Rugby League

Trending:


Leinster bring back the big guns as Leo Cullen selects formidable team for Bulls battle

Leo Cullen has recalled a host of his Ireland front-liners for tomorrow night’s top-of-the-table URC clash against the Bulls at the RDS. Leinster are aiming to increase their four-point lead over the South Africans, and as such, head coach Cullen has named a strong team. Fresh after helping Ireland retain their Six Nations title, Jordan Larmour and...


What people don't like to admit about the Ireland managerial search

126 days on from Stephen Kenny’s departure, fans are still no closer to knowing the identity of his successor.


'My great uncle was a famous hurler' - Ireland's newest international

Finn Azaz spoke about former Cork star Brian Murphy and his Irish background after making his debut against Switzerland.


‘I hope to keep playing for a while longer’ – Lionel Messi not ready to retire yet

Lionel Messi will not consider his age as a deciding factor in his retirement plans, the Argentine forward said, adding that he has no clear idea of what he will do when that time comes. Messi, who played for 17 years at Barcelona before signing for Paris St Germain in 2021 and Inter Miami last year, will turn 37 in under three months but knows for...


WRC Safari Rally: Neuville edges Tanak to grab early lead

World Rally Championship leader Thierry Neuville grabbed an early Safari Rally Kenya lead after edging Hyundai team-mate Ott Tanak to win the opening stage.


‘I rated myself higher than I thought I was being treated’ – Joey Carbery on why he is leaving Irish rugby

As Joey Carbery takes his seat in a room on the top floor of Munster’s high performance centre in Limerick, it’s impossible to avoid the sense that he is a man at peace. For the last number of years, he has battled his mind and body to such an extent that only he knows how dark things must have become. Then came a chink of light by way of a fresh s...


'There was a time last year when I was really, really not enjoying rugby'

Munster’s departing out-half Joey Carbery says the opportunity for a fresh start in France was too good to turn down.


Darragh Canavan and University Ulster dominate Future Stars team selection

Sigerson Cup champions University Ulster have seven players named on higher education team selection.


All you need to know about Ireland's new call-up

Anna Patten has been included in the squad after impressing for Aston Villa this season.


Player ratings: How the Boys in Green fared against Switzerland

John O’Shea was in charge for the second game of his interim spell.


Leinster MFC round-up: Wins for Dublin, Wexford, Longford

Here’s how Wednesday night’s Leinster Minor Football Championship clashes played out. Dublin 5-13 Laois 1-11 Dublin made a winning start to the Leinster minor football championship as they emphatically dispatched Laois in Portlaoise this evening. Damian Fennelly's charges were unstoppable in the first half, scoring four excellent goals and running ...


Leinster go strong as Ireland stars return for Bulls visit

Leo Cullen’s starting team includes 11 players who featured for Ireland in the Six Nations.


Amy Broadhurst set to switch national allegiance and seek Olympic qualification with Britain

The Dundalk woman could face Kellie Harrington in Paris should she complete her bombshell switch and qualify in Bangkok in May.


Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit set to sign €800k contract with Super Bowl champions after making NFL switch

Louis Rees-Zammit is set to begin life in the National Football League (NFL) with the Kansas City Chiefs, the reigning Super Bowl champions. Rees-Zammit made a stunning switch from rugby union in January just weeks before the Six Nations began to pursue his “dream” of playing American football. The 23-year-old, who scored 14 tries for Wales during ...


Don’t leave Division 3 champions in limbo about All-Ireland spot – Connacht Council CEO John Prenty

The NFL Division 3 winners should be guaranteed a place in the All-Ireland series, according to a top GAA official. Speaking at the launch of the province’s football championship, Connacht Council CEO John Prenty believes it is unfair that the winners of Saturday’s Down/Westmeath decider will be left in limbo, still uncertain if they will end up in...


Joey Barton hits new low after aiming insult at amputee athlete

Former footballer Joey Barton has reached a new low after an insult aimed at an amputee amid growing reputation as a keyboard warrior. Barton has sparked controversy in recent months for making some shocking comments on social media. Some in particular have been labelled “sexist” after he claimed women shouldn’t talk about men’s football. But recen...


‘The main attraction ... is the opportunity to play in Croke Park’ – Andy Moran on why the Division 4 final matters

​Andy Moran played in Croke Park probably more times than he cares to remember. Some great days... and plenty of painful ones, too. But this Saturday comes a first – his maiden voyage to GAA headquarters as manager, two-and-a-half seasons into his Leitrim adventure. He may have played countless times in Croker – including six All-Ireland SFC finals...


