Some of us are struggling to absorb the fact that Christmas is almost upon us, when it feels like it should still be six-ish months away, but our rugby department is attempting to further discombobulate us by transporting us to October 2027. Which, of course, is when the World Cup kicks off. And it felt that bit nearer on Wednesday morning when the draw for the pools was made, Gerry Thornley running his eye over Ireland’s opponents.
John O’Sullivan brings you a team-by-team analysis of that very opposition, Scotland, Uruguay and Portugal, while Gerry warns us that while the draw might have been kind, if Ireland’s history at the World Cup has taught us anything “it is surely not to be presumptuous”.
With plenty of other business to attend to before then, you’d imagine Andy Farrell wouldn’t be giving much thought to the World Cup. But, Johnny Watterson learnt, he is. “It’s already started, believe me,” Farrell said of the preparations for the tournament.
Not that we needed reminding, but Gerry did any way - Ireland have “never won a knockout tie of any hue” at the World Cup. Captain Caelan Doris doesn’t believe, though, that that “historical baggage” will weigh on the 2027 side.
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The best news of all on Wednesday came from Poland where 18-year-old Galwegian John Shortt only went and won gold in the 200 metres backstroke at the European Short-Course Championships. A “stunning performance” it was too, as Ian O’Riordan tells us.
In Gaelic games, Gordon Manning and Muireann Duffy barely came up for air on Wednesday, so busy were they compiling a guide to the intercounty fixtures for 2026. And Gordon somehow managed to find time to bring news of Ballyboden St Enda’s captain Shane Clayton’s availability for Saturday’s Leinster club final against Athy, having recovered from injury.
Ciarán Murphy, meanwhile, reflects on Charlie Smyth becoming “one of the stories of the Irish sporting year” by marking his NFL debut with a field goal from 56 yards. What he did in that moment “is many people’s stress-dream”, few roles in sport as pressured as that of the NFL kicker.
In soccer, Gavin Cummiskey has news on the World Cup ticket front - Ireland will receive eight per cent of the tickets for each of their games next summer. Granted, they won’t have any games next summer if they don’t actually qualify for the tournament.
And in his America at Large column, Dave Hannigan tells us the remarkable tale of former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding who has earned himself a spot on the FBI’s 10 most wanted list. He’s now a major drug trafficker who has been hiding out in Mexico for a decade. That’s some career switch.
TV Watch: World number one Scottie Scheffler heads the field at the Tiger Woods-hosted Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas (Sky Sports Golf, from 6.30pm), and later in the evening Manchester United continue their title challenge (hush, don’t be rude) when they take on West Ham at Old Trafford (Sky Sports Premier League, 8pm).
