MEN’S RUGBY UNION: Scotland end their southern hemisphere tour with a game against Samoa at Auckland’s Eden Park on Friday morning. 

The Scots are ranked as the world’s eighth-best team, five places above Samoa, but lost out 29-14 to Fiji last Saturday. 

They will be without the injured Tom Jordan and ex-captain Jamie Ritchie, as well as Darcy Graham, who has joined up with another eight Scots in the British and Irish Lions squad.

ISLANDS GAMES: The twentieth Islands Games come to a close on the Orkneys on Friday. 

Over 2,000 athletes from 24 different islands including Estonia’s Saaremaa, the Falklands, Ynys Mon and the Isle of Wight, the most populous island in the competition, have competed in the seven-day event which has included 12 different sports. 

The biennial tournament will next be held on the Faroes in 2027.

MEN’S CRICKET: Zimbabwe face New Zealand in Harare today for the third match in the Twenty20 triangular series with South Africa. 

The Zimbabweans lost their first game by five wickets to the South Africans, who then went down by 21 runs to New Zealand on Wednesday. 

Tim Robinson hit an unbeaten 75 as the Kiwis totalled 173-5 before Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy both claimed three wickets as South Africa fell to 152 all out.

MEN’S FOOTBALL: The second round of the Irish Cup kicks off on Friday evening with holders Drogheda having home advantage against Crumlin from the Leinster senior league and last year’s runners-up Derry in Limerick to face Treaty United. 

League of Ireland table-toppers Shamrock Rovers face Wexford while Shelbourne, fresh from Wednesday night’s 2-1 aggregate win over Linfield in the Champions League, are at Fairview Rangers tomorrow.