Irish & International Sports News, Fixtures & Results

Ulster players celebrate at the final whistle

Kiss admits disappointment at Clermont bonus

Ulster director of rugby Les Kiss hailed his side's second-half power show which secured a 39-32 win over pool five leaders Clermont and kept European Champions Cup qualification hopes alive.

Rugby • 10 Dec 16

Sean Reidy is happy to be sticking around the Ulster set-up

Reidy extends his tenure with Ulster

Ulster have announced that Sean Reidy has signed a three-year contract extension, keeping him at Kingspan Stadium until the summer of 2020.

Rugby • 02 Nov 16

Rory Best in action against Scotland in this year's Six Nations

Kiss: Best among Ireland's toughest of all time

Rory Best has been hailed as one of Ireland's toughest ever Test competitors as the captain closes in on 100 caps.

Rugby • 31 Oct 16

Dan Tuohy will start against Munster at Kingspan Stadium

Dan Tuohy set for long-awaited Ulster return

Dan Tuohy will make his first start in almost a year for Ulster in their Pro12 derby at Kingspan Stadium on Friday night [7.05pm].

Rugby • 27 Oct 16

Louis Ludik: 'Everything about Ulster rugby is first class.'

Ludik signs three-year Ulster contract extension

Louis Ludik has penned a fresh three-year contract extension that will keep him at Ulster until 2020.

Rugby • 19 Oct 16

Ruan Pienaar will leave Ulster next summer

Kiss backs Irish reserves to fill Pienaar void

Les Kiss believes Ulster have "plenty of Irish No 9s we can rely on" as the province adjusts to the reality that Ruan Pienaar's long-term future lies elsewhere.

Rugby • 07 Oct 16

Les Kiss is expecting a Leinster side seeking revenge in the Guinness Pro12 semi-final

Kiss: Smarting Leinster will be a different beast

Ulster’s Director of Rugby Les Kiss is expecting a “totally different” Leinster in the Guinness Pro12 semi-final to the one they comprehensively defeated 30-6 last month.

Rugby • 08 May 16

Johnny McPhillips featuired for Ireland in this year's U20 Six Nations

Kiss backs 'exciting prospects' to boost Ulster

Les Kiss said Ulster are looking to the hone "two exciting prospects" after they snapped up 20-year-old outhalf Brett Herron from Bath, and upgraded Ireland U20 star Johnny McPhillips to a development contract.

Rugby • 06 Apr 16

Cian Healy (c) starts alongside Sean Cronin and Mike Ross in a new-look front row

Pro12 teams: Healy to reach 150 against Ospreys

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has made seven changes in total to the side that defeated Zebre for Saturday’s Pro12 clash with Ospreys, while Anthony Foley makes three changes for Munster.

Rugby • 04 Mar 16

Ulster players celebrate Rob Herrings try

Les Kiss satisfied as waiting game begins

An eight-try 56-3 thumping of Oyonnax put Ulster in as strong a position as they could have hoped for as they waited to learn whether it would be enough to take them into the European Champions Cup quarter-finals.

Rugby • 23 Jan 16

Les Kiss: 'We only have ourselves to blame. It’s a hurting dressing room.'

Les Kiss rues Ulster's lost opportunity

Ulster director of rugby Les Kiss admitted the 33-17 Champions Cup defeat at Saracens was "an opportunity lost".

Rugby • 16 Jan 16

Ulster's Kyle McCall crashes into Oyonnax's Pierrick Gunther

Les Kiss: Ulster were total rubbish in first half

Ulster director of rugby Les Kiss admitted his side were "total rubbish" in the first half at Oyannax before they turned the game on its head to keep their Champions Cup hopes alive.

Rugby • 10 Jan 16

Craig Gilroy returns to the Ulster side for the Champions Cup game with Oyonnax

Ulster carry Irish flag in Europe

Les Kiss says that Ulster must learn from their recent defeat to Munster if they hope to progress in the European Championship Cup.

Rugby • 10 Jan 16

Connacht's Jack Carty is tackled by Ulster's Franco van der Merwe and Nick Williams

Les Kiss takes heart from gritty derby triumph

Les Kiss praised his Ulster troops' heart and desire after a gritty St Stephen's Day derby triumph over Connacht.

Rugby • 27 Dec 15

Rory Scannell (c) starts at 10 in the Pro12 for the first time this season

Pro12 teams: Munster make wholesale changes

Head coach Anthony Foley has made ten changes to the Munster side that lost to Connacht for Sunday's clash at Newport-Gwent Dragons in the Pro12, kick-off 2.30pm.

Rugby • 04 Dec 15

Saracens scored two tries while Billy Vunipola was in the sin bin

Les Kiss: Ulster didn't work hard enough

In the aftermath of defeat to Saracens, Ulster's Les Kiss was hugely disappointed at seeing his side lose control of a game which they had looked in charge of midway through the first half.

Rugby • 21 Nov 15

Les Kiss will work closely with head coach Neil Doak in his new job at Ulster

Kiss: Ireland goodbye was 'hard'

Former Ireland assistant coach Les Kiss has spoken of the wrench involved in leaving the international set-up as he embarks on a new challenge as Ulster’s director of rugby.

Rugby • 03 Nov 15

Iain Henderson in action for Ireland against England in the 6 Nations

Henderson gets Kiss endorsement for Canada clash

Iain Henderson can come of Test-match age in Ireland's World Cup opener against Canada in Cardiff, according to Les Kiss.

Rugby World Cup 2019 • 18 Sep 15

Assistant coach Les Kiss at Ireland training this week

Kiss suggests final-day schedule should be changed

Ireland assistant coach Les Kiss admitted the RBS 6 Six Nations' staggered final-day kick-off set-up is something coaches may prefer to see altered in future.

Six Nations • 21 Mar 15

England are looking to make it four consecutive wins against the Irish when they come to Dublin on 1 March

Les Kiss: 'Scary' England a huge test for Ireland

Les Kiss has warned that George Ford's "scary relationship" with Jonathan Joseph and Anthony Watson could derail Ireland's quest to retain the RBS 6 Nations title.

Six Nations • 18 Feb 15

Les Kiss joined the Ireland set-up in 2009

Kiss: Hard work on the horizon in order to succeed

November was a month of success for Ireland, but assistant coach Les Kiss is under no illusions that the 12 months ahead are where the real work begins for the national side.

Rugby • 05 Jul 15

Neil Doak is Ulster Rugby's new head coach

Doak and Kiss contracted to Ulster Rugby

Neil Doak has been announced as the new head coach of Ulster Rugby, while Les Kiss will become the province's full-time director of rugby following the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Rugby • 08 Oct 14

Les Kiss set to leave Ulster role next month

PODCAST: Changes for Ulster looming as Kiss leaves

Hugh Cahill and Wes Liddy are joined by Maurice Field to chat about Les Kiss’ imminent departure from Ravenhill, and Cork Con coach David Corkery reflects on the place of the club in Irish rugby.

Rugby • 16 Sep 14

Les Kiss (r): 'We've still got to get out there and do the things that make us a team that we are proud of'

Kiss: Time to move on from Six Nations win

Assistant coach Les Kiss believes Ireland need to put their Six Nations triumph behind them and plan for future glories.

Rugby • 04 Jun 14

Les Kiss (L) with world-record Test cap holder Brian O'Driscoll

Kiss wary of apparent French 'chaos'

Ireland must disregard France's finely-rehearsed "dishevelled place of chaos" act to claim the RBS 6 Nations title in Paris on Saturday, according to assistant coach Les Kiss.

Six Nations • 11 Mar 14