SPORTS DIGEST:RUGBY: Ulster have received planning permission and financial backing to complete the Ravenhill redevelopment which will increase the capacity from 11,700 to 18,200.
Northern Ireland’s Environment Minister, Alex Attwood, confirmed the granting of planning permission for redevelopment work at the Belfast venue and the provision of €17.5 million in government funding.
The work will be on a phased basis and the ground will continue to host matches, albeit it with a slightly reduced capacity. The stands at the Memorial and Aquinas ends of the ground (behind the respective goalposts) will be built in the first two phases.
The Memorial End Stand will provide covered seating for 2,500 people, with terracing for a further 1,350 and will house a ticket office, shop, educational centre and match day bar/catering facilities.
The Aquinas end stand will be family-orientated and will have covered seating for 3,200 people.
Rugby fixtures
SATURDAY
A International: England Saxons v Ireland Wolfhounds, Sandy Park, 5pm.
Ulster Bank League 1A (2.30): Constitution v Lansdowne, Temple Hill; Garryowen v Dolphin, Dooradoyle; Old Belvedere v St Mary’s, Anglesea Road; Shannon v Clontarf, Thomond Park; Young Munster v Blackrock, Clifford Park.
Ulster Bank League 1B (2.30): Belfast Harlequins v Ballynahinch, Deramore Park; Dungannon v UL Bohemian, Stevenson Park; Galwegians v Bruff, Crowley Park; UCC v UCD, Mardyke; Buccaneers v Ballymena, Dubarry Park.
Ulster Bank League 2A (2.30): Bective Rangers v Old Crescent, Donnybrook; Clonakilty v City of Derry, The Vale; DLSP v Malone, Kirwan Park; Greystones v Midleton, Dr Hickey Park; Instonians v Seapoint, Shaws Bridge; QUB v Old Wesley, Dub Lane; Terenure College v Corinthians, Lakelands; Thomond v Dublin University, Fitzgerald Park.
Ulster Bank League 2B (2.30): Ards v Sligo, Hamilton Park; Armagh v Cashel, Palace Grounds; Highfield v Navan, Woodleigh Park; Naas v Boyne, Forenaughts; Nenagh Ormond v Banbridge, New Ormond Park; Rainey OB v Connemara, Hatrick Park; Sunday’s Well v Suttonians, Musgrave Park; Wanderers v NUIM Barnhall, Aviva stadium.
Ethiopia lifts athletes’ bans
ATHLETICS:Ethiopia has lifted its suspension of 35 athletes, including double Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele, an athletics official said yesterday after imposing a ban last week in a row over a training camp.The Ethiopian Athletics Federation imposed the measure on Thursday after Bekele, and others failed to turn up for preparations ahead of major championships this year, including the London Olympics.
Sheridan propping over to Toulon
RUGBY:Andrew Sheridan will become the latest England player to seemingly put his international career in jeopardy by heading for sunnier climes when he joins south of France club Toulon later this year.
Sale confirmed on their website yesterday the 32-year-old prop has agreed to leave for the French side, who also boast Jonny Wilkinson and Simon Shaw in their multi-national ranks.
Sheridan has won 40 caps for England in his nine years at Sale but his international days could now be numbered after his decision to move abroad with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) having a strict policy of only selecting home-based players except in exceptional circumstances.
Pound says players delaying HGH tests
DRUG TESTING:Dick Pound, the former head of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), has accused the National Football League Players' Association (NFLPA) of using stalling tactics to block the introduction of tests for human growth hormone (HGH).
After years of pressure from anti-doping crusaders and the US government, the NFL and NFLPA finally agreed to start blood testing for HGH when they signed a new collective bargaining agreement in August. But Pound, an outspoken critic of North American professional sports that have been slow to embrace doping tests and impose punishments, said the players’ union was now trying to delay the procedure by wrongly saying the tests were unreliable.
“The NFLPA have turned to their ubiquitous lawyers to throw as much sand as money can buy into the gears of an effective testing program”, Pound wrote in a column on the Wada website.
Larmour real centre of excellence for St Andrew’s
SCHOOLS RUGBY:Centre Jordan Larmour was the star turn with 15 points in St Andrew's 30-8 decision over Templeogue College in the Leinster Schools Fr Godfrey Junior Cup quarter-final at Guinness RFC yesterday.
The strike power in the winners’ backline was simply too much, with wing Simon Smith and captain Gary Fearon honing in for first-half tries, Larmour’s boot making it 18-3 at the interval.
St Gerard’s School fullback Mark Gallagher made the all-important breakthrough that eventually subdued a spirited St Patrick’s, Navan, 8-0 at Ashbourne RFC.
CUS built a 17-point lead in as many minutes on their way to seeing off qualifiers St Finian’s, Mullingar, 27-10 at Maynooth.
Centre Hugh Hackett left his fingerprints all over High School’s 15-3 defeat of Skerries Community College at Suttonians RFC with two tries, the other coming from hooker Stephen Crosby.
