While the EY Hockey Leagues could both be decided this weekend, the Munster focus will be on who can potentially join the elite division with UCC’s men and Catholic Institute’s women starting out their play-off journeys.

Five of Ireland's U20 rugby squad have suffered injuries which will prevent them from playing any further part in the World Championships in Georgia.

Emma Buckley looks set to continue a trend of young Ireland senior debutants as the Mount Mercy College student is poised to win her first cap next week.

It was moving day at both ends of the men’s EY Hockey League with a slew of surprise results on Saturday.

Last Saturday morning, Naomi Carroll left her home in Cratloe, Co. Clare and pointed the car in the direction of Cork, where her Harlequins team saw off Pembroke Wanderers 3-0 to keep their EY Hockey League title challenge alive.

Cork Harlequins, despite playing two games in just over 24 hours, advanced to the Irish Senior Cup final for the first time in 15 years.

The ever-growing gap between the EY Hockey League and the provincial leagues was evident as big scorelines littered the women’s Irish Senior Cup first round on Saturday.

Cork Harlequins are emerging as the primary challengers to Hermes-Monkstown in the women’s EY Hockey League after notching a third successive win on the road.

The second season of the EY Hockey League gets underway this weekend and 11 Olympians will feature, fresh from their Rio 2016 campaign.

Bandon were again left to wonder what might have been after their hopes of EY Hockey League qualification were scuppered by Instonians.

Munster Hockey officials have again warned that the sport could grind to a halt in the province if key administration positions go unfilled.

There are big games across the weekend with a number of finals to be decided. Clonmel’s bid for senior status continues on Saturday at home to Bangor while Young Munster await the winner of Sunday’s Bank of Ireland Munster Junior Cup semi-final between Cork Constitution and Richmond.

Relegation trouble looms for two of Munster’s EY Hockey League sides after a pivotal weekend in both the men’s and women’s competitions.

Some unusual names will adorn hockey’s St Stephen’s Day trophies around Ireland after a quartet of entertaining finals produced a glut of goals.

Cork Constitution 11 Garryowen 9: Another day of drama between the kings of Munster Cup rugby ended with holders Constitution taking a giant step towards retaining their crown with a two points victory over Garryowen at Temple Hill on Saturday.

Cork Church of Ireland and UCC marched into round two of the men’s Irish Senior Cup but the alarming decline in Cork Harlequins’ fortunes continues.

The All-Ireland Junior Cup kicks off this weekend, with three of the four Munster participants in action.

Clonmel’s domination of Munster Junior rugby has been a project years in the making.

It is the time of year when several clubs will be battling it out for silverware. Meanwhile, the province’s top Junior club, Clonmel, saw their hopes of going up to the Ulster Bank League suffer an serious blow by last weekend’s defeat to Dundalk.

Pegasus were surprise winners of the women’s Irish Hockey League after edging out Leinster powerhouses UCD and Loreto at Grange Road.

Captain Megan Frazer believes Ireland’s World League 2 performances show how far they have come under Darren Smith’s tutelage.

Hockey: Three Rock Rovers are the first side to book their place in the men’s Irish Hockey League semis after a Jonny Bruton-inspired win at Lisnagarvey. 

UCC hope a historic day at the Mardyke turns out to be one to remember for the right reasons as both their men’s and women’s first teams host Irish Hockey League opposition.

Hockey: Leinster denied Munster a first girls interpro title since 2002 with a mature performance in the decisive U16 clash, as the sides finished 0-0 at Lisnagarvey yesterday.

Hockey: Munster’s U-16s produced a memorable performance to get their schoolgirls interprovincial championship off to a flying start as they beat Ulster for the first time in a decade.

Cork Church of Ireland coach Eddie Kirwan says it gave him no joy to watch his side hand out a crushing 28-0 Munster Division One defeat to University of Limerick on Saturday.

UCC captain Fionn O’Leary hopes his side can be the ultimate spoilers as they make their Irish Hockey League debut at Instonians tomorrow.

The changing names of those clubs filling out the fixtures and tables are to be welcomed on the basis that change is not to be feared.

Ireland coach Craig Fulton will be taking on some familiar faces this afternoon as his men’s senior team play South Africa on day one of the London Cup.

Bandon and Cork Church of Ireland brought Munster’s national cup final representation to four with stunning Irish Hockey Trophy semi-final wins on Saturday.

Saturday will likely be remembered as the day Munster’s hopes of producing an Irish Hockey League finalist died, with all four teams suffering defeat.

The first round of the Irish Hockey League quickly descended into a nightmare for the majority of Munster sides, with Catholic Institute’s 3-1 win over Greenfields the sole bright spot.

Bandon’s incredible recovery at Belfast Harlequins in the women’s Irish Junior Cup highlighted a busy weekend of cup shocks.

Cork Church of Ireland will finally learn how far David Hobbs’ new approach has taken them as they host high-flying Banbridge in an Irish Senior Cup second round clash at Garryduff tomorrow (3pm).

The demise of Cork Harlequins as a national force was ruthlessly exposed by Banbridge on Saturday, as they claimed a facile 8-0 Irish Senior Cup first round win at Farmer’s Cross.

Cork Church of Ireland will be all out to prove to Irish coach Andrew Meredith their players deserve a better crack at international recognition as they take on YMCA in a vital Irish Hockey League clash at Serpentine Avenue tomorrow.

Terenure will be competing in Division 1B of the Ulster Bank League following their exploits at the weekend.