Sports Digest

A round-up of today's other sports news in brief...

Massa to call in favour

MOTOR SPORT: Felipe Massa expects team-mate Kimi Raikkonen to return a favour and help him become Formula One world champion if he remains Ferrari's leading driver in the final stages of the season.

Massa starts Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix six points behind McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and seven ahead of Raikkonen, with five races remaining after Spa.

When asked if he expected the Finn to support his attempt to become Brazil's first champion since Ayrton Senna, should Raikkonen fall further behind, Massa said: "If necessary, yes. As I did last year. Because of me, my team-mate won the championship. He is a fair guy and I expect him to do the same for me."

Alonso to decide on  his future 'very soon':

MOTOR SPORT: Twice Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso has said he will decide his future shortly, but dismissed media reports he will make an announcement next week.

"I will decide very soon on what I will do next year and what possibilities there are, but there is not a fixed day," Renault driver Alonso said ahead of Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix.

Alonso (27), has been linked with moves to Ferrari and Honda despite having a year left on his current contract.

He said reports he would disclose his intentions in Monza next week were incorrect.

"No, I will not be making an announcement in Monza. It is not true," Alonso said.

NZ cities given top matches

RUGBY: New Zealand's three biggest cities will share the knock-out stages of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Wellington and Christchurch would each host two quarter-finals, while the play-off for third and fourth place would be held in Auckland, Rugby New Zealand 2011 have said.

It had been announced that both the semi-finals and final would be played in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city.

"Each region has shown a strong desire to help us deliver a world-class tournament and also to deliver a memorable national Rugby World Cup festival," RNZ 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden said in a statement.

Auckland's Eden Park, which staged the first World Cup final in 1987, is undergoing a €113 million refurbishment that will see its capacity boosted to 60,000.

Akhtar not allowed enter 

CRICKET: Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar was sent home from Heathrow airport yesterday morning because he did not have all the documents allowing him to enter England and play for county side Surrey.

"I had got a work permit but apparently you also need to have a work visa for that," he said. "I had a multiple visit visa so I had to come back. Now the documents are complete and I will hopefully fly out on Friday."

€70,000 prize money at Barnadown

EQUESTRIAN: There is almost €70,000 on offer over the three days of the national show jumping championships which start this morning at Barnadown, Co Wexford, reports Margie McLoone.

Tomorrow the show features the finals of this year's Irish Sport Horse show jumping series for five-year-olds and six- and seven-year-olds. There will be €6,000 in prize money for both classes, while the top three horse and rider combinations in the two leagues, which have been running since Louth County Show in April, will also be well rewarded.

Tholm Keane returns to defend his speed title at the Showjumping Ireland championships, but Robert Splaine is an absentee as he will be on duty as chef d'equipe to the Irish squad at the weekend's non Super League nations' cup at Spruce Meadows.

At home, the final of the 2008 Bluegrass Horse Feeds super league takes place tomorrow at the one-day event in Loughanmore outside Templepatrick, Co Antrim.

Division One teams paired together

RUGBY: The draw for the AIB Cup, a competition that brings together all 48 clubs in Irish senior rugby, has thrown up some interesting ties, not least the second-round meetings of St Mary's and Cork Constitution, and another all-Division One clash in Blackrock's clash with Shannon.

The first round of the draw includes the 32 clubs from Divisions Two and Three. The winners will play the 16 clubs from Division One. The first-round ties will be played on the weekend of September 27th-28th, with the second round on the weekend of November 1st-2nd.