Irish women’s rugby: ‘there are loads of structural issues that are really difficult to address’
The Counter Ruck Podcast
IRFU
Andrew Porter and Tadhg Furlong sign IRFU contract extensions to 2027
Leinster duo sign two-year contract extensions
Neil Doak appointed as Ireland men’s under-20s head coach
The former Ulster scrumhalf has coached the Ireland under-18s and combined academies in recent seasons
Irish rugby is a good place to be, thanks to people such as Dave Fagan
Jordie Barrett and RG Snyman represent the continuation of an old Irish rugby recipe: home-grown talent spiced up by a sprinkling of top international quality
Clare Daly finds a Dublin Central political address once linked to her ally Mick Wallace
Plus: no sign of the next laureate for fiction; the less-than-diverse membership of Aosdána; and Niall Blaney’s poor attendance record
Sports Books of the Year: Conor Niland’s The Racket the best in a year dominated by autobiographies
Johnny Sexon, Joe Canning and Richie Hogan all have highly readable offerings and Miguel Delaney’s book on the hijacking of modern football is not to be missed
IRFU records a deficit of €18.4 million in annual accounts
Men’s professional game costs the IRFU €43.9 million while revenue generated by the provinces in URC and EPCR tournaments comes in at €9 million
Could Michael D topple Christy from the top of the album charts?
President Michael D Higgins records an LP; the Oireachtas spends more taxpayers’ cash on something it’s not clear we need; and an ex-rugby star encounters some unwanted wingers
IRFU announce return of ‘A’ Interprovincial Championship
Connacht Eagles will host Leinster ‘A’ on Saturday, November 16th at Creggs RFC
IRFU appoint former Ireland international Lynne Cantwell as head of women’s strategy
Cantwell earned 86 caps for Ireland
Twenty-minute red card undermines World Rugby’s campaign to make the game safer
At a time when rugby was starting to win the battle it is in danger of losing the war
IRFU says they do not support 20-minute red card
Irish rugby organisation joins French Rugby Federation in opposition to proposed rule
Former rugby international Brendan Mullin allegedly stole €500,000 from Bank of Ireland, trial hears
Irish international (60) allegedly stole money while he was managing director of Bank of Ireland Private Bank a decade ago
IRFU ‘still considering’ position on 20-minute red card proposal
World Rugby proposal has been strongly opposed by a combination of ruling and player bodies in France
Ciarán Fitzgerald: ‘The IRFU has produced a model the world of rugby envies’
As he prepares to mark a special occasion for rugby in Galway, the former Ireland captain reflects on his student days, Connacht’s dashing style and the significance of the recent win in South Africa for Andy Farrell’s team
A triumph for irishrugby+ despite questionable carry-on from the commentators
Irish rugby’s new streaming service was flawless, and Emerging Ireland’s performance was worth celebrating too
Opportunity knocks for a new group of players on Emerging Ireland tour
Last trip to South Africa in 2022 under Simon Easterby proved an unqualified success with half a dozen players going on to make an impact at senior Test level
Former IRFU head of athletic development switches allegiance to FAI
Jason Cowman spent 10 years with Leinster before joining the Ireland set-up
IRFU stresses importance of reporting breast pain and injuries among female players
Guidelines given on supportive clothing for female players, of whom there are nearly two million worldwide
Rugby fixtures 2024/2025: Ireland matches and major tournament dates for the season
Everything you need to know about the upcoming rugby season
Simon Easterby confirmed as interim Ireland head coach
Andy Farrell to begin Lions sabbatical ahead of next summer’s tour to Australia
Why a British-Irish league would not be the solution rugby needs
There has been some tentative interest in the idea from Ireland
Tough days await but Ireland’s women are starting to show what they can do with the right support
Head coach Scott Bemand is just one of the shrewd appointments made by the IRFU since it started backing the women’s team more effectively
New Ireland rugby kit gives nod to unique Irish landscape
Canterbury draw inspiration from Cliffs of Moher and Giants Causeway for new-look 2024/25 kit
Leinster Rugby chief Shane Nolan: The next generation want a totally different experience - fireworks, cheerleaders, music
Growing the commercial side of the club will be the focus of Shane Nolan especially as its RDS base is redeveloped
Former IRFU high performance director David Nucifora joins Scotland set-up
The 62-year-old will not be full-time, operating on a consultancy basis over the next two years
Rugby World Cup to expand to 24 teams for 2027
Ireland has already qualified for the tournament, which will be staged in Australia
Ciarán McCarthy was left paraplegic after playing for his local rugby club. He resolved not to become ‘a bitter auld bollocks’
More than 22 years on from the life-changing incident, McCarthy’s belief in a breakthrough is undiminished
IRFU appoint Aled Walters as Ireland’s head of athletic performance
Welsh man is one of the most decorated coaches in world rugby and comes to Ireland from England
Ireland set for matches in Georgia and Romania next summer while Lions tour Australia
From next season on, Irish provinces won’t be permitted to sign non-Irish qualified frontrow players, confirms David Humphreys
Neglected Dublin theatre could be in line for a revival
The Rupert Guinness Theatre requires ‘substantial investment’; Def Leppard frontman at the top of the tree; and Garret FitzGerald’s love note from Sophia Loren
IRFU confirm scope to plug coaching gap during Andy Farrell’s Lions commitment
Ireland defence coach Simon Easterby favourite to assume head coach’s duties
IRFU has no plans to take an Ireland Test match to Croke Park
IRFU women’s director of rugby position to be filled by September
IRFU to create new role responsible for implementation of women’s rugby plan
New position, which will report directly to chief executive Kevin Potts, set to be filled by the end of the year
Aviva in talks with IRFU and FAI to renew stadium naming rights deal
Aviva has held the naming rights since 2010 and is in exclusive talks to renew for another five years
X executive collars Irish data protection commissioners for chat in Madrid
Sports injury specialist Ray Moran’s vote of confidence in his own knees, Albert Manifold’s planning setbacks, and the IRFU’s home extensions
Irish provinces must contribute 30% to fund each national contract, confirms IRFU
Current system sees each contract fully financed by the union and addresses complaint from other provinces that Leinster had advantage
Emerging Ireland set to once again tour South Africa later this year
Sevens programme proves its value; South Africa’s Wiese may miss Tests against Ireland; by the numbers; and quote, unquote
Gastropub owners told to pay rent arrears to ‘accidental landlord’ IRFU
Owners of rugby fan favourite the Chop House were in dispute with rugby body over rented home in Dublin 4
What has David Nucifora ever done for Irish rugby?
As he prepares to end his 10-year stint as IRFU high-performance director, the Australian reflects on guiding changes to Irish structure and mentality even when that caused tensions
National Lottery plans to move its HQ to new location
Funeral for legendary actors’ agent; CRH chief’s home renovations troubles; Phil Hogan joins Irish lobbying register; a financial blow for the IRFU, and a tough job at RTÉ
Leinster provide too many players to the national squad for it to be an equitable system
Munster are treading a similar path to last season, pulling out some great wins away from home. They know the virtues of timing a run, better than most
Jordie Barrett’s signing is a compliment - Leinster and Ireland garner more intrigue than ever before
It’s hard to think of a week when the province flexed their collective muscle to the extent they could announce signings, new coaches and a new home venue
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