IrishCentral Irish in rugby - b5cc3275d518416eacb61d676e8d84d1

Irish fans elated as Brian O’Driscoll signs on for one more year with Leinster rugby team (IrishCentral)

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:15:23 PDT

By: IrishCentral Staff Writers

The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) has signed a new one-year contract with former Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll to play for Leinster.

Leinster boss Joe Schmidt expect to replace Declan Kidney as Irish rugby team head coach (IrishCentral)

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 05:26:54 PDT

By: MATT KEOUGH

The Irish Rugby Football Union are poised to announce that Joe Schmidt will succeed Declan Kidney as head coach. From New Zealand, Schmidt is currently calling the shots for Leinster and doing it well as his team captured a Heineken Cup in 2011 and 2012.

Irish kid's brilliant Ruby tricks video grabs Dan Carter's attention (IrishCentral)

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:03:29 PDT

Enjoyable rugby trick-shot video created by young Irish lad gains the attention of All Blacks legendary outhalf Dan CarterGeorge Morgan strutts his stuffYou may remember the brilliant ‘trick shot’ video we talked about some time ago by Håvard Rugland in Norway Håvard is now working on an NFL career while his video is up to an incredible 2,750,229 views Ireland now has its own trick shot star on YouTube Step forward George Morgan READ MORE

Declan Kidney’s era as Irish rugby coach doomed after shock defeat to Italy in Rome (IrishCentral)

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 11:19:09 PDT

By: PATRICK COUNIHAN

Irish rugby coach Declan Kidney may have to say arividerci to his job after Saturday’s embarrassing 22-15 defeat to Italy in Rome’s Olympic stadium.

Irish rugby legend Brian O’Driscoll is still our man (IrishCentral)

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 06:32:14 PDT

Amy Huberman and daughter Sadie look on as Brian O’Driscoll enters the dressing room at the Aviva Stadium on SaturdayThis may come as a shock to celebrity watchers in Ireland and further afield, but the actress Amy Huberman, otherwise known as Brian O’Driscoll’s wife, is human after allAnd there’s a photograph from the Aviva Stadium late last Saturday afternoon that proves it as her hubby came to terms with the full impact of Ireland’s disappointing Six Nations draw with FranceA lot has been said and written about Dricco’s international intentions in the wake of the penultimate game of Ireland’s disappointing championship season READ MORE

Irish rugby star Brian O’Driscoll's baby is a life changer (IrishCentral)

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 06:46:57 PST

Brian O'Driscoll and his wife, actress Amy HubermanBrian O’Driscoll sat down with the Irish sports media on Tuesday and offered a lesson in life that most of us will ignore completely for the remaining three weeks of the Six Nations seasonFacing the press for the first time since his wife Amy gave birth to baby daughter Sadie on the morning of the England game, Brian was in the room to talk only rugbyHis PR advisers had made that much clear in their emails before the Adidas media briefing, telling the news desks to stay away and confirming that no baby talk would be allowed on the dayBut, rugby god that he is, Brian O’Driscoll is also a human being like the rest of us, and the recent addition to his life has put everything into a new perspective for Ireland’s former captain READ MORE

Brian O’Driscoll reveals fatherhood has changed the Irish rugby legend forever (IrishCentral)

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 04:43:14 PST

By: PATRICK COUNIHAN

Ireland rugby hero Brian O’Driscoll has revealed how fatherhood has changed him forever – and put sport into context.

Section of Irish rugby fans an embarrassment during loss to England (IrishCentral)

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 10:01:41 PST

Ireland were pretty much knocked flat on their face on Sunday by a powerful (if stupefyingly boring tactically) English team Perhaps worse yet, the legend of great Irish fans support took a serious body blow, inflicted by none other than our own One of Irish rugby’s most endearing features, and indeed one of its proudest traditions, was the veritable silence afforded the kicker, even opposition kickers, during play Sadly, English outhalf Owen Farrel was subjected to boos, whistles and cat calls on almost every one of his six kicks on Sunday READ MORE

Irish rugby hail the most successful weekend in its history -- Ladies beat England, U20s beat England, the clubs beat England and a close game for the men's I XV at the Aviva (IrishCentral)

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 05:46:34 PST

Fiona Coughlan Ireland's female rugby captainWhat an awesome weekend of Irish victories and momentum with the Ladies taking England apart in the greatest yet performance, the U20s played it perfectly beating England with a Scholes try and the Clubs win through a Ballynahinch / Stuart Morrow try!The weekend started on Friday night with the Ireland U20s team facing England in what is undoubtedly the future of both national men's squads The Ireland coaching team and strategy developers had completely analyzed the English play in previous games and the squad had a very simple game plan to nullify the one way that England play and that is with crash ball Having absorbed everything and gone behind on the scoreline when the England team had become a spent force Ireland struck with the killer blow, a perfectly worked try on the wing which was duly converted Ireland held the game at this level until the final whistle was sounded on a superb victory READ MORE

Still a long way to an Irish Grand Slam rugby victory (IrishCentral)

