CJ Stander paid tribute to the late Garrett Fitzgerald yesterday, speaking fondly of the former Munster chief executive who played an instrumental part in bringing the back-rower from South Africa to Ireland.

When Nelson Mandela wore a Springbok shirt and cap at the 1995 Rugby World Cup final in Johannesburg he made one of the most powerful statements of forgiveness, unity, inclusion, and healing ever offered.

A look back on the eight previous Rugby World Cup finals.

Johnny Sexton insists Ireland’s World Cup squad are all business as they prepare for Saturday’s quarter-final against the All Blacks, a stark contrast to four years ago when he believes they were overly emotional a week too early.

Munster claimed a second bonus-point victory in a week as their perfect start to the PRO14 season continued in Port Elizabeth against Southern Kings.

And they say lightning doesn’t strike twice? That’s consecutive World Cups in which Japan has produced the seismic moment of the tournament.

Scandal-hit retailer Steinhoff said it had refinanced some €9bn of debt in its overseas operations which include Dealz in the Republic, Poundland in the North and Britain, and France’s Conforama, after pushing the deadline date back repeatedly.

More than a thousand GAA players will descent on Waterford from all continents this weekend for the third instalment of the Renault GAA World Games.

Brian O’Driscoll believes Joe Schmidt’s Ireland team can take inspiration from Shane Lowry’s Open triumph as they seek to emulate the Offaly golfer by climbing higher than ever before on the world stage.

The body of a suspected stowaway that fell from a jet hit the ground just one metre from a man sunbathing in his back garden in south London, a neighbour has claimed.

Conor Kane has been appointed as South East correspondent with RTÉ News.

At least one group of UK residents is flourishing in Brexit Britain: An exclusive club of billionaires.

When you are idle in a hotel room in Johannesburg, the pre-match statistics booklet for the Heineken Cup final offers welcome respite from the boredom. Where’s the oul paddies out here when you need one for a chat? Which is why a mass of statistics has become my coffee buddy for part of the week.

This time 12 months ago, Munster and Leinster felt bulletproof as they approached their respective Champions Cup semi-final deciders against Racing 92 and Scarlets, with both squads densely fortified with players from Ireland’s all-conquering Grand Slam team.

From Saipan to the sports committee, Joe Leogue looks at the former CEO’s career in the FAI

Eileen Madden has run Pro Musica since 1982 when she took over from McCullough Pigott.

Ulster have signed Ireland eligible prop Gareth Milasinovich from Worcester Warriors.

The game wasn’t up for Ireland at half-time on Saturday evening but it sure didn’t look encouraging.

Ireland’s Shane Lowry tees off in Abu Dhabi today after surviving a “pretty horrendous” spell which threatened to derail his challenge at the €6 million HSBC Championship.

The South African Spar retailing group says it is positively cautious about the effects of Brexit for its retailing interests in Ireland and the southwest of England. The Johannesburg-stockmarket-listed group owns 80% of BWG Spar and operates chains in Ireland and England, under its Spar Ireland division.

Returning out-half Tyler Bleyendaal will captain Munster in Sunday’s PRO14 encounter against Cheetahs, head coach Johann van Graan confirmed yesterday.

Eddie Jones will enter his meeting with Rugby Football Union (RFU) chief executive Steve Brown this week armed with the conviction England can still win the World Cup.

Whatever about the short-term objectives of winning a Test series in Australia, Saturday’s decider offers Ireland an excellent dry run for a potential World Cup quarter-final in Japan next year.

It is difficult to imagine Ireland’s season being remembered as anything but an unheralded success after a Six Nations Triple Crown, Championship and Grand Slam was secured on the back a 12-Test winning run.

Schalk Brits was sipping tequila in Ibiza when he first received contact from South Africa boss Rassie Erasmus asking whether he was interested in playing England.

Mike Brown will feed off Owen Farrell’s aggression at Ellis Park after insisting that his captain’s deeds rather than words will inspire England against South Africa.

Billy Vunipola has revealed the reason for his latest injury scare — kicking an Aussie Rules ball.

Worcester centre Ben Te'o has been ruled out of England's three-Test South Africa tour.

Rassie Erasmus is charged with reviving Springbok rugby, but he says part of him will always be in Munster, writes John Fallon

There isn’t much that Peter O’Mahony hasn’t experienced at this stage of his career but spending two weeks abroad in a bubble with his Munster teammates ahead of a crunch European game is a new departure.

It will take just over an hour by air for the Racing 92 players to fly to Toulouse for Sunday’s important Top 14 game at the Stade Ernest Wallon, writes Ronan O’Gara.

The instruction leaving the accommodation in Cape Town to get to George was pretty straightforward, ‘turn right on to the N2 and drive’ … all 430 kilometres along the same road.

Former Australia spinner Shane Warne has hit out at the "disgraceful" treatment of Steve Smith by the media, stressing that the sacked captain "isn't Pablo Escobar".

It is fascinating from a collisions point of view watching Ma’a Nonu, pictured, and Mathieu Bastareaud. How will Munster check them, asks Ronan O’Gara

Former employees of a scandal-hit charity founded by U2 singer Bono have warned that more serious revelations of mismanagement and bullying have yet to be made public.

Nick McCarthy is only 20 games into his senior Leinster career but the St Michael’s and UCD scrum-half has already managed to figure in some of the more unlikely storylines emanating from the club in his short time.

A lion that mauled a young woman to death in South Africa was under the care of a man known as the "lion whisperer" for his close interactions with the predators in his animal sanctuary.

Wholesaler BWG which is best known as the supplier to Spar, Eurospar, Londis, and other independent stores in the Republic says it plans to buy rival 4 Aces Wholesale.

Hypatia, the first great female astronomer and mathematician, lived in Egypt in the 5th Century AD. 

South Africa’s Steinhoff International — which owns the Dealz-Poundland stores in Ireland — plans to sell almost 7.5bn rand (€509m) of shares in South African financial services firm PSG Group, the latest in a line of disposals aimed at shoring up the retail group’s battered balance sheet.

Johann van Graan has backed Munster to adapt well to yet another change in the province’s management set-up following confirming that Aled Walters is set to leave his post as Head of Athletic Performance.

Johann van Graan is not giving up hope that Munster legend Paul O’Connell will join his coaching think tank at the province.

For all the good news coming out of Munster in the past couple of days, the appearance of centres Matt Toomua and Manu Tuilagi on the Leicester Tigers teamsheet yesterday lunchtime will have offered a sobering counterpoint ahead of tomorrow’s Champions Cup re-match at Welford Road.

The age profile of the Munster coaching staff has taken another dip after 34-year-old JP Ferreira’s appointment as defence coach was confirmed by the province and the IRFU.

Conor Murray is backing new head coach Johann van Graan not to implement sweeping change to the Munster gameplan as the squad transitions to the new management team.

So much for transparency. For all the good intention of overseeing the most open, least questionable bidding process for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, governing body World Rugby is this morning as big a loser as South Africa, whose bid it unanimously recommended on October 31.

The battle for supremacy over the Springboks will extend all the way to the pre- and post-match functions at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, writes Donal Lenihan.

Michael Moynihan reports back from after the 2023 Rugby World Cup and tells us missing out was no bad thing. 

November 15 next is a date that has loomed large on the Irish rugby calendar for some time, yet you won’t find a fixture of any consequence on the day.