Gaelic Games
Dr Crokes have added Kerry legend Colm Cooper to their management team for 2021.
The five-time All-Ireland winner will link up with the backroom team led by manager Edmund O’ Sullivan.
Cooper retired from inter-county football in 2017 after a career which saw him win five All-Irelands, nine Munster SFC titles and eight All-Stars.
Gooch won a coveted All-Ireland title with Crokes in 2017 under then-manager Pat O’Shea.
The 38-year-old then finished up playing senior football for the Crokes after their 2019 All-Ireland club final defeat to Corofin.
RUGBY
The Six Nations has agreed a deal with private investment house CVC to take a 14.3 percent stake in the business.
The deal will be worth almost 56 million euro to the IRFU over the next 5 years.
This development could increase the likelihood that the tournament goes behind a TV paywall.
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Bristol's Max Malins will make his first start for England in Saturday's Six Nations match with France.
He comes in for Elliot Daly, who is named on the bench.
Luke Cowan-Dickie replaces Jamie George in the front row.
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Munster have named their side for tomorrow nights match with Llanelli Scarlets.
There are 7 changes to the side that beat Connacht last week to secure a place in the Guinness PRO14 final.
After making 2 appearances off the bench, Joey Carbery makes his first start since January 2020, he’s given the number 10 jersey while Kerrys JJ Hanrahan gives a second playmaker option as he starts at 12.
It’s a new-look centre partnership for Munster with Hanrahan and Damian de Allende starting in midfield together for the first time.
Munster have not lost to Welsh opposition at home in more than four years. Scarlets were the last Welsh side to win at Thomond Park back in February 2017.
Kick off in Thomond is set for 8 o’clock tomorrow night.
SOCCER
Thirteen-hundred miles from Anfield, Liverpool picked up their first home win of 2021 last night.
Jurgen Klopp's side beat R-B Leipzig 2-nil in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie to progress 4-nil on aggregate.
Liverpool's nominal home tie was played in the neutral city of Budapest.
Mo Salah and Sadio Mane scored the goals in the second half.
Klopp says Liverpool will try to go as far as they can in the Champions League.
In the Europa League tonight, Manchester United host AC Milan, with a 5.55 start at Old Trafford.
United are set to be without Marcus Rashford, Edinson Cavani and David De Gea.
Also at that time, Rangers play Slavia Prague.
At 8pm, Arsenal are away to Olympiakos and it's Tottenham versus Dinamo Zagreb.
CYCLING
Sam Bennett will look to regain the green jersey on today's fifth stage of the Paris-Nice.
The Waterford sprinter fell behind overall race leader Primoz Roglic in the points race after a gruelling fourth stage.
Today's stage is a more benign 200-kilometres which is likely to finish with a sprint into Bollene.
GOLF
Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Graeme McDowell are in the field for the Players Championship, which starts today in Florida.
McIlroy won the tournament in 2019, and he tees off at 12.40 Irish time at Sawgrass.
Graeme McDowell is also an early starter, with Shane Lowry beginning his challenge after 6pm.
McIlroy told Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon that Tiger Woods has been texting him from his hospital bed.
HORSE RACING
Jockey Rob James has been given a four month ban by the I-H-R-B for being captured mounting a deceased horse.
He received a 12 month punishment, suspended for 8 months.
James has apologised for the video, which was recorded in 2016.
There is a fixture at Thurles today, with the first off at 2.30.
