Boxing: Naseem Hamed's American television paymasters foresee a re-match against Marco Antonio Barrera proving a bigger attraction than the original in Las Vegas on Saturday which brought an end the Prince's unbeaten record.
It is straight back in with Barrera, according to the terms of his HBO deal. And the fight will probably be shown again by HBO's pay-per-view arm TVKO.
Squash: The Irish Open Championships, which were due to take place at Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis club last month but had to be postponed because of the foot-and-mouth crisis, have been rescheduled for May 24th-27th at the same venue, reports Mary Hannigan.
The organisers expect the world's top 16 players to enter the event again which they will use as their final warm-up for the British Open (June 6th-10th) in Birmingham. Irish champion Derek Ryan will receive a wild card into the Dublin event, which is sponsored by Nivea for Men. Tickets are available from Fitzwilliam (01-2310606).
Rugby: The Ireland Schools team contains four members of last year's squad for the international against France at the Sportsground on Saturday, April 21st (4 p.m.). Colin Murphy (CBC Cork), Shane O'Connor (CBC Cork), G Carruthers (Coleraine) and James Clifford (Rockwell) all played last season.
IRELAND: G Hayes (Clongowes); G Carruthers (Coleraine), K Kennedy (St Michael's), G Telford (RBAI), C Murphy (CBC Cork); D McAllister (Terenure), D Geraghty (Blackrock); J Clifford (Rockwell), D Fogarty (Rockwell), J Moran (Clongowes); D Gannon (Blackrock), S O'Connor (CBC Cork); C Potts (St Mary's), J Heaslip (Newbridge), E Nihill (St Munchin's, capt). Replacements: B Tuohy (Crescent), C Sharpe (Blackrock), D Connellan (Clongowes), S Crawford (Castleknock), J Kilbane (Methody), M Whelan (Blackrock), C Geoghegan (St Michael's).
NCTC Board: The National Coaching and Training Centre in Limerick yesterday unveiled its new board of management which will be chaired by Prof Pat Fottrell, the former president of NUI Galway and a current member of the Irish Sports Council, reports Ian O'Riordan.
The board has been appointed until the end of 2002 and includes representatives from the National governing bodies of sport, athletes, the Olympic and Paralympic Councils of Ireland and business interests.
The full NCTC Board of Management is: Prof Pat Fottrell (chairman); Pasty McGonagle (sports officer at Letterkenny IT and member of the Irish Sports Council), Prof Aidan Moran (UCD), John McNamara (Bank of Ireland), Lt Col Gerry Mullins (executive director, Equestrian Federation of Ireland), Anne Ebbs (secretary general, Paralympic Council of Ireland), Una English (international athlete), Michael Whelan (sports officer, DIT), Billy Kennedy (Olympic Council of Ireland), Dr Alan Donnelly (head of physical education and sports science, University of Limerick), Dave Mahedy (director of sport and recreation, University of Limerick), Kay Doyle (University of Limerick governing authority), Eoin McCann (assistant dean, academic affairs, College of Science, University of Limerick).
Rugby: Nigel Walker last night emerged as the clear favourite to become Wales's new team manager.
The former Olympic sprint hurdler and 17-times capped Wales wing is seen as an obvious replacement for David Pickering, who quit following Sunday's 33-23 Six Nations Championship victory over Italy. Pickering stepped down citing "personal and business" reasons for his decision, having worked alongside Wales coach Graham Henry since 1998.
Cycling: Dundrum cyclist Aidan Duff finished sixth in the world-ranked Boucles de l'Artois race in France, reports Shane Stokes.
The 25-year-old led home a small group which finished 40 seconds behind winner Christophe Laurent, of Duff's Super Sport 23 La Creuse team.
Elsewhere in France, professional rider Ciaran Power placed 44th in the Grand Prix of Rennes while Tommy Evans followed up his excellent third place in the recent Archer GP by placing 11th in the Trophee de la Ville de Cusset.
