Ireland booked their trip to the 10-team World Cup next year in Australia in the most dramatic fashion today.

Uncapped Newcastle scrum-half Lee Dickson has been called into the England training squad preparing for next Sunday’s RBS 6 Nations Championship clash against Italy in Rome.

Jamaican police today revealed the death of Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer is being treated as “suspicious”.

Spain surged into a two-stroke lead at the top of the Omega Mission Hills World Cup leaderboard midway through second round foursomes today.

FRANCE winger Vincent Clerc is intent on making an immediate impact when he returns to the France squad for the Six Nations opener against Ireland, after being snubbed by Bernard Laporte for the World Cup.

SWEEPING changes in the way the Football Association of Ireland runs its affairs are recommended by independent consultants who investigated the World Cup debacle in Saipan.

AUSTRALIA’S top players may be given a role in choosing who replaces Eddie Jones as Wallabies coach but a decision is not expected until next year.

MARCUS TREGONING has been delighted with Sir Percy’s progress since the four-year-old arrived in Dubai ahead of his bid for glory in the Sheema Classic on Saturday.

JASON ROBINSON insists he did not make himself available for England’s World Cup campaign just to “crash and burn” into retirement as England kick off their pre-tournament programme against Wales at Twickenham today (4pm).

SCOTLAND head coach Frank Hadden was happy to stick with his tried and tested as his unchanged team look to cement their place in history with a win over Argentina in tomorrow night’s World Cup quarter-final.

RTÉ and the FAI last night signed a new four-year broadcast deal.

SOURAV GANGULY’S unbeaten hundred took India to their first World Cup final in 20 years after they beat Kenya

Scotland 0 Belarus 1

Australia found salvation in their driving line-out as they survived a scare to dispatch Fiji 39-21 in their World Cup opener at the Sapporo Dome.

Steve Hansen has said a "perfect storm" led to New Zealand's Rugby World Cup collapse against England.

Former international star Hugo MacNeill feels the lack of an established centre partnership denied Joe Schmidt the chance to develop a coherent attacking game for Ireland’s ill-fated World Cup campaign.