The merino had an Irish connection, as he was named after a well-known character from Father Ted.

Stephen Larkham has come to Munster with a mission to make a difference as the province looks to make the leap from being merely good to becoming a championship side.

Wallabies legend Stephen Larkham wants to bring a more cutting edge to the Munster attack as he embarks on his new role as the province’s Senior Coach.

Israel Folau’s second fundraising drive for legal costs has already received more donations in 24 hours than his previous GoFundMe campaign managed to raise before its closure on Monday.

A stranger perusing the team sheets in advance of this afternoon’s opening Champions Cup quarter-final might be forgiven for thinking that a Currie Cup fixture has been transported from Cape Town to Edinburgh.

Globetrotting Ireland women’s international Denise O’Sullivan has signed with Australian side Canberra United as a guest player for the 2018/19 W-League season.

Michael Cheika saunters into the high school hall at Kelvin State College in the Brisbane suburbs looking wonderfully relaxed in a Wallabies polo shirt and jeans.

The first of a three-match Test series between Ireland and Australia takes place at the weekend in Brisbane, writes Jack Anderson.

The ACT Brumbies have defied Australia coach Michael Cheika by naming David Pocock, Scott Sio and Allan Alaalatoa in their team for tomorrow’s Super Rugby match against the Sunwolves.

If the words of praise from Rugby Australia which greeted Andy Friend’s departure as their men’s sevens head coach ring true during his next venture as Connacht boss, then the Westerners really will have made a serious appointment.

Leicester Tigers head coach Matt O’Connor believes Leinster must show “defensive energy” if they are to defeat Racing 92 in tomorrow’s European Rugby Champions Cup final in Bilbao.

Five miles outside the bustling city of Sydney is Coogee, a beautiful beach area with little, winding streets and cafes with coffee to die for.

Scott Fardy has clearly had it with close shaves.

Fancy a holiday to Australia or want to visit a loved one who moved Down Under?

Connacht tighthead prop Finlay Bealham is primed to answer the call if Joe Schmidt includes him in the Ireland Six Nations squad ahead of Wales.

Australia claimed their first win of the 2017 Rugby Championship as they beat Argentina 45-20 in Canberra.

A student is in custody after launching a ferocious attack on his teacher and three of his classmates with a cricket bat at an Australian university.

Ulster’s new Wallaby signing Christian Lealiifano swept into Belfast this week and promised to help direct the side to some long-awaited silverware.

Ulster have refused to confirm, or deny, that they are poised to sign the talented Wallaby fly-half Christian Leali’ifano on a short-term contract.

China is worried about a US missile defence system deployed in South Korea to head off an attack by the North. What is at stake, asks David Tweed.

Qatar Airways have launched new daily direct flights from Doha to Dublin which will boost regional tourism in Ireland.

Australia’s government finally took up the central bank’s call for economic stimulus in its annual budget, with a A$75bn (€51bn) infrastructure plan as its centrepiece.

Australia is to scrap a temporary visa for skilled overseas workers, thecountry's Prime Minister has said, arguing that Australians must be given priority over foreigners for local jobs.

There were 733,060 passports issued in 2016, a 9% increase on the previous year — and Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan has forecast the high demand is set to continue.

Amazing how perception can skew into accepted fact. And even legend.

A fresh analysis of the final moments of doomed Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has suggested no one was controlling the plane when it plunged into the ocean.

A brother and sister were among four adults who were killed when a river rapids ride malfunctioned at a popular theme park on Australia's east coast.

Australia's prime minister has ordered a sweeping investigation into claims that teenagers were abused at a juvenile detention centre in the country's north.

A famous scene adorns the walls of the ACT Brumbies headquarters in Canberra, depicting the dressing room scenes after their first ever victory over the New South Wales Waratahs in Super Rugby. At that stage the Brumbies team were full to the brim with players rejected by their big Sydney neighbours and the win not only sparked emotional scenes but also marked a changing of the guard.

For a small town, Enniskillen has given birth to more than its share of international sportsmen, amongst them Olympic gold medal sprinter Robert Kerr, champion heavyweight boxer Gordon Ferris and ex-Celtic goalkeeper Michael McGovern.

“They’re all Irish players to me”, said Joe Schmidt on Saturday evening.

Connacht’s rising young prop Finlay Bealham, known for his physicality, is expecting another bruising challenge against Newcastle on Sunday in the second of the European Challenge Cup back-to-back fixtures.

USA:  A technical glitch meant some First Hawaiian Bank customers logged on to their accounts to find that they appeared to be billions, or sometimes more than a trillion dollars in the red.

Volvo is working on the first ever kangaroo detection and collision avoidance system.

The Guinness Book of World Records has confirmed that the fleece taken from an Australian merino sheep is the most wool sheared in a single sitting.

Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney has said she is “absolutely delighted” that the Egyptian president has pardoned two journalists for Al-Jazeera English.

Australia will get its fifth prime minister in eight years after the ruling Liberal Party voted out Tony Abbott in favour of long-time rival Malcolm Turnbull, following months of infighting and crumbling voter support.

ITALY:  Pope Francis slipped out of the Vatican to make a surprise visit to a Rome optician’s shop to get a new pair of glasses, insisting that his old frames be reused and that he would pay for them.

A Corkman seriously injured in an attack in Australia was due to come home on holidays next month.

A mother in Canberra, Australia had spent some days in hospital with her nine-week-old son when she found a parking ticket waiting for her.