#Champions Cup

News about rugby's European Cup competition

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

Ronan OGara
SRonan O'Gara: Suffering on safari, Munster fans' blind loyalty, me in my box
Leinster v Harlequins - Investec Champions Cup
Jack Conan: 'If I was paying a lot of money to see my team away it would be frustrating'
Many of the opening round games in this season's Champions Cup were undermined by clubs playing understrength teams

Thu, 11 Dec, 2025

Australia v British & Irish Lions - 2nd Test
Lions tour changed England lock's preconceptions about Irish players
Getting to know the Irish players changed the preconceptions Ollie Chessum had built up in his mind about them.

Thu, 11 Dec, 2025

Andrew Sparrow, Jack Conan, Tadhg Furlong and Jamison Gibson-Park 8/12/2025
Why Welford Road trip might be what Leinster need right now
“Where we're going on Friday, you’ve got to get it right because the level of the opposition, the venue, the European stage, everything needs to be ironed out," said Leinster forwards coach Robin McBryde

Tue, 09 Dec, 2025

Michael Ala'alatoa dejected after the match 6/12/2025
S Donal Lenihan: Michael Ala’alatoa the only bright spark for Munster on chastening night
This was just about the worst possible launchpad for a campaign of this calibre, but Munster are more than capable of responding against Gloucester at PĂĄirc UĂ­ Chaoimh.

Mon, 08 Dec, 2025

Northampton Saints v Union Bordeaux-Begles - Investec Champions Cup 2024/2025 Final
S Ronan O'Gara: Don't judge until you've walked a mile in my moccasins
With injuries mounting, disciplinary hearings looming and a punishing run of fixtures ahead, Ronan O’Gara reflects on Pau and the European road

Sat, 06 Dec, 2025

JJ Hanrahan 1/12/2025
Leamy backs Munster’s road-hardened smarts for Bath Champions Cup test 
Munster face Bath in their opening game of the Champions Cup knowing they will need their best performance of the season to leave the the Rec with something meaningful

Sat, 06 Dec, 2025

Tom Farrell is tackled by Warrick Gelant 29/11/2025
Munster’s Tom Farrell calls for ‘complete performance’ ahead of clash with Bath
Tom Farrell says Munster must hit every mark — attack, defence and set-piece — as they open Europe away to resurgent Bath

Sat, 06 Dec, 2025

Clayton McMillan with Johann van Graan 12/9/2025
S Duncan Casey: Munster need everything onside at The Rec - including some good old grudge
You can’t argue with what Van Graan has achieved since the move to Bath - they were a basket case when he arrived but have gone from strength to strength since

Fri, 05 Dec, 2025

Wales v South Africa - Quilter Nations Series - Principality Stadium
S Donal Lenihan: Springboks supremacy aided by eight man bench - does World Rugby need to revisit rule?
How is it safe for an out half or centre, with 70 minutes of game time behind him, to have to tackle a fresh rampaging behemoth stationed in midfield off a line out, ready to explode down his channel?

Wed, 03 Dec, 2025

Thirty years of Champions Cup has given us the beastly, beautiful and bizarre
Thirty years of Champions Cup has given us the beastly, beautiful and bizarre
Bloodgate, the ‘Hand of Back’ and a drop goal off ‘someone’s arse’ are among the tournament’s delightful eccentricities - and Munster’s contribution to European history is also impossible to overlook

Tue, 02 Dec, 2025

A view of the Investec Champions Cup trophy and match ball 24/5/2024
Champions Cup draw: O'Gara and Leinster to renew acquaintances, Munster to face van Graan's Bath
In the Challenge Cup, Connacht will come up against the likes of Racing 92 and Ospreys in Pool 1, with Zebre, Montpellier and Benetton rounding out the group

Tue, 01 Jul, 2025

Northampton Saints v Union Bordeaux-Begles - Investec Champions Cup - Final - Principality Stadium
S Duncan Casey: If the TMO must intervene, Champions Cup final was a model of efficiency
Bordeaux's attack coach is Irishman Noel McNamara. His journey to the pinnacle of professional rugby is unusual. 

Tue, 27 May, 2025

Leinster Rugby Squad Training
Jamie Osborne: If I want to be in the Leinster team I need to be just as good as Jordie Barrett
Jordie Barrett’s levels of communication, his ability to scan the field and see the right pictures, allied to his professionalism, have all been noted and digested by Jamie Osborne. 

Thu, 08 May, 2025

Leo Cullen and Jacques Nienaber 5/5/2025
Leinster's Jacques Nienaber: There is no magic formula to get the team to win
Nienaber’s “gut” instinct when Caelan Doris came off after 57 minutes of Leinster Champions Cup semi-final against Northampton was not good. The backrow's Lions tour is in serious jeopardy. 

