GOLF: Wexford professional Damian McGrane is preparing for another attack on the Challenge Tour by competing in the 54-hole Great Northern Hotel pro-am tournament at Bundoran.
In yesterday's first round of the €15,000 event, McGrane carded a two-under-par 68 for a share of the overnight lead with Geoff Loughrey.
Left-hander Loughrey from Knockbracken began on the back nine and turned in level-par 35.
He dropped a stroke at the par-four 12th but recovered with a birdie four at 17. He then made another four at the long second hole and finished with a birdie three at the downhill ninth.
McGrane, who began on the front nine, birdied the par-five second but registered a five at the fourth. Out in regulation 35, he completed the inward run in two-under-par 33, with birdie twos at the 13th and 16th holes.
Leading the Team Championship is Donabate pro Hugh Jackson with Francie McGahon (6), Ritchie Davis (16) and Jack Duffy (22), all from Ardee. They carded 90 points, four ahead of the chasing pack.
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RUGBY: Bill McLaren won't make his final BBC broadcast until Saturday week, but already rugby's most famous commentator has made plans to come out of retirement.
McLaren, a radio and TV commentator for 50 years, will do his last BBC shift in Cardiff on April 6th when Wales play Scotland in the Six Nations.
However, he has accepted an invitation to get back behind the microphone with South African broadcasters Super Sport.
The 78-year-old will head the Super Sport team for the two Test matches between Wales and the Springboks this summer, in Bloemfontein on June 8th and Cape Town on June 15th.
RUGBY: Ireland play Romania in their third game in the IRB/FIRA Under-19 World Cup in San Dona, Italy, tonight (7 p.m. Irish time). If the Irish win, they will play the winners of the match between Russia and Georgia to contest ninth and 10th places in the tournament.
If Ireland lose, they will face the losers of the latter game to decide who finishes 11th and 12th in the final standings.
An indication of just how far the national side is off the pace can be gleaned from the fact that Ireland's conquerors in the first match Italy (27-24) lost 80-8 to New Zealand.
TENNIS: Top seed Yvonne Doyle won through to the quarter-finals of the British Tour tournament yesterday in Sunderland. Doyle beat Cheshire's Leanne Smith easily, 6-0 6-2.
In the Australia Unity Tour event in Devonport, Tasmania, John Dorran has been ranked as fifth seed, while Elsa O'Riain plays in the women's Unity tournament at Bendigo.
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