Irishman named to top role at CVC, the private equity backer of Six Nations rugby
John Hourican to become CVC CFO from September
United Rugby Championship
Munster need result against Lions to halt season’s unravelling
Dumped from Europe without a whimper, Clayton McMillan’s side are not yet guaranteed their spot in the URC knockout stages
Connacht reach URC playoffs with bonus-point win in Edinburgh
Stuart Lancaster’s side were dominant throughout to seal a place in the knock-out stages
Losing bonus points leave Ulster with anxious wait over URC playoffs
Richie Murphy’s side in final playoff spot but only a point ahead of Munster who host the Lions on Saturday
Leinster shaping up for a big performance against Ospreys as players jockey for Bilbao positions
Province boosted by injury returnees one week out from Champions Cup final
Conor Murray: How the battle for the number nine shirt is shaping the future of Irish rugby
Munster’s hurling culture and the influence of the GAA on Irish rugby’s development pipeline
Ulster walk selection tightrope against Glasgow ahead of defining week
Richie Murphy balances Challenge Cup final priorities against URC qualification in Belfast
Days of players being sent off for thuggery are in past, says Clayton McMillan
Munster head coach welcomes rescinding of red card for hooker Diarmuid Barron in Connacht defeat
Retiring Munster duo may make final Thomond Park bow against the Lions
Niall Scannell and John Ryan in matchday 23 for Saturday’s URC clash in Limerick
Connacht high on belief but Edinburgh have nothing to lose
Stuart Lancaster’s side go to the Hive searching for a top-eight URC finish
Matt Williams: URC organisers should take a bow – and do nothing else
The tightness of the battle to reach the quarter-finals is evidence of the competition’s success
URC permutations: How Irish teams can make that crucial top-eight placing
Munster, Ulster and Connacht could finish in top eight, while Leinster could still finish top of table
Ulster coach calls for consistency in ‘final before the final’ against Glasgow Warriors
Victory against URC leaders would put the province in the right frame of mind ahead of Montpellier clash in Bilbao
Watching Leinster at pitch level with the under-10s gave me new perspective
Less about team movement and shape, more about players, their scanning and body language
Leinster squad line-up for Bilbao final not set in stone, says Jacques Nienaber
Senior coach reckons places still up for grabs as Leo Cullen’s squad face Bordeaux in Champions Cup final
Gerry Thornley: Repeating top-eight URC feat would be an even bigger outcome for Irish game
Three of last season’s top eight will not reach the playoffs - all of which makes for a very fluid and competitive league
Owen Doyle: Ulster fans booed the referee, but he got the penalty try decision right
Nathan Doak’s collision with Stomers’ Leolin Zas did not have great force, but it was to the head
Leinster’s Jack Conan back in training ahead of Ospreys clash
Paddy McCarthy and Alex Usanov have also been integrated into training, with Tommy O’Brien and Jordan Larmour fully fit
Winning farewell from Connacht stalwart Jack Carty marks URC victory over Munster
Connacht’s all-time leading scorer with 1,260 points has seen considerable change since his home debut against Leinster in January 2013
Connacht’s win over Munster brings province within single point of URC playoffs
After victory over Munster, a tricky fixture awaits next Friday away to Edinburgh
Ciarán Frawley strengthens Leinster case as Leo Cullen weighs Champions Cup final selection
Versatile back impresses in win over Lions as Leinster secure URC quarter-final place ahead of Ospreys clash
Bonus-point win over Munster keeps Connacht in top-eight hunt
Strong opening half for Connacht leaves Munster with too much to do after the break
Leinster tame the Lions to improve chances of top-two URC finish
Leo Cullen’s side earn bonus-point victory at the Aviva
Q&A: Can television directors really decide which replays the rugby TMO sees?
