Many of the murmuring Aviva Stadium crowd left early or headed to the bar. Irish expectations have changedYou pays your money - a lot of it - and you takes your choice has become the mantra of many fans at Ireland gamesSun Nov 10 2024 - 06:00
Five things we learned from Ireland’s defeat to New Zealand as McKenzie stars and punters punished by 8.10pm kick-off McKenzie punishes Ireland after penalty giveaway; punters punished by 8.10pm kick-off; Healy closes in on record; All Blacks shut down maul at source; was bench pressed into action too late?Sat Nov 09 2024 - 13:14
Ireland 13 New Zealand 23: How the Irish players rated at the Aviva StadiumAndy Farrell’s team didn’t click on the day but Gibson-Park stood out despite the defeatFri Nov 08 2024 - 22:50
Tadhg Beirne says Graham Rowntree’s departure came as a surprise to Munster playersMunster captain says: ‘We can’t thank Graham enough for everything he has done for the club’Fri Nov 08 2024 - 06:00
Ireland v New Zealand: Could this be the grudge match of all grudge matches?The chemistry between the sides provides Ireland with added motivation against the All Blacks at the Aviva StadiumThu Nov 07 2024 - 13:00
Garry Ringrose enjoying the increased support for the Ireland team since successful All Blacks tourCentre has played against New Zealand seven times since his first match in 2016 with mixed resultsWed Nov 06 2024 - 06:00
Joe McCarthy: ‘You always have to keep evolving your game’ The Irish lock has played against the All Blacks in last year’s World Cup and hopes for another run out on FridayTue Nov 05 2024 - 06:00
Andrew Goodman eager to pit his wits against New ZealandIreland backs’ coach faces the country of his birth for his first match at Test levelMon Nov 04 2024 - 06:00
Peter O’Mahony arrives at the Ireland team base in PortugalAll Blacks Beauden Barrett and Codie Taylor will miss the match on Friday due to injurySun Nov 03 2024 - 14:35
The All Blacks are no longer gods in the heads of Irish playersBreakthrough victory in Chicago in 2016 changed the template of the relationship between Ireland and New ZealandFri Nov 01 2024 - 05:15
Munster may benefit from shift in focus to face old rivals the All Blacks XVProvince the first Irish side to beat New Zealand in 1978, an achievement unmatched until Ireland’s 2016 win in ChicagoThu Oct 31 2024 - 06:00
All eyes on Sam Prendergast as he looks to settle outhalf questionHaving decided against joining Connacht last summer, the 21-year-old has a chance on Saturday to strengthen his cases for leading roles with Leinster and IrelandSat Oct 26 2024 - 06:00
Leinster v Lions: Leo Cullen’s side target sixth win in row from top-of-table URC clashRoaring start from second-placed Lions key to challenging Leinster at the Aviva, says coach Ivan van RooyenFri Oct 25 2024 - 17:56
The Lions are little more than a slick corporate franchiseGone is the epic nature of the Lions tours that were a challenge of spirit and endurance as much as playing rugbyFri Oct 25 2024 - 06:00
Jacob Stockdale’s return to top form gives Andy Farrell an extra asset for Autumn SeriesRejuvenated Ulster winger has made more his mark on the early stages of the URC seasonWed Oct 23 2024 - 18:40
Leinster’s Jacques Nienaber enjoying ‘more creative’ club game since switch from Test rugbySouth African plans to remain in club game beyond end of current Leinster contractTue Oct 22 2024 - 06:00
Positive signs for Leinster as Baird, McCarthy and Henshaw well on the road to recoveryDecision on Ciarán Frawley’s availablity to be made later in the weekMon Oct 21 2024 - 15:10
Josh van der Flier: ‘I’m very blessed that I’m still going. Hopefully I can be like Cian Healy’Leinster forward is 31 years old and counts himself lucky that he has been able to avoid serious injury and is still able to playSat Oct 05 2024 - 06:00
Irish women’s team braced for another tough WXV 1 assignment as Canada await on home soilAfter beating New Zealand, Ireland now face the world’s second-ranked team in their second outing of the tournamentFri Oct 04 2024 - 16:45
Dismissing Conor McGregor is as foolish as taking him seriouslyAlthough he has not fought since breaking his leg in 2021, the controversial UFC fighter is rarely out of the newsFri Oct 04 2024 - 06:00
New Munster captain Tadhg Beirne to lead by example like those before himBeing a captain in rugby has specific responsibilities, from talking to referees to leading the team and setting toneThu Oct 03 2024 - 06:00
Denis Leamy says Donncha O’Callaghan’s criticism of Munster ‘completely on the money’Defence coach accepts the sharp criticism of friend and former team-mate after loss to ZebreTue Oct 01 2024 - 19:26
Ireland win over New Zealand sparks World Cup hopesThe win over the World Cup winners moves Ireland up a place to sixth in the world rankingsMon Sept 30 2024 - 19:00
Ireland stun world champions New Zealand with win in opening WXV1 clashErin King grabbed her second try to level the game in the last minute before Dannah O’Brien convertedMon Sept 30 2024 - 10:39
Dorothy Wall confident but not complacent as Ireland women’s rugby team prepares to face world’s top sidesIreland take on world champions New Zealand first in WXV tournament in Vancouver on SundaySat Sept 28 2024 - 06:00
