Tributes have been paid to Munster chief executive Garrett Fitzgerald who will retire from the role next month.

Simon Lewis The Munster exit door kept revolving yesterday as exciting young fly-half Bill Johnston left for Ulster in search of more game time and Heineken Cup-winning legend Doug Howlett decided to return to his native New Zealand.

The province's Head of Commercial and Marketing wishes to return to his native New Zealand, 11 years after joining Munster as a player.

Johann van Graan has urged Munster supporters to look at the positives of a playing squad in it for the long haul despite the “strange” situation of two key coaches deciding to quit.

It is only a month ago that Munster Rugby was looking forward to a new era of stability, brought about by a settled coaching ticket.

Munster Rugby and the IRFU have confirmed that Jerry Flannery and Felix Jones will leave at the end of the season.

"Coming to Munster I wanted to become part of the community, and every day I get to experience that sense of belonging with my family and I settled in from the very beginning."

Johann van Graan’s team may not be back in Cork until February but that is not to say Musgrave Park is back in mothballs this morning after last night’s Guinness PRO14 clash with Edinburgh.

Keeping Johann van Graan at Munster is crucial to the province’s ambitions, according to Conor Murray.

There it is. Right there on the pages of the glossy red publication.

“The best means you can do your best work at Munster, whatever the role,” the province’s Strategic Plan 2018-2021 declares.

Munster Rugby has applied for funding to change the playing surface at Musgrave Park from a natural grass surface to a 4G artificial pitch.

It would be easy to blame a lousy season on the pitch for the miserable reading Munster Rugby’s accounts made for delegates at last Thursday’s annual general meeting.

Munster Rugby’s poor performances and falling attendances have seen its annual deficit forecast soar to almost €1.95 million for the soon-to-end financial year.

Munster Rugby may be in financial straits but it could be much worse if it wasn’t for the IRFU.

It’s off, in ways we wouldn’t have expected under a manager of Martin O’Neill’s standing.

Munster Rugby officials have hit back at criticisms over attendance figures, citing a year-on-year increase in the numbers who attended the province’s regular season home games.

Munster Rugby chief executive Garrett Fitzgerald expects Paul O’Connell to make a final decision on his next career step in the coming fortnight, having today announced that the Irish captain will be released from his IRFU Munster contract following the Rugby World Cup.

The importance of securing a home European quarter-final for Irish provinces extends well beyond the field of play, Munster’s annual financial report has revealed.

The Munster team may eventually be based solely in Limerick but provincial branch chiefs have underlined their commitment to Cork and the rest of the province as it prepares for construction to be begin on its single training base.

Munster Rugby announced a deficit of €0.8m at the Branch’s AGM last night, but delegates heard some encouraging news for the province in the form of a restructured repayment plan of its loan from the IRFU for the redevelopment of Thomond Park.

The parlous state of Munster Rugby’s finances continues.

Munster Rugby have brought in some of the country’s leading businessmen to help steer them through the economic downturn.

Munster Rugby are preparing to revisit the thorny subject of selling thenaming rights to their iconic Thomond Park as one measure to address their current financial concerns.

Munster Rugby chief executive Garrett Fitzgerald last night promised a programme of “cutbacks and savings” as the Munster Branch unveiled a projected deficit of more than €1 million for the year ending June 30, 2012, at its Annual Delegate Meeting in Cork.

RONAN O’GARA has called for the focus to return to the Ireland squad after insisting he has no intention of retiring from Test rugby after the World Cup.

A 29-year-old Lithuanian man appeared before a Navan court this afternoon charged with dangerous driving causing the death of three pedestrians.

A court in the US has found trade secrets were stolen from Norbrook Laboratories, a Northern Ireland pharmaceutical group by a US competitor.