Garryowen 18 ... UL Bohemian 3: Garryowen claimed their 39th Munster Senior Cup when overwhelming local rivals UL Bohemian 18-3 in their all-Limerick final at the Markets Field last night.

Munster Development XV 10 Ireland U20 26: Two tries in the dying minutes by right winger Peter Sullivan gave Ireland U20 a flattering 26-10 victory over a Munster Development XV in a hard-fought but scrappy encounter at Thomond Park yesterday.

Bruff 8 - UL Bohemians 22: A late opportunist try from Ogie Scannell, converted by Michael Mullally, finally sealed the deal for UL Bohemians in a tough Bank of Ireland Munster Senior Cup semi-final at Kilballyowen Park, Bruff, this afternoon.

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.

Cork Constitution advanced from a tough Bank of Ireland Munster Senior Cup tie against Shannon with a late rally at Coonagh on Saturday.

The Ireland Women’s management team has confirmed a 48-strong training panel to prepare for the Women’s Rugby World Cup in Dublin and Belfast in August. 

Latest: Online tributes have been paid to an "inspirational" young American woman who died in a house fire in Limerick, Monday.

Dolphin 22 Old Wesley 10: Relief for Dolphin who jumped from the bottom spot in Division 1B of the Ulster Bank League and have now given themselves a fighting chance of avoiding the dreaded drop.

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.

Schools’ rugby has transformed lately and, this year, I was blown away by the physical condition of the boys, writes Duncan Casey.

Ulster Bank League Division 1B

Dolphin 19 Ballynahinch 35: Dolphin coach David Corkery was far from impressed after watching his charges capitulate to a strong Ballynahinch at Musgrave Park on Saturday.

Rugby country, Saturday afternoon. Population: 5,000. Probably less.

Today’s Ulster Bank League Division 1 clash between Clontarf and UCD is expected to be the first of two games between the teams in the next couple of weeks.

Ireland Club’s coach Paul Cunningham is expecting a stern test and plenty of top class rugby in tonight’s Ulster Bank sponsored Dalriada Cup clash with Scotland at Temple Hill, Cork (7.30pm).

DIVISION 1A

Rivals Cork Constitution and Garryowen are both under strength for this afternoon’s Bank of Ireland Munster Senior Cup quarter-final in Temple Hill (2.30pm).

Some 29 years have elapsed since Connacht last beat Munster at Thomond Park. In that space of time, they have been unlucky on a few occasions, on others they returned west on the back of one or two hammerings. 

Ireland will head into this month’s Rugby World Cup on the back of consecutive Test defeats to Wales and England, but according to former Grand Slam-winning Welsh coach Mike Ruddock, they shouldn’t be overly concerned.

Louise Galvin may well be the most versatile sportsperson in Ireland. She has played to an elite standard in three sports. Today, she represents her country in a sport she took up less than two years ago. But no challenge Louise Galvin faces will compare to the tragedy she suffered. No defeat will make her forget how precious life is now...

Wexford’s Katie Fitzhenry is confident that Ireland can progress from their group at this weekend’s global women’s rugby sevens tournament in UCD.

Munster’s plans for next season have taken further shape after the IRFU approved its bid to re-sign former Springbok tighthead prop BJ Botha.

It’s only five months since Ireland made history at the Women’s Rugby World Cup by beating New Zealand in the pool stages and reaching the semi-finals, but the personnel changes since have been seismic.

(2.30pm unless stated)

With a couple of Ireland caps in the locker and a new Munster contract in back pocket, Dave Foley could be forgiven for allowing himself a small smile of satisfaction after a job well done.

Head coach Anthony Foley will have the pleasure of taking a winning team into Munster’s Guinness Pro12 campaign but he has demanded plenty more hard work from his players ahead of Friday’s season opener at home to Edinburgh.

Anthony Foley has been waiting for this week ever since his appointment as head Munster coach, and now that the first game of the new season — albeit a friendly against Gloucester at Kingsholm on Saturday — is almost here, the buzz about the man and all those around him was only too apparent at Cork IT yesterday.

Head coach Philip Doyle, captain Fiona Coghlan and fellow veteran Lynne Cantwell led the Irish women’s rugby team out for one last time last night, through Dublin Airport’s arrivals hall and into a welcoming scrum of supporters.

IRB WOMEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP POOL B:

Driving down the motorway yesterday from Dublin to Newbridge, the road to Munster stretched out in front. The gravitational pull of Cork.

We look at the power brokers of Irish rugby and find out how they influence the game.

A firm handshake and a smile makes Niamh Briggs instantly likeable, but for the past few months smiles have been scarce for the 2013 Grand Slam winner.

Clontarf’s home clash with Lansdowne has been rightly billed as the Ulster Bank League match of the day but there are several other ties with good claims for that tag.

Reigning champions Lansdowne were warned that life could be tough in this season’s Ulster Bank League when they lost their seasonal opener at home to newcomers UCD on Saturday.

Cashel produced a late scoring burst to shock Young Munster on a dramatic opening weekend of the ODM Financial Munster Senior Cup.

Shannon 24 UL Bohemian 22

With the start of Munster’s RaboDirect Pro12 campaign now less than a month away, chief executive Garrett Fitzgerald insists Munster’s summer transfer dealings have come to an end and the squad will be free to continue their preparations for the new season without disruption.

Ireland U20 46 Fiji U20 3

ULSTER BANK LEAGUE RESULTS:

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