Rugby

For Jordi Murphy, last month’s Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final clash between Leinster and Ulster at the Aviva Stadium was always going to be a day full of emotion.  For this was Murphy’s first time playing against his home province, a team he had played with for seven years and in May of last year, played an integral part in helping …

Sale Sharks have announced the signing of Springbok Lood De Jager.  De Jager will join up with Steve Diamond’s side ahead of the 2019/20 Gallagher Premiership season after he finishes the current Super Rugby campaign with the Vodacom Bulls. If he is selected by Rassie Erasmus for South Africa’s World Cup campaign, the 26-year-old will join up with his new …

The nominees for the 2019 EPCR European Player Of The Year award have been whittled down from 15 to five.  At the end of the pool stages, fifteen players were nominated for the award and that has now been reduced to five based on public voting and the verdict of a distinguished panel of rugby experts. Just two teams remain …

Johnny Sexton’s younger brother, Jerry Sexton, has signed a three-year deal with South African side the Southern Kings in the Guinness PRO14.  The 26-year-old second-row has been plying his trade with the Jersey Reds in the Greene King IPA Championship and currently captains the side. The move opens up the possibility of the two siblings facing off against one another …

Leinster have been dealt a blow today with the news that Adam Byrne has been ruled out for the remainder of the season as the Blues go in search of another domestic and European double. The flying winger has been in and out of the first XV this season but seemed to be finding form at the right time when …

Earlier this afternoon we asked you to vote on your best XV from the two semi-finals of the Heineken Champions Cup which took place at the weekend.  There was some obvious decisions and some very tight calls and unsurprisingly, Saracens and Leinster dominate the team with these two sides set to meet in the final on Saturday, May 11. Champions …

After this weekend’s action, we now know who will contest the 2018/19 Heineken Champions Cup final at St James’ Park in Newcastle.  Leinster will meet Saracens on Saturday, May 11 in what looks set to be a truly epic contest. These two are by far the standout teams in the competition and the manner in which they swatted aside Toulouse …

Scott Fardy walked into Sunday’s post-match press conference still in his playing kit, unwashed with an enormous gash across his head. As he took his seat, the adrenaline seemed to be still coursing through his body as he requested a tissue to wipe away the blood that continued to trickle down his face. Fardy was originally named among Leinster’s replacements …

It was a case of cometh the hour, cometh the man for many of Leinster’s stars as they swept aside the challenge of Toulouse to set up a mouthwatering Heineken Champions Cup final clash with Saracens. One the day, Johnny Sexton picked up plenty of plaudits and rightly so. It was performance fitting of the Man of the Match award …

Munster have confirmed that South African centre, Jaco Taute, will join Leicester Tigers at the beginning of the next season.  The announcement comes hours after the Premiership club confirmed the signing of Leinster centre, Noel Reid. Taute was first brought to the province in September 2016 as a replacement for the injured Francis Saili and made his debut the following …

Leinster Rugby have confirmed that centre Noel Reid will join Leicester Tigers from the start of the 2019/2020 season. The 28-year old made his senior debut for the province against Aironi in October 2011 and has made 120 appearances in a Leinster jersey since then, scoring 103 points. Reid also has one international cap to his name, which came during …

A Code of Conduct hearing, requested by Israel Folau following his dismissal from Rugby Australia earlier this month, will take place on May 4. The 30-year-old was issued with a termination notice of his $4 million contract on April 15 following his controversial social media post in which he stated that “hell awaits” drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists …

Johnny Sexton says that Saracens will be relishing the opportunity to right the wrongs of 2018 when the two sides meet in the final of this year’s Heineken Champions Cup. Leinster will take on Saracens in the final at Newcastle’s St James’ Park in three weeks with the two sides having met at the quarter-final stage last year. Leinster prevailed …

Leo Cullen was full of praise for his Leinster charges after they qualified for their second successive Champions Cup final following a 30-12 win over Toulouse at the Aviva Stadium. There was questions being asked of Leinster heading into the game as many thought they hadn’t yet reached the heights of last season when they steamrolled their way to a …

Leinster are on course to defend their Heineken Champions Cup crown as they secured a final meeting with Saracens thanks to a 30-12 victory over Toulouse at the Aviva Stadium this afternoon.  There were concerns that some of Leinster’s top players would be undercooked coming into this clash against an in-form Toulouse side but those worries were unfounded as the …

Munster Rugby have released a statement on the spectator who entered the pitch after the full-time whistle to confront Billy Vunipola.  Munster exited the Heineken Champions Cup at the semi-final stage when they lost 32-16 to Saracens at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry on Saturday afternoon. Much of the reaction to that loss has centred around Vunipola and the booing …

Leinster – 30 Toulouse – 12 Michael Corry reporting live from the Aviva Stadium. Leinster proved too strong for Toulouse at the Aviva Stadium this afternoon to set-up a mouthwatering clash with Saracens in next month’s Champions Cup final. Toulouse started the brighter of the two sides with Rynhardt Elstadt involved in a huge collision with James Lowe early on. …