rugby

Sport Top Picks
Stuart McCloskey is presented with the Druids Glen Hotel & Golf Resort Moment of the Year award on behalf of the Ireland's Tripl
Stuart McCloskey and Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald claim top prizes at rugby awards
For both winners, the recognition they received from the representative body for Ireland’s professional rugby players marked the completion of their individual career journeys.

Wed, 20 May, 2026

Max Clein 1/5/2026
Hooker Max Clein promoted to Munster senior squad on one-year deal
The converted back row won his first Munster cap against an Argentina XV in November

Wed, 20 May, 2026

Peter O'Mahony celebrates after the game 23/9/2023
Dial 10 for advice: O'Mahony on setting up Crowley call to legend Sexton
The young Munster out-half was the first pretender to ask for the Leinster talisman's advice, he said.

Wed, 20 May, 2026

Billy Vunipola 11/4/2026
Billy Vunipola: Ulster have nothing to lose and everything to gain in Challenge Cup final
"For us when we look at Ulster, we see a team that's very well organised, but can also play in the chaos," said Vunipola, whose Montpellier side play Ulster in Friday's Challenge Cup final

Wed, 20 May, 2026

Leinster Rugby Squad Training
Leinster will look to mix of the old and the 'new' in bid to change Champions Cup script
Saturday in Bilbao will be their fourth stab at a decider in just five years.

Tue, 19 May, 2026

Clayton McMillan during the warm up ahead of the match 16/5/2026
Munster to host Glasgow Warriors in opener as next season's URC fixture list announced
Leinster are set to host Munster in Dublin on Saturday, October 24 with the return fixture taking place on Sunday, December 27 in Limerick.

Tue, 19 May, 2026

Leinster Rugby Squad Training
Leinster urged to 'live in the moment' as they return to final action in Bilbao
The Champions Cup final between Leinster and Bordeaux will be the first meeting of the two teams. If ‘UBB’ bring something unique to the table this time then Leinster’s past experiences against big French clubs with lightning backs and behemoth packs will surely stand to them.

Tue, 19 May, 2026

Ulster v Glasgow Warriors - United Rugby Championship
Richie Murphy: Ulster have 'unfinished business' in Challenge Cup final
Rob Baloucoune could offer Ulster a timely boost ahead of Friday's Challenge Cup final against Montpellier in Bilbao

Mon, 18 May, 2026

TOPSHOT-RUGBYU-FRA-TOP14-LA ROCHELLE-BORDEAUX
After season from hell, finally Ronan O'Gara and La Rochelle control their own playoff destiny
Seven wins from their last eight have catapulted Stade Rochelais back into the play off mix. Meanwhile, Bordeaux Begles have Louis Bielle-Biarrey concerns ahead of Champions Cup final against Leinster

Mon, 18 May, 2026

RUGBYU-FRA-TOP14-LA ROCHELLE-TOULOUSE
Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle keep Top 14 play-off dream alive with Toulouse rout
La Rochelle defeated Toulouse 38-10 to close the gap on the play-off places

Mon, 18 May, 2026

Ireland v Scotland - Women's 6 Nations Rugby Championship
'There's only more to come' - Ireland Women's rugby road to redemption continues through the Aviva
That 31,294 raised the Aviva Stadium roof on Sunday afternoon because their team delivered in their first standalone game at the Dublin venue is a testament to the steep trajectory Ireland have taken under head coach Scott Bemand

Mon, 18 May, 2026

Erin King celebrates after the match 17/5/2026
'I think we're going to be back here next year' - Erin King confident of Aviva return
Ireland blew Scotland away 54-5 in front of a home record 31,294 to secure third place in the final standings after claiming three victories in the championship for the first time since 2020.

Mon, 18 May, 2026

Jack Crowley during the warm up ahead of the match 16/5/2026
McMillan hedging bets on Bulls return for Crowley and Beirne
Ireland fly-half Crowley was pulled from the starting line-up to face the Lions four minutes before kick-off i

Mon, 18 May, 2026

Doddie Weir Launches the Ireland v England Rugby Legends Match
Scotland rugby great Scott Hastings dies, aged 61
Hastings announced in 2022 that he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Sun, 17 May, 2026

Erin King celebrates with her niece after the match 17/5/2026
'This is just the beginning' - Erin King delighted as Ireland end Women's Six Nations campaign in style
Ireland recorded three wins in the Six Nations for the first year since 2020 to claim third place behind world champions England and France.

