Young man's game on a shifting stageThe landscape of the AIB AIL League and the demographics of the game have changed completely in the competition's 15-year history…Sat Oct 15 2005 - 01:00
'Lack of respect' has Contepomi seethingAlthough it was a small moment in the match, and had no bearing on the outcome, there has been a slightly bitter fall-out to …Tue Oct 11 2005 - 01:00
Support your club, despite the set-up of the leagueRemember the days when the club season consisted of about three or four meaningful matches? They'd play in so-called "leagues…Tue Oct 11 2005 - 01:00
Logo logistics enrage clubsAll-Ireland League clubs are up in arms over a last-minute directive from the IRFU to apply the AIB logo to their jerseys prior…Sat Oct 08 2005 - 01:00
Munster's lineout gives them the edgeMunster v Leinster Tomorrow, Musgrave Pk On TV: Setanta, 3pm: Appetites whetted by their wins over the other provinces last …Sat Oct 08 2005 - 01:00
Injury sidelines StringerAlready resigned to losing inspirational secondrow Paul O'Connell for their opening Heineken European Cup games away to Sale …Thu Oct 06 2005 - 01:00
Cunningham gets the callThe fit-again Bryn Cunningham unsurprisingly makes an automatic return to the Ulster number 15 jersey for Friday's Celtic League…Wed Oct 05 2005 - 01:00
French flair makes skills camp a tour de forceOn Rugby: Skills, skills, skillsTue Oct 04 2005 - 01:00
Munster passed up chance to sign LomuMunster, it has emerged, may have been favourites at one stage of Jonah Lomu's long-running transfer saga to a European club …Tue Oct 04 2005 - 01:00
Connolly and Pitout named in Munster squadEuropean Cup : Former Britain rugby league star Gary Connolly and Springboks sevens international Anthon Pitout have been included…Sat Oct 01 2005 - 01:00
Season about to warm upRUGBY / Celtic League / Leinster v Ulster : The "interpros" may be no more but the internecine rivalry of provincial head-to…Sat Oct 01 2005 - 01:00
History doesn't bode well for ConnachtCeltic League / Connacht v Munster : Gary Connolly, the 34-year-old former Britain rugby league star, is pitched straight into…Sat Oct 01 2005 - 01:00
Schools and club issue set to be resolvedNews round-up : The long-running saga over the vexed issue of schools' players being prevented from playing for their clubs …Fri Sept 30 2005 - 01:00
Club game needs more left-field thinkingOn Rugby: What to do with the club game has been exercising the minds of quite a few club stalwarts and the IRFU hierarchy in…Tue Sept 27 2005 - 01:00
IRFU strategy alienates playersPlayer contracts: Brian O'Driscoll's flirtation with Biarritz Olympique a mere eight months before his current IRFU contract…Sat Sept 24 2005 - 01:00
Time for the real Munster to stand upCeltic League: A scratchy, tryless victory over last season's bottom team, followed by a four-try dissection of last season'…Fri Sept 23 2005 - 01:00
Court move highlights schools' block follyOn Rugby: The vexed issue of whether schoolboys should have the right to play for whatever club they want, without the permission…Tue Sept 20 2005 - 01:00
Munster on the up and upGlasgow v Munster Hughenden, 7.30 A week can be a long time in rugbySat Sept 17 2005 - 01:00
Leinster to deliver win in familiar settingLeinster v Gwent Dragons : Obliged to move to Lansdowne Road for Heineken Cup matches (and henceforth bound for the RDS) as …Fri Sept 16 2005 - 01:00
Good start vital for UlsterUlster v Edinburgh : Seven years and two days since the first meeting between Ulster and Edinburgh, a 38-all draw which kickstarted…Fri Sept 16 2005 - 01:00
Leinster prime their big gunsThe lessons of last season having been fully absorbed, Leinster - like Munster - are easing their Lions back to the frontline…Thu Sept 15 2005 - 01:00
Schools' veto over players defies logicOn Rugby: The long-standing, on-off tug of war between the schools lobby and some clubs, mostly "community based", appears to…Tue Sept 13 2005 - 01:00
Leinster have the right platform as they return to DonnybrookLeinster return to the home comforts of Donnybrook - unplayable toward the end of last season - for the first time in almost …Thu Sept 08 2005 - 01:00
Clubs renew campaign to free up schoolboysThe Leinster Branch executive committee have come under further pressure to rescind their ruling which grants the province's …Wed Sept 07 2005 - 01:00
Welsh power surge may be drained by overloadCeltic League/Overview: It's back, and definitely for the betterFri Sept 02 2005 - 01:00
Wallace set to wing it for MunsterCeltic League: David Wallace begins the new season where he finished off the last one - in an eye-catchingly unfamiliar right…Fri Sept 02 2005 - 01:00
Grandiose scheme that failed to deliverRugby/Lions Tour review: The 2005 British and Irish Lions will be remembered for many things - great trip, pity about the rugby…Sat Jul 16 2005 - 01:00
Hosts make their bid to stage World CupThe presence of the British and Irish media corps, though it is shrinking slightly in numbers given the Lions are a dead duck…Sat Jul 09 2005 - 01:00
Old pals' act was biggest errorLions Tour: The Gilbert ball used in this Lions series is an expensive itemTue Jul 05 2005 - 01:00
Heads still spinning in aftermathBehind The Lines: Prince William arrived yesterday, which should be a timely fillip for the British and Irish LionsSat Jul 02 2005 - 01:00
Umaga breaks silence but no apologyThe ruck that created such a rumpus is no nearer to a resolution, despite Eddie O'Sullivan confirming yesterday that Tana Umaga…Fri Jul 01 2005 - 01:00
Wounded but not walking awayLions Tour/Brian O'Driscoll interview: Brian O'Driscoll isn't for budging on his views about the double spear tackle that ended…Wed Jun 29 2005 - 01:00
Coaches go all touchy-feelyBehind The Lions : On the eve of the biggest encounter the game has seen since the World Cup final, in one sense you had to …Sat Jun 25 2005 - 01:00
Woodward sticks with old comradesRUGBY/Lions Tour: The day before, Graham Henry had veered slightly toward experience and form in basing his selection around…Thu Jun 23 2005 - 01:00
King at the breakdownGerry Thornley talks to All Black Richie McCaw, who will be keen to prove he is still the best openside in the worldThu Jun 23 2005 - 01:00
Crusaders provide conservative coreIn opting for a core of half a dozen experienced, Super 12-conquering Canterbury Crusaders to play in their home city against…Wed Jun 22 2005 - 01:00
Get Carter will be Lions' aimLions tour: Dusk is descending at the QEII Park in the suburbs of ChristchurchTue Jun 21 2005 - 01:00
Oval ball wall-to-wall as the heat turns upBehind The Lions: Auckland to Christchurch, Christchurch to Wellington, Wellington to Christchurch, Christchurch to Dunedin, …Sat Jun 18 2005 - 01:00
Whitcombe may get Test spotLions Tour: Darren Whitcombe, the 27-year-old Australian- born hooker who has had a back-up role to his Auckland Blues team-…Fri Jun 17 2005 - 01:00
Back to give forward thrustTo Irish, and especially Munster, minds, he'll forever be known for his Backhander in the Heineken European Cup final of 2000…Tue Jun 14 2005 - 01:00
High-speed chase leaves us needing a stiff strollBehind the Lions: To fly or to drive? That was the questionSat Jun 11 2005 - 01:00
Maoris opt to start without SpencerKing Carlos will not, alas, be honouring the kick-off with his presence against the Lions for the New Zealand Maoris in Hamilton…Wed Jun 08 2005 - 01:00
Injury rules O'Kelly out of tourMalcolm O'Kelly has been forced to withdraw from the Lions tour because of a mysterious abdominal muscle injuryFri Jun 03 2005 - 01:00
O'Kelly ruled out of Bay of Plenty matchA slight cloud hangs over Malcolm O'Kelly's Lions' tour after the Irish secondrow was again rendered hors de combat by abdominal…Thu Jun 02 2005 - 01:00
All Blacks suffer injury bluesWith captain Tana Umaga ruled out of Friday's All Blacks' trial in Napier, Mils Muliaina the latest doubt for that game, and …Wed Jun 01 2005 - 01:00
Woodward learns little from Pumas lessonRugby/Lions tour news: Whatever about the few unfortunate punters who placed big bets on the Lions to beat Argentina at the …Wed May 25 2005 - 01:00