Cork players out of tour

The GAA's All Star hurling tour to Singapore is unlikely to have any representation from the All-Ireland champions Cork. Reports yesterday suggested that most of their players have withdrawn ahead of the departure next Wednesday week.

Ten Cork players were due to travel - six from the 2005 All Star team and another four from the 2004 selection.

The highlight of the annual tour is the exhibition game between the current selection and the previous year's selection. If the tour goes ahead without any representation from Cork it will create some embarrassment for the GAA and the All Star sponsors Vodafone.

The entire Cork team are on holiday in South Africa, and the exact extent of the withdrawal is not entirely clear. But it is understood that the O'Connor twins, Ben and Jerry, definitely won't be travelling, nor will defender Pat Mulcahy, as they want to prepare for the All-Ireland semi-final with their club Newtownshandrum.

Also collecting All Stars in 2005 were Diarmuid O'Sullivan, John Gardiner and Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, but reportedly they won't be travelling either, while the members of the 2004 selection were Wayne Sherlock, Ronan Curran, Niall McCarthy and Brian Corcoran.

The GAA are awaiting final confirmation on the withdrawal of the Cork contingent, but in the meantime have called up a number of replacements, with Waterford's Eoin Kelly, Tipperary's Philip Maher, Kilkenny's Eoin Larkin and Clare's Niall Gilligan and Brian Lohan set to travel on the tour, which runs from January 18th to 24th.

Ironically, the two managers selected for the tour were Cork's John Allen and his predecessor Donal O'Grady.

There are also reports that beaten All-Ireland finalists Galway could have less representation than hoped. They are holidaying in Vietnam and the players are more concerned about training for the upcoming league on their return. Their four representatives are Ollie Canning, Derek Hardiman, Ger Farragher and Damien Hayes.

The Kerry football captaincy for next year will once again rest with Declan O'Sullivan after he was nominated last night by the Valentia club, who earned the right to nominate the captaincy after winning the South Kerry championship.

Meanwhile, Finuge have confirmed they will appeal the six-month ban handed out to Paul Galvin by the North Kerry Board on December 22nd.