#rugby

#rugby

Leinster's bewildering decision to leave Jordie Barrett out of the team for their home Champions Cup semi-final against Northampton Saints shocked the rugby public.

Noah Caluori's try was a deft dink over the top just outside the Tigers' 22, followed by searing acceleration and a balletic leap to regather the ball while staying infield.

Sale Sharks wasted no time in getting on the board through Dugdale, who benefited from a lovely interchange between Jacques Vermeulen and Rekeiti Ma'asi-White as the Harlequins defence was caught narrow.

After 18 years of living and breathing this club, it's incredibly difficult to put into words what it means to myself and my family. I leave feeling hugely grateful and honoured not only to have worn the shirt and represented those legends who came before us, but also to have shared that journey as a player and a coach with the incredible supporters who make this club so special.

Mike Prendergast insists he has not been put off his ultimate goal of becoming a head coach, despite being overlooked for the Munster top job in favour of Clayton McMillan.

Celebrating 100 years should be a time of celebration, but the reality is the cost of running the club has become extremely difficult. Yes we may get the odd one who comes through and goes on to play for in England under 20 like my son, or Sadia Kabeya who was player of the match in the World Cup final just a few months ago - that's at the very pinnacle.

Bath maintained their pressure on Northampton at the top of the Prem table with a resounding win against an injury-ravaged Harlequins, scoring eight tries in total.

Amee-Leigh Costigan decided to have a scan four months ago - not because she was feeling sick or unwell. It was quite the opposite, in fact.

Bernard Jackman is a former professional rugby player and coach turned rugby pundit, public speaker and performance consultant. He played for Connacht, Leinster, and Sale Sharks.

Champions Bath left no doubt about their appetite for another title as they swept Saracens aside 62-15 at the Rec to regain top spot.

Former winger is based in London with his young family these days, but his ties to the game remain tightly bound

Image source, Getty Images Saracens hookers James Hadfield and Eoghan Clarke have become the latest players to extend their contracts with the Prem club. Flankers Nathan Michelow and Max Eke signed new deals on Wednesday, with props Phil Brantingham and Vilikesa Nairau putting pen to paper on Thursday. Hadfield, 28, has made 31 appearances for the club, scoring 13 tries, since first signing with them in 2023.

Bryn Ward was talking to his mother Wendy the other day when he suddenly remembered that his goal at the start of the season was to play five games for Ulster. Having only just turned 21, and still part of his home province's academy, it was a realistic target to set, only he managed to surpass it halfway through a season that has seen Ward play nine games for Ulster, and earn his first full call-up to the Ireland squad.

I'd like to say skills, but that has to be a wider project at provincial level where the standard of handling has dropped to an alarming level.

The Cork broadcaster on why his mother got him into rugby, Ireland's World Cup chances, not being a drinker and why Katie Taylor needs to fight in Croke Park Donncha O'Callaghan is a podcaster, television personality and former rugby union player from Bishopstown, Co Cork. He is a coach on Ireland's Fittest Family, and hosts The Offload podcast with Tommy Bowe.

Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

A guy recently commented on a picture of me and said, 'You look pregnant in that dress.' And he deleted this comment because I had a great comeback, but I wanted to do it again for you all.

Ulster opened the New Year with appropriate cheer, seeing off Munster at a bitterly cold Affidea Stadium to rack up a second successive interprovincial victory which saw them hit second in the URC table.

Leinster and Ireland full-back relieves the tense build-up that led to the elation of him scoring one of the most famous tries ever by an Irish player on last summer's Lions tour in Australia It's a dark, gloomy afternoon in Dublin, and as the rain pounds and the wind howls, we are nestled in the back of a cafe, safe from the elements, away from the madness of the Christmas rush outside.

Harry Byrne's goal-kicking proved the difference as error-strewn Leinster held off a determined Leicester to claim a 23-15 Investec Champions Cup victory at Mattioli Woods Welford Road. Each team scored two tries but three penalties and a conversion from Byrne were decisive as the bottom side Leicester's European campaign continued to falter and they remain pointless after their opening two fixtures.

The Royal Courts of Justice are a warren. They were built piecemeal over 125 years of intermittent construction, wings were added, blocks were expanded and then joined by a web of twisting staircases and long corridors. You navigate your way to whichever corner of it you have business in by checking the tiny print on the long daily case lists that are posted in the lobby early each morning, when the building always seems to be full of people hurrying in the other direction.

For the last 10-or-so years, I've seen Biarritz fracture. The pact of confidence between the people of Biarritz and their town hall is broken,

The launch of rugby's rebel R360 has been delayed until 2028 at the earliest after organisers admitted defeat in the first round of their battle to get the competition off the ground next year. In a statement issued this morning, Mike Tindall and his group admitted that there is a credibility problem for R360 which has dominated discussions behind the scenes at executive level all year.