Rugby enters new phase as Premier Sports gains blanket coverage of Irish provincesChannel will offer live coverage of all Champions Cup games involving Leinster, Munster and Ulster, plus Connacht’s Challenge Cup matchesWed Sept 11 2024 - 18:44
Return of RG Snyman and Jamison Gibson-Park to fitness an early boost for LeinsterLeo Cullen expecting to see plenty of chopping and changing in the starting Leinster team over the first six rounds of the new seasonTue Sept 10 2024 - 20:12
Gerry Thornley: Problems mounting for Australia after painful pummelling by Los PumasGerry Thornley: Joe Schmidt has a huge task in galvanising Australia for the forthcoming Bledisloe Cup matches after the historic 67-27 mauling by Felipe Contepomi’s impressive ArgentinaTue Sept 10 2024 - 06:00
URC and Premiership could learn a thing or two from Top 14French top-tier league has on and off-field buoyancy like no other league in the worldSat Sept 07 2024 - 06:00
Simon Easterby to lead Ireland’s Six Nations campaign in Farrell’s absenceExperienced assistant coach Simon Easterby will step up to the Irish head coach job as Andy Farrell takes a sabbatical at the start of 2025Wed Sept 04 2024 - 21:28
‘He’s a massive part of what we do’: Munster welcome impending return of Jean KleynLock’s forthcoming return key as seven-strong Ireland contingent will be absent for over a monthWed Sept 04 2024 - 06:00
Gerry Thornley: Ireland win in South Africa a reminder that Andy Farrell is a true originalIreland’s victory over Springboks in Durban after a long season was fitting reward for an authentic coachTue Jul 16 2024 - 06:00
Gerry Thornley: Danger of mental scarring for Leinster following latest gut-wrenching final defeatLeo Cullen’s Leinster panel could do with a URC title more than ever now after third successive Champions Cup final lossTue May 28 2024 - 06:00
Leinster evaluate loss as Toulouse celebrate victory in EuropeThis was only the third final to be decided in extra-time and as in 1996 against Cardiff in the Arms Park and 2005 against Stade Francais in Murrayfield, Toulouse emerged triumphant againMon May 27 2024 - 06:00
Like father, like son: Brennan and Ntamack emulate their fathers by winning Champions CupThe Brennans and Ntamacks are the only two father-son combinations to achieve the feat in its 29-year historyMon May 27 2024 - 06:00
Leo Cullen: ‘Everyone’s devastated in there now, they poured a hell of a lot into it’Leinster head coach and senior players confident they can rebound from their latest Champions Cup final defeatSat May 25 2024 - 20:31
Leinster fall at the final hurdle again as Toulouse take sixth Champions Cup titleAntoine Dupont was the difference between the sides as French side prevail after extra-timeSat May 25 2024 - 18:20
Leinster v Toulouse preview: Using recent Champions Cup hurt as motivation will be inevitable for LeinsterNo match-up in club rugby could provide such a clash of scrum-halves and hookersSat May 25 2024 - 06:00
Champions Cup: Serial winners Leinster and Toulouse a double act with a difference Province edges head-to-head eight to six, but have since added two more semi-final wins at the Aviva in last two seasonsSat May 25 2024 - 06:00
Gerry Thornley: Once again the Champions Cup final rescues the tournamentTeams such as the Bulls fielding weakened sides has harmed competitive balance while the jury is still out on South Africa’s participationFri May 24 2024 - 17:05
Leinster v Toulouse: Cullen calls for bench impact with Ryan, Conan and van der Flier among the replacementsLeinster opt for a 6-2 forward split on the bench, as Ciarán Frawley is preferred to Jimmy O’BrienFri May 24 2024 - 14:45
Champions Cup: Leinster lock Joe McCarthy looks forward to playing key role against ToulouseNo longer a fringe player, the 23-year-old says this season’s progress to the Champions Cup final ‘means a little more’Fri May 24 2024 - 06:00
Gerry Thornley: Leinster ponder Champions Cup selection calls as Will Connors pushes for starting berthHugo Keenan and James Ryan both set to feature after recovering from injury while Garry Ringrose looks likely to miss outThu May 23 2024 - 20:30
Bundee Aki named Ireland men’s players’ player of the yearAoife Wafer doubles up as women players’ player of the year and women’s young player of the yearWed May 22 2024 - 21:09
Leinster’s Ross Byrne: ‘You watch those games as a kid and that’s all you want to do, you want to play in them’As Leinster face Toulouse in the Champions Cup final, Byrne is mindful that not every player will get a start, but all will have made a contributionWed May 22 2024 - 06:00
Gerry Thornley: Simon Zebo was one of rugby’s great entertainersThe 34-year-old has announced that he will call time on his career at the end of the seasonTue May 21 2024 - 16:01
Gerry Thornley: Leinster have become victims of their own successAmid their magnificent obsession with another Champions Cup triumph, Leinster have, to a degree, become victims of their own successTue May 21 2024 - 06:00
Champions Cup final: Leinster ready for ‘difficult conversations’ before taking on ToulouseSuccessful returns of James Ryan, Hugo Keenan and Will Connors enrich options for Champions Cup finalTue May 21 2024 - 06:00
Connacht look to sign Sam Prendergast on loan from LeinsterOuthalf depth an issue for Connacht after JJ Hanrahan suffered an ACL injury last monthTue May 21 2024 - 01:00
Leinster trio available for Champions Cup final as Ringrose continues to be assessedJames Ryan, Hugo Keenan and Will Connors came through Ulster match without issueMon May 20 2024 - 16:51
