NORTH MON, winners of the Sprite Cup two season ago, are to appeal to the Irish Basketball Association's (IBA) national executive after being refused a place in next season's Budweiser Super League.

The Cork club missed a series of deadlines with their league applications - which were originally due on May 3rd and May 20th - and a faxed application to the IBA, received yesterday, was not accepted. The national executive is scheduled to meet on July 5th and North Mon's appeal is expected to be heard then.

The matter is further complicated, however, by the decision to Promote Sligo All Stars, whoa finished in third place in Division One last season and subsequently won the post season Top Four tournament, to fill the North Mon vacancy in the top flight.

Meanwhile, the IBA's national competitions committee have accepted an application from St Mary's Castleisland to compete in next season's Budweiser League. The club already has a team competing in the Women's National League.

And Blarney, who dominated women's basketball in the late 1980s, will return to the National League next season. Blarney did not compete at national level for the past three years.