IRFU

Is rugby set to change forever?

The Counter Ruck Podcast

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

Does the Emerging Ireland tour actually benefit Irish rugby?

The Counter Ruck Podcast

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

The Counter Ruck: Is Ireland’s central contract system broken?

The Counter Ruck Podcast

Blue bloods: IRFU ‘national’ contract system will continue to load the dice in Leinster’s favour

Leinster are set to have 10 players on Ireland central contracts next season with just three from the other provinces on national deals

Rugby targeted with highest number of anti-doping tests in 2023

Sport Ireland announces details of 1,595 tests across 32 sports, with rugby topping the list at 284 samples, ahead of athletics and rowing

Pints at the Aviva, dinner at Roly’s and the Dart home. Since when has that not been a ‘real’ rugby fan experience?

Watching Ireland play in the Aviva Stadium is not for 'real fans', it's a sporting experience equally open to everyone

What makes the Happy Pear unhappy? Building a 5G mast beside their organic farm

Plus: Jack Crowley’s financial conversion, architect Tom de Paor’s Wicklow woes, Siún Ní Raghallaigh’s Galway house sale, and Dublin jarveys say neigh to Harry Crosbie

The FAI will find somebody for the Ireland manager job. He won’t be the solution

Are we condemned to traipsing up and down the aisles of world football’s manager superstores, searching for a special offer?

Tickets for IRFU’s 150th anniversary dinner on course to sell out at €650 per head

IRFU's 150th anniversary gala dinner event in Dublin’s RDS in November to feature interviews with Ireland’s four surviving Grand Slam-winning captains

For true progress to be made, a workplace must be female-friendly

IRFU, Distilled and Cpl among the organisations delivering innovative policies that support women at every stage of their working life

Singing Ireland’s Call before Ireland rugby match was ‘best day’ of my life, says boy (8)

Stevie Mulrooney says it ‘felt great’ to perform in front of 50,000 fans ahead of Ireland’s Six Nations clash against Italy on Sunday

Melodic munificence of JP McManus

Colin Coyle on housing for Westlife member, former Web Summit CEO tilling the fields, Kneecap’s film, the IRFU, Isaac Allen and possible encore for Wolfe Tones man

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE...

The Irish Times ePaper

Stardust

Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people

Common Ground

How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands