The Irish Football Association has announced it is suspending the current season in Northern Ireland until at least April 4 following a board meeting on Friday morning.

Cork sides C of I, Harlequins, and UCC all moved very much into the shake-up for the EY Hockey League Division 2 playoffs with strong performances over the weekend.

In one of the busiest club weekends of the season, the return of the men’s U21 — or more accurately U23 — interprovincial tournament slips into action on Sunday at Garryduff.

With each team from the EY Hockey League providing at least one player to Sean Dancer’s latest Irish panel, it means there will be a 35-day gap between rounds 15 and 16.

Peter Jackson gets over the gainline, behind the headline

Ireland nailed the first of three possible Triple Crown successes this weekend when Noel McNamara’s side produced their best display of the campaign to oust England at Franklin’s Garden.

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 will have its largest representation for any Irish panel in many years next week when eight players travel with the U18 squad to Lilleshall for a series with England.

Mallow’s Anna Caplice has said that creating an attacking platform in the wide channels will be the key to Ireland overcoming Wales in their Women’s Six Nations clash at Donnybrook tomorrow (kick-off 1pm).

The Youghal-native will make her first Ireland start at fly-half in Sunday's Women’s Six Nations game against Wales.

When Dave Kilcoyne and Jack McGrath were named in Ireland’s matchday 23 to face Italy 12 months ago, Cian Healy lost no sleep.

Hannah Tyrrell has joined up with Ireland's Six Nations squad after spending the past fortnight away on Sevens duty in Hamilton and Sydney.

Limerick represent Munster for the second successive year in the men’s National Indoor Trophy, hoping to spring an ambush on the code’s big guns at Galway’s Kingfisher Hall on Sunday.

Ulster Academy prospect Hayden Hyde has acknowledged it was a relatively straightforward decision to choose playing for Ireland over his native England.

Peter Jackson gets over the gain line, behind the headline

Peter Jackson gets over the gain line, behind the headline.

England suffered an injury scare just three weeks before the Six Nations when Anthony Watson limped out of Bath’s 25-19 Heineken Champions Cup defeat against Harlequins.

Leinster star Hannah O’Connor had described the province’s historic clash against Harlequins at Twickenham Stadium tomorrow (7pm) as being like ‘a double Christmas’.

Cork C of I emerged from the Farmers Cross fog with a 3-1 semi-final win over Harlequins to set up a St Stephen’s Day Peard Cup final showdown with Bandon.

Good things are coming in twos to Alan O’Connor this week.

Bath’s nightmare Heineken Champions Cup campaign continued as Stuart Hooper’s men were hammered 52-26 by Clermont Auvergne.

Billy Burns’ second season at Ulster could hardly be going much better and he hopes it will lead to silverware and maybe even an Ireland call-up further down the line.

Ulster head coach Dan McFarland has made two changes to his side for tomorrow's Heineken Champions Cup trip to Harlequins.

Sean Reidy has admitted Ulster underestimated Harlequins last weekend and will be a more switched on side when they hit the Stoop tomorrow night.

The ghosts of Christmases past will be circling around the four provinces this weekend as they prepare for the unique demands that come with the traditional back-to-back December rounds in the Heineken Champions Cup.

Edging tight games has become a hallmark of Ulster’s Champions Cup campaign, with a combined winning margin of seven points across the three pool matches.

Connacht, for a team which has won almost 45% of its matches in the Heineken Champions Cup, still has a lot to learn how to compete in Europe’s premier tournament.

Three wins from three in the Champions Cup, but Dan McFarland says Ulster still have a long way to go to be considered a top-eight side in Europe.

After a year when everything he touched turned to gold, 2019 has not been the follow-up act that Jacob Stockdale had hoped for, but it is one he was prepared for.

The four Irish provinces have named their teams for this weekend's Champions Cup clashes.

Graham Rowntree believes Saracens will be an even more dangerous prospect due to their off-field problems when they visit Munster tomorrow for the sold-out Heineken Champions Cup clash at Thomond Park.

Friend, who coached Harlequins from 2005-08, said his players fell for the ruse when Gloucester’s lineout and scrum tactics were apparently left on a whiteboard for them to see the day before a game at Kingsholm.

Ulster know what to expect from Harlequins in general and their front-five talisman Joe Marler in particular when the Champions Cup resumes this weekend.

This time last year Ulster used the back-to-back Champions Cup games against the Scarlets as the launchpad for the rest of the season.

Cork’s two leading lights C of I and Harlequins have set about their task of restoring a Munster presence in the EY Hockey League’s top tier in the best possible fashion.

Conor O’Shea is done as a rugby coach.

With the winter break just a couple of weeks away, new research from chartered physiotherapist Huw Rees says this is a key phase for Irish hockey clubs to manage after a spate of injuries last spring.

Brendan O’Brien Connacht coach Andy Friend has sounded a highly encouraging note on Bundee Aki’s contract situation.

Romain Poite will take charge of Saracens' visit to play Munster at Thomond Park on Saturday week as the referees for the back-to-back Champions Cup games were announced.

Ulster will be without Will Addison for their back-to-back Heineken Champions Cup games with Harlequins.

Stuart Lancaster believes the disappointment felt by Ireland’s World Cup contingent can spur the four provinces to memorable heights in Europe, just as it did their English counterparts four years ago.

Peter Jackson gets over the gain line, behind the headline

Ireland’s women will meet the Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain, India and South Africa in the group stages of the Olympic Games following confirmation of the final entrants on Saturday.