Tue, 06 May, 2025

Leinster v Northampton Saints - Investec Champions Cup Semi-Final
S Peter Jackson: Leinster fans must wonder if their team are under a curse
To cite French referee Pierre Brousset’s denial of a last-minute penalty try as an excuse for Leinster's knock-out is to evade more pointed questions over their leadership.

Mon, 05 May, 2025

Jordie Barrett and Stafford McDowall 11/4/2025
Jordie Barrett's big moments injecting energy and belief into Leinster
The stats, impressive as they were, don’t even do him justice. His running lines and power meshed with a delicious offload game. He chipped in with at least three turnovers. He made one breathtaking chase back and clearance. He even collected a lineout.

Mon, 14 Apr, 2025

Josh Wycherley tackles Pablo Uberti 12/4/2025
Munster fight to the death but rampant Bordeaux sparkle on way to semi-final spot
A return trip to France seven days after La Rochelle heroics saw Munster run out of road

Sat, 12 Apr, 2025

Your sport on TV this week: Munster v Bordeaux Bègles, The Masters and Super League finals
Your sport on TV this week: Munster v Bordeaux Bègles, The Masters and Super League finals
It is another action packed weekend of sport on TV with the Champions Cup quarter-finals, The Masters at Augusta and the basketball Super League finals - all you need to know here.

Thu, 10 Apr, 2025

Leinster Rugby Squad Training
Jordie Barrett happy to be outside his comfort zone at Leinster
Barrett will be expected to add something extra to a Leinster side that has fallen inches short of silverware the last three years.

Thu, 10 Apr, 2025

Leinster Rugby Squad Training
Snyman comfortable with fitting in and standing out at Leinster
Snyman will bring all these rugby and life lessons to bear again this Friday when Leinster face Glasgow in the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup at the Aviva Stadium, and he has no hesitation in sharing those experiences with his current teammates.

Wed, 09 Apr, 2025

La Rochelle v Munster - Investec Champions Cup Round of 16
Bordeaux Bègles v Munster: What time, what channel and all you need to know about the Champions Cup quarter-final
Munster have a short turnaround after their epic win over La Rochelle to prepare to return to France to face Bordeaux Bègles.

Tue, 08 Apr, 2025

Jack Crowley and Craig Casey celebrate winning the match 5/4/2025
S Peter Jackson: Munster win over Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle the game that saved the Round of 16 weekend
On a day when Andy Farrell saw one English fly half suffer from his exposure to Leinster, another whom he knows rather better kicked his first goals since early September.

Mon, 07 Apr, 2025

Bordeaux Begles v Ulster - Investec Champions Cup Round of 16
Richie Murphy: 'You’ve always got a chance, it’s a very difficult place to come. The atmosphere will be incredible, we wish them all the best'
Ulster head coach Richie Murphy outlined just how difficult their task will be after he watched his charges ship three early tries, the first a beauty from Damien Penaud, to trail 21-0 after 21 minutes.

Mon, 07 Apr, 2025

Jack Crowley scores a drop goal 5/4/2025
As it happened: Munster stun Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle in the Champions Cup
Munster face the Ronan O'Gara-coached La Rochelle in the last-16 of the Champions Cup. The game kicks off at 5:30pm. 

Sat, 05 Apr, 2025

Leinster v Harlequins - Investec Champions Cup - Croke Park
'Phenomenal' Leinster are the 'envy' of other clubs, says Harlequins coach Danny Wilson
Wilson was speaking in the hour after his Quins team was beaten 62-0 by the province in the Champions Cup round of 16

Sat, 05 Apr, 2025

Luke McGrath, Caelan Doris and Ryan Baird after the game 5/4/2025
Leinster sought to 'bring intensity to everything' in Harlequins thrashing
The four-time tournament winners cruised into this season's quarter-finals, with a home tie awaiting them on Friday

Sat, 05 Apr, 2025

Melvyn Jaminet scores a try 5/4/2025
Toulon stun Saracens with fightback in remarkable 16 try clash
Saracens boss Mark McCall rested his entire England contingent after choosing to prioritise the Gallagher Premiership.

Sat, 05 Apr, 2025

Tipperary v Cork - Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Round 4
Sportsguide: Cork take on Tipp, Munster travel to Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle
Another action packed weekend of sport this weekend from the Allianz NHL finals to the return of the Champions Cup - all you need to know here.

Sat, 05 Apr, 2025

Your sport on TV this week: Cork v Tipperary, Grand National and start of the Championship
Your sport on TV this week: Cork v Tipperary, Grand National and start of the Championship
It is another action packed weekend of sport on TV with Cork facing Tipp for the first time since 1960 in the NHL final, the big race of the weekend is the Grand National while the football championship kicks off on the new platform GAA+ - all you need to know here.

