Real Madrid hit for six by media interest

IRELAND’S national sports are rugby and . . . cricket, according to Real Madrid.

The Spanish giants carry regular website updates on their first team, and yesterday realmadrid.com explained that while Cristiano Ronaldo and company were causing a stir at their Carton House training camp, cricket is more popular than soccer here.

“Real Madrid’s first training session in Kildare provoked a huge turnout of fans and press, primarily Spanish and British,” said the website report. “After two and a half hours of gym work, cameras began snapping the first images at 11:30am, when they took to the pitch. Close to 100 members of the media were on hand to report on the first preseason training session held on Irish soil.