Ireland

World rugby union chiefs have said they had no contingency plans to stage the 2003 World Cup outside Australia and New Zealand, the two countries due to co-host the event.

Manchester United wants to increase sales from its merchandising operation abroad by transferring responsibility for its overseas stores to regional partners with local expertise.

London-based English soccer club Wimbledon has confirmed it is in talks to move to a $78m, 45,000-seater stadium in Milton Keynes.

The Irish Rugby Football Union is installing new software for its domestic ticket sales after a deal with Venuemaster.

Japan has no plans to launch a new investigation into allegations the central Japanese city of Nagano bribed International Olympic Committee (IOC) executives to host the 1998 Winter Games.

The European Triathlon Union (ETU) says it is prepared to take legal action to recover the debts owed by the eight national triathlon federations, which last week announced the unsanctioned formation of the breakaway Triathlon Council for Europe.

Les McDonald, president of the International Triathlon Union (ITU), the world governing body of the Olympic sport, has been forced into a court case in Vancouver, British Columbia, over allegations that recent elections to his organisation were fixed, with some national federations being denied their right to vote.

All finalists at both world outdoor and indoor athletics championships will receive prize money from next year.

Yankees fans may love their team for winning four of the past five World Series, but others are fed up with the New York dynasty and crying foul, a U.S. Senate panel heard.

Australian architectural practice Bligh Voller Nield, whose designs were integral to the 2000 Olympic Games, has received the International Award in this year?s Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) National Awards for the WestpacTrust Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand.

UK Athletics has unveiled a multi-million pound sponsorship package with sporting goods manufacturer Reebok.

Sportal, the European sports content portal, has clashed with Rugby League World Cup (RLWC) organisers over journalistic access at one of the tournament?s matches.

Organisers of the Rugby League World Cup are hoping for an upturn in the event?s fortunes after dire weather and disruptions to UK train services caused chaos over the first weekend of matches.

The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) has appointed independent London-based advisors Oliver & Ohlbaum to find a purchaser for the federation?s global internet and broadcast rights.

Worldsport.com, the sports internet company, which operates the web sites of over 50 international sports federations, has been shut down by the company?s receivers

Sportal has officially launched its website for the forthcoming Rugby League World Cup, the month-long tournament, which kicks off October 28.

Irish cigarette maker Gallaher Ltd has said it is withdrawing its sponsorship of the Benson and Hedges Irish Masters snooker tournament following recent government moves to ban tobacco advertising.

European Rugby Cup Ltd (ERC) has signed a five-year partnership deal with the Paris-based sports marketing agency Havas Advertising Sports.