THE SIMON LEWIS INTERVIEW WHILE professionalism is now well entrenched in rugby, John Kelly’s role for Munster Rugby has progressed from a decade as a paid player until the Ireland wing’s retirement in 2007 to that of a volunteer, albeit one a chair of a PGC responsible for the recruitment and retention of players as […]
Past winners urge Accies to savour cup final experience Thursday, 11 December 2014 Past winners urge Accies to savour cup final experience thumbnail Having celebrated their semi-final victory over Ballyclare, Omagh Accies current first team squad will be hoping to emulate their 1993 counterparts with a win over Instonians in Tuesday’s Junior Cup decider at […]
The Ireland Women’s players line up for the anthems at the Women’s Rugby World Cup in France back in August © Dan Sheridan/www.Inpho.ie The Irish Rugby Football Union today announced three full-time coaching and support appointments for representative women’s rugby in Ireland. Anthony Eddy has been appointed Director of Sevens and Women’s Rugby and with […]
What a festive season of competitive club rugby we have on offer for the thousands of supporters in Ulster who follow their teams. With Ulster Bank All Ireland Junior Cup semi final action, Ulster Championship League, Qualifying league fixtures the excitement will continue to build as we complete the first half of a dramatic season […]
Two rival coaches have railed against the decision to play Saturday’s Munster Senior Cup semi-final clash on a secondary pitch at Thomond Park (2pm). UL Bohemian director of rugby Colm Tucker stood side by side with Garryowen’s forwards coach Paul Neville to call upon the game’s administrators to put the tournament back on the pedestal […]
Big hitter: England centre Brad Barritt sustained a heavy blow to the head in a collision with Quade Cooper Photo: PA Injuries during autumn series underline problem as a former IRB doctor warns that commercial incentives means players are under pressure to play A sharp intake of breath reverberated around Twickenham immediately after that dull […]
The Championship structure is unfair and hopelessly outdated, club players are treated disgracefully, and excessive demands are being placed on county footballers, suggests Paddy Heaney. And the GAA’s solution to these deep-rooted and age-old problems? The leadership wants to bring the All-Ireland finals forward by one or two weeks. (They’re still not sure). As remedies […]
Grave warning: UK Anti-Doping chief Andy Parkinson is concerned about the availability of drugs online Photo: GETTY IMAGES Britain’s outgoing anti-doping tsar claims the biggest risk to sport is the use of performance-enhancing substances by those looking to secure their first professional contract The availability of drugs on the internet is fuelling a growing culture […]
FIJI SEVENS HEAD coach Ben Ryan published a number of intriguing tweets yesterday evening highlighting a technique which he believes has the game “in crisis”. The former England Sevens boss has an issue with the rucking technique that, depending on where one is from, is referred to as a crocodile roll, tin opener, can opener, […]
Brian O’Driscoll is the latest sports personality to be honoured by Queen’s University Belfast One of Ireland’s greatest ever rugby players has received an honorary degree from Queen’s University Belfast. Former Ireland, and British and Irish Lions captain Brian O’Driscoll was given an honorary doctorate for services to sport. O’Driscoll was capped 133 times for […]