AUSTRALIA forward Toutai Kefu, currently in Cardiff for Sunday's game against Wales, has been offered £650,000 sterling to miss the next World Cup and play in Japan for three years.

The contract would make Tongan-born Kefu the highest-paid player in Australian Rugby, beating the massive deal that took Wendell Sailor away from the League game, and has started him thinking.

Only three weeks ago Kefu admitted that he had turned down massive overseas offers after his father had made an impassioned plea for him to stay with Australia - at least until the end of the 2003 World Cup.

Kefu (27), is the most effective forward in the current Wallaby pack and losing him would be a body blow to coach Eddie Jones' plans to take Australia back to the top of the heap in the next 24 months.

AIL champions Dungannon have been drawn against City of Derry in the semi-final of the First Trust Ulster Senior Cup.

And they have home advantage on December 22nd for a repeat of the 1999 cup decider.

Having already knocked out Harlequins, who defeated Dungannon in last season's cup final, Dungannon now have an opportunity to gain revenge for their previous cup final defeat as well.

The other semi-final sees Banbridge take on Ballynahinch.