Sun, 17 May, 2026

Aoife Wafer runs in a try 17/5/2026
Ireland women hit Scotland for 54 on historic day
Ireland recorded their third win of the championship following victories over Italy and Wales

Sun, 17 May, 2026

Clayton McMillan during the warm up ahead of the match 16/5/2026
'Relief more than anything' - Clayton McMillan sums up mood after Munster save season
Securing Champions Cup rugby for next season was just as important for McMillan.

Sun, 17 May, 2026

RUGBYU-FRA-TOP14-RACING92-LA ROCHELLE
Ronan O’Gara retains double-playmaker option for La Rochelle’s must win clash with Toulouse
Elsewhere, Jules Favre replaces Dillyn Leyds, whose season was ended by injury last weekend, Levani Botia comes in for the unfortunate Matthias Haddad-Victor, while Reda Wardi and Joel Sclavi prop Talu Latu in the front row.

Sat, 16 May, 2026

Sean O'Brien celebrates a try that was later disallowed with Brian Gleeson 16/5/2026
Munster edge Lions but now head to Pretoria to face Bulls in URC play offs
As Thomond Park saluted veteran front-rowers Niall Scannell and John Ryan on their final home appearances, Munster’s nervy win was enough to extend their goodbyes for at least another two weeks

Sat, 16 May, 2026

Joe McCarthy runs in his side's seventh try 16/5/2026
Leinster bag home route to final as McCarthy grabs Aviva hat-trick
The Champions Cup finalists went over for ten tries in facile victory over Ospreys

Sat, 16 May, 2026

Clayton McMillan 12/5/2026
Clayton McMillan: Just making URC play-offs would not satisfy Munster
Munster need a victory over the Lions at Thomond Park to finally secure a spot in both the play-offs and next term’s Champions Cup

Sat, 16 May, 2026

Niall Scannell 12/5/2026
'We could do without some of the drama' but Niall Scannell just focussed on winning end to Munster career
Scannell, 34, will leave the province in the grips of drama on and off the field.

Sat, 16 May, 2026

Tom Stewart dejected after the game 15/5/2026
Ulster face anxious play-offs wait after defeat to Glasgow
Ulster will be sweating on how Munster do against the Lions on Saturday

Fri, 15 May, 2026

Matthew Devine scores a try 15/5/2026
Connacht book place URC quarter-finals with big win in Edinburgh
“Once the whistle went, I was asking everyone what the other results were because we have worked so hard for this and the group deserves this,” said Cian Prendergast.

Fri, 15 May, 2026

Ireland Women Rugby Squad Training and Media Conference
First start of campaign for Sam Monaghan in Ireland's Aviva showpiece
Scott Bemand has team for Ireland's meeting with Scotland in Sunday's historic final-round clash at Aviva Stadium.

Fri, 15 May, 2026

Craig Casey 12/5/2026
McMillan counting on Casey-Crowley combo to supply energy and calm for Munster
An in-form Lions outfit from Johannesburg arrive at Thomond Park in this final round of the regular season.

Fri, 15 May, 2026

Energia AIL Awards Night 2026
AIL winners St Mary's and UL Bohs pick up individual awards
The Energia AIL Awards 2025/26 awards were announced tonight.

Thu, 14 May, 2026

Ulster v DHL Stormers - United Rugby Championship
Iain Henderson hit with three-game ban, misses Ulster's Challenge Cup final in Bilbao
What games Henderson misses will depend on Ulster’s progress in the URC play-off rounds, but it starts with Friday night's home game against Glasgow Warriors

Thu, 14 May, 2026

Asenathi Ntlabakanye is tackled by jimmy O’Brien 9/5/2026
South Africa prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye to miss World Cup due to 18-month ban
Ntlabakanye, who plays his club rugby for the Lions in Johannesburg, returned a positive test for the banned substance Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in August last year.

Thu, 14 May, 2026

Jack Crowley 12/5/2026
'We'll need him': Clayton McMillan knows Jack Crowley's importance to Munster 
The return of Crowley is the fillip nervous Munster supporters needed ahead of another visit to the last-chance saloon.

Thu, 14 May, 2026

Arena with Maurice Brosnan: Has this been a good season for Irish rugby?
Arena with Maurice Brosnan: Has this been a good season for Irish rugby?
On this week’s episode, we are joined by Leinster Schools Head Coach, MSc Sports Performance Analysis lecturer, and The Currency columnist Brett Igoe

 Listen | Thu, 14 May, 2026

 Listen |
Jack Crowley 12/5/2026
Jack Crowley back at 10 as Munster name team for URC showdown with Lions 
The hosts remain weakened through injuries as they bid to rebound from their 26-7 defest in Galway. 

