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Super Rugby Aupiki – Preview, Fixtures, and Kick-Off times

Super Rugby Aupiki – Preview, Fixtures, and Kick-Off times – The countdown to the start with the draw and naming rights partner announced this afternoon.

Mirroring the first ever women’s Super Rugby match in New Zealand last May, the Blues will host the Chiefs Manawa at Eden Park on Saturday 5 March to get the inaugural season underway. The opening weekend concludes with Matatū going head-to-head with the Hurricanes at Orangetheory Stadium.

The four clubs all get one home match, with round three dubbed the ‘Super Round’ with the competition descending on Hamilton for a women’s rugby extravaganza.

The two top placed teams will battle it out for the title in a Final in the last weekend of March.

New Zealand Rugby General Manager of Professional Rugby and Performance Chris Lendrum said the inaugural season of Sky Super Rugby Aupiki was a game-changer for the women’s game.

“This year is going to be like nothing we’ve seen before when it comes to the women’s game and Sky Super Rugby Aupiki is a great way to get things underway.

“We’ve seen the four clubs assemble strong, exciting squads and this draw was the last piece of the puzzle before launching the competition in March. We’re looking forward to seeing New Zealand get in behind the players and teams and make this first season really set a benchmark for years to come,” said Lendrum.

All matches are live and exclusive on Sky – who have cemented their support for the women’s game, coming on board as the naming rights partner of the competition.

“As part of Sky’s commitment to elevating women in sport in every aspect, we are absolutely delighted to be naming rights sponsor and official broadcaster for the Sky Super Rugby Aupiki competition. New Zealanders are hungry for more with the inaugural Super Rugby match between Blues and Chiefs among proving popular amongst fans in 2021,” said Sky CEO Sophie Moloney.

“Our sponsorship and expert coverage of this landmark competition for women’s rugby in Aotearoa will enable us to showcase their skill and talent and tell the stories of the wāhine toa who love this game. But our support doesn’t stop there.

“Sky is committed to ensuring everyone in Aotearoa can watch our wāhine in action, so to support this new exciting competition we will proudly offer all Sky Super Rugby Aupiki games free to air on Prime as well as Sky Sport,” said Moloney.

Super Rugby Aupiki at a glance

Format:
• 4 teams: Blues, Chiefs Manawa, Hurricanes, Matatū
• 3 regular season matches (one home, one away, one Super Round fixture)

Playoffs:
• 1v2 play standalone Final on the weekend of 26-27 March

Super Rugby Aupiki draw

Round One
Saturday 5 March
Blues v Chiefs Manawa,  Eden Park, kick off 12:45am (Friday Night)

Sunday 6 March
Matatū v Hurricanes, Orangetheory Stadium, kick off 2:45am (Saturday Night)

Round Two
Saturday 12 March
Hurricanes v Blues, Sky Stadium, kick off  12:45pm (Friday Night)

Sunday 13 March
Chiefs Manawa v Matatū, FMG Stadium, kick off 2:45am Saturday Night)

Round Three – Super Round – FMG Stadium
Saturday 19 March
Blues v Matatū, kick off 12:45am (Friday Night)
Chiefs Manawa v Hurricanes, kick off 3:35am (Friday Night)

FINAL    
Saturday 26 or Sunday 27 March

Ireland Rugby 2022 Six Nations – Squad, Team News & Fixtures

Andy Farrell will named his Ireland Six Nations 2022 squad at 4 pm with not many surprises and mostly the same squad as the November internationals.

Kieran Marmion, Conor Oliver, Stuart McCloskey, and Shane Daly all look set not to make the squad with Andy Farrell seemingly not caring about current form.

The squad will be captained by Johnny Sexton who earned his 100th cap for his country against Japan during the November international window.

Ireland will host Wales, Italy and Scotland at the Aviva Stadium over the course of the Championship while also travelling to Paris and London to face France and England respectively.

There are two uncapped players named in the extended squad – Ulster’s Michael Lowry and Connacht’s Mack Hansen. Both have trained with the national squad in the past few months, Lowry during the Vodafone Summer Series in July and Hansen during the Autumn Nations Series in November.

Michael Lowry training with Ireland during the Vodafone Summer Series, July 2021

Connacht’s Cian Prendergast will join the squad for the training camp in Portugal as a Development Player. The former Ireland U20 player has made nine appearances for Connacht this season.

Andy Farrell, Ireland Head Coach, commented: “In November we challenged the group to get up to speed quickly so that the team could perform at international level. The same will apply for this Six Nations campaign, we need to be at our best against Wales on the opening weekend.

“We have a strong squad with competition for places across the board, there is a nice blend of experienced internationals and guys who have had their first taste of this level in the past 12 months.  The games in November gave us a good foundation to build on and areas where we know we will have to improve.

“It will be an exciting Championship with so many strong squads and impressive performances across the board during the Autumn.”

Ireland’s opening fixture of the 2022 Six Nations Championship is against Wales on Saturday 5th February. A week later, the squad will travel to France to take on Les Bleus in Paris. In Round 3, on Sunday 27th February, Ireland host Italy at the Aviva Stadium and then travel to Twickenham to take on England two weeks later.

