DEPUTY Simon Coveney and three of his brothers - Rory, Andrew and Tony - are turning out for the Oireachtas Rugby team when it takes on the might of other parliaments during the Rugby World Cup in England and Wales in a couple of weeks. It's just as well, considering that some former All Blacks are members of the New Zealand pack. The Irish, under the captaincy of former GAA champion, FG deputy Jimmy Deenihan, will play three games: in Rugby School on Saturday fortnight, London (27th) and Cardiff (29th). Their opponents will be drawn from those already confirmed - France, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK. When England played at Lansdowne Road last March, the Leinster House XV under Deenihan beat the Commons and Lords XV under Lord Addington by 15 pts to 7. Deenihan was so enthusiastic that he planned to have training sessions at home in Kerry over the summer, but his players couldn't be rounded up. He hopes to get them together now. "Touring sides are more organised because they are coming from a distance so we have to have a training session. There have been very competitive games over the years and at the last World Cup in South Africa our tournament was treated as very important. Mandela came to see us and we were on national TV."
Joining the Coveneys of Cork will be deputies Sean Power, Billy Kelleher, Michael Ahern, Michael Creed, Conor Lenihan and Gerry Reynolds, as well as Ruairi Quinn's son, Malachi, who has come to the rescue in the past. Former Carlow/Kilkenny deputy MJ Nolan, who used to be captain and now works for Minister Michael Smith, will also don the special green and blue jersey. Senator John Dardis will be referee as usual. Some supporters from Leinster House are also expected to travel, and Sports Minister James McDaid is invited again in both his ministerial and medicinal capacities. Last March McDaid said he had instructions from Bertie Ahern to ensure Deenihan fielded no-one from a marginal constituency and that no by-elections resulted from play. He succeeded on that occasion but anything is possible now. The Commons and Lords RUFC state that the first round of matches will take place on the Close at Rugby School where William Webb Ellis first picked up the ball and ran with it, so creating the game. There will be a special dinner in the school grounds that night and the parliamentary tournament closes with another in Cardiff Castle.