Arklow U-14s beat Mullingar to reach Leinster final

Arklow 19 Mullingar 14 Arklow secured a place Leinster League Division 1 final after a narrow 19-14 victory over Mullingar Red in a very tightly contested match. These sides had met previously this season in the early rounds of the league and on that occasion the sides could not be divided with the game ending in a 31-31 stalemate, so Arklow knew t...


‘It lacked class and it disappointed me’ – Brian Kerr gains closure for 2005 exit but is now ‘finished’ with Ireland

Brian Kerr says he will play no role in a future Ireland management team after his involvement as part of the backroom staff of interim boss John O’Shea ended on Tuesday night. But while Irish fans await the arrival of a permanent successor to Stephen Kenny, with an appointment now expected in the second week of April, Kerr has distanced himself fr...


Sports stars with surprising hidden talents

Did you know there's a world-champion martial artist who has mastered a surprisingly delicate thousand-year-old craft? Or a basketball legend who was once a world-class baton twirler? They may seem like odd hobbies for these athletes, but many sports stars have hidden talents that would surprise you. When you make it to the very top in one discipline, you learn how to hone a skill with the utmost commitment. Intrigued? Click through the gallery to discover the unique talents of the most famous faces in sports.


'That’s a wait and see job' - O'Shea in the dark with the rest of us about FAI's managerial search

There is gathering doubt that the FAI have yet struck a deal with the incoming boss, with the FAI president saying the process has been ‘narrowed.’


Mayo come from behind to beat Galway, Potter's last-gasp point sees Tyrone past Derry

Mayo had 11 individual scorers in a 0-16 to 2-6 win against Galway at MacHale Park.


Pramac’s Morbidelli still “missing freedom” on Ducati MotoGP bike

Pramac Ducati MotoGP rider Franco Morbidelli says he is still “missing knowledge” and the “freedom” to ride the Ducati by instinct after two rounds of the 2024 campaign.


Wolff: Mercedes F1 relationship with Verstappen "needs to happen at a certain stage"

Toto Wolff reckons a relationship between Mercedes and Max Verstappen “needs to happen at a certain stage” and the Red Bull driver is ‘number one pick’ to replace Lewis Hamilton.


Richarlison praised for 'eye-opening' depression admission

Football clubs and fans have praised Brazilian striker Richarlison for speaking so openly about his battle with depression after Brazil was knocked out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Brazil went out at the quarter-final stage at the hands of Croatia on penalties; Richarlison started that game up front but was substituted for Pedro in the 84th minu...


Jake Paul breaks silence on 'absurd' rules for Mike Tyson fight

Jake Paul’s fight against Mike Tyson is the most talked-about boxing event of the year, and there’s already been a huge amount of speculation regarding the rules. After it was announced, heavyweight boxer Derek Chisora claimed that the fight would involve protective headgear and heavier gloves, which sparked ridicule. Speaking to Radio Rahim, Chiso...


'You’d feel for any team that gets a battering' - Mickey Harte on facing Dublin

Former Tyrone boss looks to learn from Red Hands’ defeat to Dublin as he takes Derry into league decider.


All-Ireland winning coach departs Meath set-up before Joe McDonagh Cup campaign

Former Davy Fitzgerald collaborator leaves Royals after poor league campaign.


Camogie Association sets 50,000 All-Ireland final attendance target by 2026

The Camogie Association has set a target for a 50,000 attendance at its All-Ireland finals by 2026. The lofty ambition is laid out in the association's 'Strategic Plan 2024-2027 – Our Game, Our Passion' which aims to increase overall attendances at fixtures over the timespan by 20pc. The plan has largely been guided by the results of the in-depth “...


Patience and reward: How Dessie Farrell persisted with fringe players to reshape the Dubs

Ross McGarry and others have finally arrived after years of being hot-housed in the panel, while Farrell has convinced the venerable veterans to remain.


How many penalty points do F1 drivers have in 2024 and when do they expire?

Superlicence penalty points are given to drivers much in the way a normal driving license works - here’s how many points each driver has accrued and when they expire.


St. Peter’s march on in Wicklow Cup

Wicklow Cup St. Peter’s marched on to the quarter-finals of the Wicklow Cup with an emphatic triumph against Division 1 outfit Arklow Town ‘B’ at Fassaroe Community Centre on Friday evening. The holders ran out 8-0 winners, with Lewi O’Neill contributing a hat-trick, Jake Kane adding a double and Chad Ryan, Darren Lacey and Zack Ryan chipping in wi...


