Rugby: The Leinster Branch has confirmed that Australian Matt Williams has signed a one-year contract and will renew his partnership with Mike Ruddock in coaching the provincial side, writes John O'Sullivan. Williams made a huge impact on his arrival mid-season - generously acknowledged by Ruddock - both with the players and in terms of improving Leinster's back play.
The Branch in a statement said that Williams was joining Ruddock as "technical coach" to the senior squad for the coming season (2000-2001). This was regarded as "a very positive development in view of the success achieved by this coaching team this season."
Tennis: Ireland's remarkable run of successes in the Fed Cup Euro-African group continued in Estoril (Portugal) with a 3-0 win over Mauritius. This victory clinches a group play-off clash with Macedonia tomorrow, writes Pat Roche. Kelly Liggan, Ireland's Spanish-based player of Irish parents, took only 45 minutes to account for Lisa Garbert 6-1 6-2. Yvonne Doyle rebuffed the challenge of Coriene Hing with comsumate ease, 6-2 6-2, and the doubles pairing of Cork teenager Elsa O'Riain and Gina Niland raced through their match, winning 6-0 6-0 at the expense of Alice Lamport and Emma Taikie.
Boxing: Arklow welterweight James Moore provided the only Irish success in the quarter-finals of the European qualifiers in Venice yesterday, writes Pat Roche. Moore was excellent in his 5-3 win over Albanian Jeimir Kuci, but at lightweight Adrian Patterson went under 10-2 to Yugoslav Zoran Mitrobic. Liam Cunningham, the Saints Belfast flyweight, saw his Olympic dream dashed when he was eliminated by Dale Robinson of Britain. Cunningham had beaten Dale in Halle earlier this month but this time the decision was reversed, 4-1.
Bernard Dunne is Ireland's only surviving challenger with a chance of joining Corkman Michael Roche in the Olympics. He boxes a strong Finn, Joni Turenen, in today's feather semi-final with a ticket to Sydney at stake.
Basketball: The Irish junior women suffered a second successive defeat in the European Championship semi-finals yesterday when they fell to Yugoslavia 92-59, writes Ian O'Riordan. It was still a better display than the loss to hosts Greece on Wednesday as the Irish managed to stay in touch with the Yuogoslavs in the first half and trailed 41-30 at the end of that period.
Muriosa Galwey had another strong display in shooting 10 points, as did Maire Guiney, but the Yugoslavs upped their game in the closing stages and ended up comfortable 33-point winners. Kim Fitzpatrick was the next best Irish scorer on eight points with Neassa O'Keeffe and Ann Marie Healy both claiming seven each.
Canoeing: Galway's Eadaoin Ni Challarain is certainly justifying her decision to take time off from her medical studies to compete as a canoeist, writes Liam Gorman. The 24-year-old from Spiddal, who qualified to take part in the Olympic Games last year, has reeled off a series of good results, culminating in ninth place overall in the women's K1 at the international slalom event at the Olympic venue at Penrith last weekend.
Ian Wiley's recent form has been less inspiring - he finished 20th on the Sunday in the men's K1, having not competed on Saturday.
His focus now is on the World Cup at the end of April, and he returns to Dublin in early May.
Sailing: Olympic team manager Bill O'Hara, taking time out from the gruelling schedule of preparing for Sydney 2000, is competing in the Laser Masters championship in Cancun, Mexico, this week, writes David Branigan. Competing in the division for sailors aged 35-44, O'Hara is second overall after six races with just today and tomorrow remaining.
Meanwhile, John Downey of the host club won the opening round of the Optimist Trials last weekend at the Royal Cork YC. Winds gusting close to gale force made for tricky sailing. Ross McDonald (Howth YC) and Conor McGonagle (Skerries SC) took second and third place close behind and all three have a commanding points lead for the second round of the 15-race series at Howth next weekend.
Last Sunday also saw the final race of the Dun Laoghaire Motor YC Frostbite series under its second organiser in its 29-year history. First started by Avril Harris and attracting an entry of 80 boats, Valerie Kinnear has seen the popular winter event grow to a maximum limit of 110 boats - all of whom enter within a week.
