All-Star Hurling Nominations Announced; Spain Into Final Of Nations League

Limerick dominate All-Star announcements

Gaelic Games

All-Ireland hurling champions Limerick have received 15 nominations for the PwC All-Stars with nine counties represented in all.

Beaten finalists Cork have nine players shortlisted, Waterford seven and Kilkenny five. There are three each for Clare and Tipperary and one each for Dublin, Laois and Wexford.

John Kiely's team Limerick also dominate the shortlist for the hurler of the year award, with Seán Finn, Kyle Hayes and Cian Lynch the nominees.

Kilkenny's Eoin Cody, Cork's Shane Barrett and Clare's Aidan McCarthy are in the running to be named young hurler of the year.

The football nominees will be announced tomorrow.

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Inter-county footballers are believed to be strongly in favour of Proposal B ahead of this month's Special Congress.

Delegates will vote on two options to potentially restructure the All-Ireland Football Championship from next year.

A 60% majority would be needed to adopt either Proposal A, which would see the provincials retained and tied to the All-Ireland Series, or Proposal B which would bring a league format to the Championship.

The Gaelic Players Assocation will reveal their position today - it's understood that a majority of players are against a retention of the status quo.

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Last night's local results:

2021 Manguard Plus Minor A Football Championship

Maynooth 2-9 V Balyna 1-9

Clane 7-17 V Sarsfields 0-9

Athy 3-11 V Celbridge 1-15

Naas 3-10 V Raheens 1-14

Minor B

Kilcock 5-11 V Round Towers 2-11

Moorefield 0-13 V Carbury 0-13

Kilcullen 4-5 V Eadestown 1-13

Aylmer Gaels 2-6 V Oliver Plunkett’s 1-9

Minor C

Leixlip 4-11 V Miltown 2-7

St. Laurence's GAA 2-13 V St. Edwards 0-10

Minor D

Kill 3-13 V Athgarvan 1-8

Soccer

After an 18-month saga, the Saudi-led takeover of Newcastle is reportedly back on, and close to be completed.

A significant development saw the Saudi state resolve their issues with beIN Sports over illegal streaming of Premier League football.

Any deal would end Mike Ashley's 14-year ownership of the Tyneside club.

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Spain are into the final of the Nations League, after becoming the first team to beat Italy in over three years.

The European champions' 37-match unbeaten run came to an end in Milan - going down 2-1 at the San Siro.

Manchester City's Ferran Torres scored both goals for Spain, while Leonardo Bonucci was sent off for the hosts.

Belgium and France meet in Turin tonight in the second semi-final.

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A World Cup every two years "could bring benefits" to South American sides, according to Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni.

FIFA has faced widespread criticism for plans to host a biennial event.

However, Scaloni has backed the move, adding it would be more enjoyable for spectators.

Rugby

Former Ireland captain Niamh Briggs thinks Munster have the players to adopt a more expansive game plan this season.

Johann van Graan's team have started the campaign well with home wins against the Sharks and Stormers in the United Rugby Championship.

Briggs feels the Reds' pack have the quality to control games and she wants out-half Joey Carbery to have the freedom to pull the strings in the backs:

Golf

World number one Jon Rahm is hoping to complete an historic hat-trick with victory in the Spanish Open - which gets underway today.

The 26-year-old is aiming to be the first player to win the event three times in a row, after success in 2018 and 2019.

Irish trio John Murphy, Jonathan Caldwell and Cormac Sharvin are all part of the field in Madrid.

Racing

The going is yielding, soft to yielding in places at Thurles racecourse this morning following overnight rain.

A seven-race card gets underway at the Tipperary venue from 1.15pm, this afternoon.