Opinion Elaine Byrne: How the dramatic transformation of Irish rugby’s fortunes was no accidentThe IRFU has hit on a winning formula – the more money it makes, the more it invests in the game, the more professionalised it becomes and the better it becomes at winning
Sport Increasing youth participation necessary for sports brand growth Canterbury’s parent company says rugby faces competition from other games but if they get kids playing, it creates opportunities for them to support their teams
Sport Clash of stumbling rugby giants has huge implications for loserAs Wales and Australia meet in the world cup, the result will impact the future of the game in their respective countries
Media Patrick Kielty’s Late Late debut attracted audience of almost 1mA peak of 934,000 people tuned in live to watch the latest season opener
Sport Rugby World Cup gaffes bode badly for French OlympicsCrammed trams and beverage shortages at venues last week left fans frustrated and organisers on the back foot
Sport Powerful Irish pack can defuse the South African bomb squadWhile getting the edge on the enigmatic Rassie Erasmus’s in-form Springboks will be challenging, former Irish international Jordi Murphy believes Andy Farrell’s men are up to the task
The Last Post Matt Cooper: Johnny Sexton hangs up the boots to step into Paul Coulson’s €8bn packaging behemothIreiland’s out-half’s post-rugby career will start in earnest with Ardagh after he joined on a part-time basis in 2021 as ‘the Cooler’ winds down
RWC2023 Ronan O’Gara: ‘South Africa are the team to beat at this World Cup’The former out-half said Ireland and France also stand a chance but it’s the Springboks that are the firm favourites following demolition of All Blacks
rugby world cup 2023 Shane Coleman: Rugby is a far cry from being ‘the people’s game’We are justifiably proud of our national team, but until we see bunting and flags up in places like Cabra and Mayfield when they play, it’s not credible to talk of the ‘Team of Us’
RWC2023 Being Johnny Sexton: how do you fill in for one of the greatest players in the game?The talismanic 38-year-old rugby fly-half hasn’t played since his injury against England in March. Can his understudies step up to his level?
Sport Field of dreams – what might have been if we were hosting Rugby World Cup If Ireland had won the rights to hold the event, it might have gone well or maybe not but our failure to do so would probably be regarded as irrelevant if we could what many say we are capable of and win it
Sport Eddie O’Sullivan: Rugby World Cup feels like Italia ’90 – except hopefully this time we winIreland have proved they can handle the pressure of big occasions, but they will have to cross their fingers when it comes to injuries and potentially losing key players
Travel Nice: come for the rugby, and you may never leaveThis September you can enjoy a Rugby World Cup clash before taking a stroll on the Prom or through the Old Town in the gorgeous capital of the Côte d’Azur
Sport How Ireland players are training smarter for Rugby World Cup Alan Quinlan, who played for Ireland the last time the national team went to France for the tournament, says that training has changed significantly in terms of optimising players
Media RTÉ and Virgin Media to divvy up Rugby World Cup coverage as broadcast schedule announcedBroadcasters will split coverage of Ireland’s group games and share coverage of the final
Sport How the IRFU is hooking up the right data to create championsThe head of analytics and innovation at the IRFU says there can be five different technologies connected to a player and knowing what data is important and what’s not is key
Sport Loss of Ntamack means one fewer star in thin firmament of Rugby World CupThe injured French out-half was an instantly recognisable, overwhelmingly admired player in a game that desperately needs them
Sport Rugby risks creating too much of a good thing with extra tournamentPundits react to the introduction of a biennial competition, beginning in 2026, that pits the Six Nations sides against the best southern hemisphere teams
Sport Rugby on ‘dangerous road’ with new ‘mini world cup’ – Eddie O’SullivanExtra tournament risks saturating the market, says former Ireland head coach
