RUGBY SHORTS

THE IRFU yesterday confirmed that Ireland will play four warm-up internationals next year before jetting off to the World Cup in Japan. Ireland will face Italy in Dublin on August 10, followed by a trip to Twickenham to play England on August 24 and then back-to-back games with Wales, in Cardiff on August 31 and Dublin on September 7. The World Cup squad will be finalised on September 2, between the two Wales games.

THE IRFU have agreed a deal with Channel 4 for the rights to show Ireland’s home November Tests for the next four years. Last year, RTÉ renewed its free-to-air contract with the union to show the November internationals and now Channel 4 have won the UK-territory rights to broadcast the games from Sky Sports. Channel 4 will now show Ireland’s November clashes in Dublin against Argentina, New Zealand and the USA alongside RTÉ. There has been no announcement on who will show Ireland’s encounter with Italy in Chicago on November 3.

ENGLAND head coach Eddie Jones refused to rule out a return to the national squad for Danny Cipriani despite his latest off-field misdemeanour. The Gloucester fly-half was fined £2,000 after admitting charges of common assault and resisting arrest during his club’s pre-season trip to Jersey. Asked if the player, who made his first England start for a decade in South Africa this summer, still has an international future, Jones said: ‘We never close the door on anyone. Everyone makes mistakes. He’s back playing and we’ll look at him in terms of how well he plays.’

THE English Premiership has been approached by private equity company CVC Capital Partners over the sale of a controlling stake in the league. The £275million proposal is one of several avenues being explored by Premiership Rugby, as it searches for investment into a competition that currently sees all but one club make a loss.