Swift sidelined

RUGBY:Connacht have lost their most experienced player, Michael Swift, for the next three to four weeks. The 30-year-old suffered a knee ligament injury against Munster on Thursday night. He is the second big loss for Connacht from that match, with winger Ofisa Treviranus ruled out until March after breaking a bone in his shin.

Swift will miss Friday's key clash with Llanelli Scarlets at the Sportsground. And he is also likely to miss the remaining two pool games in the European Challenge Cup, away to Cetransa El Salvador and at home to Brive. With a break for the Six Nations after that, Swift is unlikely to return for Connacht until their February 16th trip to play the Ospreys in Wales.

On a more positive note for Connacht coach Michael Bradley, Mel Deane, Keith Matthews, debutant Liam Bibo and John Lyne are all poised to return for Friday.

Howell gets call-up

GOLF:India's Shiv Kapur and England's David Howell have completed the line-ups for next month's Royal Trophy between Asia and holders Europe, organisers have announced.

Kapur's selection for Naomichi "Joe" Ozaki's team comes after his debut year on the European Tour. He spent the first two seasons of his career on the Asian Tour after turning professional in 2004.

Howell returns to Seve Ballesteros's team having played in the first edition in 2006. Paul McGinley and Darren Clarke are included on the European team.

EUROPE: Raphael Jacquelin (France), Gregory Havret (France), Anders Hansen (Denmark), Paul McGinley (Ireland), Robert Karlsson (Sweden), Lee Westwood (England), Graeme Storm (England), Darren Clarke (Northern Ireland) David Howell (England).

ASIA: Charlie Wi (South Korea), Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand), Prayad Marksaeng (Thailand), Chapchai Nirat (Thailand), Toru Taniguchi (Japan), Hideto Tanihara (Japan), Jeev Milkha Singh (India), Lee Dong-hwan (South Korea), Shiv Kapur (India).

Oracle go to court

SAILING: BMW Oracle Racing have given up trying to negotiate a conventional America's Cup challenge with holders Alinghi and now want a New York court to confirm a multihull race in October 2008.

"We had hoped to negotiate a conventional regatta," BMW Oracle CEO Russell Coutts said in a communique late on Saturday, saying it would invoke America's Cup rules setting out a regatta in cases of failure to agree on race format.

"But the defender has made it clear to us and the America's Cup community that they will not negotiate. We are now fully committed to a multihull event in 2008," said the team owned by billionaire Larry Ellison.

The New York state supreme court will consider the America's Cup dispute on January 14th, said BMW Oracle, which now wants a race with a boat 90 feet long and up to 90 feet wide.

Kiwis punished

CRICKET:Six former New Zealand internationals who played in the Indian Cricket League this month have effectively been banned from playing for the national team again.

All-rounders Chris Cairns, Nathan Astle, Chris Harris and Craig McMillan, batsman Hamish Marshall and bowler Daryl Tuffey all played in the breakaway Twenty20 league, which is not sanctioned by the International Cricket Council.

"I don't think we can say that they're ineligible for selection. We'd prefer to say that the selectors will be encouraged to consider other players," said New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan.

The stance, however, is largely symbolic. Harris (38), Cairns (37), Astle (36) and McMillan (31) have all retired from international cricket, while Marshall and Tuffey had recently been overlooked by selectors.