Wood in 40-man training squad

RUGBY/ Irish training squad and news: Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan has named a squad of 40 players for the training camp in Athlone next week. It includes Keith Wood, who has not played Test rugby since the World Cup qualifying match against Russia last September.

Ronan O'Gara was not considered for the camp as he has yet to recover from the fractured wrist he sustained on Ireland's recent tour to Australia, Samoa and Tonga. Emmet Byrne (neck) and James Topping (groin) have also been ruled out through injury.

The squad will hold an open training session for the public at Buccaneers ground, Ericsson Park, on Wednesday, August 6th from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Ireland play three warm-up matches before departing for Australia on September 29th. The first is against Wales in Lansdowne Road on August 16th, followed by Italy in Thomond Park on August 30th. They then face Scotland in Murrayfield on September 6th with the 30-man World Cup squad announced the following day.

Ireland's tournament base is in Terrigal, an hour and a half drive from Sydney, where they will stay until October 21st before moving to Adelaide to prepare for the Argentina match and then on to Melbourne for the final pool game against Australia.

Meanwhile, the Irish players signed the IRB World Cup agreement last Friday. Initially the agreement gave the IRB control of players' imaging rights and also gave the IRB power to change the agreement after it was signed, but these controversial clauses have been removed.

There is no prizemoney for winning the tournament, only a small competing fee.

Bonus figures have also been amicably resolved between the players and the IRFU but PRO John Redmond stated that "on the behest of the players we will not be releasing the figure but the IRFU will not be found wanting in this matter."

Keith Wood was responsible for negotiating the retainer fee and bonus deal with the union.

Niall Woods, chairman of the Irish Rugby Union Players Association, who became involved after the rejuvenation of the players' body in February, said: "The main difference from previous Lions tours and World Cups is that all the squad will be receiving the same bonus regardless of whether they play or not." said Woods.

Things are less clear-cut in New Zealand where the Players' Union and the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRFU) have gone before a mediator to try to resolve their current pay dispute before tomorrow's deadline.

The NZRFU are offering €25,500 per player if the All Blacks win the tournament, but the players want around €51,000.

"I would have sympathy with the New Zealand players as they are clearly the best team in the world at present, despite their loss to England, all they are looking for is to be in line with the rest of the top countries," added Woods.

NZRU chief executive Chris Moller said expulsion from next October's tournament was a possibility as "a worst case scenario."

Speaking on New Zealand television International Rugby Board (IRB) chairman Syd Millar said: "It's not our intention to kick anyone out. It's our intention to calmly consider the situation. It's serious if someone can't deliver what they have signed to deliver, but we are still short of the deadline and one hopes the situation can be resolved."

IRELAND SQUAD: Forwards: S Best (Ulster), S Byrne (Leinster), R Corrigan (Leinster), L Cullen (Leinster), V Costello (Leinster), K Dawson (London Irish), S Easterby (Llanelli), J Fitzpatrick (Castres), A Foley (Munster), K Gleeson (Leinster), J Hayes (Munster), M Horan (Munster), G Longwell (Ulster), E Miller (Leinster), D O'Callaghan (Munster), P O'Connell (Munster), M O'Kelly (Leinster), A Quinlan (Munster), P Shields (Ulster), D Wallace (Munster), K Wood.

Backs: J Bell (Ulster), J Bishop (London Irish), P Burke (Harlequins), G Darcy (Leinster), G Dempsey (Leinster), N Doak (Ulster), G Easterby (Rotherham), R Henderson (Munster), D Hickie (Leinster), A Horgan (Munster), S Horgan (Leinster), T Howe (Ulster), D Humphreys (Ulster), J Kelly (Munster), K Maggs (Bath), G Murphy (Leicester), B O'Meara (Leinster), B O'Driscoll (Leinster), P Stringer (Munster).