Irish & International Sports News, Fixtures & Results

Jared Payne had been sidelined for three months with a kidney injury sustained international duty against Australia

Ulster fail to impress in win over spirited Zebre

Ulster recorded their third consecutive bonus-point Guinness PRO12 win as they overcame a battling Zebre side 40-17 at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi in Parma.

Rugby • 26 Feb 17

Pat Lam: 'Toulouse will punish us badly if we don't get it right next weekend.'

European progress now in our control - Lam

Connacht head coach Pat Lam believes a quarter-final spot is now in his team's hands after they kept their Champions Cup hopes alive with a 66-21 victory over Zebre.

Rugby • 15 Jan 17

Tiernan O'Halloran helped himself to tries at the Sportsground

O'Halloran relishing exciting time for Connacht

After their demolition of Zebre, Connacht and Tiernan O'Halloran are now looking forward to the "exciting situation" of trying to make the knockout stages of the Champions Cup for the first time.

Rugby • 14 Jan 17

John Cooney breaks free to score Connacht's second try

Ten-try Connacht hammer hapless Zebre

Connacht moved top of Champions Cup Pool 2 with a ten-try 66-21 win over Zebre at the Sportsground.

Rugby • 14 Jan 17

10-try Leinster ease to facile win over Zebre

Leinster ran in ten tries against listless Zebre in an embarrassingly one-sided Guinness Pro12 encounter at the RDS.

Rugby • 06 Jan 17

Johnny Sexton and Luke McGrath are set to start against Zebre

McGrath delighted to welcome back 'bossy' Sexton

The boss is back - that's how Leinster scrum-half Luke McGrath feels as Johnny Sexton makes his return to action.

Rugby • 05 Jan 17

Ground staff worked in vain to defrost the pitch

Ulster game postponed due to frozen pitch

This evening's Guinness Pro12 clash between Ulster and Zebre at Ravenhill has been called off, due to a frozen pitch.

Rugby • 25 Nov 16

Adam Byrne scoring one of his three tries against Zebre

Byrne hat-trick returns Leinster to Pro12 summit

Adam Byrne's hat-trick helped fire Leinster back to the top of the Guinness PRO12 table with a 33-10 win at Zebre.

Rugby • 05 Nov 16

Stacey Ili starred for Connacht in Italy

Pool-topping Connacht keeping feet on the ground

Connacht head coach Pat Lam was not getting carried away after his side emerged as leaders of Champions Cup Pool Two following their eight-try 52-7 demolition of 14-man Zebre.

Rugby • 23 Oct 16

Stacey Ili scores one of his hat-trick of tries as Connacht destroyed Zebre

Connacht cruise to victory over 14-man Zebre

Connacht cruised to 52-7 Champions Cup win in Parma over a poor Zebre outfit that had to play the last 50 minutes with 14 men.

Rugby • 23 Oct 16

RECAP: Connacht and Leinster pick up bonus points

Relive all the action from the Champions Cup with Leinster in Montpellier, and Connacht visiting Zebre.

Rugby • 23 Oct 16

Cian Kelleher in action against Toulouse last weekend

Connacht make seven changes for Zebre tie

Connacht coach Pat Lam has rang the changes ahead of his side's clash with Zebre as they look for back-to-back wins in the Champions Cup.

Rugby • 21 Oct 16

O'Mahony back in action as Munster hammer Zebre

Peter O'Mahony returned to action after a long lay-off as Munster hammered Zebre 49-5 in Thomond Park.

Rugby • 03 Oct 16

Stadio Lanfranchi was engulfed by a heavy storm

Connacht's clash in Zebre washed off by storm

Connacht's Pro12 clash with Zebre was washed away by a thundery storm as the game was suspended - and eventually abandoned - over safety concerns.

Rugby • 17 Sep 16

Tommy Bowe offloads as he comes under pressure at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi

Tommy Bowe bags brace of tries in Ulster victory

Ireland wing Tommy Bowe made a tryscoring return as Ulster boosted their hopes of a Guinness Pro12 play-off place with a 47-17 victory over Zebre.

Rugby • 16 Apr 16

Rory Scannell in action for Munster against Zebre

Foley takes heart from homegrown batch of talent

Anthony Foley has said Munster's abundance of homegrown talent has given him a welcome headache ahead of a red-hot Pro12 derby showdown with Leinster next Saturday evening.

Rugby • 26 Mar 16

Simon Zebo crosses the whitewash against an outclassed Zebre

Simon Zebo becomes a record breaker in Munster win

Simon Zebo became Munster's all-time top try scorer as his side recorded a much-needed 47-0 bonus point win over Zebre in the Guinness PRO12.

Rugby • 25 Mar 16

Nick Williams celebrates scoring the first of his two tries against the Italians

Ulster get bonus point despite disallowed tries

Ulster bounced back from two consecutive defeats to get their Guinness Pro12 play-off ambitions back on track with a 32-0 bonus-point victory over Zebre at the Kingspan Stadium.

Rugby • 04 Mar 16

Connacht sweep to summit after Zebre rollercoaster

Connacht stormed to the top of the Guinness Pro12 table with an incredible 51-34 victory away to lowly Zebre.

Rugby • 21 Feb 16

Zebre no match for Leinster at RDS

Leinster ran in eight tries to maintain their push for a PRO12 play-off place with a 52-0 victory over Zebre at the RDS.

Rugby • 14 Feb 16

Ian Keatley is tackled by Zebre's Kelly Haimona.

Munster dig out Zebre victory to stay on the rise

Mark Chisholm scored his first try for Munster to help the province to a 16-12 Pro12 victory over Zebre in Parma.

Rugby • 30 Jan 16

Will there be any Italian side in next season's Pro12 league?

Pro12 deny Zebre and Treviso on brink of expulsion

The Guinness Pro12 league has downplayed the possibility of Zebre and Treviso being forced out of the competition after reports that the sides were on the brink of expulsion over an unpaid debt.

Rugby • 11 May 15

Munster will attempt to derail Ulster's unbeaten Pro12 home record

Pro12 preview: Ulster and Munster to lock horns

Tadhg Peavoy examines the vital Pro12 derby battle between Ulster and Munster, as well Connacht's Italian trip to face Zebre.

Rugby • 09 May 15

Mils Muliaina has signed a one-year deal with Zebre

Mils Muliaina to end his Connacht stay

Connacht has announced that former All-Black Mils Muliaina will leave the province at the end of the season having signed a one-year deal with Italian side Zebre.

Rugby • 02 Apr 15

Munster power past Zebre to take bonus point

It was a case of job done for Munster in Parma today as they scored four tries en route to a 31-7 bonus-point victory over Zebre in the Pro12.

Rugby • 10 Jan 15