RUGBY UNION: Northampton fly-half Fin Smith and Leicester centre Meg Jones have been named as the Rugby Players Association’s players of the season.

Smith made his England debut and helped Northampton to win the Premiership while Jones starred in England Women’s third consecutive grand slam.

Exeter’s Immanuel Feye-Waboso won the men’s young player of the year award and made it into the Premiership team of the season alongside Smith.

MEN’S FOOTBALL: Shelbourne will be defending a five-point lead in the League of Ireland when they put their eight-match unbeaten run on the line against Sligo in north Dublin tomorrow evening.

Second-placed Derry travel to bottom-of-the-table Dundalk, struggling Drogheda face the misfiring reigning champions Shamrock Rovers, Bohemians are at Waterford and out-of-form St Patrick’s play Galway in tonight’s other fixtures.

NETBALL: The Super League’s bottom two will clash tomorrow evening when Team Bath host Strathclyde Sirens.

Bath have only won once all season, beating Friday night’s opponents in the first round of matches back in February, while the Sirens have picked up just one point from a draw in Cardiff.

Table-topping Manchester are not in action until Sunday evening when they have home advantage against third-placed London Pulse.

MEN’S CYCLING: Colombian road-racer Miguel Angel Lopez has stated that he will appeal immediately after being handed a four-year ban, back-dated to July 2023, for using and possessing a prohibited substance two years ago in the run-up to the Giro D’Italia.

The 30-year-old has enjoyed a success-filled career, winning the young rider classification at the Giro and Vuelta a Espana as well as five stage wins at the grand tours.