The Irish Rugby Football Union is to make €500,000 available to its clubs in light of the Covid-19 crisis, the governing body announced on Tuesday evening.

World Rugby has announced a reduction in concussion incidents at last year’s World Cup in comparison to the 2018 elite competition average.

With the nightmare of the World Cup in Japan finally consigned to history as the Andy Farrell era of Irish rugby got underway, it is somewhat ironic that the new boss’s very first tournament will have a direct influence on Ireland’s next World Cup campaign in France in three years’ time.

But imagine, in the context of what we saw late last year in Japan, had Ireland gone and won those hosting rights.

Confirmed concussion rates have dropped by 12% from the 2015 competition, and 35% when compared to 22 elite adult competitions in 2018-19.

Referee Jaco Peyper was not considered for a World Cup semi-final appointment after an “inappropriate” picture of him with Welsh fans appeared on social media.

Whether or not Japan, the Brave Blossoms, continue to defy the odds, in this Sunday’s World Cup quarter-final, the success of Jamie Joseph’s side, on home soil, should open doors at world rugby’s top table.

And that includes World Rugby, the sport’s governing body, which has been stunned by the huge numbers being racked up in terms of television viewers and social media engagements as well as the good old-fashioned barometer of jersey sales.

Your round-up of the stories behind the headlines from Day 15 of #RWC2019

For weeks on end, a veritable posse of law enforcers queued up to hammer the warning home, that dangerous tackles meant instant dismissal.

As Japan prepares to get Asia’s first Rugby World Cup underway at the Tokyo Stadium tonight (11.45am Irish time), it would be all too easy to forget their opponents as the planet turns its gaze towards the Brave Blossoms.

The Rugby World Cup, which starts in six weeks’ time in Japan, is set to attract the largest number of spectators in the tournament’s history.

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont has expressed his disappointment the game's global governing body abandoned plans for a new 'Nations Championship'.

World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont has called a meeting to discuss the future of the international game amidst controversy over plans for a World League.

Four years on and the decision by the International Cricket Council to cut the number of teams for their blue-chip World Cup from 14 to 10 still manages to induce a volume of bile that shows no sign of abating.

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

Ireland dominate a list of five nominees in contention to be named The Rugby Union Writers’ Club personality of the year for 2018.

So much for transparency. For all the good intention of overseeing the most open, least questionable bidding process for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, governing body World Rugby is this morning as big a loser as South Africa, whose bid it unanimously recommended on October 31.

Why didn’t South Africa win the right to host Rugby World Cup 2023? That is the question being grappled at the moment because it seems, not for the first time, the country is pulling daggers from its back.

The shortlist has been announced for World Rugby's player of the year award.

Ireland's hopes of hosting the 2023 Rugby World Cup have been dealt a blow as South Africa has been recommended for the job, the tournament's organising board has announced.

This Rugby World Cup bid, you know it’s going to happen, right? 

World Rugby has voted to increase the required residency period to be eligible for international rugby from three to five years.

Joe Schmidt will be hoping Steve Hansen doesn’t bear a grudge when the All Blacks head coach helps pull Ireland’s 2019 World Cup pool opponents out of the bag during today’s draw in Kyoto, Japan.

World Rugby has announced a post-2019 World Cup global calendar that will include a July Test match window.

Ireland are drawn in what coach Tom Tierney says “is arguably the toughest qualifying pool of all” for next year’s Women’s World Cup in Dublin and Belfast in August.

Eddie Jones looks set to select a sprinkling of uncapped talent and leave out some established names when his first England elite player squad is announced today.

Lions legend Bill Beaumont said that full Government support and strong partnerships with the GAA and other sporting bodies will be the key to a successful IRFU bid to stage the Rugby World Cup in 2023.

Ireland open their 2014 Six Nations campaign with home games against Scotland and champions Wales.

Two British sporting institutions drew neck and neck this week. A Question of Sport has taken 45 years, three hosts, 16 captains, a million high-fives and several makeovers to bring up 1,000 not out.

British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland says he will field an entire side of English players in the first test against Australia if it is the best team he has available.

Premiership Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty will meet with the English clubs today and propose a new approach to the discussions over the future of the Heineken Cup.

Bill Beaumont’s bid to replace Bernard Lapasset as chairman of the International Rugby Board will finally go to the vote in Los Angeles today.

The International Rugby Board has deferred the election of its chairman and vice-chairman positions until December.

Few understand what makes the British and Irish Lions tick more than Ian McGeechan. He told Charlie Mulqueen why chemistry and character must come before talent to help one of world sport’s greatest brands to continue to thrive.

WILLIE JOHN McBride has been voted the greatest ever Lion by best-selling magazine Rugby World – though there is no place in the Top 50 for 2009 captain, Paul O’Connell.

Former England international Brian Moore has claimed plans to stage a one-off match between the Six Nations and Tri-Nations champions would only serve to “devalue” existing international clashes.

The International Rugby Board will discuss plans to stage a one-off match between the Six Nations and Tri-Nations champions when the governing body meets with rugby union’s leading nations in Hong Kong on Sunday.

EDDIE O’SULLIVAN’S odds on being the British and Irish Lions coach for the 2009 tour to South Africa drifted further yesterday after an admission by Lions bosses that the coach may not be from the four home nations.

The Lions will cast their net beyond the four home unions in their search for the right coach to lead the 2009 tour to South Africa.