Sevens behind eight ball

Ireland have been drawn to play reigning champions Fiji in their opening pool match of the 2001 World Cup Sevens, to be held at Marl del Plata, Argentina, on January 26th-28th.

The Irish will then meet competition debutantes Kenya on day one of the event, before completing their pool with an arduous second day programme against Korea, the hosts, Argentina, and Russia, also making their first appearance in the tournament.

The top two in each of the four pools qualify for the Cup quarterfinals on the third and final day, while the third and fourth sides progress to the Plate and the last two compete in the Bowl.

Meanwhile, the momentum behind an inaugural Celtic League for next season continued yesterday when the Scottish Rugby Union chief executive Bill Watson maintained that the new competition would be ratified within the next couple of weeks.

With the Welsh Rugby Union set to ratify the participation of their top eight clubs (along with the four Irish provinces and two Scottish super districts) last night, Watson supplemented previous statements from his Irish and Welsh counterparts by maintaining that discussions are "at an advanced stage".

However, as IRFU sources indicated last night, while all the signals remain positive, there is essentially nothing new in this process.

England captain Martin Johnson has lost his appeal against reducing a five-week suspension for foul play. The appeal against the ban, which was imposed by the English RFU, was heard by a three-man disciplinary panel in Coventry last night.

The panel decided the ban should remain the same, so it will end the day before England's Six Nations Championship opener against Wales in Cardiff on February 3rd.

By appealing, Johnson (30), had run the risk of receiving a tougher sentence, which could have ruined England manager Clive Woodward's preparations.

Johnson was cited after the League Cup quarter-final against Saracens, and the Leicester second-row star will miss tomorrow's semi-final against Harlequins as well as the next three European Cup games.

An RFU statement said: "The panel could find no fault with the reasoning of the original disciplinary panel and refused the appeal.

"In the circumstances they decided not to increase the penalty. The suspension will run as originally ruled from December 28th to February 1st inclusive."

European Cup organisers are gearing themselves up for a court battle with French club Castres. European Rugby Cup Ltd (ERC) will vigorously defend their decision to deduct a point from Castres for allegedly fielding an ineligible player in their opening match against Bath.

Castres, who are competing in Pool Four of this season's competition, were initially docked two points at a hearing in London in October for fielding Norm Berryman, a player who the ERC maintain was not registered to play.

On appeal the penalty was reduced to one point but Castres remain insistent Berryman was eligible.

World Cup Sevens: Draw: Pool A - Fiji, Korea, Argentina, Russia, Kenya,

Ireland. Pool B - South Africa, France, Cook Islands, Canada, Georgia, Chinese Taipei. Pool C - New Zealand, England, Zimbabwe, Japan, Chile, Spain. Pool D - Samoa, Australia, Wales, Portugal, Hong Kong, USA.