Big foes lie in wait for Irish rugby boss

In charge of rugby here since 1998, Philip Browne has overseen a transformation of fortunes on and off the field. But will a change of coach at national level be enough to keep the champagne flowing, asks Kyran Fitzgerald

This week, the axe finally fell on Declan Kidney, the 2009 Grand Slam-winning coach. The man reluctantly applying the coup de grâce, Philip Browne, is hardly a household name.

However, the low-profile IRFU chief executive presides over an organisation with an annual income approaching €70m and a player base in excess of 150,000 people.