Women's hockey: The build-up to September's World Cup Qualifier starts in earnest for the Irish women's team on Saturday and Sunday week (June 16th and 17th) when they play England in two full internationals in Belfast but, before then, they meet Scotland in three low-key training games this weekend, starting with this evening's meeting at Queen's University, writes Mary Hannigan.
It's a year since the Irish team played a competitive match (against Holland in Edinburgh) so coach Riet Kuper is anxious to make good use of the runouts against Scotland to prepare the team for the daunting challenge of playing a strong England squad so early in the international season.
All 25 members of the panel are likely to see some action against Scotland before Kuper reduces the squad to 16 outfield players and three goalkeepers for the England games.
Internationals (at Queens) - Today: Ireland v Scotland, 8.0. Tomorrow: Ireland v Scotland, 3.30. Sunday: Ireland v Scotland, 11.0.
Irish Panel: A Boyles, K Humphries, C McMahon, P Magill (all Pegasus), E Bromell, E Cregan (both Univ of Limerick), L Brown (Sutton Coldfield), T Browne, J Burke, C Carey, D Sixsmith (all Hermes), L Caulfield (Trinity), N King (Pembroke Wanderers), K Maybin (Randalstown), J McDonagh (Newcastle Univ/Belfast Harlequins), C McKean, S Rand, N Symmons (all Loreto), L McVicker, A Platt (both Ballymoney), C O'Brien (UCD), K O'Brien, R Kohler (both Cork Harlequins), J Orbinson (Portadown), S Parkhill (Grange Edinburgh).
Dun Laoghaire Golf Club hosts a Charity Day on Sunday in memory of Jacqui Potter who died earlier this year. All proceeds from the day will go to GOAL and `Friends of the Elderly'.
Rowing: An eight containing four of Ireland's top oarsmen, Gearoid Towey, Tony O'Connor, Neville Maxwell and Derek Holland is set to compete at Docklands regatta on Sunday as part of an Imperial/Queen's Tower/ Neptune composite, writes Liam Gorman.
The regatta is traditionally a good pointer to form for Henley Royal Regatta, which concludes on the first weekend of July, but Towey and O'Connor, who would love to compete, have been told by the Irish team management that it is too close to the World Cup in Munich the weekend after. The pair are part of the Irish team for the first World Cup in Seville next weekend.
Rugby: Saracens have pulled off a major coup by signing French international lock Abdelatif Benazzi on a two year deal. The London club, who had a bitterly disappointing season in the Zurich Premiership, moved quickly to fill the void left by the departure of England's Danny Grewcock to Bath.