For James Ryan it was still good to be back after being defeated by UlsterRyan last played off the bench in Ireland’s third round Six Nations win over Wales before damaging his bicep in trainingMon May 20 2024 - 06:00
John Cooney’s final say completes notable double for Ulster over Leinsterulster seal their place in the top eight and the playoffs as Leinster welcome back James Ryan and Hugh Keenan to competitive action ahead of Champions Cup finalMon May 20 2024 - 06:00
John Cooney seals thrilling Ulster win over Leinster to secure URC playoff spot Scrumhalf’s 79th-minute penalty was roared over by a capacity crowd in Belfast in final home game of the seasonSat May 18 2024 - 22:12
Gerry Thornley: Giving the Aviva Stadium to Uefa for five weeks is patently ridiculousAs rugby competes with concert season - not to mind the Europa League final - the sport is battling to hold onto its own venuesFri May 17 2024 - 19:44
Home advantage could tilt things Ulster’s way as Leinster rotate ahead of Toulouse finalJames Ryan and Hugo Keenan return from injury but no starters from the side which beat Northampton will be first choice in BelfastFri May 17 2024 - 13:31
URC playoff permutations: who needs to do what to qualify? Leinster and Munster battle for as high a seed as possible while Ulster and Connacht find themselves towards the bottom end of the top eightFri May 17 2024 - 06:00
Iain Henderson’s season over after Ulster and Ireland lock undergoes toe surgeryHenderson will miss Ulster’s URC run-in and Ireland’s two-Test tour to South Africa in JulyTue May 14 2024 - 18:50
Aki, Gibson-Park and Dan Sheehan on shortlist for players’ player of the yearBrittany Hogan, Aoibheann Reilly, Aoife Wafer up for the XVs women’s award; full list of nomineesTue May 14 2024 - 16:37
Champions Cup final: Be very afraid as Toulouse are more menacing than everThe French team are in ominous form and, like Leinster, are hugely motivated for the final at the Tottenham Hotspur StadiumTue May 14 2024 - 06:00
Dan Sheehan refreshed and raring to go for semi-final showdownLeinster hooker Dan Sheehan hoping his side can draw on Croke Park's special engergy if they make the required strong start against NorthamptonFri May 03 2024 - 06:00
Ross Byrne is a reassuring presence as Leinster seek to make Champions Cup finalLeinster outhalf is as fresh as a daisy mentally after missing some of season through injuryWed May 01 2024 - 06:00
Cork Con’s James Taylor on AIL win over Terenure: ‘This is the pinnacle’Taylor delivered a man-of-the-match performance in an unlikely win, as the Munster side played most of the game with a numerical disadvantageTue Apr 30 2024 - 06:00
Gerry Thornley: Anti-fun brigade detracted from occasion of the AIL finalWhy are microphones allowed into schools’ matches at Energia Park and not for the AIL final at the Aviva? What’s wrong with additional colour?Tue Apr 30 2024 - 06:00
Leinster’s Robin McBryde notes fine line between battle-hardened and battle-weary Northampton vs Leinster countdown: Bringing frontline players to South Africa could have derailed preparations for semi-final, says forwards coachTue Apr 30 2024 - 06:00
Seventh heaven for 14-man Cork Con as they dethrone Terenure to claim AIL glory Coach Jerry Holland hails gutsy display from 14-man Cork Con as they defeat Terenure to claim AIL finalMon Apr 29 2024 - 06:00
Crucial victory over Scotland seals Ireland’s return to the big timeProgress secured by third-place finish ensures Ireland's women's rugby squad qualification for next year’s World Cup in EnglandSun Apr 28 2024 - 19:00
Cork Constitution survive early red card to beat Terenure to AIL gloryJohn Forde was sent off 20 minutes in for a high tackle but Con prove the more clinical of the two sides as Terenure fail to make the advantage countSun Apr 28 2024 - 18:30
Chisom Ugwueru’s hat-trick propels UL Bohs to women’s AIL crownFiona Hayes’ side outscores Railway Union seven tries to six in the first women’s final held at the Aviva StadiumSun Apr 28 2024 - 16:02
Harrison Brewer’s journey from Leinster to Japan culminates in another Terenure finalSon of a former All Black harnesses disappointment at being cut loose by Leinster to lead Terenure’s bid for back-to-back AIL titlesSun Apr 28 2024 - 06:00
‘We’ve come through so much’ - Ireland revel in World Cup qualification Brittany Hogan: ‘I’m just so proud. I literally heard before I came over here that we’ve qualified and I’m just so happy’Sat Apr 27 2024 - 20:03
Six Nations: Ireland edge past Scotland to finish third and secure World Cup qualificationDannah O’Brien’s second half penalty the difference between the sides as Scott Bemand’s outfit holds on for a three-point winSat Apr 27 2024 - 17:00
No dead rubber as Ireland and Scotland once again battle for a World Cup spot Never before has a last day clash between fifth and third in the Six Nations carried such long-term significanceSat Apr 27 2024 - 06:00
AIL: Margins look wafer thin in intriguing final as Terenure seek to double upAIL Final: Cork Con possess the better set-piece but Terenure perhaps boast the greater X-factor in intriguing finalFri Apr 26 2024 - 21:07
Gerry Thornley: Fans in Croke Park next weekend will be there for the rugby, nothing else Sold out Croke Park unlikely to field company clients and day-trippers to the same extent as Six Nations clashes at the AvivaFri Apr 26 2024 - 18:30
Cork Con’s Matthew Bowen: ‘There’s a bit of pressure on you representing a big club with huge history’ Last year he helped Terenure win the All-Ireland League. On Sunday he aims to stop them retaining the title and bring it back to Cork intseadFri Apr 26 2024 - 06:00
