The IRFU may have left it a little later than normal this season, but the announcement of four contract extensions for senior Irish players, Connacht’s Bundee Aki and the Leinster trio of Dan Sheehan, Jamison Gibson-Park and Josh van der Flier further nails down one of the planning pieces for Irish coach Andy Farrell. All … Read more
Portugal secured their first win over Georgia in 21 years to be crowned Rugby Europe Championship (REC) winners on Sunday in a stunning underdog performance in Madrid. Inspired by an outstanding defence and scrum, Os Lobos came out on top 19-17 over the much-fancied Georgians, who had an iron grip on the title for close … Read more
Ireland head coach will likely have plenty of suitors as IRFU weighs up options Given the number of contracts that expire after the World Cup, Andy Farrell could have plenty of options. Photo: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile Andy Farrell’s focus is on the Six Nations right now, and everyone who watched his celebrations at Twickenham last weekend … Read more
Strictly speaking, there’s no real midway point in the Six Nations, but this being the only fallow week it’s thus the only time to pause for breath and have a midterm report. Ireland Apocalypse not after all. Ireland are even back to third in the world rankings. As in 2021, we really should have listened … Read more
World Rugby has urged patience for those applying for tickets for the 2027 Rugby World Cup after many fans were left frustrated after tickets went on presale for the tournament in Australia. The first batch of tickets was made available from midday Sydney time (1am on Wednesday in Ireland) when registered fans could secure a … Read more
Ireland will open their 2027 World Cup campaign in Australia with a game against Portugal in Sydney on Monday, October 4th. The World Cup fixtures and dates were confirmed on Monday night, and Andy Farrell’s charges will have a three-venue schedule in Pool D. Six days after the Portugal fixture Ireland take on Six Nations … Read more
The Wallabies will kick off their 2027 Rugby World Cup campaign against Hong Kong China in Perth on Friday, October 1 at 6:45pm local time. The first Rugby World Cup game on home soil since the 2003 final will also mark the first ever World Cup match for Hong Kong China, who qualified after winning … Read more
It is 18 years since his era as Ireland head coach ended. He paved the way for future success but his final years in charge came with a cost and a few regrets Eddie O’Sullivan regrets he didn’t enjoy the high points he had with Ireland more than he did at the time. Photo: Ray … Read more
Brian O’Driscoll is open to the idea of creating a franchise competition to potentially boost a sport which he reckoned could have faded if the 2019 Rugby World Cup had not gone ahead as planned. Late last year, it was revealed that a new global league had been proposed and was in the early stages … Read more
A general view of the Webb Ellis cup, the Rugby World Cup trophy. Photo: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile World Rugby have confirmed that the draw for the 2027 World Cup will take place in December. The seedings for the draw will be based on the world rankings at the end of the November international window, with Ireland … Read more