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 06:46:23 PST

Ireland rugby coach Declan KidneyYou can make a beef burger from horse meat as we are now discovering in Ireland, but you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s earThat’s something to consider as the nation reflects on last weekend’s glorious but hard earned win over Wales in Cardiff and looks forward to this week’s visit of England to DublinA week ago many felt, including myself, that Declan Kidney was under real pressure as Ireland coach going into the new Six Nations season READ MORE

Reckoning looms for Irish coach’s Declan Kidney and Giovanni Trapattoni (IrishCentral)

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 06:16:10 PST

Irish rugby boss Declan KidneyDeclan Kidney has surely met Giovanni Trapattoni in the course of the last few years or so at some awards dinner or other for the best in Irish sportSo the fact that both their futures could well be determined by events in the coming month won’t seem all that strange to either the coach of the Ireland rugby team or the manager of the Irish soccer squadKidney, from what I know, isn’t anything more than a social soccer fanAnd Trapattoni has explained to us more than once that Italian rugby is a minority sport for a minority he isn’t part of READ MORE

Nutty Krust Floodlit Tournament draw live – the 16 elite under-19 rugby clubs in Ulster (IrishCentral)

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 11:16:09 PST

The media were there in force, talent spotters looking constantly to unearth and spot the next generation for the provincial youth sides, Daryl Callaghan, Liam Eastwood, Gary Longwell, Ulster Branch President, Willie Gribbon, to name but a fewThe draw was filmed as it happened and you will agree the connotations of the route to the final or those looking to establish themselves as a youth force in Ulster Rugby and therefore beyond, this is one place to showcase the U19 talent across the 16 clubs - Ballymena, Ballynahinch, Banbridge, Clogher Valley, Coleraine, Dungannon, Enniskillen, Instonians, LArne, Lisburn, Lurgan, Malone, Newry, Omagh, Portadown, and Randalstown It was literally a who's who of names that are emerging major talent and the seasoned clubs who have tasted victory and defeat beforeIts all to play at The Nutty Krust 2013 Tourno READ MORE

Leinster rugby team turn their European ambitions to the Amlin Challenge Cup (IrishCentral)

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 09:54:36 PST

By: CATHAL DERVAN

Leinster have to turn their European ambitions to the Amlin Challenge Cup after their reign as Heineken Cup champions ended despite Saturday’s bonus point win away to Exeter.

Youth movement in full swing - Simon Zebo comes up trumps for Munster's rugby team as Giovanni Trapattoni makes changes to the Republic of Ireland soccer team (IrishCentral)

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 06:31:01 PST

Munster’s Simon ZeboThere are times when the folly of youth is an asset, when the innocence of sporting immaturity can be a GodsendMunster rugby fans know that much Their winger Simon Zebo is only a kid in real sporting terms, but he is a kid going places and taking his team with him READ MORE

Brian O’Driscoll dropped as captain for Six Nations - Declan Kidney names Jamie Heaslip (IrishCentral)

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 05:56:18 PST

By: DARA KELLY

Head coach for the Irish rugby squad, Declan Kidney, has announced that Jamie Heaslip will take over as captain, replacing Brian O’Driscoll.

Loyalists cancel Dublin flag protest after clash with rugby match and rock concert (IrishCentral)

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 04:44:27 PST

By: PATRICK COUNIHAN

Ulster Loyalists have abandoned plans to bring their flag protest to Dublin on Saturday – because their march clashes with a rugby match and a rock concert.

Blow for Ireland as Paul O’Connell ruled out of Six Nations campaign (IrishCentral)

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 05:42:48 PST

By: PATRICK COUNIHAN

Ireland coach Declan Kidney is reeling from the news that Paul O’Connell is out for the Six Nations as he awaits surgery on a back injury.

Katie Taylor, Rory McIlroy and Brian O’Driscoll named as most popular Irish sportspeople of 2012 (IrishCentral)

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 05:32:45 PST

By: CATHY HAYES

Katie Taylor has stolen the hearts of Ireland according to the Pembroke Communications’ Sports Sentiment Index for 2012, while Rory McIlroy and Brian O’Driscoll follow just behind.

Irish undone by All Black class (IrishCentral)

Sat, 20 Nov 2010 02:40:15 PST

"Rory Best is going for an operation on his cheekbone on Monday," said Irish Coach Declan Kidney "Brian (O'Driscol) has gone for an Xray on his shoulder, Rob Kearney and Luke Fitzgerald will have knee scans tomorrow I wouldn't like to pre-empt any medical opinion - I would just be guessing And Gordan D'Arcy and Tommy Bowe have tight calves, but we would be hoping they will recover in time (for next week against Argentina) READ MORE

McCaw discards first Irish win fears (IrishCentral)

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 08:55:14 PST

After a Jonah Lomu inspired comeback guided the All Blacks to its 13th victory over Ireland in November 2001, then New Zealand coach John Mitchell commented: “That was a great stepping stone in a lot of the boys’ careers”Mitchell’s “boys” (New Zealand had 11 debutants between the first two tests of the 2001 Tour against Ireland A and Ireland) came from 21-7 down to dash Ireland’s hopes of a first win One of the two debutants that started against Ireland that day was Richie McCawNow as captain, he faces another milestone in his career against Ireland as he, along with Mils Muliaina, will become the most capped All Black players of all time with 93 test caps on Saturday READ MORE