Sporting Digest: Rugby Union

IRELAND SQUAD (to tour Australia, May- June): C O'Shea (Lansdowne), J Staples (London Irish), J Bell (Loughborough and Ballymena), N Woods (Blackrock College), S Geoghegan (London Irish), P Danaher (Garryowen), M Fields (Malone), M Ridge (Blackrock College), B Walsh (Cork Constitution), E Elwood (Lansdowne), A McGowan (Blackrock College), M Bradley (Cork Constitution, capt), A Rowlands (Blackrock College), J Fitzgerald (Young Munster), P Soden (Cork Constitution), P Clohessy (Young Munster), G Halpin (London Irish), T Kingston (Dolphin), K Wood (Garryowen), N Francis (Old Belvedere), M Galwey (Shannon), G Fulcher (Cork Constitution), J Davidson (Dungannon), V Costello (St Marys' College), P Hogan (Garryowen), B Robinson (Ballymena), D McBride (Malone), D Corkery (Cork Constitution), P Johns (Dungannon), R Wilson (Instonians). Itinerary: 18 May: Western Australia (Perth). 22 May: New South Wales (Sydney). 25 May: ACT (Canberra). 29 May: Queensland (Brisbane). 1 June: Australia B (Mount Isa). 5 June: Australia (Brisbane). 8 June: New South Wales Country (Lismore). 11 June: AUSTRALIA (Sydney).

NORTHERN DIVISION SQUAD (to tour South Africa and Namibia, July-Aug): J Mallinder (Sale), M Jackson (Wakefield), J Sleightholme (Wakefield), A Healey (Orrell), J Naylor (Orrell), C Lee (W Hartlepool), S Ravenscroft (Saracens), D Edwards (Wakefield), N Ryan (Waterloo), D Ainscough (Orrell), D Scully (Wakefield, capt), M Warr (Sale), M Hynes (Orrell), P Lancaster (W Hartlepool), A Smith (Sale), S Mitchell (W Hartlepool), G French (Orrell), J Fowler (Newcastle Gos), P Stewart (Wakefield), G Archer (Newcastle Gos), C Vyvyan (Wharfedale), A Brown (W Hartlepool), M Watson (W Hartlepool), P Manley (Orrell), M Pepper (Harlequins).