Sports digest

Today's other stories in brief

Roche moves up to fourth position

CYCLING: Nicolas Roche jumped up to an excellent fourth overall in the Volta a Catalunya in Spain yesterday, placing sixth on the mountainous stage to La Seu d'Urgell and improving from his previous position of ninth, writes Shane Stokes.

The 25-year-old Irish road race champion finished one minute and 20 seconds after Xavier Tondo (Cervelo Test Team), who out- sprinted fellow Spaniard Joaquin Rodriguez (Team Katusha). Roche came in as part of a 19-man group, with many bigger names losing time.

Meanwhile, the Ireland team’s participation in the world track championships in Denmark begins today. David O’Loughlin goes in the individual pursuit. Matt Brammeier competes in the scratch race.

Campbell seals McMullen Cup victory

RUGBY: The power and pace of centre Robert Campbell was the decisive factor in CBS Naas's 8-0 victory over Wilson's Hospital, enabling them to claim their second Leinster Schools' Section A McMullen Senior Cup title in six seasons at Navan RFC yesterday.

The moment of magic arrived in the 26th minute. Naas had just taken the lead when Campbell flighted a left-footed penalty between the posts.

Boosted by this, Naas went on the attack. Lock Niall Gorry took the ball on; outhalf Ian Kenny chipped the advancing defence and Campbell took off on a 60-metre surge that took him around the final defender to go over in the right corner for the try.

It was a body blow Wilson’s could never really recover from, although they tried to the end, their backrow of Jordan Gillmor, Mark Colton and captain Barry Stewart and centre Phillip Butler never dropping their heads.

Griffith and Ward to trade leather

BOXING: World Junior champion Joe Ward will meet Christian Griffith in the semi-finals of the National Youth 2 Championships at the National Stadium in Dublin tomorrow night.

Ward, from the Moate Club in Westmeath, will trade leather with the Holy Family Belfast middleweight, while Martin McDonagh and Andy Donnellan meet in the other semi-final.

The Youth 1 and Boy and Girl 4 Championships also conclude this weekend. All finals will be held on Saturday over three sessions, beginning in the morning.

Meanwhile, Ireland coach Jim Moore will announce his squad for April’s AIBA World Youth Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan this week. A record 105 nations have registered for the tournament.

The World Youth Championships will act as the only qualifier for the Youth Olympic Games.

Greenwich Park gets Olympic nod

EQUESTRIAN: Greenwich Council have voted 10 to two in favour of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) staging the equestrian competitions and the modern pentathlon of the 2012 Games in Greenwich Park, writes Margie McLoone.

The Council has imposed 40 conditions on the organisers whose support among the local community was divided with many opposing the application on transport, ecology and archaeology grounds.

The organisers now have two years to make preparations to transform the park to cater for show jumping, dressage and eventing.

The equestrian events of the 2008 Beijing Olympics were staged in Hong Kong and the use of Greenwich Park will bring the competitors and their followers closer to the main Olympic action in 2012.

Colaiste Eoin keep their stranglehold

GAA: Coláiste Eoin's stranglehold on the Dublin Schools' Juvenile A hurling championship remains intact after they claimed their third title in succession at Parnell Park yesterday – defeating St Aidan's by 2-9 to 2-7.

The Stillorgan boys excelled in the second half, with corner-forward Colm Ó Néill leading from the front.

With the teams going in level at the break, Ó Néill struck for a goal almost immediately after the whistle and he went on to score five more points, with midfielder Fionn Ó Rian Broin adding two more.

St Aidan’s gave a good account of themselves and fought bravely until the end, but the champions had too much in the end.