Sports Digest

A round-up of other sports news in brief

Sad passing of former IRFU president Bobby Deacy

THE FORMER Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) president Bobby Deacy, who passed away at his Galway home on Monday, will be remembered as one of the key Union figures to oversee the transformation of the game into the professional era in the mid-1990s.

Deacy served as honorary treasurer of the IRFU from 1987 to 1996 and was thus importantly placed for the transition from the amateur era when the game turned professional in 1995. Even though the Union were reluctantly dragged into the professional era, they adapted and Deacy’s biggest contribution was his central part in the decision to set up the four provinces as the professional playing wing of the IRFU and to centrally contract the players.

On foot of his decade as treasurer, Deacy became only the eighth Connacht man to become president of the IRFU in 1996-97. Deacy was still central to the IRFU’s planning up to his death this week as he chaired the committee which oversaw ticketing arrangements for the new Lansdowne Road.

Deacy began his career as a rugby administrator when serving as secretary and treasurer with his beloved Galwegians, after his playing days as a flanker came to an end.

His family were steeped in Galwegians, and his uncle, Jack Deacy, was one of the founding members of the club after the breakaway from Corinthians in 1922. Deacy became secretary of the Connacht Branch from 1975 to 1981, before serving as president in 1985-6.

Aged 68, Deacy died suddenly but peacefully at his home in Woodstock, on the Moycullen Road, on Monday. He was a regular at Galwegians, Connacht, and Ireland games until last month and remained a trustee with the Connacht Branch while maintaining his involvement with the IRFU.

“He was very well-known throughout the country and was recognised everywhere as one of the most able administrators the game of rugby ever produced,” said Connacht Branch CEO Gerry Kelly this week. “Nationally, in his time as IRFU treasurer, he was recognised as a man who turned the organisation around and paved the way for Irish rugby to enter the professional era.”

A co-founder of Deacy and Concannon accountants, Eyre Square, (now Deacy and Associates), he is survived by his wife, Ann; daughter, Edith; son, Norman; daughter-in-law Lorraine, and grandchildren Robert, James, Matthew, and Natasha; brothers Norman (Galway) and John (Claremorris), sister Josephine, cousins and a wide circle of friends. – Gerry Thornley

Peterhansel extends his overall lead in Dakar Rally

MOTOR SPORT: Robby Gordon claimed victory on a shortened fourth stage of the Dakar Rally as Stephane Peterhansel extended his overall lead by finishing in second place.

Yesterday’s stage from Flambala to Copiapo was delayed by 90 minutes due to some competitors being late to arrive at camp following Monday’s third stage, with the decision then being taken to cut the length of yesterday’s test by 40 kilometres.

American Gordon eventually claimed the stage by one second from Peterhansel.

However the French BMW driver appears handily-placed as he now holds a lead of seven minutes and 36 seconds over the Volkswagen of Carlos Sainz.

Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah was third on yesterday’s run with 2009 winner Giniel de Villiers, who is over three hours off the pace after suffering problems yesterday, back in fourth.

France’s Cyril Despres holds the advantage in the bike class but it was defending champion Marc Coma who took the stage victory as the Spaniard looks to bounce back from losing over 40 minutes over the last two days.

Vladimir Chagin claimed victory on his 39th birthday in the truck class to extend his handsome overall lead to over 26 minutes.

Argentina’s Marcos Patronelli continues to lead the quad entries as he holds an advantage of over eight minutes over his brother, Alejandro.

Freire to race in Giro d'Italia

CYCLING: Spain’s three-time world champion Oscar Freire will race in May’s Giro d’Italia for the first time. The Rabobank rider has heeded the call of his Dutch team to compete in the world’s second biggest stage race, which starts in Amsterdam on May 8th, before touring around Italy.

World champion Cadel Evans, new Team Sky rider Bradley Wiggins and former Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre are all committed to race.

Federer and Nadal advance

TENNIS: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal both made light work of their first-round opponents at the Qatar Open in Doha yesterday.

In his first ATP World Tour match of the season, world number one Federer was in a ruthless mood against Belgium’s Christophe Rochus.

Federer, who will face Russia’s Evgeny Korolev in the second round, needed less than an hour to defeat Rochus 6-1 6-2. Nadal began his season by lifting the trophy at an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi on Saturday and he again demonstrated his impressive form in a 6-3 6-3 victory over Simone Bolelli.

One of the most popular victories of the day went to Moroccan Younes El Aynaoui, who defeated US qualifier Ryler DeHeart 7-6 (7/3) 7-6 (7/4).

Sri Lanka ease to win over India 

CRICKET: Thilan Samaraweera’s sparkling century and Chanaka Welegedara’s incisive bowling led Sri Lanka to a five-wicket win over India in the second match of the Tri-Series yesterday.

After restricting India to 279 for nine, Sri Lanka raced to 283 for five in 48 overs with Samaraweera cracking a career-best unbeaten 105 including 11 fours. Samaraweera shared a second-wicket partnership of 122 with his captain Kumar Sangakkara who scored 60 off 80 balls, his 53rd one-day half-century and second in two days.

India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh took three wickets but he could not restrict the Sri Lankans who beat hosts Bangladesh in the opening match of the tournament by seven wickets.

Sri Lanka bowled well at the death to keep their target down after Yuvraj Singh had set the platform for India with 74. Sri Lanka conceded only 20 runs in the last five overs and took four wickets as Welegedara completed his maiden five-wicket haul.