We certainly have not heard the last of this one. The controversy surrounding the apparent 16th man in a Kilmacud Crokes jersey defending in the closing stages of the All-Ireland club football championship final continues to rage. Last night, Glen, Crokes’ defeated opponent, upped the pressure on the GAA, expressing their disappointment in a statement that HQ has not acted upon “the breach of rules” from Sunday’s match. This is a change of rhetoric from the Derry club after they previously acknowledged the ‘potential’ of something being amiss. The GAA is awaiting to see if the club lodges a formal objection before acting, the deadline for which is Wednesday, 72 hours after the match. Elsewhere, ahead of the National Football League returning, we have compiled an all you need to know guide on how the league will affect this year’s championship.
The weekend’s Champions Cup action saw more yellow and red cards than an abacus could handle, according to Owen Doyle. As ever, our columnist runs the rule over the bigger officiating talking points, today explaining why Ben Healy’s yellow against Toulouse was harsh and how Richie Arnold got away with a dangerously high tackle on Joey Carbery. Also looking back on the European action, Gerry Thornley looks at how the final fortnight of action finally brought a sense of jeopardy to proceedings after a lack of competitive edge in the earlier rounds. The lack of incentive for teams to field first choice XVs throughout the pool stages due to the flawed competition format is to blame for that.
“We just need more young women entering the sport, there are just not enough women competing to rise to the top.” So says Susie Wolff, the last woman who came close to racing in a Formula 1 car. In 2014, she appeared in a British Grand Prix practice session for Williams. Since her retirement, Wolff - wife of Mercedes boss Toto - has become a team administrator. In an exclusive interview, the British former driver explains to David Gorman explains why the likelihood of a female driver in F1 is as small as it was back when she left the sport in 2015.
Jon Rahm’s red hot form may have seen him overtake Séamus Power atop the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings, but he has not toppled Rory McIlroy from world number one. The Spaniard won again at the American Express Championship over the weekend, and our golf correspondent Philip Reid takes a look at what is making Rahm so successful in the early stages of this year as he looks to this week’s Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. The course is where Rahm secured his first tour win in 2017 and his first US Open crown in 2021.
