The allegations against Gjert Ingebrigtsen, currently on trial in Norway for physically and mentally abusing his son Jakob, the double Olympic champion, bring in to sharp focus the issue of parenting in sport. Johnny Watterson looks back at some of the other high profile cases with echoes of the Ingebrigtsen story, where fathers in particular, “vicariously living their lives through their sons and daughter’s successful sporting activities”, pushed their offspring too far. “Tutoring the adults in the room is often just as important as mentoring the children,” he concludes.
Gavin Cummiskey, meanwhile, looks at the lengths our gifted young footballers have to travel to get ahead in the game, the absence of properly funded academies at home meaning many of them have had to move abroad to carve out careers in environments that also allow them continue their education.
Meantime, how well has the cover of the bid book for the 2026 World Cup, submitted to Fifa by the United States, Mexico and Canada, aged? It says “UNITY”, so not too well. Trade wars, proposals that, eh, Canada become the United States’ 51st state, border-crossing and visa issues ... Leander Schaerlaeckens doesn’t quite know where to start when addressing the now “fanciful” notion of unity between the host nations.
In rugby, Johnny Watterson hears from Scott Bemand ahead of Sunday’s Six Nations game away to Italy, the Irish coach hoping the women’s team can eradicate the errors that proved so costly against France last weekend. Neve Jones is hoping the same, Johnny talking to the Irish hooker about Ireland’s prospects in Parma.
Gerry Thornley hears from Connacht captain Cian Prendergast on the eve of the province’s URC meeting with Munster in Castlebar, while Michael Sadlier previews Ulster’s game against the Stormers this evening.
On the Lions’ front, Nathan Johns is wondering how exactly Andy Farrell will go about attacking Australia on this summer’s tour, and whether the inclusion of Andrew Goodman on his coaching ticket means he might just copy Ireland’s playbook.
In Gaelic games, Seán Moran looks back on a Division Two campaign that stole the show by producing high-scoring entertainment in this season’s football league. Rory McIlroy’s opening round at the Houston Open threatened at times to be high-scoring too. “A little pedestrian,” is how he described his efforts, Philip Reid reporting on a so-so day at the office.
And Ian O’Riordan previews Sunday’s inaugural Dublin City Half Marathon when over 12,000 will trudge their way around the streets of the capital, hardly helped by having lost an hour’s sleep the night before − alert: the clocks go forward.
TV Watch: It’s round two at the Houston Open (Sky Sports Golf, from 12.30pm) and the LPGA Ford Championship in Arizona (Sky Sports Golf, 11pm). At 7.35, Ulster host Stormers in the URC (TG4, BBC 2 and Premier Sports 1) and 10 minutes later Cork City and Drogheda kick off in the Airtricity League (Virgin Media Two).