Connacht eye up first catch of the season as the Sharks arrive in Galway BaySouth African side arrive in Ireland for their first URC match of the season fresh from winning Currie CupFri Sept 27 2024 - 17:40
‘It’s going to be rough’: Ulster geared up for South African challenge against LionsUlster travel to South Africa for their second and third round URC fixtures against the Lions and the BullsFri Sept 27 2024 - 15:37
Boxing beaten to the punch when it comes to sports capital grants Despite producing 19 Olympic medals, the latest being Kellie Harrington, the sport gets a derisory €830,914 out of a €230 million funding pieFri Sept 27 2024 - 06:00
IRFU stresses importance of reporting breast pain and injuries among female playersGuidelines given on supportive clothing for female players, of whom there are nearly two million worldwideWed Sept 25 2024 - 19:33
Survey shows 17% of Schools Senior Cup rugby injuries end up in A&EThe most common injury for SCT players was concussion (22%) followed by ankle sprains (11%) and shoulder sprains (7%)Wed Sept 25 2024 - 18:52
Ulster face ‘stern test’ against champions Glasgow in URC opener in BelfastIn better shape now than last season, Richie Murphy’s province are more optimistic for the season aheadFri Sept 20 2024 - 19:00
Fresh faces on show as Munster welcome Connacht for URC opener Junior Springbok Thaakir Abrahams and Argentinian international Santiago Cordero worth watching out forFri Sept 20 2024 - 16:33
Emerging Ireland tour may be tough on the provinces but policy seems to pay offThe 33 players named this week for the Emerging Ireland tour of South Africa are effectively being taken away from their club sides just as the URC season kicks offFri Sept 20 2024 - 06:00
Range of age and experience for Leinster as Jack Conan captains side for URC opener against EdinburghCian Healy set to equal Devin Toner’s appearance record for the provinceThu Sept 19 2024 - 12:50
Stuart McCloskey signs two-year contract extension with UlsterThe 32-year-old made his debut for Ulster in February 2014Tue Sept 17 2024 - 15:04
Leinster’s RG Snyman and Jamison Gibson-Park progressing nicelyLeinster open their United Rugby Championship season on Friday night against EdinburghTue Sept 17 2024 - 06:00
Fintan McCarthy rows back on decision and eyes up gold in Los AngelesSkibbereen rower seeking third successive Olympic gold medal and will try a move to heavyweightFri Sept 13 2024 - 18:00
Paralympic cyclist Katie-George Dunlevy: ‘I want to inspire visually impaired children and the LGBT community to not give up’The most decorated Irish Paralympic athlete of all time on what keeps her going, family support and coming out out ‘really late at the age of 29′Fri Sept 13 2024 - 08:29
Perhaps it’s time to scrap the playing of national anthems at football groundsGiven the prevalence of fans disrespecting national anthems in football grounds, is it time to abandon the tradition entirely?Fri Sept 13 2024 - 05:53
Ciarán Frawley starts new season with pep in his step – and hopes of playing at 10Leinster and Ireland player says he has a ‘good springboard’ for the coming seasonFri Aug 23 2024 - 06:00
Johnny Watterson: Olympic champion Paul O’Donovan offers a lesson in humilityRower is Ireland’s most successful athlete, but was going to slip back to Cork with a gold medal on a regular busThu Aug 22 2024 - 16:02
Dan Sheehan progressing well from ACL injury and could be back for Six NationsJacques Nienaber says RG Snyman’s injury is not serious at Leinster training camp in GoreyThu Aug 22 2024 - 14:29
Jordan Conroy sees a Sevens event in Dublin as a logical next stepThe 30-year-old will play in the World Series for another season, with a possible third Olympic appearance at Los Angeles 2028 too far away to make a callWed Aug 21 2024 - 06:00
Leinster to play home Champions Cup games against Clermont and Bath at the Aviva StadiumLeo Cullen’s side will open their campaign with a trip to Ashton Gate to take on Bristol Bears on Sunday, December 8thTue Aug 20 2024 - 12:51
IOC’s self praise jars when self reflection is requiredWith Paris 2024 over, the International Olympic Committee will have plenty of issues to address when the next Games begin in LA 2028Fri Aug 16 2024 - 06:00
Cork’s first Olympic-standard swimming pool sits in storage awaiting construction fundsDolphin Swimming Club in Cork bought an Olympic-standard 50m swimming pool at a knockdown price from Birmingham after the 2022 Commonwealth GamesThu Aug 15 2024 - 16:38
Olympic organisers used the Seine to showcase Paris, but sick swimmers do not make for a good lookIt is curious that different bodies’ readings of the river’s water quality produced different resultsWed Aug 14 2024 - 06:00
Were the Paris Olympics clean? Only time and reanalysed drugs tests will tellIn 2012 the London Olympics was hailed as one of the cleanest ever but within years reanalysed test samples showed the number of positive tests ran to well over 100 – including gold medal winnersTue Aug 13 2024 - 06:00
Irish boxing faces stark choice with its Olympic future on the ropesStaying in the International Boxing Association could mean opting out of 2028 Olympic GamesMon Aug 12 2024 - 06:00
Olympic diary: Daniel Wiffen’s work is done as party time beckonsJohnny Watterson: For every successful Olympic gold medal winner there is only heartbreak and disappointment for another 100 crushed soulsSat Aug 10 2024 - 06:00
