Josh van der Flier: ‘A day before the game, I’d have a doughnut or a couple of cookies. It helps me relax' Ireland’s openside flanker says he’s found the sweet spot for battling pre-match anxiety Fri Jan 31 2025 - 06:00
‘Entertainment’ is IRFU’s buzzword kicking off 2025 Union seeking to enhance the big-match experience and asking fans to arrive two hours early for the England game Thu Jan 30 2025 - 20:20
Jamison Gibson-Park and Ireland sensing huge opportunity Scrumhalf knows avenging last year’s defeat to England would add real momentum to Ireland’s Six Nations campaign Thu Jan 30 2025 - 06:00
Sam Prendergast expected to be available for Ireland’s Six Nations opener against EnglandIreland assistant coach Andrew Goodman confident the outhalf will shake off dead legTue Jan 28 2025 - 16:57
David Humphreys: ‘For me it’s making sure Leinster remain where they are’Despite disillusionment creeping in among fans from other provinces, the IRFU want Leinster to keep setting standards in EuropeTue Jan 28 2025 - 06:00
David Humphreys: ‘Andy Farrell will be missed, he’s the best rugby coach in the world’IRFU Performance Director expects injured Irish prop Tadhg Furlong to play some role in this year’s championshipMon Jan 27 2025 - 17:00
How the Irish rugby team are preparing for the Six Nations in PortugalQuinta do Lago is where Irish rugby teams have been going since 2019 for warm weather training before the start of the Six NationsMon Jan 27 2025 - 13:12
James Ryan: ‘I think Irish teams are at their very best when we’re on the edge’The Ireland secondrow has added parts to his game and hopes Irish lineout issues will be ironed out in PortugalMon Jan 27 2025 - 06:00
Tadhg Furlong ruled out of Ireland’s Six Nations opener with EnglandTighthead prop suffered a recurrence of a calf strain on Saturday with Connacht’s Jack Aungier called upSun Jan 26 2025 - 18:51
Paul O’Connell happy for warm weather training as Six Nations build-up given Storm ÉowynForwards coach says nothing is ever easy against England ahead of first game of championshipSat Jan 25 2025 - 06:00
Paul O’Connell dismisses notion of Leinster bias in selection of Ireland’s Six Nations squadIreland forwards coach says during selection meetings there has never been a discussion as to what province players come from or who they play withSat Jan 25 2025 - 06:00
Ireland report clean bill of health ahead of Six Nations clash with EnglandPaul O’Connell says it is business as usual from the training camp in Quinta do Lago, PortugalFri Jan 24 2025 - 14:31
X has become a dangerous place for sports people to inhabitFor each post about Leinster winning a match there is a tsunami of Monday morning quarterbacks bubbling with anger and bloated with certaintiesFri Jan 24 2025 - 06:00
Luke McGrath focused on the task as Leinster brace for Stormers testExperienced scrumhalf will help guide younger team-mates in the absence of squad members busily preparing for Six Nations duty with IrelandThu Jan 23 2025 - 06:00
Young fan taken to hospital after being struck by object during Leinster’s game against BathIt is unknown if object accidentally fell from the stand above or was thrown into the crowd from another sectionWed Jan 22 2025 - 16:33
Leinster to take on Harlequins at Croke Park in Champions Cup round of 16Munster’s trip to La Rochelle will also take place on Saturday, April 5thWed Jan 22 2025 - 13:11
Tricky task of managing top players’ load requires inevitable compromisesThere are too many matches in a season – between club and international demands around 40 – for players to be able to compete in much more than halfFri Jan 03 2025 - 06:00
Munster bring the fight but Leinster take the spoils at Thomond ParkLeinster continue winning streak with bonus-point win in LimerickFri Dec 27 2024 - 21:51
Injury-hit Munster face mammoth test against ‘brilliantly boring’ LeinsterLeo Cullen was unhappy about several aspects of the Leinster team play against ConnachtThu Dec 26 2024 - 18:00
‘There were a few offers but it was easy for me to stay’: Robbie Henshaw agrees new Leinster deal The centre pens deal that will keep him at Leinster until the end of the 2027/28 season at the earliestMon Dec 23 2024 - 18:41
Connacht to play Munster at MacHale Park in Castlebar on March 29thThe home of Mayo GAA will host a competitive Connacht Rugby fixture for the first timeMon Dec 23 2024 - 10:00
Connacht left with feeling of ‘what if’ as Leinster dog out victory to remain unbeatenLeo Cullen’s side were 17-0 up but Connacht showed plenty of fight to make it a gripping contest in the endMon Dec 23 2024 - 06:00
No decision yet if Connacht’s Mack Hansen will be sanctioned for his criticism of refereesIrish winger claims Connacht are too often on wrong side of officials’ decisions in tight matchesSun Dec 22 2024 - 17:39
‘It’s really f***ing starting to get to us as a team’ - Mack Hansen hits out at how Connacht are refereed Ireland international claims Connacht are consistently on the wrong side of official’s decisions in matchesSat Dec 21 2024 - 21:18
