Rural golf clubs may delay reopening; Leinster v Munster in 2009 felt like a peak

Following on from the news that an initial 5km travel limit will be in place for those playing on golf's resumption come May 18th – there is the wait for official protocol to be delivered to clubs later this week on how to implement safety guidelines. Philip Reid explains the majority of members - in rural clubs especially - reside beyond that distance leaving many clubs in the position of waiting to assess the protocols to see if it is worth reopening at all on May 18th, or to wait until the phase two measures on June 8th.

"Dundalk FC and myself have been lied to, stolen from, insulted and disrespected by the FAI," Dundalk chairman Bill Hulsizer says that he stands over his comments made in an email sent to senior officials at other Airticity League clubs over the weekend. Emmet Malone explains, he appears to favour a complete break by clubs with the association. A parachute payments row is posing a problem for the Premier League's return, the English Football League is also uncertain what benefit they would receive from the restart of the top flight, if games in the lower leagues were not able to restart at the same time. The German Football League has tested 1,724 players and staff at the 36 first and second tier sides since last Thursday - and 10 have tested positive. The league are building towards a return to action this month subject to government approval.

Gerry Thornley reflects on the epic 2009 Heineken Cup semi-final between Munster and Leinster in his column this morning: "The biggest turning point in the history of their rivalry and arguably of Irish rugby, watching it again, Leinster's 25-6 win felt no less seminal. It also still feels like a peak of sorts." John O'Sullivan has the latest entry to our new series looking back at sporting scandals - the Heineken Cup quarter-final between Harlequins and Leinster at The Stoop in 2009. "The vaudeville shtick surrounding fake blood capsules and a theatrical wink lends a retrospective comedic value to the farce," he explains. "But only because Leinster won the match and the Harlequins principals involved were unmasked as cheats and liars."

Meanwhile Brian O'Connor writes this morning that a realisation is required that racing is a different beast to other sports: "No one has to like or appreciate the sector to appreciate how, in a situation where it can be carried out safely, any undue delay in resumption smacks of economically cutting off your nose to spite your face."