Marta pulled it off where many in football have tried and failed, talking about herself in the third person with striking dignity.

GRAEME MORRISON will return to the Scotland team for Saturday’s EMC Test with Ireland, with Rugby World Cup heartache the driving force for him to perform and secure a place in the squad for this year’s tournament in New Zealand.

Ireland’s JJ Hanrahan has been shortlisted for the IRB Junior Player of the Year Award at the U20 World Cup in South Africa.

Ireland remain favourites to win hosting rights.

Eddie O’Sullivan has welcomed his stint as Barbarians coach as an early chance to banish memories of Ireland’s calamitous World Cup.

Only eight European teams advance to the World Cup.

JONATHAN SEXTON has called on the younger members of the Irish team to take the lead at the World Cup.

TONY McGAHAN says Munster will not be signing Australian rugby league star, Karmichael Hunt.

THE Football Association cast aside their caution yesterday and announced England will join the race to host the 2018 World Cup.

Mexico international Efrain Juarez has agreed a four-year contract with Celtic and met up with his new team-mates in the United States today.

Rudolf Straueli’s Springboks have been accused of damaging their World Cup prospects by adopting an overly physical approach to their final warm-up match.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger supports the call for a shorter Premiership season - but stresses players would have to take a pay cut.

Labelthou is to take on the crack stayers in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at Cheltenham next week.

“I just hope it’s a total shitshow circus.”

Ireland’s bogey team Switzerland booked their place in the World Cup finals by edging out Turkey in a dramatic match in Istanbul tonight.