After a mighty fine week for Irish swimming, when seven medals were won at the European Short Course Championships, there came less wholesome news on that sporting front. Max McCusker, a 2024 Irish Olympian, has followed Shane Ryan’s path in to the Enhanced Games which are set to take place in Las Vegas next May.
Safe to say, Daniel Wiffen, one of our medallists in Poland, is not enthused about the new event which allows the use of performance-enhancing drugs. It doesn’t make sense to him “morally that people would go out and dope just for a paycheck,” Ian O’Riordan heard him say. At the same time, he can understand the temptation: “There’s just not enough money in our sport”.
In rugby, Gordon D’Arcy believes a “predictable” Leinster could do worse than copy French clubs’ blueprint for success, the manner in which Toulouse and Bordeaux are playing this weather - with “a structure laced with imagination” - reminding him of the levels Leinster reached under Joe Schmidt.
One of the brighter spots for Leinster, though, has been the form of winger Tommy O’Brien who, writes Johnny Watterson, is “playing the best rugby of his career”. And he’s hoping to maintain that form against Leicester on Friday.
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Munster, meanwhile, are hopeful that Jack Crowley will be fit for Saturday’s game against Gloucester in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, but Connacht’s injury list remains a lengthy one, Finlay Bealham among those unavailable for their Challenge Cup meeting with Black Lion.
In GAA news, the contest to become the association’s next president, after Jarlath Burns’ term is up in early 2027, looks set to be a two-man race: Wexford’s Derek Kent v Tipperary’s Ger Ryan. Gordon Manning fills you in.
And Seán Moran reflects on a year in Gaelic games that may be remembered more for what happened off the pitch than on it, the new rules in football and two potentially landmark reports standing out.
In football, Fifa has a decidedly tricky problem. The World Cup game Seattle has designated as their LGBTQ+ Pride Match will be between Egypt and Iran, two countries not best known for their respect for LGBTQ+ rights. They want that designation withdrawn, Seattle, thus far, is standing its ground.
In golf, Philip Reid has most excellent news - Kildare woman Lauren Walsh has secured an LPGA Tour card for next season after a brilliant performance at the Q-Series Final in Alabama. And in athletics, Ian talks to Fiona Everard ahead of Sunday’s European Cross-Country Championships in Portugal.
TV Watch: There’s yet more Champions League fare tonight, one of the tastier 8.0 ties the meeting of Real Madrid and Manchester City, ie Kylian Mbappé v Erling Haaland (RTÉ 2, TNT Sports 1 and Premier Sports 1). Arsenal are away to Club Brugge at the same time (Virgin Media Two and TNT Sports 2), and Newcastle are on the road too, Bayer Leverkusen their opponents (TNT Sports 3).
