•The Galway Lawn Tennis Club hosts an open day on Saturday (June 26 ) from 12 noon to 5pm. Newcomers can sample the range of facilities available at the Threadneedle Road club, including trying out tennis, squash, and badminton with coaches available for all three sports. The club also offers an extensive range of facilities, including a sauna/steam room, personal training, indoor bowls, pool and table tennis, aerobics, chess, golf outings, and salsa and dance classes. Special membership rates are available on the day. Visitors are asked to bring a pair of runners.
• Connacht coach Eric Elwood has beefed up his backroom team ahead of the new season with the appointment of a defence coach. The former Great Britain rugby league player Mike Forshaw, who has worked as a strength and conditioning coach since retiring from the game in 2004, comes to Connacht wih a reputation as a consummate professional whose ethos is “hard work”. The 40-years-old played league with his home club Wigan, Bradford Bulls, and Warrington Wolves during which time he received some 15 caps for Great Britain. He joins other new recruits Brian Melrose from Australia (backs coach ) and former Connacht player Conor McPhillips (video analyst ). In other rugby news Connacht Rugby’s Sean Cronin lines out for Ireland in Saturday’s test against Australia in Brisbane (11.05am Irish time ) having played in Ireland’s match against the All Blacks two weeks ago.
