Gerry Thornley: Italian rugby making tangible strides despite many obstacles at home and abroadWith friends like World Rugby and the EPCR, Italian rugby needs few enemies – but imagine what a World Cup in Italy would do for the sport in that country?Tue Oct 08 2024 - 06:00
Leinster wait on Kelleher injury news in advance of Munster clashWith Dan Sheehan sidelined, Kelleher is vital for Saturday’s renewal at which more than 70,000 supporters expectedMon Oct 07 2024 - 06:00
Terenure beat Lansdowne 28-22 in repeat of last season’s Division 1A semi-finalCork Con end Young Munster’s unbeaten start with 25-5 winSun Oct 06 2024 - 16:13
Leinster’s opening half-hour puts away Benetton as they maintain 100% startLeo Cullen’s side have already opened up a four-point buffer at the top of the URC tableSun Oct 06 2024 - 13:24
Benetton the fashionable standard bearers of Italy’s rugby renaissance Bulk suppliers to the Azzurri, the Treviso side are now making a mark in the URC and Champions CupSat Oct 05 2024 - 06:00
Strong Leinster side should have too much for BenettonRG Snyman and Tadhg Furlong among those to return for URC visit to TrevisoFri Oct 04 2024 - 16:01
Gerry Thornley: Corinthians find their path by putting faith in youthAt a time when under-20 sides in Irish clubs are in alarming decline, the Galway club is bucking the trend in extraordinary styleTue Oct 01 2024 - 06:00
Connacht savour heroic comeback as Munster taste historic defeatUlster take bonus point and lessons from tough loss to Lions in South AfricaMon Sept 30 2024 - 06:00
Half-time reset pays off as Connacht recover from vicious Sharks attackThe home side trailed 27-7 at half-time before turning the game on its head in the second half in GalwayMon Sept 30 2024 - 01:00
All-Ireland League: Clontarf and Young Munster keep up strong starts Keith Wood’s three sons Gordon, Tom and Alex play on the same Garryowen team for the first timeSun Sept 29 2024 - 15:19
Santiago Cordero: When I arrived at Connacht it was snowing. They told me ‘this never happens’. But I just liked GalwayOne of the wandering minstrels of rugby, Argentina international Santi Cordero feels ‘very lucky’ to call Galway his latest homeSat Sept 28 2024 - 06:00
AIL: Terenure seek to back up impressive opening victory when they travel to Young MunsterClontarf and Garryowen are set for intriguing clashSat Sept 28 2024 - 06:00
Piers O’Conor already feeling right at home with ConnachtVersatile former Wasps and Bristol Bears stalwart welcoming the opportunity to contribute to the expansive brand of rugby favoured by Pete Wilkins’ sideFri Sept 27 2024 - 06:00
Railway fired by fresh ambition as they look forward to new campaignDefeat in consecutive All-Ireland League finals ensures there’s a steely determination to return to the Aviva and prevail on the big dayWed Sept 25 2024 - 17:04
Pete Wilkins says if Connacht perform then atmosphere will take care of itself Sharks come to Galway as recently-crowned Currie Cup championsWed Sept 25 2024 - 06:00
Connacht’s Pete Wilkins allays concerns on Santiago Cordero injury‘Good chance’ of Finlay Bealham being involved against Sharks, with Aki more likely to return the following weekTue Sept 24 2024 - 15:11
Gerry Thornley: If this isn’t Ciarán Frawley’s time to take the Leinster 10 jersey, you wonder when? Outhalf conundrum likely to rumble on and on for Leinster and Leo CullenTue Sept 24 2024 - 06:00
Ulster prop Marty Moore retires from rugby at age 33Moore was capped 10 times by Ireland but has stepped away from game ‘on medical advice’Mon Sept 23 2024 - 19:44
Munster waiting for scan on outhalf Billy Burns’ shoulder injuryTommy O’Brien being assessed for injury ahead of Emerging Ireland tourMon Sept 23 2024 - 18:42
Wilkins excited by Connacht’s attacking brio despite narrow loss to MunsterHead coach says Connacht aim to build on spectacular display at Thomond ParkMon Sept 23 2024 - 06:00
Munster have the last word in riveting rollercoaster Plenty of positives to take for both sides following enthralling opening URC encounter at Thomond ParkMon Sept 23 2024 - 06:00
Ireland are back on top of the world amid positive opening weekend for provincesLeinster and Ulster show true grit to grind out victories over Scottish opposition while Munster and Connacht produce a classic at Thomond ParkMon Sept 23 2024 - 06:00
Terenure, Garryowen and Clontarf get AIL campaigns off to flying starts Young Munster gain impressive win at UCDSun Sept 22 2024 - 19:21
