O’ Driscoll hit in the pocket after media agency goes bust

IRISH rugby captain Brian O’Driscoll is facing a loss of over €40,000 after a British sports media agency went bust.

World Sports Solutions International has gone into voluntary liquidation, with debts of over €450,000.

At a creditors’ meeting in London last Friday, Brian O’Driscoll submitted a claim for stg£30,000 (€43,700).

World Sport Solutions (WSS) had several other well known creditors, including Portugal and Real Madrid star Luis Figo, Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand and the Williams Formula One team.

Former U2 tax accountant Ossie Kilkenny is one of the company’s shareholders, with an investment believed to be worth €480,000. His firm OJ Kilkenny holds €2.75 million of the company’s €13m ordinary shares.

World Sports Solutions went public on the stock exchange in January last year but ran into trouble when advertising revenues for its clients began to fall.

WSS has several loans to repay by 2004 It reported losses of €2.4 million last year and since creditors refused to swap their debts for shares in the company, has now been forced to wind itself up.

WSS is now negotiating with another third party to save the company. Even if Brian O’Driscoll fails to recover his €40,000, he still has an array of lucrative sponsorship deals to fall back on.

Ever since the Ireland and Leinster centre scored a hat-trick of tries against France in 2000 and excelled with the Lions in Australia a year later, commercial and sponsorship offers have flowed in. O’Driscoll has signed a two-year deal with sports gear manufacturer Adidas to promote their boots and clothing. He also has a deal to promote the energy drink Powerade.