Event: Champions Cup rugby

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

rugby

Connacht have Bundee Aki back for Leinster tie

Connacht have been boosted by confirmation Bundee Aki will be available to face Leinster in their first interprovincial game of the season, as well as their return to Champions Cup rugby the following week.

rugby

Johann van Graan confident Munster have ‘flicked switch’

rugby

Connacht scrum-half Blade out to cut Munster down

rugby

McKeon wants Munster scalp on way to 2015 repeat

rugby

Virus means Quinn Roux a doubt for PRO14 quarter-final

columnists

Revitalised Toulouse pose massive threat to Leinster’s title hopes

Sexton must end the histrionics and rediscover his true self

This week represents a step back in time for some of Ireland’s senior players.

Tue, 26 Mar, 2019

Carty inspires Connacht to priceless win

Jack Carty returned to the Sportsground after his Irish debut in the Six Nations to guide them to a priceless victory in their quest for a knockout place and Champions Cup rugby next season.

Sat, 23 Mar, 2019

Confirmed: Champions Cup rugby returning to free-to-air TV for first time in 12 years

The last free-to-air European Cup game broadcast in Ireland was Munster’s 2006 final victory over Biarritz.

Fri, 16 Mar, 2018

Thomond braced for perfect storm

Batten down the hatches, there’s a tempest coming.

Sat, 21 Oct, 2017

Connacht eyeing the play-offs to qualify for Europe's top table

Glasgow Warriors 35 - Connacht 24: This time last year Connacht fans were holding their breath in anticipation. Sitting pretty at the top of the table, having only lost five times all season, Connacht were working their way to a first Guinness PRO12 trophy and Champions Cup rugby.

Mon, 27 Mar, 2017

Stuart Lancaster says key players not being targeted in a ‘malicious way’

Leinster senior coach Stuart Lancaster has dismissed the idea that teams single out opposing players for malicious treatment after a weekend of Champions Cup rugby which saw both of Ireland’s first-choice half-backs suffer under the yoke of late and dangerous tackles.

Tue, 17 Jan, 2017

Tadhg Furlong: This generation is ready to write new Leinster chapter

There’s no shortage of men walking around Leinster’s UCD base these days with the jingle of Heineken Cup medals in their pockets.

Wed, 11 Jan, 2017

Pat Lam warns automatic cup qualification a must for Connacht

Connacht coach Pat Lam says automatic qualification for the Champions Cup is the minimum his side must achieve this season. The PRO12 holders are a lowly eighth as they travel to take on Ospreys in Liberty Stadium this afternoon.

Sat, 07 Jan, 2017

Josh van der Flier’s faith justified as young guns step up to the plate

Turns out the kids are alright, but then Josh van der Flier told us that last Christmas.

Wed, 14 Dec, 2016

Maturer Connacht learning from mistakes, says John Muldoon

Connacht captain John Muldoon says the maturity his side has shown in recent games needs to be repeated when they return to Parma at the weekend to take on Zebre in the Champions Cup.

Wed, 19 Oct, 2016

Johnny Holland: I’ll treasure Munster memories

Fears that Munster fly-half Johnny Holland’s career was in jeopardy were confirmed yesterday when the province announced the 25-year-old had been forced to retire with immediate effect.

Fri, 02 Sep, 2016

Connacht dream close to reality

Tiernan O’Halloran and his Connacht team-mates have stopped dreaming, because winning the Guinness PRO12 final is a realistic objective.

Fri, 27 May, 2016

Connacht reveal ambitious plans for new stadium

Connacht have revealed plans for a 10,000 seater stadium as Galway turns green in advance of the province’s biggest fixture in its professional era.

Thu, 19 May, 2016

The key moment and talking point from Munster's win to secure their place in Europe

Munster secured their place in next season's Champions Cup after a hard-fought 31-15 victory over the Scarlets at Thomond Park earned them a sixth-place finish in the Guinness Pro12.

Sat, 07 May, 2016

CJ Stander feeling positive but pressure still on for Munster

CJ Stander may have developed into a strong captain but his salesmanship skills may need brushing up if his stint in the Munster ticket office is anything to go by.

Thu, 05 May, 2016

The pressure also massive on Edinburgh

Edinburgh lock Anton Bresler and his side visit Ireland for the second time in a fortnight knowing just what to expect as the Guinness PRO12 campaign reaches its climax.

Fri, 29 Apr, 2016

Connacht on the verge of semi-final spot

Connacht need only one point from this evening’s PRO12 fixture in Italy to guarantee a semi-final spot. But coach Pat Lam will want more, such is the expectation on Connacht to deliver a bonus-point winning performance.

Fri, 29 Apr, 2016

€500,000: The price of failure for Munster

As if the stakes for Munster were not high enough ahead of Friday’s Guinness Pro12 showdown with Edinburgh, chief executive Garrett Fitzgerald has warned that defeat in the last two games of the season could cost the province €500,000.

Wed, 27 Apr, 2016

Galvanising influence needs to take command in Munster dressing room

It will not be the first time that Munster players have arrived in the Meath town of Enfield to be told some home truths. Yet for the province’s seven players called in to Ireland’s 24-hour training camp at Johnstown House, which disbanded yesterday afternoon, the soul-searching will have been prompted from within rather than externally.

Tue, 19 Apr, 2016

Pat Lam urges Connacht to seize European opportunity

Connacht’s long-cherished hopes of a first ever trophy will be on the line when they face Grenoble on Saturday.

Wed, 06 Apr, 2016

Keith Earls and Darren Sweetnam dejected after the game 2/4/2016

Munster’s drive for victory backfires at the death

Leinster 16 Munster 13: With the clock on 79 minutes and 49 seconds a snap poll of not just Leinster’s supporters but the province’s players and coaches as well would have seen the vast majority settle for a draw in this typically tight Guinness Pro12 battle with rivals Munster.

Mon, 04 Apr, 2016

Catch-up with what you've missed with our morning briefing

Good morning. Here’s everything you need to know before you start your day.

Wed, 30 Mar, 2016

Interprovincial rugby is alive and kicking once again

With no Champions Cup rugby on the horizon for Munster, Leinster, and Ulster, the clock is being rewound and the internal warfare that defined the treasured inter-provincial series for over a century is back in fashion.

Wed, 30 Mar, 2016

Denis Leamy urges Munster to aim high and go for Henry or White

Munster’s search for a director of rugby should aim as high as possible, starting with Graham Henry and Jake White, says provincial legend Denis Leamy.

Thu, 17 Mar, 2016

Pat Lam targets Zebre bonus point

A fifth bonus-point win is the target for Connacht in this evening’s Pro 12 fixture with Zebre in Italy (4.30 Irish time). Sitting level on 45 points with Ulster at the top of the table, Pat Lam knows every point will count in their bid for Champions Cup rugby next season.

Sat, 20 Feb, 2016

Connachtss Eoghan Masterson refusing to give up on Ireland chance

Connacht’s Eoghan Masterson is the perfect endorsement of a player who is reaping the rewards for his indefatigable determination to play for Ireland.

Sat, 26 Dec, 2015

Treviso first for Connacht, then chilly welcome awaits in Siberia

Connacht have a real chance to post a fifth successive Guinness Pro12 victory this evening when they host Treviso at the Galway Sportsground (7.30pm).

Fri, 06 Nov, 2015

Lam names two new caps in settled Connacht side to face Dragons

There are few surprises in Pat Lam’s Connacht squad for this evening’s Guinness Pro 12 opener at the Galway Sportsground (7.30pm).

Fri, 04 Sep, 2015

Pat Lam says Connacht will recover from heartbreak

Gloucester 40 Connacht 32 (AET): It had all the hallmarks of past heartbreaks. Connacht, punching above their weight, looked set to close in on the ultimate prize, only to be denied at the bitter end, whether by their own hand, or by questionable refereeing decisions.

Mon, 25 May, 2015

Pat Lam says Connacht well up for Gloucester challenge