Leinster Rugby
Leinster travel to Bristol for Champions Cup opener, Ulster away to champions Toulouse
Munster will be the first Irish province in action when they take on Stade Francais on Saturday, December 7th
Leinster and Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle meet once again in Champions Cup pool stages
Munster get Northampton and Bulls, Ulster drawn against Toulouse and Leicester
Former Australia and Leinster coach Michael Cheika appointed at Leicester Tigers
Cheika stepped down as head coach of Argentina last December
Gordon D’Arcy: Weakness in the system undermines Ireland’s ambitions
Disappointing seasons for Leinster, Munster, Ulster and Connacht highlighted how the Irish system needs to change
Ridicule less - remember that your sporting heroes are human
Not having an Irish team in the URC decider could be a good thing
‘It was a pretty easy decision’ - Jack Murphy explains move from Leinster to Ulster
Ireland U20s outhalf will move to the northern province after this summer’s U20 World Championship
After a full year on the go, is Irish rugby running on empty?
Irish players went into World Cup camp a year ago this week and they have not stopped playing since
Is Leo Cullen’s job under pressure? How did Munster let things slip at home?
The Counter Ruck podcast: Leinster and Munster both crashed out of the URC semi-finals in a bitter blow for Irish rugby
Leinster hoping for a Toulouse Top 14 win to boost Champions Cup seeding
Leo Cullen’s side would bag a top seeding if the French giants can complete the double
Munster and Leinster must deal with knowing they contributed to their own downfall
Both team’s entered last weekend’s semi-finals as favourites but came up short, their opponents deserving winners
Owen Doyle: Bulls deserved to beat Leinster, but the match deserved an elite referee
The URC has a problem on its hands when it comes to appointing match officials
Formidable Bulls find a way as Leinster end another campaign without a trophy
Sergeal Petersen’s brilliant late try leaves Leo Cullen’s men with time to reflect on another frustrating campaign
Time for Munster and Leinster to take stock following semi-final disappointment
Munster coach Graham Rowntree frustrated by the inability to seal home URC final against the Bulls as season ends in disappointing home defeat to Glasgow
The Offload: South African media revel in Bulls’ victory over Leinster in URC semi-final
La Rochelle’s O’Gara a tad grumpy in advance of Toulon game; Bulls overjoyed after performance; and the numbers game
Leinster’s season comes up short yet again as Bulls battle through to final
Sergeal Petersen’s two tries key as South African side dominate through the boot and in the pack
Leinster hoping their chance of URC glory doesn’t disappear into thin air in Pretoria
Leo Cullen confident Leinster will deal with the challenging conditions at Loftus Versfeld as they face down Jake White’s Bulls in the URC semi-final
‘If he had his pipe in his mouth, I was playing well’: Victor Costello on his father’s influence in his success
Paddy Costello was a shot putter, an international rugby player and an inspiration to his son, to whom he conveyed tips through his deeds, notes and pipe
Garry Ringrose returns to Leinster side for semi-final showdown with Bulls
URC team news: Munster make four changes for home semi-final clash with Glasgow Warriors
When Munster are at their best they believe that the universe is against them
This type of mindset has brought back Munster’s killer pride in performing at Thomond Park to once again make it a fortress
Nigel Carolan, the Galway man plotting a hole through Munster’s defence
The Counter Ruck podcast: Former Ireland U20s head coach and current Glasgow Warriors’ attack coach speaks about his attacking philosophy
Mary Hannigan: A European Championships we will never forget
Ireland take home a record haul of medals; John O’Shea calls for clarity on manager’s role; GAA needs better stadiums
High stakes on the highveld for Cian Healy and Leinster
Veteran Leinster prop Cian Healy energised by the tough challenge of facing a URC semi-final against the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld
URC semi-finals: Team news, kick-off times and TV details
URC semi-finals: Leinster take on the Bulls in Pretoria while Munster welcome Glasgow Warriors to Thomond Park
Leinster will rise to the challenge and meet the Bulls head on, says McBryde
Leinster stepping out of their comfort zone in South Africa not just confined to the game itself as travelling there proved tricky
Gordon D’Arcy: Leinster’s URC bid can benefit from Sam Prendergast pushing Ross Byrne
Simon Zebo remains crucial to Munster’s chance of retaining their title
Garry Ringrose and Jack Conan passed fit for Leinster’s URC semi-final
Ringrose has not played since the final round of the Six Nations while Conan missed the Ulster game as a precaution
