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.

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.

Oh Lordy. Where do we start? Do we actually have to start? Can we somehow sneak out of it?

The decision to switch Beauden Barrett to full-back and move to twin playmakers with Richie Mo’unga at fly-half continues to pay dividends for the All Blacks

Cian Healy has praised Bundee Aki’s resilience in the face of a tournament-ending suspension after the centre gave his all in Ireland’s first training session for Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand.

No one could know it at the time but Ireland’s relationship with the All Blacks changed irrevocably in November of 2013.

The sport's governing body have opted for experienced referees for the four last-eight ties which all take place this weekend.

Find something you feel as passionate about as Andy Farrell when he talks about defence, and breaks it down into the intricacies of tackle height and technique and head positioning, and you’ll never work a day in your life.

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

England have beaten Ireland 57-15 in their World Cup warm-up Test at Twickenham.

Scotland’s World Cup preparations got off to a nightmare start as they were crushed 32-3 by France in Nice.

Leo Cullen wasn’t the only Irish coach breathing a sigh of relief at the end of Saturday’s PRO14 final in Glasgow.

O’Brien missed what should have been his final game for his home province due to a hip injury but captain Sexton asked the Tullow Tank, who will depart Leinster for London Irish after the World Cup, to take the captain’s role and lift the trophy after a hard-fought victory in Glasgow.

Devin Toner’s World Cup ambitions remain intact with the news that the Leinster second row faces just a 4-6 week recovery period from the knee injury suffered against Munster in last week’s Guinness PRO14 semi-final.

Munster sneaked into the Guinness PRO14 semi-finals by the skin of their teeth in Limerick on Saturday as Benetton missed two late drop-goal attempts after a game performance in their historic first knockout game.

Peter Jackson gets over the gain line, behind the headline

A Rugby World Cup final referee has called for respect in the wake of the homophobia issues that have hit the sport.

Rugby international Lindsay Peat, one of the country’s most versatile female athletes who has represented Ireland in three different sports, has revealed that she was once the subject of homophobic sledging in an All-Ireland ladies football final.

Leo Cullen says the coming week will be a “big” one for Devin Toner, as the Ireland second row prepares to make a well-timed return to fitness.

Some of their frontline players may have their feet up this weekend, but for those Leinster players in the RDS tonight, there’s a priceless opportunity to top up their credit with coach Leo Cullen.

Brian O'Driscoll has said the manner in which Tadhg Beirne won a penalty for Munster in the Champions Cup quarter-final is "not a good look" for rugby.

Cheetahs prop Ox Nche has received an eight-week ban for his head hit on Leinster's Fergus McFadden.

The 23-year-old Springbok was sin binned at the time but referee Nigel Owens decided not to send him off.

If the Cheetahs thought they might get an easy run out against Leinster during the Six Nations, the South Africans were sadly mistaken.

French referees will take charge of the Irish provinces' Champions and Challenge Cup quarter-finals.

Leicester kept their slim Heineken Champions Cup hopes alive by securing a four-try bonus point in a thrilling 36-26 defeat to Racing 92 in Paris.

Rival coaches Johann van Graan and Richard Cockerill have adopted contrasting strategies in choosing their teams for tonight’s (7.35pm) Guinness PRO14 encounter at Musgrave Park.

If we’ve learned anything from Netflix TV series, sports podcasts and purveyors of fancy doughnuts, it’s that you can have too much of a good thing. What is at first new and exciting can soon become bewilderingly oversaturated, and soon you have no idea what’s good anymore, or indeed, what to listen to while you are queuing at the Krispy Kreme drive-thru, writes Tommy Martin.

The show was almost over by the time Simon Zebo’s moment presented itself against Ulster late on Saturday night.

The show was almost over by the time Simon Zebo’s moment presented itself against Ulster late on Saturday night, writes Brendan O’Brien

Talk about pleasing the home crowd!

Israel Folau has addressed his views on homosexuality following the backlash to his divisive social media comments, while revealing how his switch from rugby league to AFL left him “emotionally broken”.

Ulster kept their play-off hopes alive after edging past Edinburgh in a breathless encounter at BT Murrayfield.

Thomond Park and its 26,000-plus fanatics made quite the din last Saturday. 

And so the Munster Miracles keep on coming, as if put together on some sort of supernatural assembly line cranked into use only in times of deepest trouble.

How special it was to witness a Munster side prevail, once again, against a team packed with serial game-breaker, writes Donal Lenihan

It was not the first time Toulon captain Mathieu Bastareaud had appeared baffled by the events that had unfolded in front of his eyes at Thomond Park on Saturday.

The official who was removed from Ireland's Grand Slam decider after attending an England training session has been appointed for Ireland's next game.

From Eddie Jones’ crass comments to World Rugby’s removal of assistant referee Marius van der Westhuizen, there has not been a dull moment in the build-up to Ireland’s bid for Grand Slam glory at Twickenham.

Rugby the people’s choice but what is the women’s game?

BBC Sport have explained the reason for the error.

Duncan Weir's last-gasp drop goal secured four vital points for Edinburgh in the Guinness PRO14 as they won 17-16 at Ulster.