RACING
To help locals get warmed up for Cheltenham and to celebrate the successes of Ballyhale Shamrocks over the past year, Gowran Park is getting ready for the Holden Plant Rentals race day this coming Saturday.
A seven-race card will get underway at 2 pm with the feature race of the day being the €45,000 Holden Plant Rentals Shamrock Handicap Steeplechase with entries set to be finalised this week.
With an eye on Cheltenham, jockey Paul Townend will once again be in the saddle for a number of Willie Mullins charges next week.
Townend was on board Energumene for Willie Mullins when they won the Champion Chase for the first time ever last year and he’s been telling us just how it felt.
GAELIC GAMES
We had the news yesterday of the 2022 AIB GAA Club Hurling Team of the Year with Ballyhale Shamrocks taking the lion’s share of places on the team. Today, it’s the turn of the footballers.
The 2022/2023 @AIB_GAA Club Football Team of The Year has been unveiled
— The GAA (@officialgaa) March 8, 2023
Seven spots on the team are going to eventual champions Kilmacud Crokes with Shane Cunningham, Dara Mullin and Shane Walsh all featuring.
Cunningham and Mullin are also in the running for the 2022 Club Football Player of the Year award alongside Ryan Dougan of Watty Graham’s Glen.
The winner, along with the hurler of the year, will be announced in Croke Park on Friday.
See also: 8 Ballyhale Shamrocks players named to AIB GAA Club Hurling Team of the Year
Elsewhere, Kilkenny GAA’s next health and wellness night is heading for Erin’s Own GAA club with Castlecomer Community School as the venue.
Among the speakers will be Kildare footballer Conor Harris who will share his story about coming into recovery from drug addiction at the age of 19.
It’s the latest of a countywide series of events aimed at promoting drug awareness in GAA clubs and communities and takes place on Monday next (13 March) at 7.30 pm.
This week sees commencement of the @AllianzIreland @cnambnaisiunta #hurling U13 competition in #kilkenny. Best of luck to everyone involved and most importantly, enjoy the games. Keep track of results using link below 👍👏👏😀 @KilkennyCLG https://t.co/Cle1NCWBS6
— Cumann na mBunscol Cill Chainnigh (@cnambunscolkk) March 7, 2023
Elsewhere today, there are 40 school teams in action today across Kilkenny, with the beginning of the Cumann na mBunscol Crotty’s Pharmacy Roinn A, B & C Leagues
All 20 games have a half 3 throw in.
SOCCER
Chelsea inflicted a first defeat in eleven games upon Borussia Dortmund last night to advance to the Champions League quarter-finals.
A retaken Kai Havertz penalty was the difference as they won 2-nil at Stamford Bridge and 2-1 over the two legs. Raheem Sterling scored the other goal.
It marked a night of relief for Chelsea boss Graham Potter, who gave his reaction after the game to BT Sport.
Chelsea are into the Champions League quarter finals and Graham Potter is delighted 😁 pic.twitter.com/VYuW5yPVU3
— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) March 8, 2023
Benfica will join Chelsea in the quarter-final draw after hammering Scott Parker’s Club Brugge 5-1 in Lisbon, and 7-1 on aggregate.
Antonio Conte is back in the dug-out as Tottenham Hotspur look to barge their way into the quarter-finals tonight. They are 1-nil down to AC Milan going into their second leg in North London.
Paris Saint-Germainrisk missing out on the quarter-finals for the fifth time in seven seasons. Ahead of their second leg away to Bayern Munich, they trail the Bundesliga giants by a goal to nil. Both games kick off at 8.
Former Carlow Kilkenny FC – now CK United – women’s captain Mia Dack is the latest name to pick up a contract in the US.
Dack will join the Northeart Hawks, a side that had a big season last year winning their region and district championship, and progressing to the NJCAA National Tournament in Arizona. She has also had a sting with the Waterford U19 women’s side.
RUGBY
Ahead of Sunday’s Six Nations showdown with Scotland in Edinburgh, Ciaran Frawley and Nick Timoney have been called up to the Ireland rugby squad.
There is still no place in the panel for Joey Carbery.
BOXING
Chantelle Cameron says she has scrapped plans to fight early next month to allow a bout with Katie Taylor to happen.
The undisputed super-lightweight champion is in the frame to replace Amanda Serrano for Taylor’s proposed homecoming date on May 20th, probably at Dublin’s 3 Arena.
Cameron was scheduled to fight another opponent on April 1st, until she was called out on social media by Taylor.
