Cristiano Ronaldo has denied making the widely-publicised comments attacking Chelsea duo Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko.

Former Heineken Cup winning Munster scrum-half Peter Stringer is the latest name to be linked with a move to current Pro 12 Champions Leinster.

Former World Cup winning coach Bob Dwyer has agreed to coach the Barbarians on their three-match tour next month.

The deepening row over Ireland’s bitter World Cup defeat to France after the “Henry handball” scandal risked turning into a diplomatic dispute tonight.

AFTER the excitement of the Race to Dubai and Lee Westwood’s successes on Sunday, the attention switches to the World Cup of Golf which starts Thursday at the Mission Hills Golf Club in China.

THE ATTENDANCE at yesterday’s final Irish World Cup press conference said it all about the hugely favourable impression the management and players have made on the media.

“Dad, I’m cheering for England in the World Cup!”

TOKYO — The funny thing about World Cups is that they help the All Blacks find their inner Zen.

The biggest story in sport this week was not really a story about sport. At least, not on the surface.

European Rugby Cup chairman Jean-Pierre Lux has described the ramifications of a proposed Anglo-French tournament as “detrimental” to the world game.

One of the key Castres players hoping to plot a shock win over Munster on Sunday in the opening round of the Champions Cup grew up in South Africa with Rassie Erasmus as one of his childhood heroes.

THOSE who like to champion young players will be pleased at the elevation of both Felix Jones and Conor Murray into the Irish squad to begin preparations later this month for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

The life and times of Mick McCarthy.

Tony Jacklin will put his famed captaincy skills to the test once again when the Rest of the World take on the United States in the third UBS Cup.

LIKE many torn reputations that emerged from the car-wreck of the Rugby World Cup, Andrew Trimble’s was one in need of some repair.

IRISH football fans who complain about the renaming of Lansdowne Road should perhaps be grateful that they don’t have to get behind a team called the Aviva Green Boys.

STEVE THOMPSON is convinced England are heading on the right track towards next year’s World Cup defence, despite their patchy form since conquering planet rugby in 2003.