Irish & International Sports News, Fixtures & Results

Jordie Barrett scored his side's first try before seeing red in the 28th minute

New Zealand show plenty of panache to pummel Australia

New Zealand shone in the Perth sunshine with a string of glittering tries to hammer Australia 38-21 on Sunday and maintain their dominant form in the Rugby Championship.

Rugby • 05 Sep 21

Baby boom keeps All Blacks trio out of Australia clash

Captain Sam Whitelock and first-choice halves Richie Mo'unga and Aaron Smith have been left out of the All Blacks' travelling squad for next week's rescheduled Rugby Championship test against Australia in Perth as the players are all expecting babies.

Rugby • 26 Aug 21

New Zealand and Australia were due to meet again in Perth on Saturday

Australia confident Perth will host rescheduled NZ Test

Rugby Australia chief executive Andy Marinos is "optimistic" the Wallabies' Bledisloe Cup meeting with New Zealand will go ahead in Perth despite the All Blacks' withdrawal from next Saturday's game because of concerns over Covid-19.

Rugby • 22 Aug 21

New Zealand were due to face Australia in Perth on 28 August

Mehrtens: Even as a Kiwi, I'm disappointed by NZ Rugby

All Blacks great Andrew Mehrtens has said he is "disappointed" with the decision by New Zealand Rugby to pull out of next weekend's Test against Australia in Perth.

Rugby • 21 Aug 21

Will Jordan is congratulated on his try by Ardie Savea

All Blacks trounce Australia to retain Bledisloe Cup

The All Blacks overwhelmed Australia 57-22 in Auckland to make a winning start to the Rugby Championship and ensure the Bledisloe Cup stays in New Zealand for a 19th straight season.

Rugby • 14 Aug 21

Hooper added that the Wallabies do not fear their opponents

Hooper wary of All Blacks despite fading aura claims

Australia skipper Michael Hooper is not buying into claims that this year's All Blacks team is a lesser force compared to those of the past and says the Wallabies need to focus purely on their own game in Saturday's Rugby Championship opener.

Rugby • 13 Aug 21

South Africa are back for the Rugby Championship

Springboks return for the Rugby Championship

World champions South Africa will return to the Rugby Championship this year but it is not entirely back to normal for the southern hemisphere test championship.

Rugby • 21 May 21

World Cup winners South Africa did not participate in last year's event

South Africa not up for co-hosting Rugby Championship

New Zealand is looking to co-host this year's Rugby Championship with one of its southern hemisphere partners, while South Africa has already indicated it is not interested in staging games.

Rugby • 30 Mar 21

Argentina's Santiago Grondona (R) and Australia's Matt Philip fight for the ball in Sydney

Hodge off target as Australia and Argentina draw again

Australia and Argentina drew for the second time in two Tri-Nations tests, finishing deadlocked at 16-16 after Wallabies fullback Reece Hodge missed a potential match-winning penalty for the third time this season.

Rugby • 05 Dec 20

Sanchez kicked all of Argentina's points

Argentina battle back to earn draw with Australia

Nicolas Sanchez held his nerve with the boot as Argentina hit back from 15-6 down to claim a 15-15 draw against Australia in a Tri Nations Series encounter in Newcastle that had no tries.

Rugby • 21 Nov 20

Argentina head coach Mario Ledesma (R) celebrates with Santiago Carreras after beating New Zealand

'Emotions are a good thing' - Ledesma proud of Pumas

Pumas coach Mario Ledesma was unapologetic for the tears he and his team shed after their maiden victory over the All Blacks last weekend and said that emotion was an integral part of the makeup of the Argentina team.

Rugby • 19 Nov 20

Pumas Pride: The Argentina team celebrate their historic win

Pumas beat All Blacks for first time at 30th attempt

Argentina have beaten New Zealand at the 30th time of asking after a 25-15 Tri-Nations tournament victory in Sydney.

Rugby • 14 Nov 20

The Rugby Championship will be a Tri-nations for this season

South Africa pull out of Rugby Championship

South Africa has pulled out of the Australia-hosted Rugby Championship citing its government's travel restrictions, player welfare and safety concerns.

Rugby • 16 Oct 20

Australia and New Zealand will clash on 31 October

Rugby C'ship to start early after All Blacks' worries

Hosts Rugby Australia (RU) and organisers SANZAAR have revealed a revised schedule for the 2020 Rugby Championship after bowing to pressure from the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU), with the competition now set to kick off a week earlier.

Rugby • 08 Oct 20

Rassie Erasmus: "We have had one of the toughest lockdowns in the world and our players were indoors for months."

Erasmus has safety fears over swift Boks return

World champions South Africa are "desperate" to play in the Rugby Championship this year, but there remain a number of hurdles before they will commit to the competition, according to director of rugby Rassie Erasmus.

Rugby • 28 Sep 20

Julian Montoya is one of three more Argentinians to test positive

Three more Covid-19 cases in Argentina camp

Argentina have reported three more cases of Covid-19 in their training camp as they continue preparations for the Rugby Championship in Australia.

Rugby • 16 Sep 20

New Zealand's internal Aotearoa competition has reinvigorated Super Rugby

New world order: 'rugby future will be more localised'

What shape will global rugby take when in a post-Covid world and what cost will the developing nations pay?

Rugby • 26 Jul 20

South Africa to beat Argentina to win an abridged tournament last year ahead of claiming the World Cup trophy

New Zealand to host centralised Rugby Championship

New Zealand Rugby says it has earmarked a six-week block in November-December to host the Rugby Championship after the southern hemisphere's governing body SANZAAR confirmed the country as its preferred host for the annual competition.

Rugby • 16 Jul 20

Rob Clarke speaks to the media during a press conference at Rugby Australia headquarters in Sydney

Australia could act as Rugby Championship hub

Rugby Australia is in talks with its government about allowing New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina to enter the country and be based in a hub for a condensed Rugby Championship later in the year.

Rugby • 02 Jun 20

Agustin Pichot wants a more democratic structure to international rugby

Pichot eager to shake up rugby global calendar

Agustin Pichot has staked his bid to become chairman of World Rugby on a modern, more inclusive global game that gives emerging nations a greater voice in a major shake-up of the sport.

Rugby • 14 Apr 20

Report claims South Africa in talks to join Six Nations

Proposals have been put in place that would see South Africa join the Six Nations Championships after the next World Cup, according to a report in the Daily Mail.

Rugby • 08 Feb 20

South Africa and New Zealand go head-to-head on Saturday

Boks call for strong refereeing against New Zealand

South Africa's assistant coach Mzwandile Stick is hoping for a strong performance by the match officials when they take on New Zealand in their Rugby World Cup opener in Yokohama on Saturday.

Rugby • 16 Sep 19

South Africa claim first silverware for a decade after demolishing Argentina

South Africa seal Rugby Championship victory

South Africa claimed their first major title in a decade after beating Argentina 46-13 to clinch the Rugby Championship in Salta on Saturday.

Rugby • 10 Aug 19

Nic White scores a try for Australia against new Zealand

Wallabies win out in 9-try thriller against All Blacks

Australia made history in Perth, racking up their biggest points total ever scored against New Zealand as they scored six tries in an entertaining Rugby Championship encounter.

Rugby • 10 Aug 19

Steve Hansen has trimmed his squad ahead of the Bledisloe Cup

Hansen recalls Barrett ahead of Australia clash

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has recalled fit-again lock Scott Barrett while omitting loose forward Shannon Frizell among five players cut from a trimmed-down 34-man squad for the two tests against Australia.

Rugby • 31 Jul 19