SPORTS DIGEST:Henry Coyle will defend his WBF Light-Middleweight World title against Argentina's Marcelo Rodriguez at the Royal Theatre in Castlebar on August 17th.
Mayo-native Coyle stopped Italy’s Elio Cotena at the same venue last year to secure the WBF belt.
“Winning the WBF title was undoubtedly the highlight of my career to date. To win the title in front of my own fans in Castlebar was a dream come true and I’ll be looking to deliver a repeat performance next month,” said Coyle.
Meanwhile, Tyson Fury is no longer the Irish heavyweight champion, according to the Boxing Union of Ireland (BUI).
Manchester-born Fury won the WBO Inter-Continental belt in England last Saturday after stopping New Yorker Vinny Maddalone in the fifth round. However, BUI president Mel Christle yesterday confirmed Fury had been stripped of his Irish crown because he fought under a British licence against Maddalone.
Vroon calls early tune in Cork opener
The biennial Cork Week at Crosshaven opened yesterday with a moderate and shifty offshore breeze for the 101 competing, 50 per cent down on 2010 and the lowest in 20 years.
Gone are the largest supersize racing yachts and overseas entries that were a glamourous sideshow to the regatta, leaving a fleet dominated by club teams and a handful of visitors willing to defy recession.
Piet Vroon’s Tonnerre de Breskens from the Netherlands easily won the class zero fleet, just ahead of Kieran Twomey’s Gloves Off for the Royal Cork fleet.
However, Anthony O’Leary’s Antix failed to find form in the class and managed two consistent sixth places out of nine boats.
The bigger boat classes managed to get two races yesterday but the weak breeze died in heavy rain in the early afternoon so other classes only had the opening race off Roche’s Point. Donal O’Leary’s D-Tox from the RCYC won the first race of class two
– DAVID BRANIGAN
Button believes meeting will sort McLaren problems
Jenson Button believes a meeting of McLaren’s top brass today will prove to be no holds barred in a bid to get to the bottom of the team’s woes. Just four weeks ago in Canada team-mate Lewis Hamilton grabbed victory to reclaim the lead in the championship. But two races later, Hamilton is 37 points behind Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso after a disappointing British Grand Prix in which both McLarens were off the pace.
Button, after another sorry run at Silverstone, extended his record to 13 races without a podium. He said: “We’ve a technical meeting which is going to be a sombre one, but I’m sure everyone is going to be very aggressive about trying to improve this car.”
London Welsh offer Henson latest shot at rebuilding career
Gavin Henson has been given yet another chance to resurrect his career after joining Premiership newcomers London Welsh.
Wales centre Henson, 30, has been without a club since April, after being sacked by Cardiff Blues over his drunken behaviour on a flight returning from a game in Glasgow.
The move is a gamble for London Welsh, but Henson previously worked with Exiles coach Lyn Jones during his time at the Ospreys, producing arguably the best rugby of his career and helping the region win two Celtic League titles and an Anglo-Welsh Cup.
Jones is confident he can get the best out of Henson, but has warned patience will be required given the player has made just 17 appearances in 41 months.
Henson won the most recent of his 33 Wales caps in the World Cup warm-up victory over England in Cardiff last August, but a wrist injury sustained in that game denied him the chance to be involved in the World Cup in New Zealand.
Ireland-Afghanistan day one abandoned
The weather continued to wreak havoc on Ireland’s summer schedule yesterday after the first day of their Intercontinental Cup clash against Afghanistan in Rathmines was abandoned due to a wet outfield.
Umpires Shaun George and Richard Smith made the decision after a 3pm inspection, with play due to start 30 minutes early at 10.30am this morning.
One group of players that will be looking forward to better conditions are the Ireland Under-19 side, who depart for Australia on July 25th for the ICC Under-19 World Cup.
A 15-man squad led by senior international George Dockrell was named yesterday, with Pembroke’s Zimbabwean-born opening batsman Robin Kelly making the cut after a fine season with the Sandymount club in which he has scored a double-century.
Ireland will be hoping conditions improve for their two clashes with England in Leicester on July 18th and 20th.
– EMMET RIORDAN