Communication the key as the monitor-viewing official is only as good as the footage they’re provided with
Stakes are high as Connacht host Munster with Champions Cup spots in sight
Province have turned Dexcom Stadium into something of a fortress in recent weeks
‘We’re here to really compete at the top level’: Harry West living his dream with Connacht
Ballina man setting his sights on silverware as he lines out with his friends and heroes
Werner Kok scores hat-trick as Ulster and Stormers play out high-scoring draw
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was outstanding for the visitors as they fought back for draw in last minute
James Lowe sits out URC clash against Lions, leaving his Champions Cup final hopes in doubt
Leo Cullen retains just three of the Leinster XV that beat Toulon for ‘proper bloody test’ against South African Shield winners
Connacht make nine changes for interpro showdown with Munster
James Ryan to lead a much-changed Leinster side for home game against the Lions
Munster fear Tadhg Beirne and Jack Crowley could be out for rest of season with injuries
Clayton McMillan said he was committed until end of season but ‘other people’ might make decision whether he remains for next season
Tadhg Beirne and Jack Crowley miss out as Munster name team to play Connacht
Fineen Wycherley has recovered from a knee injury to start in the pack along with Michael Ala’alatoa and Edwin Edogbo
‘No one’s been talking about it’: Munster players ignore external noise to focus on Connacht game
Province trying to put aside off-the-pitch controversy over appointment of Roger Randle
Leinster sweat on injuries after Toulon as Henshaw sidelined for Lions clash
Coaches balance recovery and momentum ahead of European final run-in
Robbie Henshaw ruled out of Leinster’s home URC against the Lions
International centre was stretchered off after he sustained a head injury in Champions Cup semi-final win over Toulon
Three sporting events to watch this week: Your handy guide to sport on television
Your guide to the best sport on television (Monday – Sunday, May 4th – 10th)
John Hodnett’s four tries for Munster were matched with a brilliant display on the wing
Clayton McMillan hails openside flanker for doing a ‘good job’ against Ulster
Champions Cup semi-final: Leinster may face Toulon without Tadhg Furlong
Munster and Ulster feel the impact of injuries at Thomond Park, with some possibly season-ending
Munster finally put plucky Ulster away in second half as injuries mount for both teams
John Hodnett ran in four tries and Alex Kendellen scored a hat-trick at Thomond Park
Leinster beaten by Benetton after performance marked by familiar inconsistencies
Italian side beat Irish province for the first time since 2010, despite strong Leinster line-up
Munster 41 Ulster 14: Four-try John Hodnett leads Munster to comfortable win at Thomond Park
Young Ulster side start strong but couldn’t keep pace with hosts after the restart
Connacht fail to make it two from two in South Africa as they come up short against Lions
The home side made a strong start and Connacht failed to make up the difference
Second South African win a tall order for Connacht against house-proud Lions
Stuart Lancaster’s charges earned a surprise win over second-place Stormers last time out
Munster hold a powerful upper hand as injury-ravaged Ulster come to Limerick
Richie Murphy makes 15 changes from the side that lost to Leinster last weekend
Leinster on the hunt to break into URC top two at Benetton
Leo Cullen makes 13 changes for trip to Treviso
Caelan Doris returns as Leinster make 13 changes for Benetton match
Michael Lowry captains Ulster for the first time in a competitive match when they travel to face Munster
Conor Murray: Win over Ulster can help Munster redefine their troubled season
URC clash could alter picture of entire campaign for both provinces and their players
Clayton McMillan says Munster ‘can be better as an organisation’, but Ulster match the focus
Head coach hoping to build on comprehensive victory against Benetton in home URC clash with Ulster
Max Deegan to miss Leinster’s Champions Cup semi-final after two-game ban for Ulster red card
Backrower was dismissed for a challenge on Werner Kok during Leinster’s win over Ulster in Belfast
Connacht missing some key players as they aim to make it a double win in South Africa
Cathal Forde will miss the game, while Sean Jansen and Dave Heffernan are nursing injuries
Tadhg Beirne says Munster focused on the present amid fallout from Roger Randle appointment
Three resigned from the Professional Game Committee over Munster’s hiring of attack coach, who will start next season
Ulster set to bring depleted squad for visit to Munster
Richie Murphy says province are ‘under pressure’ as several players picked up injuries against Leinster last week
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
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