Irish & International Sports News, Fixtures & Results

London Irish are eager to add more Irish players to their ranks

Exiles to strengthen Irish ties after takeover

London Irish have pledged to strengthen their ties with Ireland after a consortium of London-based Irish businessmen completed a takeover of the club.

Rugby • 12 Dec 13

Connacht coach Pat Lam gives a thumbs up after full-time

Lam proud following victory built on belief

Connacht coach Pat Lam was delighted at the way his side held their nerve to pull off the biggest win in their history, putting them back in the hunt for a Heineken Cup quarter-final place.

Rugby • 09 Dec 13

Conor Murray leaves the field injured and is a serious doubt for next weekend

Murray injury as Penney wary of Perpignan return

Head coach Rob Penney insisted his Munster side will face a "massive challenge" in Perpignan next Saturday, despite their 36-8 bonus-point win at Thomond Park.

Rugby • 08 Dec 13

Connacht players celebrate at the final whistle

Connacht pull off shock win at Toulouse

Connacht notched up a stunning giant-killing in the Heineken Cup as the westerners beat former champions Toulouse 16-14 in France today.

Rugby • 09 Dec 13

Munster's Sean Dougall scores the opening try at Thomond Park

Munster move top after bonus-point victory

Munster moved to the top of Heineken Cup Pool 6 as they swept past a weakened Perpignan team 36-8 at Thomond Park.

Rugby • 08 Dec 13

Unstoppable Ulster demolish Treviso

Ulster further tightened their grip at the top of Pool Five with a seven-try 48-0 thumping of bottom side Treviso in the first of their back-to-back clashes.

Rugby • 08 Dec 13

Brian O'Driscoll congratulated by Jamie Heaslip

Fitzgerald bags hat-trick as Leinster crush Saints

Brian O'Driscoll orchestrated a masterful victory 40-7 for Leinster at Franklin's Gardens as they ran riot against Northampton with a Luke Fitzgerald hat-trick.

Rugby • 07 Dec 13

Rob Kearney starts at full-back for Leinster's trip to Northampton

Irish provinces primed for back-to-back fixtures

The Irish provinces go in search of crucial points in the first of the back-to-back fixtures that will play a huge role in deciding the eventual destination of this season’s Heinken Cup.

Rugby • 06 Dec 13

Brian O'Driscoll will start against Northampton on Saturday

O’Driscoll and Madigan set to face Northampton

Leinster, Ulster, Munster and Connacht have named their teams for the weekend's Heineken Cup clashes

Rugby • 06 Dec 13

Next season's Heineken Cup will not have any English teams

English clubs confirm Heineken Cup absence

English clubs are set for at least one season without any European rugby after they confirmed their refusal to take part in a revamped Heineken Cup next season.

Rugby • 06 Dec 13

Toulon are the current holders of the Heineken Cup

English clubs now open to Heineken Cup proposals

England's clubs have edged back from the brink of exclusion from European competition next season following a dramatic day in a dispute destined to continue for another year.

Rugby • 28 Nov 13

Parra's return will only be considered in the first fortnight of February, say Clermont

Parra to miss Heineken pool games and 6N opener

France scrum-half Morgan Parra is set to miss the Six Nations opener against England after being ruled out for ten to 12 weeks with a knee injury.

Rugby • 26 Nov 13

RFU absent from talks in Dublin which proposed new structure for Heineken Cup

English RFU angry over lack of consultation

Last night's proposal to go ahead with the 2014 Heineken Cup without the English sides has prompted an angry response from the RFU, which was not represented at the meeting.

Rugby • 22 Nov 13

The European Cup will go ahead next season without English involvement

European Cup set to go ahead without English sides

The Irish, Scottish, Welsh, French and Italian rugby unions have released a joint statement announcing that the European Cup will go ahead next season under the existing European Rugby Cup auspices.

Rugby • 22 Nov 13

The FFR is determined to keep French clubs in the Heineken Cup

Report: FFR offer their clubs €2m to stay in H Cup

French clubs have been offered €2 million each by the FFR to commit to playing in the Heineken Cup next season, according to reports in French media.

Rugby • 11 Nov 13

The future of the Heineken Cup remains uncertain

'Progress made' in European rugby talks

Progress has been made "on a number of issues" in the ongoing tussle surrounding European club competitions, independent mediators Graeme Mew and Stephen Drymer have revealed.

Rugby • 24 Oct 13

Donnacha Ryan is ruled out for the next ten weeks with a knee injury

Hurley & Ryan ruled out for Munster

Munster pair Denis Hurley and Donnacha Ryan have been ruled out for the foreseeable future after picking up injuries in Saturday's Heineken Cup clash against Gloucester.

Rugby • 23 Oct 13

Rob Penney: 'There is no doubting their energy and effort. The week we had was a tough old one for the boys'

Penney glad to get Edinburgh loss out of system

Munster head coach Rob Penney was proud of his side overcoming the stress of their loss to Edinburgh to beat Gloucester 26-10.

Rugby • 20 Oct 13

Pat Lam had no complaints about not picking up a bonus point

Lam applauds Connacht's Italian job

Connacht head coach Pat Lam was delighted with his team's 33-6 win over Zebre in Parma even if the visitors missed out on a bonus point.

Rugby • 19 Oct 13

Mark Anscombe's side now have a two-point cushion over second-placed Leicester after two games

Anscombe proud after French success for Ulster

Ulster coach Mark Anscombe was "enormously proud" after they claimed their biggest Heineken Cup win on French soil over Montpellier.

Rugby • 19 Oct 13

Matt O'Connor: 'In the first half we were, by far, the better side'

O'Connor relieved to see Leinster get over line

Leinster coach Matt O'Connor felt his side should have made more of their chances in the first half of their 19-7 victory over Castres.

Rugby • 19 Oct 13

Munster's Johne Murphy scores a try despite the efforts of Gloucester's Charlie Sharples

Munster back to winning ways against Gloucester

Munster opened their win account in this season's Heineken Cup with a 26-10 triumph as Johne Murphy's try ended Gloucester's hopes at Thomond Park.

Rugby • 19 Oct 13

Ulster's Rory Best tackles Anthony Floch of Montpellier

Ulster shine as Montpeiller brushed aside

Ulster secured one of their most memorable away Heineken Cup wins as they comprehensively beat Montpellier 25-8 in France.

Rugby • 19 Oct 13

Leinster's Jack McGrath squeezes through to score the decisive try against Castres

Leinster claim hard-fought win over Castres

Jack McGrath's first Heineken Cup try lifted Leinster to their second pool win as they beat a bruising Castres Olympique side 19-7 at the RDS.

Rugby • 19 Oct 13

Dan Parks helped Connacht to a comprehensive win in Italy kicking 23 points

Parks kicks Connacht to win against Zebre

Connacht's slim hopes of qualifying from Heineken Cup Pool 3 were resurrected in Parma where they beat Zebre 33-6.

Rugby • 19 Oct 13