Vera Pauw has just one more week to choose her World Cup squad, an unenviable task given that it will involve telling nine of her current panel that they haven’t made the cut. “I know that I am going to break dreams, so that is not a nice feeling,” she said when speaking ahead of tonight’s friendly against Zambia in Tallaght.
Whether or not Pauw will still be Republic of Ireland manager after the World Cup remains to be seen, Gavin Cummiskey hearing her talk about her ongoing contract negotiations with the FAI. But, she said, “let me be clear, I’m very happy in Ireland ... ... I want to stay.”
It’s six years since several members of Pauw’s squad were part of the group who took a stand against the FAI over a range of issues, echoes of which were heard on Monday when representatives of 24 camogie and women’s Gaelic football teams outlined their grievances with their governing bodies. It’s time, Ciarán Murphy writes, those grievances were addressed.
In hurling, Gordon Manning hears from Limerick captain Declan Hannon, currently out of action with a knee injury, while Paul Keane looks at the Meath footballers’ progress under Colm O’Rourke as they prepare for Sunday’s Tailteann Cup semi-final against Antrim.
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In rugby, Leinster are, you’d imagine, sick of the sight of La Rochelle – so, inevitably, Wednesday’s draw for next season’s Champions Cup put them in the same group as Ronan O’Gara’s men. John O’Sullivan takes us through the draw, which was a little kinder to Munster, Ulster and Connacht, and also brings us a ‘Champions Cup and Challenge Cup Q&A’ to explain the competitions’ formats.
Philip Reid, meanwhile, previews Leona Maguire’s attempt to win her first Major, the PGA Championship getting under way today in New Jersey, while Brian O’Connor examines Willie Mullins’ prospects of becoming the first trainer to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Ascot Gold Cup in one year, which would give him “an unprecedented cross-code double”.
And in his America at Large column, Dave Hannigan tells us the story of Madden San Miguel, a promising American footballer with a sizeable online following glued to content that largely goes viral. The problem? He’s only 10 years old. Needless to say, there’s a pushy parent on the scene.
Telly watch: It’s Gold Cup day at Royal Ascot (Virgin Media One 1.30-5.30 and Virgin Media Two 5.25-6.30), with the big race scheduled for 4.20. In golf, Leona Maguire is targeting her first Major at the PGA Championship which starts today (Sky Sports Golf, 5.0-8.0, Sky Sports Mix, 10.0-midnight). And this evening, RTÉ2 has live coverage of the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup warm-up game against Zambia in Tallaght (kick-off 7.30).
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