Connacht arrive to Aviva with strong team and high hopesLeinster make 13 changes in personnel from the team that beat French side Clermont Auvergne last weekendSat Dec 21 2024 - 06:00
PGA decision to pay US Ryder Cup players a fatal blow for the competition’s old ethosGolf has given up something up that is valuable, the notion of volunteerism, offering personal time for a higher idealFri Dec 20 2024 - 06:00
Andrew Porter and Tadhg Furlong sign IRFU contract extensions to 2027Leinster duo sign two-year contract extensionsMon Dec 16 2024 - 12:35
Ulster’s Champions Cup opener against Toulouse a daunting away fixture Coach Richie Murphy cautiously optimistic of overturning title-holders if province reduces errors and finds consistencySat Dec 07 2024 - 06:00
Connacht set to blood new players in Challenge Cup home tie against Zebre Province rotates quartet of first-teamers after Ireland's Autumn Nations SeriesSat Dec 07 2024 - 06:00
Johnny Watterson: Backing for Gerry Hutch symptomatic of inner-city alienation Hutch gifted building to Corinthians Boxing Club, which like clubs countrywide, receive little support from official IrelandFri Dec 06 2024 - 06:00
Hugo Keenan set to miss opening matches of Leinster’s European campaignFullback suffered a wrist injury during Ireland’s Autumn Nations Series match against AustraliaThu Dec 05 2024 - 20:04
Jack Crowley: ‘Mental resilience has always been part of me’Munster and Ireland outhalf says he is grateful to be in Andy Farrell’s 23-man squadThu Dec 05 2024 - 06:00
Will Andy Farrell’s Lions sabbatical hurt Ireland’s Six Nations chances?Andy Farrell won’t return to Ireland coaching duties until August after the Lions’ tour of AustraliaTue Dec 03 2024 - 06:00
Cian Healy’s humility has him reluctant to overblow becoming Ireland’s most-capped playerIn world terms the 37-year-old passes Brian O’Driscoll’s number of caps and draws level with New Zealand’s Beauden BarrettMon Dec 02 2024 - 06:00
Five things we learned from the Autumn Nations SeriesIreland underwhelm with errors; Schmidt’s young team; outhalf competition set to continueSun Dec 01 2024 - 15:00
Joe Schmidt: ‘I felt we could have built on our lead after half-time’Schmidt was hopeful for the future of Australian rugby but was also reminded that much work still has to be doneSat Nov 30 2024 - 19:16
Ireland 22 Australia 19: How the Irish players rated at the AvivaHugo Keenan and Caelan Doris stand out players in error-prone performance by IrelandSat Nov 30 2024 - 17:37
Tough love for Jack Crowley as big opportunity knocks for Sam PrendergastIn Andy Farrell’s final game before taking up the Lions job he picked the young Leinster outhalf to start against AustraliaFri Nov 29 2024 - 06:00
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii becoming the next wizard of Oz Australia’s outside centre made his senior debut in rugby union against England and won the Player of the Match awardThu Nov 28 2024 - 06:00
Paul O’Connell rules himself out of the Munster running in the ‘short-term’ Forwards coach played under Schmidt at a World Cup and still uses some of the ideas the Kiwi and former Ireland coach introducedWed Nov 27 2024 - 06:00
Four Irish players ruled out of Ireland’s match against AustraliaJamie Osborne, Ryan Baird, Tadhg Furlong and Jacob Stockdale will miss the final Autumn Nations Series gameTue Nov 26 2024 - 15:53
Player watch: Sam Prendergast holds his nerve to shake off missteps against FijiOuthalf was unfazed by early yellow cardSat Nov 23 2024 - 19:48
Former army baby Sam Prendergast not afraid to stand his ground in Ireland senior squadWith his first start in a Test match, against Fiji on Saturday, 21-year-old will aim to improve on debut against ArgentinaSat Nov 23 2024 - 06:00
Johnny Watterson: Conor Niland’s The Racket is a seminal book in the sports genreLike Paul Kimmage’s A Rough Ride, both books speak of the journey to attain goals ultimately out of reachFri Nov 22 2024 - 06:00
Ireland casting a wide net to keep scrum singingScrum coach John Fogarty says Ireland keeping an eye on talent in each of the provincesWed Nov 20 2024 - 06:00
Tadhg Furlong and Tom O’Toole return but Ryan Baird ruled out of Ireland’s game with FijiBaird suffered a head injury after coming on against Argentina and is going through return to play protocolsTue Nov 19 2024 - 15:17
Robbie Henshaw impressed by Ireland’s debutants against ArgentinaSam Prendergast and Thomas Clarkson both earned their first caps for Ireland on FridaySat Nov 16 2024 - 12:30
James McClean’s personal principles inked on his arms and legs The Derry man is a lightning rod for the usual suspects’ criticism but his courageous refusal to wear the poppy, given his background, is entirely understandableSat Nov 16 2024 - 05:30
The Aviva crowd steps up as Ireland grind out victory over ArgentinaIreland started the game with vigour, before hanging on in tough second halfFri Nov 15 2024 - 22:50
Cian Healy set to equal Brian O’Driscoll’s 133 cap recordIf the the Irish frontrow comes off the bench against Argentina he will draw level with the former Irish captainWed Nov 13 2024 - 06:00