In the final round of the Championship, Ireland host Scotland at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday 19th March.

All games will be available on free-to-air television in both the Republic and Northern Ireland. ITV (NI) will broadcast all of Ireland’s games, RTE (ROI) will broadcast the games against Wales and England while VIRGIN (ROI) will broadcast the games against France, Italy and Scotland.

IRELAND Guinness Six Nations Squad 2022

Backs (17)
Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians) 33 caps
Robert Baloucoune (Ulster/Enniskillen) 2 caps
Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 27 caps
Jack Carty (Buccaneers/Connacht) 10 caps
Craig Casey (Munster/Shannon) 4 caps
Andrew Conway (Munster/Garryowen) 27 caps
Keith Earls (Munster/Young Munster) 96 caps
Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 12 caps
Mack Hansen (Connacht) uncapped
Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Buccaneers) 53 caps
James Hume (Ulster/Banbridge) 1 cap
Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 16 caps
Jordan Larmour (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 30 caps
Michael Lowry (Ulster/Banbridge) uncapped
Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen) 92 caps
Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 37 caps
Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 101 caps CAPTAIN

Forwards (20)
Ryan Baird (Leinster/Dublin University) 6 caps
Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 18 caps
Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne) 25 caps
Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere) 22 caps
Gavin Coombes (Munster/Young Munster) 2 caps
Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 12 caps
Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) 52 caps
Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) 112 caps
Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy) 65 caps
Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 23 caps
Ronan Kelleher (Leinster/Lansdowne) 16 caps
Dave Kilcoyne (Munster/UL Bohemians) 45 caps
Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 79 caps
Tom O’Toole (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 2 caps
Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 40 caps
James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 40 caps
Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne) 2 caps
Nick Timoney (Ulster/Banbridge) 2 caps
Kieran Treadwell (Ulster/Ballymena) 3 caps
Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 35 caps

Development Player
Cian Prendergast (Connacht)

 

— Joe Naughton (@JosephNaughton4) January 19, 2022

 

Team News

James Ryan, originally named as Captain for Leinsters game against Montpellier, was removed from the line-up after picking up a hamstring injury in the captain’s run. He will be further assessed this week before a final decision is made on his involvement.

Tadhg Furlong (calf) and Jordan Larmour (dead leg) picked up knocks during the game and will also be monitored further ahead of the trip to Bath.

 

Winter Million – Irish raiders primed for Sovereign Handicap Hurdle

Ireland launches a three-pronged assault on the £100,000 Sovereign Handicap Hurdle (3.35pm) at Lingfield Park on Friday, January 21, the highlight on day one of the Winter Million.
Emmet Mullins is responsible for Carrarea and Sevenna Star as he seeks yet another big handicap success on these shores, with Paul Townend an eye-catching booking on Carrarea, while compatriot Sean Doyle sends over the in-form Lucky Max.
Lucky Max made a winning reappearance at Clonmel in October and has continued his rise through the handicap with a pair of comfortable victories at Cork, most recently in early December.
Doyle said: “Lucky Max seems to be in very good form. He started heading over this morning and should arrive at Lingfield this evening, so fingers crossed he travels over OK.
“After maturing really well, he has started to hurdle properly. He was a little up in the air, even going back to his point-to-points, and it has taken him a while to get his jumping together. He probably wasn’t quite right last season either, but he seems a different horse now.
“We are hoping for the best – it is a competitive race and definitely a step up on anything he has faced before. If he could pick up some nice prize money, we would be delighted.”
The home challenge is led by the Harry Fry-trained Metier, who tackles heavy ground for the first time since bolting up in last season’s G1 Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown Park.
Gary Moore has a 30 per cent strike rate over jumps at Lingfield Park this season and the West Sussex handler aims to continue the trend with recent course and distance scorer Hudson De Grugy.
Gowel Road tops the weights for Nigel Twiston-Davies after finishing third in a Listed handicap hurdle at Newbury in November, while bottom weight Destrier is one of two runners for Dan Skelton alongside Antunes.
The 12 runners are completed by Hacker Des Places, Mack The Man, Chti Balko and Thibault.
Castleford Handicap Chase victor Eclair D’Ainay concedes weight all round in the £50,000 racehorselotto.com Handicap Chase (1.50pm). The two-mile contest also features recent Kelso scorer Cedar Hill and Frero Banbou for the in-form combination of Venetia Williams and Charlie Deutsch.
A closely matched field of seven go in the £50,000 Weatherbys NHstallions.co.uk Novices’ Chase (3.00pm) over just shy of three miles, including wide-margin Exeter winner Broken Halo and Fantastikas, who was third in the G2 Dipper Novices’ Chase last time out. Queenohearts, a G2-winning hurdler for Stuart Edmunds, makes her debut over fences for Kim Bailey.
Grade 2 winners On The Blind Side and Emitom feature among five runners in the £50,000 Cazoo Hurdle (2.25pm) over two miles and seven furlongs, in which high-class chaser Top Ville Ben also runs.
Anthony Honeyball has two leading chances in the £45,000 Winter Million EBF Mares’ Novices’ Handicap Chase (1.20pm) courtesy of Belle De Manech and Deja Vu. Crossgalesfamegame is a first runner at Lingfield Park for Sandy Thomson, who also saddles the aforementioned Cedar Hill.
Love Envoi and Nurse Susan put their unbeaten records on the line for Harry Fry and Dan Skelton respectively in the opening £30,000 Winter Million Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (12.50pm) over two miles. Paul Nicholls is represented by Rainyday Woman, who brought up a three-timer in a Listed event at Taunton last time out.
A field of 10 in the concluding Winter Million Handicap Chase (4.08pm) includes impressive recent Warwick winner Neil The Legend for Nicky Henderson.

