Hockey: Both the Irish under-16 and under-18 teams lost to defending champions England in Dundee yesterday in the opening day of the Home Nations' Tournament. The under-16s dominated much of their match, with Susan O'Connor (Ursuline Thurles), Sinead Connery (Loreto Kilkenny) and Bridget McKeever (Dalriada) starring for the team. But Imogen Robertson's 54th-minute breakaway goal punished their failure to convert possession into scores. The under-18s soaked up intense England pressure until a three-minute spell late in the first half when Rebecca Altree and Kate Hendrick scored from play. Nicky O'Donnell added England's third in the second half.

Home Nations Tournament (at Dundee) - Under-16: Ireland 0, England 1 (I Roberston); Scotland 1, Wales 2. Under-18: Ireland 0, England 3 (R Altree, K Hendrick, R O'Donnell); Scotland 1, Wales 2.

Rowing: Ironically, perhaps, while many of the elite in the sport in Ireland are part of the training camp in Banyoles in Spain and will not be returning to Ireland, the 388 entries for tomorrow's Tribesmen head of the river in Galway include a number of representatives from other countries. The University of Massachusetts has entered a women's senior and intermediate eight, while other entrants hail from Canada, Wales, Spain and England.

Badminton: Ireland take on the US in two internationals over the weekend, first this evening at the Neptune Stadium, Cork, and on Sunday at the Garda Training Centre in Templemore.

But Sonya McGinn and Michael Watt, the top ranked players in the country, are unavailable.

Irish Squads - At Cork: Niall Tierney, Keelin Fox, Mark Topping, Bruce Topping, Elaine Kiely, Jayne Plunkett, Donie O'Halloran. At Templemore: Bruce Topping, Mark Peard, Kiely, O'Halloran, Plunkett.