A round-up of today's other sports new brief ...
Two-year ban for Schumacher
CYCLING:German Stefan Schumacher has been suspended for two years from all cycling after failing a dope test during the 2008 Tour de France, International Cycling Union (UCI) president Pat McQuaid said yesterday.
“Schumacher is now banned from activity from January 22nd, 2009 to January 21st. 2011,” McQuaid told a news conference.
Schumacher, who won the 2008 Tour’s two time trials said he would appeal the ban.
Ireland set to face West Indies
CRICKET:Ireland have confirmed their warm-up schedule for this summer's ICC Twenty20 World Cup, with the games against West Indies and The Netherlands taking place in London at the start of June, writes Emmet Riordan.
Phil Simmons’s side will take on the Dutch at Lord’s on Monday, June 1st, before moving to The Oval the following day for a clash against the West Indies. Both games are scheduled for a 1.30pm start and are part of double-headers. Ireland’s Group A rivals and defending champions India will take on New Zealand on the Monday at 5.30pm, with the Kiwis taking on Australia on the Tuesday at the same time.
The 12-team event gets underway on June 5th when England take on The Netherlands at Lord’s. Ireland open their Group A campaign with a game against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on June 8th and take on India two days later.
Lee and McCullough fights cancelled
BOXING:Andy Lee and Wayne McCullough have been dealt a blow to their title ambitions following the cancellation of the March 16th card they were due to appear on in New York.
Irish Ropes Promotions announced that its scheduled “Erin Go Brawl II” professional boxing show at the WAMU Theater in Madison Square Garden had been cancelled, citing “the poor economy in the United States and Ireland that adversely affected advance ticket sales” for its decision.
Detroit-based middleweight Lee was scheduled to fight three-time world title challenger Antwun Echols in the main event, while former WBC bantamweight champion McCullough had been set to meet Alex Becerra (19-7, 9kos) in the 10-round co-feature.
“This was a very difficult decision to make but ticket sales were way off compared to two years ago,” said Irish Ropes president Eddie McLoughlin.
St Munchin's book final place
SCHOOLS RUGBY:St Munchin's clinched their place in the Munster Junior Cup final by beating Crescent Comprehensive 13-3 at Coonagh yesterday.
Leading 5-3 at the interval, the winners grabbed a crucial second try 90 seconds after the resumption from outhalf Tom O’Neill.
Garry Bateman had put them in front after three minutes and Crescent suffered a blow after 17 minutes when centre Michael Mulvihill was stretchered off.
Diarmuid Dee landed a Crescent penalty after 23 minutes but O’Neill made sure of victory for St Munchin’s with a late penalty.
ST MUNCHIN'S:D Morrissey; C Shanahan, A Hannigan, C O'Donnell, G Bateman; T O'Neill, B Nugent; E Kelly, G Sheehan, D Byrne; M McSweeney, B Kilkenny; G Powell, S Airey, M Corbett. Replacement: B Molloy for McSweeney (46 mins).
CRESCENT COMPREHENSIVE:G Barry; C Beatty, M Mulvihill, D Dee, E D Walsh; P Liston, R Doherty; J Sheehan, J Green, S Gleeson; B Mulcair, E Fitzgerald; K Hanley, D Culhane, J Dineen. Replacements: S Ryan for Mulvihill (17 mins), M Ryan for Liston (45 mins), G Lyons for Doherty (40 mins), J Keyes for Sheehan (44 mins).
Referee:D Moloney (MAR).
Davidson to return to Ulster next season
RUGBY:Former Ireland and Lions forward, Jeremy Davidson, will return to Ulster at the start of next season as forwards coach under Matt Williams, writes Johnny Watterson. Davidson makes his return after two seasons coaching at the French club Castres and comes in as a replacement for Welshman, Steve Williams.
Also a former Ulster secondrow, Davidson becomes yet another ‘old boy’ to enter the provincial fold. The wider management team now includes former team-mates Neil Doak (Skills Coach), Jonny Bell and Niall Malone (Elite Player Development Officers) as well as David Humphreys (Operations Director) and Alex McCloy from Ballymena (Video Analyst).
Davidson’s move back to Belfast is the second time in his career that he has returned from Castres, his first return being as a player after three years in France, in 2001.
But his playing career ended prematurely after an accident on a fishing trip, which aggravated an old knee injury in May 2003.
