Rugby | Business Post

Up down under: How rugby coach Eddie Jones hopes to make a comeback with Australia

Sacked as England coach in December, Eddie Jones was facing the end of his elite rugby dream – but his reappointment as head coach of Australia puts him in pole position if the two teams face each other in the World Cup knock-out rounds

Shane Byrne: ‘I was dropped from the Irish squad twice because of my hair’

Shane Byrne was always a man of great ability and superhuman self-possession – but he didn’t always know how to apply his gifts

High impact: can rugby tough it out against an unforgiving future?

Even if all our dreams of a tilt at the World Cup and Champions Cup come true this year, rugby is still a sport facing overwhelming challenges

Former Leinster player’s nutrition firm set to close €500,000 funding round

Whole Supp, co-founded by former Leinster rugby player Darren O’Reilly, uses vegan-friendly sources to create food-supplement shake powders

Will the All Blacks remain in Foster care?

After a bad run of defeats, Ian Foster bought himself some time with an unexpected win over the Springboks in Johannesburg last weekend – but the knives are still out for New Zealand’s beleaguered rugby head coach

Media & Marketing

Seven is the magic number as Irish captain seeks to maximise platform

Billy Dardis is about to lead the Irish men’s rugby sevens team into the World Cup in South Africa, but is also finding time to use his rising profile to assist charity and non-profits

O’Gara and Sexton, Sexton and O’Gara: Irish rugby’s longest-running rivalry takes a new twist

What started as an intense rivalry for Ireland’s number 10 jersey grew into something of a master and apprentice relationship and ultimately a friendship. But next week, Johnny Sexton and Ronan O’Gara will face off against each other once again in the final of the Champions Cup. So who will come out on top?

Matt Cooper: Clock is ticking on whether all the Six Nations games will be held in England

With restrictions on attendances in Ireland, Scotland and Wales – and France not wanting any visitors travelling from England at all – playing all the matches in England in full capacity stadiums might seem attractive. But would it be like Cheltenham 2020 all over again, only worse?

Wasps owner Richardson says he is ‘optimistic’ about the future of the rugby club

Revenues at the club owned by 123.ie founder Derek Richardson dropped by £8.6 million leading to a loss of £7.4 million

Six Nations Rugby appoints Ronan Dunne as chairman

The former Verizon Group chief will oversee commercial and marketing operations for men and women’s rugby in the tournament

Earls eases fears of life after rugby with new coffee venture

The Munster and Ireland star has been a source of inspiration not just for his sporting prowess, but for his battle against mental ill-health and physical injury. Now he’s pivoting into the world of business

Lions cut losses by 40% last year ahead of Covid-impacted South Africa tour

Rugby team’s commercial arm said 2020 revenues were not affected by the pandemic before their 2-1 series defeat to the Springboks this summer

Profits down 28% at Johnny Sexton’s management company

Newly filed accounts show profits of €252,520 at the rugby star’s Jas Management and Promotions until the end of September 2020

The Profile: Conor Murray

The Ireland and Munster scrum-half has had the Lions captaincy handed to him at short notice, but those who know him best have no doubts about his ability to rise to the occasion

Rugby 7s coach: this group can medal in Tokyo

With three 14-minute games a day, Anthony Eddy, director of 7s Rugby with the IRFU, says the intense on-pitch action is ‘a marathon of sprints’

Reopening: ‘The only event without risk is the event that doesn’t happen. People in the events industry understand risk’

While the government hopes that its rollout of test events across sports and entertainment will give us all a sporting chance of near normality, some argue the pilots are far too cautious and unambitious

The Profile: Paul O’Connell

The towering, chieftain-like figure on the pitch is now the Ireland rugby team line-out coach as they struggle to get back into Six Nations contention

Time for Andy Farrell’s Ireland to emerge from Schmidt era

Irish fans hope for a winning start to the Six Nations on Sunday against Wales, and also for a fresh and clear identity for the team to take shape under the head coach

The Last Post: Is the health portfolio just too much for Stephen Donnelly?

Given the huge responsibility of the post, and Donnelly’s tendency to over-promise and perform badly under pressure, is it time to let someone else oversee the vaccine roll-out?

The Profile: Ronan O’Gara

Ronan O‘Gara had a stellar playing career with Munster and Ireland. Now he’s topping the French club rugby table with La Rochelle. Could he one day answer Munster’s call?