Rugby: Former Wales rugby union international winger Adrian Hadley has admitted taking drugs before a crucial Five Nations victory over Scotland, it was reported yesterday.
The national governing body the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) later said they would be holding further inquiries into Hadley's claims. The 38-year-old admitted taking amphetamines one hour before Wales played Scotland at Cardiff Arms Park in a Five Nations championship match in February 1986.
Wales lost the match - their only defeat of the campaign - and consequently missed out on the chance of securing the Grand Slam.
Golf: Des Smyth made a winning start on the first day of the UBS Warburg Cup at Kiawah Island yesterday when he and team captain Gary Player beat Arnold Palmer and Mark O'Meara by 3 and 2 which helped the Rest of the World move into a three-point lead over the US.
Japan's Isao Aoki produced an amazing eagle two to cap a remarkable first day's play. Partnering Nick Faldo in the foursomes section of the over-40s event, Aoki holed his nine-iron second shot from 125 yards on the 414-yard 12th to move the duo one-up on their way to a hard-fought 2 and 1 victory over Hale Irwin and Mark Calcavecchia.
RESULTS: Foursomes (Rest of the World names first): B Langer and F Nobilo bt S Hoch and J Cook 2 & 1, S Ginn and JM Canizares bt T Watson & L Roberts 1 hole, S Torrance and I Woosnam halved with L Nelson and C Strange, N Faldo and I Aoki bt M Calcavecchia and H Irwin 2 & 1, G Player and D Smyth bt A Palmer & M O'Meara 3 & 2, D Durnian and I Stanley lost to R Floyd andD Quigley 1 hole. Rest of the World 41/2 US 11/2.
Rugby: Clontarf joined Bective Rangers in the Leinster Senior Cup semi-finals after a convincing 29-17 victory over DLSP at Castle Avenue last night. Three Simon Broughton penalties gave DLSP a 9-8 lead at the break. But, Clontarf came out like men possessed and their forwards gave them a platform they so badly needed. Alan Dignam, Donal Sheehan and David O'Brien all got over for tries that slowly drained the resistance away from the losers.
Scorers - Clontarf: D O'Brien try, drp gl, con; T Kernan, A Dignam, D Sheehan try each; J Dempsey two cons. DLSP: M Veniorau try. S Broughton, 4 pens.
CLONTARF: K Nowlan; T Kiernan, D O'Brien, J Downey, O Winchester; J Dempsey, M Walls; P Werahiko, T Foucher, A Clarke, D Sheehan, A Wood, D Quinn, P Lynn, B Gissing. Replacements: D O'Shea, for Kernan (50 min); A Dignam for Lynn, J Moore for Wood (both 55 mins).
DLSP: S Gormley; E Devitt, J Critchley, G Riordan, M Vioreanu; S Broughton, M Cross; K Condron, A Davis, D Masters, P McDonnell, R Candlin, A Toher, S McCarthy, J Deen.
Referee: A Rogan (ARLB)
Cycling: With the ICF a.g.m. just one week away, final preparations are being made for their Bikefest weekend at the Shannon Oaks Hotel in Portumna. The federation reports there has been a good level of interest in the three-day programme of activities, which begins next Friday.
Congress takes place on Saturday morning, starting at 10 a.m. and a number of important issues will be discussed, including a proposed change of name of the ICF to Cycling Ireland. The continuing shortfall in finances is also likely to be a main topic, with rising insurance costs one of the main problems facing the ICF.
Meanwhile the Ulster Cycling Federation is to hold an e.g.m. on Monday following the decision of some of the board to resign due to disagreements over funding for the Commonwealth Games.
Finally, national road race champion David McCann has indicated he is unlikely to be offered a place with the Polish CCC Mat team in 2002, due to their planned expansion and so he is searching for a new professional contract.
Motor Sport: There are 400 applications for entries in the weekend rally events in Wexford and Kerry, which will ensure the statutory 130 maximum starters.
Paul Harris, Tim McNulty and Maurice Gass in Subaru Imprezas are seeded in front of Toyota Celica-drivers Peadar Hurson, Sean McArdle and Tom Holton in tomorrow's stage event. The exact location of the stage in the Newbawn-Rosslare area will not be revealed by the Wexford Motor Club until morning. There will be three runs over the stage with service at Ballinaboola on the Wexford-New Ross Road.
Johnny O'Sullivan in a Ford Escort WRC, Ray Breen in a Subaru Impreza, and Opel Manta drivers Ed Synan and Anthony O'Halloran are the top seeds in tomorrow's Yokohama Tyres Banna Beach rally run by the Kerry Motor Club. The last stage will be run in darkness. Service will be on the Castleisland-Abbeyfeale road.
The Motorsport Show at the RDS continues today and tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Awards: The short-list for this year's William Hill Sports Book for the Year has been announced. Former Ireland soccer international Tony Cascarino's Full Time: The Secret Life of Tony Cascarino by Paul Kimmage is included, and the other choices are: Looking For A Fight (boxing) by David Matthews, War, Baby: The Glamour of Violence (boxing) by Kevin Mitchell, and A Voyage For Madmen (sailing) by Peter Nichols.
