Joe Marler’s attempt to emulate Vinny Jones’ notorious ‘nut-cracker’ grab at a teenaged Paul Gascoigne (Wimbledon v Newcastle, February 1988) exposes the England prop to the risk of a 12-week ban at the very least.

When horses were shown photographs of angry human faces, their hearts speeded up.

Greg O’Shea says his commitment to his Irish sevens team mates was always going to override “two weeks on television” as the Love Island winner looks ahead to potential Olympic qualification.

Tullow Oil is considering closing its operations in Ireland as part of a wider plan to cut costs by around $20m (€18m).

"Love Island has been my world for the last five years, it's the best show on telly."

After an "embarrassing" loss to the same opponents last week, Ireland produced a dramatic win.

Following South Africa’s deserved Rugby World Cup victory I felt it was about time that I featured some of their wines.

When he gathered the Springboks before the Rugby Championship this year, Rassie Erasmus was so confident that he told them it was a 20-week journey.

When the baseball-capped Nelson Mandela danced his famous jig in the No.6 Springbok jersey, Siya Kolisi would not have paid a blind bit of notice.

It’s a long way from the Newlands Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa to Tuam Stadium in the heartland of North Galway, especially if you go via The Twickenham Stoop, the Vélez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires, and a few laps of MacHale Park in Castlebar, but Gavin Duffy has played in them all, and in doing so, has rather silently compiled one the most compelling sporting CV’s of any Irish man or woman these last two decades.

Want to know how pro surfers maintain their enviable strength and laid back vibes? Seven-time world champ, Stephanie Gilmore tells

It's not long-jumper Luvo Manyonga’s athletic ability that impresses most. No, it’s his journey, his story, which could have had a grim ending.

Ireland has punched above their weight in the Mr Gay World contest ever since we won the very first event back in 2009. Caomhan Keane speaks to our representative at this year’s contest

SafeTrx is the world’s leading non-GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress and Safety System) maritime smartphone safety application in the marketplace, in use in 12 countries and growing rapidly.

When Tomás Mac an tSaoir came through the arrival gates of Dublin airport yesterday, his only visible signs of injury were some small plasters on his feet.

A documentary comparing the current cardiac scoring of the Down and Meath panels that faced off in the 1991 All-Ireland final has saved a number of lives.

With the clocks going forward, longer evenings are coming and hopefully warmer days and evenings. Given that we have already had some warmer days I’ve found myself drinking more white wine and rosé, as well as Beaujolais and lighter styles of red.

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.

Ranulph Fiennes has survived many tight spots as the world’s greatest living explorer, but one of the first risks he took landed him

There is no safe type or quantity of alcohol for a foetus and the result of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder is incurable brain damage, says Aisling Foley

Eddie Jones has cautioned against expecting too much from Manu Tuilagi after limiting England’s marauding centre to a bench role against South Africa.

Last March, Cameron Bancroft of the Australian men’s cricket team — with the prior knowledge of his captain, Steve Smith, and vice-captain, David Warner — was seen on TV cameras tampering with the ball during his country’s third test against South Africa in Cape Town, writes Jack Anderson.

A self-styled adventure junkie will have to avoid bandits and lions and endure searing desert heat on an epic 12,000km solo bike tour through Africa.

Why do GAA players look so miserable on the front cover of their autobiographies?

Eddie Jones will enter his meeting with Rugby Football Union (RFU) chief executive Steve Brown this week armed with the conviction England can still win the World Cup.

This delicately poised Test series in Australia represents the best possible preparation Ireland could have hoped for a year out from the World Cup, writes Donal Lenihan.

It is difficult to imagine Ireland’s season being remembered as anything but an unheralded success after a Six Nations Triple Crown, Championship and Grand Slam was secured on the back a 12-Test winning run.

Schalk Brits was sipping tequila in Ibiza when he first received contact from South Africa boss Rassie Erasmus asking whether he was interested in playing England.

In a season that keeps on giving for Irish rugby, a series win against a major southern hemisphere superpower for the first time since 1979 would offer the perfect ending.

Worcester centre Ben Te'o has been ruled out of England's three-Test South Africa tour.

An application by Gayle Killilea Dunne aimed at halting proceedings against her over the alleged transfer of South African properties between the Dunnes has opened before the High Court.

Rassie Erasmus is charged with reviving Springbok rugby, but he says part of him will always be in Munster, writes John Fallon

It will be Sunday evening before we know for sure which two of the four sides left standing in this season’s Champions Cup got their preparations spot on for the semi-finals, but at this juncture it would be a surprise, notwithstanding they are playing in France, if Munster isn’t one of them.

Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana has travelled to South Africa to receive specialist treatment in his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury.

So, how was your Monday morning this week? Were you doing a bit of whinging about work, did the traffic get to you or was the weather driving you mad?

Scrum-half James Hart believes Munster’s two-match tour to South Africa is the perfect way to build up for the Champions Cup showdown with his former club Racing 92 on Sunday week.

Munster are concentrating on their PRO14 clash with the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Friday night, although head coach Johann van Graan admits they are doing research on their Champions Cup semi-final opponents in the background.

Southern Kings 22 Munster 39: There was a carnival atmosphere at Outeniqua Park on Saturday and while it seemed for a time that the Southern Kings were going to spoil CJ Stander’s homecoming, Munster’s superiority shone through in the end as they cantered home.

CJ Stander said that it will be a dream come true this evening when he leads Munster out on the pitch where he played as a child in South Africa.