Owen Doyle: Injury exists in rugby and match officials need to keep pace with demand
A new generation of referees is emerging for this URC, a competition which has grown immensely in stature and now heads towards the semi-finals and grand final
Irish teams advance to the URC semi-finals as Leinster to travel to Pretoria to face the Bulls
Leinster will now assess the challenge of travelling to the African continent for Saturday’s semi-final
Springboks set to blood some new talent for Ireland Test series
Leo Cullen asks for understanding over Keenan absence; Home advantage pays off in URC; Lowe’s ‘lucky’ try
Leinster march towards semi-final meeting with the Bulls in Pretoria
URC review: Six tries was a handsome reward, a reflection of Leinster’s ruthlessness inside the Ulster 22
Leinster power past Ulster to set up Bulls semi-final in Pretoria
Final scoreline flatters Leo Cullen’s side a tad but they were nonetheless full value for their win at the Aviva
Leinster 43 Ulster 20 - as it happened
Follow along for live updates as Ulster travel down to Dublin to take on Leinster in the Aviva Stadium
‘I want it gone, Ross. I want you to get it lasered off’
Ross O’Carroll-Kelly: Sorcha is furious when she discovers that Ross got a tattoo in homage to Leinster’s European Cup achievements
Ulster backrow Cormac Izuchukwu brings diverse talents to the table
A portion of his sporting genes came from his mother Catríona, a cousin of the Offaly All Ireland hurling-winning brothers, Joe, Billy and Johnny Dooley
URC quarter-finals: Kick-off time, team news and TV details for Munster, Leinster and Ulster games
All you need to know as Munster take on Ospreys and Leinster welcome Ulster to the Aviva Stadium in the URC knock-out stages
Leinster name strong team for Ulster clash but Ringrose misses out
Northern province’s double over Leinster in URC regular season adds intrigue to this quarter-final
Dan Sheehan: ‘Ulster do a great job of suffocating you in your own half ... we need to impose our game on them’
The Leinster hooker says to talk of fatigue towards the end of a long season is to reach for an easy excuse
Robbie Henshaw looks to Leinster’s mental strengths
Ireland centre has had a long season with the 2023 World Cup but one more push is required
Ulster braced again for tough Leinster assignment
Ulster have already registered two URC regular season victories over Leinster but this time Leo Cullen's men will be at full strength and intent on securing a semi-final place
Ringrose could return to help Leinster avoid another upset against Ulster
Leinster have lost narrowly to Ulster twice this year, on New Year’s Day and last month in Belfast
Key decision against Leinster highlights risk of refereeing system failure
A worrying cohort of referees appear dependent on their TMO comfort blanket
Garry Ringrose set for Leinster return for URC quarter-final against Ulster
Centre has missed significant parts of 2024 with a shoulder injury
The Offload: No contact with Sam Prendergast about potential loan move, says Connacht’s Pete Wilkins
Former Irish underage international subject of speculation that he might move west on year-long loan deal
URC quarter-finals: Munster to host Ospreys as Leinster welcome Ulster
Munster secured the top seed and home advantage for the URC knockouts while Leinster or Ulster will likely have to travel to South Africa
Five-try Leinster end Connacht’s season during RDS swansong
Rhys Ruddock close to his industrious best in what could be his final appearance before retiring at the end of the season
Irish fans must accept their provinces may never have the resources to win the Champions Cup
Before last week’s final, in a straw poll conducted across several former Leinster players, they all believed that Toulouse would win
From Leinster to ZZ Top, the best moments seen at the RDS
Ballsbridge venue sees its last rugby action on Friday before the builders move in to redevelop the ground
Munster and Connacht to begin next year’s URC with an interpro clash
Leinster’s traditional festive trip to Thomond Park up in the air with dates for that clash as of yet unconfirmed
Leinster’s Connacht clash a rare chance for sentiment as province bids farewell to RDS
Ross Molony, Rhys Ruddock and Ed Byrne all given RDS farewells ahead of their departure from the province at the end of the season
Hugo Keenan’s ‘brothers’ in Leinster understand his need to chase the Olympic dream
Despite his departure to the Olympic Games hurting Leinster, the province did not stand in his way
Jacques Nienaber says Leinster got it wrong in three areas against Toulouse
Defeat in the Champions Cup final will not leave Leinster players emotionally scarred, says the World Cup-winning Springbok coach
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE...
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
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
Family NoticesOpens in new window
Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices