The 18-year-old Ballinasloe winger scored tries in the victories over Scotland and Wales, bringing her total to three tries in seven caps since becoming Ireland's youngest-ever international in 2018, aged 16.

Munster head coach Johann van Graan has lauded Rosscarbery native John Hodnett after his man of the match Pro 14 league debut in the runaway 68-3 victory over Southern Kings at Musgrave Park on Friday night.

THE RDS promises to deliver more than the usual fare tomorrow for a Six Nations down-week.

Ulster head coach Dan McFarland accepts it “won’t be the end of the world” if his team slip up and lose a game over the next few weeks.

There was fun to be knocked out of that All-Ireland win. Especially as they’d been there before, only two years ago.

When your son is the England captain and you are the Ireland boss, meetings between the two sides tend to be intriguing and more than a little awkward, unless you’re Andy or Owen Farrell that is.

Further evidence of the influence of West Cork rugby in the Munster team has come with the inclusion of Rosscarbery flanker John Hodnett for his first Guinness Pro 14 start — against South African side Southern Kings — at Musgrave Park this evening, kick-off 7. 35.

Retired Munster hooker Mike Sherry joins Duncan Casey and Duncan Williams to talk injuries, wet wellies and coaching in the AIL.

The AIL can help Munster compete with the Leinster schools conveyor belt, says retired Munster hooker Mike Sherry.

No AIL, no Ireland Under-20 success. Noel McNamara has stressed the importance of club rugby to the success of Ireland’s age-grade player pathway, as his side bids to continue the winning start to its Six Nations title defence.

Versatile Ireland U20s forward Brian Deeny has said that regular exposure to the All-Ireland League has helped him to prepare for the rough and tumble of underage international rugby.

Cork has been without a team in the top level of the women's club game in Ireland for the past two seasons.

You would not blame James Cronin for wanting to draw a line under the last two years of his Munster career.

Munster’s James Cronin was amongst the few professional rugby players in Ireland that will have fond memories of last Saturday.

Five months on from retaining their Division 1A status through the play-offs, UCC are the early leaders of the Energia All-Ireland League following a terrific 30-20 win at Dublin University.

Out-half Aidan Moynihan held his nerve to kick an injury-time winning penalty for a much-changed Cork Con on Saturday.

Few heads turned when Tagir Gadzhiev walked into the mixed zone. Then he stopped, perched his distinctive ‘Papakha’ hat on his head, and suddenly a bevvy of Japanese journalists were swarming all over him.

September 1, 1997. The day John Kiely began teaching in The Abbey was Conor O’Brien’s first as a student in the Tipperary town secondary school. Just as there was heartache for a young O’Brien in seeing Tipperary go down to Clare later that month, there had been for Kiely as a member of Tom Ryan’s Limerick panel against Wexford 12 months previous.

Ireland U20s coach Noel McNamara insists his full focus is on the upcoming Junior World Cup despite suggestions that he could be a possible candidate for a role with Munster under Johann van Graan.

I read with interest the recent proposals from the Cork County Board to revamp their championship structures in an effort to cater for the differing demands and requirements of their club and county players.

“What a game! What a spectacle! Is Irish club rugby alive? Yes, yes, and yes again.”

Head coach Noel McNamara does not believe Ireland’s failure to win a game in the pool stage of the World Rugby U20 Championship should be a cause for alarm.

Leo Cullen was giving the press his take on Leinster’s crushing Champions Cup semi-final defeat of Scarlets at the Aviva Stadium last Saturday evening when his day brightened that little bit more with news that the province’s ‘A’ side had reached the final of the British & Irish Cup, writes Brendan O’Brien.

When Mike Sherry won a cap on the tour of the United States and Canada in 2013, it looked a near certainty that he would soon challenge for a regular place in the middle of the Ireland front row.

All but lost amidst the praise for the James Ryans and Dan Leavys this season has been the frankly ridiculous progress made by Leinster’s Andrew Porter since he switched sides in the front row.

The line between triumph and disaster is seldom more than gossamer thin in the Six Nations.

The body was sore after his long-awaited return to first-team action but Conor Oliver is relishing the opportunity to prove his worth in the Munster back row all over again.

This time two years ago, Ciara Griffin had yet to be capped by Ireland. Seventeen caps later and the Munster and UL Bohs flanker was this week named Ireland captain.

There were times throughout the last century when a Munster Senior Cup clash of Garryowen and Cork Constitution would have tested the capacities of Markets Field, Thomond Park, The Mardyke or Musgrave Park.

The Irish Rugby Football Union have defended their decision to hand the next Ireland's women's head-coach a six-month contract on a part-time basis.

Criticism of the Irish Rugby Football Union continues to mount following a decision to downgrade the position of head coach for the national women’s team as advertised on a part time/casual basis and for just six months.

Barry Daly insists he's not out to prove anyone wrong after finally hitting the big time with Leinster.

Five years, eleven finals, ten trophies.

It’s been 21 years but the names of Pat Whelan and Seamus Harty aren’t far from Trevor Hogan’s lips when the conversation strays back to the 16-year old kid who wandered into the Nenagh Ormond club at the onset of his rugby journey.

Hear the one about the Kilkenny man who played for Munster? Or even better, about the Kilkenny GAA man who now works with Tipp GAA? Ian Dowling is a walking quiz question, but wherever he turns up, success seems to follow...

Saturday’s European Champions Cup semi-final against holders Saracens should mark the most important day in Duncan Williams’ professional rugby career.

Young Munster RFC officials have expressed disappointment that a request to defer Sunday’s Ulster Bank League semi-final against Clontarf has been rejected by the IRFU.

Few people are better positioned to survey the Munster rugby landscape than Marcus Horan. As IRUPA player development manager for the province, he gets to see and hear the challenges the modern player faces. He was coaching his beloved Shannon until a disappointing departure a few month ago. He’s seen how the club game is nearly dying and he has a keen appreciation of what his ‘big brother’ Anthony Foley did — and continues to do — for Munster.