Mike Tyson criticised for selling cannabis sweets in shape of Evander Holyfield’s ear

Mike Tyson has been criticised after he began selling a range of cannabis sweets shaped like Evander Holyfield’s ear, part of which he infamously bit off during a boxing title fight. The former world heavyweight champion’s products, which are marketed as “Mike Bites”, reference a clash between the pair in 1997. Tyson had become enraged with what he...


Steph Houghton trains with England team mates ahead of World Cup

Steph Houghton trains with England team mates ahead of the women's World Cup, Georgia Stanway, Beth England, Hannah Hampton and Ella Toone were also training.


Mercedes uncovers biggest clue on 2024 F1 struggles

Mercedes technical director James Allison says Formula 1 2024's first three races have unveiled initial trends on why it has struggled so much.


Steiner: Haas "wrong" to downplay 2024 F1 expectations

Former Haas team boss Guenther Steiner feels it was "wrong" by the squad to massively downplay its expectations for the Formula 1 2024 season.


Outrage as Dutch transgender darts player Noa-Lynn van Leuven wins PDC Women's Series event in Wigan - prompting two of her female team mates to resign and tennis ace Martina Navratilova to say women have 'short end of the stick'

Transgender darts player Noa-Lynn van Leuven triumphed in the PDC Women's Series just days after making history by winning her first PDC event.


'I don’t know whether I would want to do any more' - Brian Kerr on Ireland future

The interim technical advisor admits he is uncertain about staying on in his current role.


'We know there is a lot of unfinished business here, so everyone is champing at the bit'

After finishing the last two seasons empty-handed, Ronan Kelleher and his Leinster team-mates are determined to bring silverware back to the province.


‘It will basically be Test match intensity’ – Rónan Kelleher admits Leinster have unfinished business against Bulls

After helping Ireland to back-to-back Six Nations crowns, it’s back to Leinster duty for Rónan Kelleher, whose eyes are on the “unfinished business” his province have in Europe. Leo Cullen’s men host Leicester Tigers in the Champions Cup on Saturday week for a place in the last eight but up first is a URC clash with the Bulls. Having lost back-to-b...


'There is something ethically wrong about that - have we got the competitions right?'

Saturday night’s game carries huge significance.


Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali charged over alleged breaches of FA betting rules

Tonali is currently serving a 10-month ban for betting offences while playing in Italy.


Finn Azaz: It was always Ireland. It’s always been a goal of mine to play for Ireland

Finn Azaz strolled into the Aviva Stadium mixed zone on Tuesday night as, at long last, a senior Ireland international. Twenty minutes had barely passed since the moment he’d been waiting for his whole life, as the 23-year-old stepped onto the Lansdowne Road turf to replace Josh Cullen in the final stages. He’s not the only sportsman in the family ...


Conor McGregor concerns as he 'spasms' during TV interview

Fans are worried about Conor McGregor after he appeared to have 'spasms' during a TV interview. The 35-year-old Irish MMA fighter appeared alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in an interview for Sports Illustrated, previewing a remake of the action movie Road House which they're both starring in on Prime Video. McGregor has been doing a string of media dutie...


Gareth Southgate comments on design change of new England shirt

England gaffer Gareth Southgate has commented on the design change Nike made to the St George' Cross. A lot of England fans criticised the change in design.


England captain Kyle Walker's former mistress Lauryn Goodman blasts football ace for 'wheeling out' children ahead of Brazil match

Lauryn Goodman, 33, criticised football ace Kyle Walker after the three sons he has with his wife appeared at the Brazil match as mascots.


'I've seen a massive step up from the first week I was here. I can see the progress'

Ireland defence coach Declan Danaher reflects on an encouraging start to the 2024 Women’s Six Nations.


‘When he speaks I think you listen’ – Stephen Bradley says FAI should take note of Séamus Coleman’s stance on John O’Shea

Stephen Bradley believes that the FAI board should listen to the comments from Ireland captain Séamus Coleman supporting the candidacy of John O’Shea as the next manager of the senior international team. The FAI confirmed this week that the recruitment process to replace Stephen Kenny will be competed next month and there’s confusion over a future ...


Ricciardo: I won’t be distracted by “negative stuff” in F1 paddock

Daniel Ricciardo insists that he won’t let himself be distracted by “negative stuff” in the paddock amid talk about his future at the RB Formula 1 team.


Blessington RFC using fun and laughter to spread the rugby gospel

All that is good about underage sport was on display at Gaelscoil na Lochanna during the recent – and first ever – visit by Blessington RFC for a coaching session. Although the usual concerns such as safety, cleanliness and general behaviour might have been on the mind of Principal Sean Ó Cearnaigh as the students rampaged into tackle bags, he must...