugby World Cup.

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The IRFU has enlisted the aid of a cutting-edge healthcare company based in Cork to ensure its players are in top physical shape for next month’s World Cup.

Fly-half Paddy Jackson, centre Darren Cave and Chris Henry are the last men standing of Ulster’s Ireland World Cup contingent.

Daniel Sturridge would never go down the same route as Luis Suarez and handball a goalbound shot in a World Cup.

There’s a single-mindedness about Felix Jones’s approach to this Guinness Series and when you have been through the wringer with Ireland as he was three years ago, it is easy to understand why.

England have received a timely double boost ahead of their crucial World Cup clash against Samoa in Nantes next Saturday with Jonny Wilkinson and Olly Barkley both returning to the starting line-up.

After many unsuccessful attempts at mastering a surfboard, Shane Lowry continued to stand upright in the ancient club-and-ball game with a four under par 68 on day one of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Senegal coach Bruno Metsu is adamant his World Cup heroes will be the underdogs in tomorrow’s quarter-final showdown against Turkey.

Northampton will play their Heineken Cup quarter-final against Toulouse at the 36,500-capacity Stadium Municipal.

Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts became Volvo World Match Play champion today, beating Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell in the final at a windsept Finca Cortesin in Spain.

ENGLAND’S new interim head coach Stuart Lancaster admitted his first job will be to “get the culture right” in the wake of the country’s World Cup fiasco.

THE Republic of Ireland, with 714 points, have stayed in 14th place in the latest FIFA rankings.

The All Blacks had held the top spot for close to a decade, from November 2009 until this month.

Robbie Williams has injected a little sporting passion into his European tour dates by hosting a soccer match at every city he plays in honour of the game's World Cup.

Double America’s Cup winner Peter Blake has been killed by pirates in the Amazon, his race sponsors said today.

Aston Villa striker Milan Baros has been ruled out of Monday’s Premiership clash with Manchester City at Eastlands.

Bill Mott managed to win the first ever Dubai World Cup but he still has a little unfinished business with the richest horse race on the planet.