The chips start to fall for Britain's top orienteers in Ireland today, with the opening classic distance race of the World Cup series.

Like British sportspeople across the board all keen to accept lottery funding, now they must look to the small print and produce the goods demanded to keep it alive.

Current levels of funding are only guaranteed until the end of this year, athlete liaison officer Malcolm Campbell has warned.

Further State money will depend on meeting targets, and despite a revision due to late disbursement of grants by the UK Sports Council, these are still demanding.

Two cup medals and five top 10 finishes from the efforts of Danish Spring Cup winner Yvette Hague, Heather Munro and Steve Hale may not be hard to come by. But an average top 30 placing from the team is likely to prove more elusive. ''The future is rosy if we can deliver the goods,'' warns Campbell.

Open moorland racing at Killarney sees the series start with the British enjoying home type terrain advantage. However, the best of the opposition will be well prepared.

Denmark's European cross-country champion Carsten Jorgensen will be in his element, and running faster than ever before.

British athletics afficionados who dismissed his Portuguese performance as a flash in the pan must be impressed by his recent track outing when he knocked over half a minute from his 10,000m best, stopping the clock at 27m54s.

Far from the pressures of world competition, central and south Scotland clubs compete at the Douglas Forest, West of Scotland league race for a place in the Scottish cup finals.