Irish & International Sports News, Fixtures & Results

Leinster and Ulster meet in the pick of this weekend's Heineken Champions Cup last-16 games

Champions Cup Round of 16 - All you need to know

Team news, TV and radio details, and everything else you need to know ahead of the Round of 16 games in both the Heineken Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup.

Rugby • 31 Mar 23

Adam Byrne of Connacht is tackled by Mateo Carreras of Newcastle Falcons

Connacht miss out on home tie after defeat

Connacht have missed out on a home fixture in the round of 16 of the Heineken Challenge Cup after they went down 35-21 to Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park.

Rugby • 21 Jan 23

James Ryan gives Luke McGrath a lift during Friday's captain's run at the Aviva Stadium

Champions Cup Round 4: All you need to know

Kick-off times, TV and radio coverage details and team news for this weekend's games in the Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup.

Rugby • 20 Jan 23

Jack Conan starts at No 8 for Leinster against Racing 92

Champions Cup teams: Conan starts, Ulster ring changes

Jack Conan starts for Leinster's game with Racing 92 at the Aviva Stadium, James Hume and Stuart McCloskey return to the Ulster midfield for their crucial meeting with Sale Sharks, Munster make two changes for their trip to Toulouse while Bundee Aki remains absent for Connacht.

Rugby • 20 Jan 23

Jarrad Butler is in his sixth season with Connacht

Butler: Resilient Connacht still fighting on two fronts

Back in play-off contention in the BKT United Rugby Championship, Connacht travel to Newcastle Falcons on Saturday knowing a bonus-point win could clinch home advantage in the Challenge Cup knockout stages.

Rugby • 18 Jan 23

Munster's Tadhg Beirne, Leinster's Ross Byrne, Connacht's Niall Murray and Ulster's Duane Vermeulen

Champions Cup: Permutations for the Irish provinces

Here's what your province needs heading into Round 4 of the Champions and Challenge Cup.

Rugby • 18 Jan 23

Alex Wootton evades the tackle of Enzo Hervé

Connacht blitz Brive to book last-16 spot

Alex Wootton scored a hat-trick as Connacht booked their place in the last 16 of the Challenge Cup with a 61-5 demolition of Brive in Galway.

Rugby • 14 Jan 23

Hugo Keenan reaches a half-century of appearances for Leinster

Champions Cup teams: Internationals return for Leinster

Hugo Keenan will make his 50th appearance for Leinster when they face Gloucester, Ian Madigan returns from injury for Ulster's trip to La Rochelle, while Mack Hansen is at full-back for Connacht's Challenge Cup clash with Brive.

Rugby • 13 Jan 23

'We want to be playing into May, not pulling up stumps any earlier than that'

Ralston eyes big finish after weathering early storm

It is over six months since Byron Ralston swapped Western Australia for the west of Ireland and the days of playing with a dry ball are fast becoming a distant memory.

Rugby • 13 Jan 23

Dylan Tierney-Martin suffered a shoulder injury in Connacht's win over Newcastle Falcons

Connacht pair to miss Brive trip as Hansen nears return

Connacht will be without Josh Murphy and Dylan Tierney-Martin for Friday's Challenge Cup trip to Brive due to injury but Ireland wing Mack Hansen is set to return to full training next week.

Rugby • 13 Dec 22

Peter Dooley starts for Connacht against Newcastle Falcons on Saturday

Dooley loving player-driven culture at Connacht

Peter Dooley has embraced the player-driven culture at Connacht since joining from Leinster last summer.

Rugby • 10 Dec 22

Munster host Toulouse in a repeat of last season's quarter-final

Champions Cup Round 1: All You Need to Know

The Heineken Champions Cup returns this weekend as Leinster and Munster face French heavyweights Racing 92 and Toulouse and Ulster travel to Sale Sharks, while Connacht take on Newcastle Falcons in the Challenge Cup.

Rugby • 09 Dec 22

Schedule confirmed for Irish trio in Champions Cup

The ECPR have confirmed the order of fixtures for next season's Heineken Champions Cup, with the three Irish provinces involved now knowing who they will start their respective campaigns against.

Rugby • 21 Jul 22

Lyon captain Jordan Taufua raises the Challenge Cup

Lyon grind down Toulon to lift the Challenge Cup

Lyon claimed the first European trophy in their history with a 30-12 victory over Toulon in the final of the Challenge Cup at Stade Velodrome.

Rugby • 27 May 22

The Heineken Cup trophy will be in Dublin next year, whether Leinster beat La Rochelle next week or not

Aviva to host 2023 Champions and Challenge Cup finals

Dublin's Aviva Stadium has been chosen to host the 2023 Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup Finals.

Rugby • 19 May 22

Creevy was given a yellow card at the time for this hair-pull

Creevy gets one-week ban after hair-pulling incident

London Irish hooker Agustin Creevy has received a one-week ban after he was cited for pulling the hair of Toulon's Eden Etzebeth in last week's Challenge Cup quarter-final.

Rugby • 11 May 22

Question marks surround La Rochelle's clash with Bath this weekend

EPCR hoping for changes to French Covid restrictions

European rugby chiefs are hoping for a modification of French quarantine rules that could threaten several Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup fixtures this weekend.

Rugby • 11 Jan 22

The Champions Cup final will take place next year in Marseille's Stade Velodrome on Saturday 28 May

Irish provinces discover Champions Cup schedule

The fixture dates for this season's Heineken Champions Cup have been confirmed, with Leinster and Connacht set to play at home on the weekend of 11-12 December, while Munster and Ulster are on the road.

Rugby • 07 Oct 21

Guilhem Guirado Herault lifts the European Rugby Challenge Cup for Montpellier

Montpellier pip Leicester to Challenge Cup glory

Montpellier have won the European Challenge Cup after beating Leicester 18-17 in the final at Twickenham.

Rugby • 21 May 21

Jordan Larmour (L) is challenged by La Rochelle's French centre Geoffrey Doumayrou

Best: Irish provinces need stronger domestic league

Rory Best feels stronger domestic league competition is needed for the Irish provinces to be properly tuned up for the latter stages of European competition.

Rugby • 03 May 21

Montpellier beat Bath to set up Tigers Challenge

Montpellier booked a Challenge Cup final appointment with Leicester after ending Bath's hopes of silverware with a 19-10 victory at the Recreation Ground.

Rugby • 02 May 21

Dan McFarland: 'That was a chance to be in a European final'

McFarland rues loss as Ulster blow Euro shot

Dan McFarland admitted Ulster will need some time to get over their Challenge Cup semi-final defeat to Leicester.

Rugby • 01 May 21

Ulster players react at the full-time whistle to the semi-final defeat

Leicester seal final spot with comeback win over Ulster

Ulster let slip a half-time lead at Welford Road as a second-half turnaround from Leicester Tigers saw the English club claim a 33-24 win the Challenge Cup semi-final.

Rugby • 30 Apr 21

Full-backs Hugo Keenan and Brice Dulin in action

La Rochelle v Leinster: All You Need to Know

Find out all the details as Leinster take on La Rochelle for a place in the Heineken Champions Cup final in Twickenham.