New player availability regulations

SPORTS DIGEST:RUGBY: A new regulation on player availability for international matches has been adopted by the International Rugby Board.

Players from the northern hemisphere will be restricted to 11 internationals per season and those from south of the equator to 12.

The global release periods governed by Regulation 9 include three matches in June and three in November.

Provision is also made for five weeks during the Six Nations and six weeks for the Tri-Nations, but does not include fallow weeks during those tournaments.

The Assembly period for Test matches now begins five days prior to the kick off of an International match.

IRB chairman Bernard Lapasset said: "I believe we have achieved an outcome that will provide more certainty and clarity for everyone in the game."

The new regulation will apply from January 1st, 2009.

Lel attempts fourth title 

ATHLETICS:Kenyan Martin Lel will attempt to win a record fourth London marathon men's title on April 26th next year.

Lel (30), who won the marathon in 2005, 2007 and again this year, is also attempting to become the second man after Mexican Dionicio Ceron to win the race three times in a row.

Last year Lel set a course record of two hours five minutes 15 seconds.

Former NFL star pleads guilty

AMERICAN FOOTBALL: Former National Football League star Michael Vick pleaded guilty to state dogfighting charges yesterday in a plea deal that nets him no additional jail time and resolves his remaining criminal charges.

The former Atlanta Falcons quarterback, who is serving a 23-month prison sentence on federal dogfighting charges, was given a three-year suspended sentence from a Virginia state court.

He pleaded not guilty to a second count of animal cruelty, which was dropped in a plea deal. He was also given four years of probation.

The fallen sports star, wearing a grey suit, apologized to his family and "to all the kids out there who looked up to me as a role model".

He is scheduled to be released from the US penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas in July, ahead of the NFL's 2009 season. His lawyers have said he hopes to play again professionally, though he still faces an indefinite ban from the league.

Cave cleared to rally in Wales

MOTOR SPORT:Welsh teenager Tom Cave was cleared to become the youngest driver in next week's world rally championship season-ender in Wales after passing his driving test yesterday.

The 17-year-old from Aberdovey has been competing for the past two years in Latvia and already holds an international rally competition licence from that country.

However, he needed the regular British licence to get between the stages in Wales on ordinary roads. "I'm delighted to pass my test today," the Ford Fiesta driver said on his website.

"It was the last hurdle to get over before I could take the start of Wales Rally GB and it's a huge relief to have it out of the way. Now I can concentrate on the rally."

Montgomery's admission to be investigated by IOC

ATHLETICS: The International Olympic Committee will investigate an admission by jailed US sprinter Tim Montgomery that he used drugs before winning a gold medal with the 4x100 metres relay team at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Montgomery (33), who has been sentenced to almost nine years in jail on heroin and cheque fraud charges, made the confession in an interview for the HBO television Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.

Montgomery said he had used banned substances several times before the 2000 Games race. "Prior to the 2000 Olympic Games in Australia I broke the rules," said Montgomery in a transcript provided by HBO.

"I used (substances to boost my) testosterone and then I used HGH (human growth hormone) four times a month. I have a gold medal I'm sitting on that I didn't get with my own ability."

Brazil were second and Cuba third in the Sydney relay.

Taylor takes controversial bout

BOXING: Irish lightweight Katie Taylor is just one fight away from at least a bronze medal at the AIBA Women's World Championships after a controversial 4-3 win over Czech fighter Danusa Dilofova in Ningbo City, China, yesterday.

Taylor, the reigning world champion, will now meet Argentine Peralta Celeste in the quarter-finals at the Ningbo Youngor Gymnasium this morning.

Yesterday's win over Dilofova was the subject of an official letter of complaint from the Ireland camp against referee Eduard Hodes. The Ukrainian gave Taylor, of the Bray boxing club, a public warning for holding in the second round. That decision, which saw Taylor concede two points, nearly cost the Irishwoman, who was 3-0 at the time as Dilofova pulled back to within one point and then levelled.

However, Taylor, who is also the European and EU champion, registered a further point in the third and final round to claim victory.

Ireland team manager Anna Moore confirmed they have lodged the protest with technical delegates from the AIBA. "The referee gave her a public warning which was unmerited and this brought the score to 3-2. The Czech got a point from we don't know where and this made it three all. At this stage, we thought that Katie should have been up by at least eight points," said Moore.