Thu, 14 May, 2026

Brian Gleeson and Diarmuid Barron 12/5/2026
Diarmuid Barron free to play in Munster's crunch Lions showdown
The Reds hooker was penalised for a 'croc roll' on Dylan Tierney-Martin.

Thu, 14 May, 2026

RUGBYU-AUS-NZL
Munster table offer for All Blacks tighthead Tyrel Lomax
For McMillan, also in the market for an attack and forward coaches for next season, the tighthead situation is nearing crisis point.

Thu, 14 May, 2026

Sam Monaghan 11/5/2026
Sam Monaghan: Emotional Aviva Stadium first can galvanise Ireland in Women’s Six Nations finale
The experienced Gloucester Hartpury second row will make her 31st appearance in green at a stadium she has only ever experienced as a spectator.

Thu, 14 May, 2026

Jack O'Donoghue 12/5/2026
Jack O’Donoghue backs Munster's new leaders to fill void left by key players
Munster head into the final round of the URC regular season against Lions at Thomond Park on Saturday night missing captain Tadhg Beirne and a host of other senior frontline players.

Thu, 14 May, 2026

Hurricanes Training Session
Munster table offer for All Blacks prop Lomax as tighthead crisis bites
Munster are facing an immediate crisis in the position requiring shorter-term fixes too.

Wed, 13 May, 2026

Lions v Connacht - United Rugby Championship
Munster sign Ireland tighthead prop Jack Aungier on two-year deal
Munster have also announced Scarlets and South Africa hooker Marnus van der Merwe as a new signing for Clayton McMillan next season.

Wed, 13 May, 2026

England v Japan - Autumn International - Allianz Stadium
Japan ban head coach Eddie Jones for four games after ‘verbal abuse’ on Australia tour
Jones will miss Japan’s Nations Championship opener after inappropriate remarks

Wed, 13 May, 2026

Clayton McMillan 12/5/2026
Clayton McMillan: 'I'm not thinking about running away but I can't do the job on my own'
While no timeline for the delivery of the review has been given, McMillan said he would “trust that process” as a means to move into the second and third years of his tenure as head coach. 

Wed, 13 May, 2026

Jack Crowley 12/5/2026
'I wouldn't give a shit about who we play': McMillan unmoved by potential play-off opponents
Despite the poor showing in Connacht’s 26-7 win over Munster at Dexcom Stadium last Saturday night, McMillan believes the return of Ireland fly-half Crowley to the starting line-up could raise belief levels within his squad.

Wed, 13 May, 2026

Ireland Women Rugby Media Conference
'I can't wait': Parsons relishing opportunity to shine on Irish rugby's biggest stage
The Ireland women's team take on Scotland at the Aviva Stadium this weekend.

Wed, 13 May, 2026

Clayton McMillan 12/5/2026
Clayton McMillan: I welcome any review that’s going to ultimately help Munster be better
McMillan on Tuesday described the prospect of missing out on both objectives as “huge” for the province but gave supporters a boost with a positive update on fly-half Jack Crowley’s prospects of returning.

Tue, 12 May, 2026

Ireland v Georgia - Autumn Nations Cup
Ex-Georgia skipper Sharikadze banned for 11 years for role in doping scandal
Meanwhile, Gerard Mullen has been named as Connacht's backs coach ahead of the 2026/27 season.

Tue, 12 May, 2026

All Blacks Training Session
Former All Blacks coach Graham Henry named selector, Mo'unga on hold
Rennie told New Zealand media on Tuesday that he was excited to bring in "avid (rugby) watcher" Henry, who guided the All Blacks to their second World Cup title on home soil in 2011.

Tue, 12 May, 2026

Super Rugby Aotearoa Rd 10 - Blues v Chiefs
Munster begin independent governance review after Roger Randle controversy
Munster were forced to abandon their intention to appoint Chiefs assistant Randle as their new attack coach for next season 15 days after announcing the former New Zealand international wing as their replacement for departing senior coach Mike Prendergast.

Tue, 12 May, 2026

Latest

Sport

Newsletter

Sign up to our daily sports bulletin, delivered straight to your inbox at 5pm. Subscribers also receive an exclusive email from our sports desk editors every Friday evening looking forward to the weekend's sporting action.

Donal Lenihan
Donal Lenihan

Inside rugby

Most Read

Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited