The Irish Times

Pro game a safe place for amateurs? Did the Dubs ever really go away?

The Morning Sports Briefing: Keep ahead of the game with ‘The Irish Times’ sports team

Tue May 03 2022 - 07:06

Ireland face crucial Finland clash; Rassie Erasmus’ punishment must fit the crime

The Morning Sports Briefing: Keep ahead of the game with ‘The Irish Times’ sports team

Tue Oct 26 2021 - 07:45

Owen Doyle: Lions pay a high price for key blunders by Williams and Curry

Penalty call against Lawes harsh but butchered try-scoring chances lost it

Tue Aug 10 2021 - 01:00

Owen Doyle: Rassie Erasmus pushing the spirit of the laws to their absolute limits

The first Test was a poor game of rugby and the ill-tempered build-up even worse

Mon Jul 26 2021 - 07:31

Owen Doyle: Referee Luke Pearce far from perfect in fraught final

Referee was never far from the centre of attention, some of his own making, some not

Tue May 25 2021 - 01:00

Owen Doyle: IRFU should be encouraging representation for Irish referees

Officials get a very raw deal that no player would accept

Tue Apr 13 2021 - 06:00

Owen Doyle: Scotland will feel aggrieved at Poite’s breakdown penalties

Brace and Neville leave with heads held high after Twickenham thriller

Tue Mar 16 2021 - 06:00

Owen Doyle: New laws on Australian show could turn rugby union into league

Union’s struggle for popularity in Australia has seen new controversial rules adopted

Tue Mar 09 2021 - 06:00

Owen Doyle: Culture of ‘clip memory’ among modern referees not cutting it on the pitch

There’s nothing to beat knowing the laws when you step out on the pitch

Sat Mar 06 2021 - 13:30

Owen Doyle: World Rugby have a duty to make the sport safer for next generation

Caelan Doris will likely not be alone in suffering issues and more must be done

Sat Feb 20 2021 - 07:00

Owen Doyle: Clearout red cards will see the penny finally drop with players and coaches

Scotland’s Zander Fagerson the latest to head for an early shower for a reckless hit

Tue Feb 16 2021 - 06:36

Owen Doyle: Peter O’Mahony’s act of thuggery deserves tough sanction

Cardiff game left such a bad taste after stirring encounters on Saturday

Tue Feb 09 2021 - 06:00

Owen Doyle: Not everyone is on board for red card and dangerous play rules

Players’ duty of care for opponents seems to have completely gone out the window

Fri Feb 05 2021 - 06:00

Owen Doyle: Scrum a major issue World Rugby must address

Authorities also need to double down on their High Tackle Framework strategy

Tue Dec 01 2020 - 01:01

Ireland’s work-ons: Four things Andy Farrell needs to address

Gerry Thornley looks at four key areas in need of improvement ahead of the Six Nations

Sat Nov 28 2020 - 06:00

Owen Doyle: Wales lucky to escape heavier censure for a litany of offences

Ireland will learn more about their worth after daunting trip to Twickenham

Mon Nov 16 2020 - 06:00

Owen Doyle: Ireland should have been awarded penalty try for Bouthier bat

Barnes got most things right in Paris but Keenan would have scored without intervention

Tue Nov 03 2020 - 06:55

Gerry Thornley: Global pause allows rugby to tidy up the breakdown

When the game returns it will look different with World Rugby re-enforcing laws in July

Tue Apr 07 2020 - 06:00

Owen Doyle: It’s time for referees to stop chatting and hand out punishments

Affability doesn’t always work while Eddie Jones’ rants need to be tackled

Thu Mar 12 2020 - 07:47

Owen Doyle: Time to speed up scrum formation and apply quicker sanctions

The scrum needs a serious fix having been hijacked by teams in the professional era

Thu Mar 05 2020 - 09:01

Owen Doyle: Ireland were fortunate to keep full complement on pitch

Dangerous ruck tackles by Toner and Ryan were not picked up or reviewed by officials

Thu Feb 27 2020 - 06:50

Anti-social chants bringing sour note to schools rugby

Has obsession and privilege skewed attitudes of many in private schools?

Mon Feb 24 2020 - 02:05

Owen Doyle: Day of the jackal may be coming to an end

World Rugby looking to put safety brake on the breakdown

Thu Feb 20 2020 - 06:00

Owen Doyle: Concussions bring high tackle trial into focus

World Rugby doing its best to address a persistent and worrying problem

Wed Feb 05 2020 - 19:00

Owen Doyle: Breakdown of law and order in rugby must stop

If referees don’t know or don’t apply the laws of the game correctly then anarchy results

Tue Jan 28 2020 - 06:30

Owen Doyle: Debate required over scrum as a source of penalties kick chances

England can have no complaint with Garces as South African pressure game prevails

Mon Nov 04 2019 - 05:20

Owen Doyle: Referees step up to the plate at Rugby World Cup semi-finals

It’s a straight choice between Nigel Owens and Jérôme Garcès to referee the final

Mon Oct 28 2019 - 09:57

Owen Doyle: Jaco Peyper’s cardinal error puts it up to the referee selectors

Photo fallout highlights the limited viable options for selecting officials in Japan

Wed Oct 23 2019 - 07:02

Owen Doyle: Disciplinary system sending out mixed messages

High tackles have been judged as reckless, not deliberate; all have all had mitigation applied

Wed Oct 16 2019 - 07:00

Owen Doyle: The refs know their duty – but do the coaches and players?

The referees don’t always get it spot-on, but everyone must adjust to new tackle laws

Wed Oct 09 2019 - 05:30

Rugby World Cup: Mixed messages on high tackles doing rugby no favours

Referees are taking the brunt but coaches and players must accept responsibility also

Sat Sept 28 2019 - 06:00

World Rugby issues new guidelines on high tackles and shoulder charges

Framework allows less leeway for referees to make judgment calls

Mon May 27 2019 - 18:46

Licence to assault: Rugby players need to be protected so let’s protect them

Former Test referee Owen Doyle writes that not enough is being done for player welfare

Thu May 23 2019 - 07:00

Helen O’Reilly first female to join IRFU referee panel

O’Reilly will take charge of Ulster Bank League Divisions 2A and 2B after Women’s World Cup performance

Tue Dec 09 2014 - 13:59