PLANET RUGBY:THE MAGNERS League board of directors will meet tomorrow week to decide in principle whether they agree to the proposal that two regional Italian sides will take part in the competition.

Although the question is really only a matter of timing, that is when the hard work starts and thereafter the FIR will have plenty of work to do to make their participation become a reality.

While there is broad support for the Italians to be included, the Welsh, it is believed, favour the idea of the Italians joining in time for next season, 2009-10, but the Irish are likely to agree with the Scots that 2010-11 is a more realistic target. The FIR has five potential candidates – Treviso, Viadana/Parma, Brescia/Calvisano and two Rome franchises.

02 give fans another chance

O2 are giving fans another chance to take to the field with the Ireland team for their final RBS Six Nations Championship game against Wales at the Millennium stadium next Saturday. The campaign initially offered the opportunity for fans to sign up with them the chance to have their names on the numbers of the Ireland jerseys for the game against England.

Those wishing to get involved can log on to www.bethedifference.ie or visit your local O2 store for your chance to take to the pitch at the Millennium Stadium.

Clubs to battle it out for cup

CORINTHIANS AND Galwegians will celebrate St Patrick’s Day in a novel way, by reviving the Glynn Cup on its 50th anniversary and playing each other in a Ryder Cup, match-play style with every team in each club taking part tomorrow.

The cup was first played for on March 17th, 1959, in honour of Johnny Glynn, past president of the IRFU, and continued up until 1999. Corinthian Park will host the event when the clubs meet at all age groups from the Minis, under 13s up to under 18s in the youths section and at adult level from the under 20s to the senior.

The women’s teams will also be in action and in all there will be a total of ten 60-minute games taking place between 11am and 5pm.

Each team will be playing for a point in the overall standings with half a point awarded for a draw. Should the sides be level, the senior match will decide the overall outcome of the competition.

Tourists get revealing insight

IT SEEMS a very select group of tourists got a revealing insight to Scotland’s tactical nuances ahead of Saturday’s match against Ireland at Murrayfield. On a guided tour of the stadium under the auspices of Scotland Tourism the day before the game the group were allowed access to the pitch and the dressingrooms.

When they visited the Scotland dressingroom they noticed up on the walls some of their lineout calls.

But also written up on an A4 sheet was the message: ‘Target O’Gara,’ a reference to Ireland’s outhalf and obviously a central tenet for the home side in their attempts to beat Ireland.

Set for the ring

NEW ZEALAND rugby league convert Sonny Bill Williams is close to agreeing a contract extension with French side Toulon and is reportedly considering a professional boxing debut. Toulon hope to secure Williams for three further years, but he only wants to stay for two. Meanwhile, Sydney media says Williams is considering fighting on the undercard of Anthony Mundine’s world title bout, to aid the KO To Drugs promotion.

Not impressed by Six Nations

NEW ZEALAND Heraldcolumnist Gregor Paul doesn't think much of this season's Six Nations Championship to date. He wrote: "Rugby's top three nations, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, can hardly be experiencing any other emotion than expectant satisfaction as they look northward to the less than impressive spectacle being offered by Europe in the Six Nations tournament that is throwing up more spills than thrills."

“Much of it so far hasn’t been pretty or terribly encouraging for hopes that European teams might mount a genuine title challenge at the next World Cup.” He added:

“Since England’s 2003 World Cup victory, Northern Hemisphere sides have won just 14 of 87 Tests against the Southern Hemisphere’s top three sides. Wales was the only side last year to pull off that feat, beating the visiting Wallabies in November.”

Doesn’t seem much point in the Northern Hemisphere teams turning up for 2011 World Cup in New Zealand then, where the hosts will hope not to buckle under the mantle of favourites once again.