SPORTS DIGEST:AWARDS: Major winners Darren Clarke and Rory McIlroy, along with cyclist Mark Cavendish, lead the nominations for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2011.
Clarke (43), won his first major title at the age of 42 with a brilliant performance in the British Open, following in the footsteps of compatriot McIlroy’s record-breaking eight-shot triumph in the US Open the previous month.
Mallett back in race for England job
RUGBY:Nick Mallett yesterday indicated he would be interested in becoming England's head coach – if a restructured Rugby Football Union approached him next year.
Earlier this month the RFU sounded Mallett out over his availability for the role vacated by Martin Johnson, but family reasons meant the timing was wrong.
The 55-year-old is widely regarded as the outstanding candidate, but his refusal to answer to a director of elite rugby – Rob Andrew – would prove a major stumbling block.
When asked yesterday, however, if he would be interested if the RFU approached him next April or May, he replied: “You can never say no. The family situation might have changed – I might have spent four or five months at home. My wife might be saying to me ‘it’s time to get off the sofa and back into coaching’.
“And the RFU will hopefully have resolved their issues by then. At the moment it’s hypothetical, but it certainly wouldn’t be out of the question.”
Injury forces Connacht’s Matthews to retire
RUGBY:Connacht centre Keith Matthews has been forced to retire from rugby after failing to recover from an Achilles' tendon injury picked up seven months ago.
The 28-year-old picked up the injury shortly after making his 100th appearance for Connacht, whom he joined from Munster seven seasons ago. The Limerick man suffered the injury during the captain’s run for a league game against Cardiff.
“I was running and went to go off my left and it was as if someone had kicked me really hard. I looked back and there was no one there. I knew straight away it was bad, the pain was something else,” he said.
It became apparent during the summer that the recovery was not working out as well as expected and there was a further setback in September. Matthews’ worst fears were confirmed when he saw a specialist in Belfast and was told he would have to retire.
Singh promises swift return
CRICKET:India's crowd-pleasing batsman Yuvraj Singh has told cricket fans it is simply a matter of time before he is back playing again after being diagnosed with a non-malignant lung tumour.
A wave of sympathy swept the country when his mother said in a statement at the weekend that the left-hander, who turns 30 next month, had a golf ball-sized tumour.
Yuvraj played in the Delhi and Kolkata Tests against West Indies this month but will be missing for the five-match one-day series against the same opponents that starts in Cuttack today.
“Overwhelmed with your love and support. I am absolutely fine, just need to get match fitness and training, will be back soon,” he said on his Twitter account. “Need some more time to regain 100p (per cent) fitness. Nothing serious, need to build up the lost stamina.”
Yuvraj was player of the tournament in India’s 50-over World Cup campaign this year.
Thomond set to host World Cup clash
RUGBY LEAGUE:Thomond Park in Limerick will host a Rugby League World Cup group match in 2013.
The Rugby Football League have been forced to defend their decision to take matches to France and Ireland. While the bulk of the tournament will take place in England and Wales, group matches will be held in Avignon, Perpignan and Limerick.
“It’s important that we remind ourselves that rugby league is played in other parts of Europe and our decision to take matches to France and Ireland is a reflection of that,” tournament director Nigel Wood said.
“Rugby League Ireland have made significant gains over the last decade and only a few weeks ago Ireland played France at Thomond Park in front of a reasonable crowd so we wanted to show our support.”
Tindall reinstated in elite squad
RUGBY:Mike Tindall has been reinstated in England's elite player squad and had a €29,000 fine reduced to €17,500 after an appeal against the punishment meted out for his off-field World Cup behaviour.
The England and Gloucester centre appealed the original RFU punishment which saw him kicked out of the squad and hit with a sizeable fine.
Tindall received backing from the Rugby Players’ Association, with many people feeling he had been made a scapegoat for England’s World Cup woes in New Zealand, and the RFU last night confirmed his appeal had been successful to a large extent.
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