Thu, 03 Apr, 2025

Paul Boudehent 12/1/2025
S La Rochelle prepare to face Munster in a crisis of their own making
La Rochelle are amid their worst run in 15 years. They had little choice but to put all their chips on this weekend's Champions Cup clash with Munster.

Wed, 02 Apr, 2025

Bath Rugby v Harlequins - Gallagher Premiership Rugby
Harlequins boss rules out ever using B-team for Champions Cup ahead of Croke Park showdown
Harlequins head coach Danny Wilson said playing a second string side in the Champions Cup would be "disrespecting what the competition is". 

Tue, 01 Apr, 2025

Munster v Toulouse - European Rugby Champions Cup Quarter-Final
Ian Flanagan: 'I think everyone in Ireland who likes their rugby would go back to the old ERC format'
“We didn't sell out either of the two European games, we sold out the Leinster (URC) game but that would be an area of the budget where we would probably be off and we’ll have to make that money up somewhere else during the season.”

Fri, 24 Jan, 2025

Northampton Saints v Munster - Investec Champions Cup Pool 3
S Ronan O'Gara: Munster in La Rochelle will be magic. But it will have to wait
The intrepid have nothing on the Munster supporter who needs to find a way across land and sea to get to a European Cup game.

Thu, 23 Jan, 2025

Liverpool v Lille - UEFA Champions League - League Stage - Anfield
Arne Slot delighted to ‘skip a round’ as Liverpool seal Champions League top-two spot
The Reds will still need a point to guarantee first place in the league phase of the Champions League after Barcelona’s dramatic win.

Wed, 22 Jan, 2025

Diarmuid Kilgallen on his way to scoring a try 18/1/2025
Even in defeat to Northampton, Mossy Lawler sees 'massive positives' for Munster
Lawler said Munster look back on the Champions Cup loss to Northampton as a "missed opportunity". 

Tue, 21 Jan, 2025

RG Snyman celebrates after the game 18/1/2025
Robbie Henshaw: 'You just have to let him do his thing and then work off him'
"You can’t defend him in ones, even twos, you have to send three men into him."

Mon, 20 Jan, 2025

Rory Scannell and Tom Ahern after the game 18/1/2025
Munster will take on Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle in Champions Cup Round of 16
Leinster will take on Harlequins with Ulster facing a tough task when they take on top seeded side Bordeaux Bègles.

Sun, 19 Jan, 2025

Your sport on TV this week: All-Ireland Club Senior finals, Champions and Challenge Cup
Your sport on TV this week: All-Ireland Club Senior finals, Champions and Challenge Cup
It's another action packed weekend of sport with the All-Ireland senior club football and hurling finals, the final round of the Champions and Challenge Cup and the Australian Open - all you need to know about sport on TV this weekend.

Fri, 17 Jan, 2025

Munster’s John Hodnett scores a try and celebrates with Gavin Coombes and Tom Farrell 11/1/2023
S Duncan Casey: Munster restore some faith with win that could define the season
If Stephen Archer wants to play on with Munster for another year, there should be a contract there for the 36-year-old. He is as valuable to this team as he has ever been.

Tue, 14 Jan, 2025

Stade Rochelais v Leinster - Investec Champions Cup Pool 2
S Donal Lenihan: Ailing Champions Cup well served if gallant La Rochelle and Leinster meet again 
Miraculously, both Leinster and Munster found a way to prevail this weekend

Mon, 13 Jan, 2025

Josh van der Flier with Tawera Kerr-Barlow and Jules Favre 12/1/2025
Leinster lean on defence again to 'win ugly' in La Rochelle
This win makes it three in succession for the Irish province against a club that had their number in the 2021 semi-final and in the two deciders that followed.

Mon, 13 Jan, 2025

Dian Bleuler scores a try 11/1/2025
Munster resigned to departure of Dian Bleuler
Peter O'Mahony could return for Munster's clash with Northampton.

Mon, 13 Jan, 2025

Ronan O'Gara ahead of the match 12/1/2025
Ronan O'Gara hoping for another crack at Leinster before the season is out
This 16-14 loss all but guarantees a path away from home come the quarter and semi-final stages of this latest tournament

Sun, 12 Jan, 2025

Tommy Reffell and Iain Henderson 11/1/2025
Ulster sift through Welford woe for positives
There was enough in that first half against the Tigers to suggest the Richie Murphy project can continue to build into something. What that turns out to be remains to be seen

Sun, 12 Jan, 2025

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