Graham Rowntree admits ‘relief’ after Munster open campaign with Connacht winHead coach confirms shoulder injury to Billy Burns on his competitive debut for MunsterSat Sept 21 2024 - 21:12
Munster edge Connacht in barnstorming 10-try opening weekend derby Munster take five points but injury to outhalf Billy Burns looks to be a concernSat Sept 21 2024 - 20:02
‘Beat Connacht, go deep into Europe.’ Expectations rise for Graham Rowntree at Munster helmGraham Rowntree is ambitious and philosophical about his third season as Munster’s head coach, though he admits to feeling a tad stressedSat Sept 21 2024 - 06:00
Lions intrigue and lingering heartache make Ireland-England the standout match of the campaign aheadThe URC gets more brutal every year, writes Gerry ThornleyFri Sept 20 2024 - 06:00
Rugby fixtures 2024/2025: Ireland matches and major tournament dates for the season Everything you need to know about the upcoming rugby seasonFri Sept 20 2024 - 06:00
Rejuvenated AIL kicks off new season with Terenure seeking fourth Aviva final in a rowDomestic league features healthy smattering of former pros, club stalwarts and ambitious young playersFri Sept 20 2024 - 06:00
Leinster go again searching for a fifth star after big-name signingsDeals for RG Snyman and Jordie Barrett look to have been made with the focus of taking that final step after many close defeatsThu Sept 19 2024 - 06:00
Billy Burns gets fired up with move to Munster‘I’d maybe make mistakes in games in the past and let it affect me. Now, with age and experience, I feel like I’m a much more level person’Thu Sept 19 2024 - 06:00
Graham Rowntree dismisses ‘innuendos’ about Munster captaincy after confirming Tadhg Beirne’s appointmentMunster head coach addresses rumours of a falling-out with Peter O’MahonyWed Sept 18 2024 - 06:00
With less experience but plenty of X-factor, Connacht should be fun to watch this seasonQualifying for the Champions Cup is an achievable goal for ConnachtWed Sept 18 2024 - 06:00
Simon Easterby confirmed as interim Ireland head coachAndy Farrell to begin Lions sabbatical ahead of next summer’s tour to AustraliaTue Sept 17 2024 - 16:29
Tadhg Beirne takes over as full-time Munster captain from Peter O’MahonyGraham Rowntree selects the 32-year-old Irish lock to lead province for the new seasonTue Sept 17 2024 - 13:54
Tough days await but Ireland’s women are starting to show what they can do with the right supportHead coach Scott Bemand is just one of the shrewd appointments made by the IRFU since it started backing the women’s team more effectivelyTue Sept 17 2024 - 06:00
Richie Murphy has a tough hand for his first full season at UlsterLack of depth and quality mean Ulster will have to excel to be still in contention for silverware by JanuaryTue Sept 17 2024 - 06:00
Munster’s minimum target must be to restore the Thomond Park factorDespite some shrewd signings, doubts persist about Munster’s ability to go deep in two tournamentsMon Sept 16 2024 - 06:00
Ireland women sweep Wallaroos aside in impressive performanceEye-catching performance from Scott Bemand’s side sets scene for Test against world champions New Zealand in two weeksMon Sept 16 2024 - 06:00
‘We are starting to see a bit of fruit’: Ireland’s win over Australia shows squad’s significant stridesIreland beat the Wallaroos 36-5 at Kingspan Stadium in BelfastSat Sept 14 2024 - 18:39
Ireland surprise Australia to earn 36-10 victory in BelfastEimear Considine marked her return to Test rugby with a try just before half-timeSat Sept 14 2024 - 17:13
Much-changed Ireland look to mark another reset against AustraliaIreland make seven alterations to line-up for Test in Belfast that is part of the celebrations of the IRFU’s 150th anniversaryFri Sept 13 2024 - 19:00
Four debutants named in Ireland team to face AustraliaScott Bemand’s team to face Wallaroos in Belfast on SaturdayFri Sept 13 2024 - 06:00
St Mary’s back in the big time and eager to make the right impressionNewly-promoted Division 1A side have signalled their intent by securing the services of Munster centre Dan Goggin and Ulster backrower Greg Jones for the new league campaignThu Sept 12 2024 - 20:27
Vicky Elmes Kinlan and Ruth Campbell to make Ireland Test debuts against AustraliaScott Bemand names side for Saturday’s IRFU 150th Anniversary Test in BelfastThu Sept 12 2024 - 13:20
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
