Rugby: Iestyn Harris is expected to complete his switch to rugby union within the next 48 hours. The Leeds skipper, who made clear his intentions to quit league last week by pulling out of Britain's autumn Test series with Australia, should complete a move to Cardiff.

Meanwhile Kieron Cunningham, the Welsh hooker, is expected to follow Harris into the code by signing for Swansea.

Cricket: Australia are likely to announce their stand-in skipper within the next 48 hours. With the Ashes already in the bag, the tourists will continue their assault on a 5-0 series whitewash without captain Steve Waugh, who limped out of the action on Saturday with a calf problem.

Vice-captain Adam Gilchrist is the most obvious option but Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne have been mentioned as other alternatives.

Cycling: Portuguese rider Pedro Martins took the lead in the Tour of Portugal after winning the race's fifth and longest stage in a lone effort yesterday. Martins rode away in the final minutes from compatriot Nelson Vitorino and Italy's Leonardo Giordani, with whom he had broken away from the main pack after 15 kilometres of the stage's 220.7 kms from Tavira to Evora.

The trio built up a lead of 18 minutes by the halfway stage but the main pack had whittled the advantage down to little more than a minute by the finish. Martins now holds a slender overall lead of 45 seconds over Spain's Angel Edo.

Golf: Stephen Hamill turned in his best performance for some time at Templepatrick yesterday when he shot into the lead after the first day's play in the £12,000 Hilton PGA Ulster Open Championship. The Allen Park Club professional carded a three-under-par course record of 68 but tees-off in the second round this morning only one shot ahead of Damian Mooney, John Dwyer and Francis Howley.