Connacht Rugby sign six professional contracts for academy graduates

Cathal Forde, Shane Jennings, Oisin McCormack, Darragh Murray, Ciaran Booth, and Diarmuid Kilgallen have all signed pro contracts for Connacht.

Galway-born Cathal Forde can cover the 10 or 12 positions and played a significant role in Ireland’s U20 Six Nations campaign last year, earning plaudits for his performances. The 20-year old has represented Galway Corinthians RFC at club level and played school rugby with Colaiste Iognaid (The Jes).

Like Forde, Shane Jennings also made a big impact on the Ireland U20 scene last year. Another product of the Connacht pathway system, Jennings has played for Ballinasloe RFC and Garbally College and predominately plays centre. More recently he was a member of the Ireland Sevens squad at the World Sevens Series in Canada.

Oisin McCormack is another alumni of Garbally College and Ballinasloe RFC, playing with friend Shane Jennings from an early age. McCormack holds a unique accolade of scoring tries in consecutive Connacht Schools Cup finals, touching down in both the 2018 and 2019 Senior deciders. The 20-year old can play across the back row.

Darragh Murray is the second Murray brother to graduate from the Academy, following in the footsteps of his older brother Niall. A fellow lock, Darragh was a member of the 2021 Ireland U20s and captain of the Connacht U18s that won the 2018 Interprovincial Series. He came through the pathway at Buccaneers RFC and Colaiste Chiarain Athlone.

Ciaran Booth first joined the Connacht Academy in the summer of 2020, arriving from Sale Sharks. The 21-year old was born in Stockport and is Irish qualified, having played for Ireland in the 2019 U20 Rugby World Championship. Primarily a flanker, Booth can also play as a number 8 or in the second row.

Diarmuid Kilgallen is no stranger to Connacht supporters having already made 5 appearances with the Pro team. The back three player made his debut at the Aviva Stadium against Munster in August 2020, and Lansdowne Road was also the scene for his first try, scoring an intercept against Ulster last October.

Connacht Rugby Academy Manager Eric Elwood has paid tribute to the six players:

“I’d like to congratulate the six men on their impending move to the Pro team, and to their respective clubs and schools that have played a big part in their success. Everyone at Connacht Rugby has worked tremendously hard at all levels to give them the platform to succeed and I’d like to acknowledge the work done by the coaches as well as the wider Academy staff. That said, it’s up to the players themselves to take the opportunities afforded to them and they’ve done just that. I know they each have what is required to take that next step in their careers.”

Connacht Head Coach Andy Friend has congratulated the six players on their contracts:

“This is a special day both for Connacht Rugby and for Ciaran, Cathal, Shane, Diarmuid, Oisin and Darragh. They have each forged their own paths to professional rugby through hard-work and dedication, and with the help of their coaches, parents and volunteers along the way. It’s particularly pleasing that 4 of the 6 players came through the Connacht pathway, playing their club and school rugby here in the West of Ireland. I’m looking forward to further integrating them into the Pro setup and help us challenge for honours in the years ahead”

Introduction to Coaching Gaelic Games course announced

A course aimed at introducing coaches to Gaelic games will increase the number and quality of coaches involved in developing players across the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association and make it easier for them to acquire coaching credentials.

 

In a significant step, this collaborative project has produced a coach education programme which will ensure that beginner coaches in Gaelic games do not need to take code specific introduction courses.

 

This new course will be shared cross each of the three Associations and will, for the first time, ensure that beginner coaches of any of our codes come together and engage in a common programme.  Coaches operating in clubs that have different codes, particularly One Club model clubs, now can take one coaching course, which is a huge benefit to our volunteer coaches.

 

Since 2019 the three Gaelic games Associations have worked closely together to develop this new common Introduction to Coaching Gaelic Games or ICGG Award.

 

Launching this new course today at Croke Park, the three Associations believe that this approach will ensure that beginner coaches, regardless of their code of choice, will learn from and share with each other and assist their coach development.

 

This course has been designed to be more interactive and practical than previous introductory courses, with a significant emphasis on coaches learning by doing. 

 

Last year 300 coach developers, from across the three Associations, took part in collaborative upskilling events in preparation for the ICGG programme delivery in 2022 – with a start date to be agreed when pandemic restrictions allow.

 

The ICGG Award course has been designed to support new coaches develop a solid foundation of knowledge, skills, competencies, and values for coaching the child, youth or adult playing population.

 

The Introduction to Coaching Gaelic Games award is structured around three key elements:

  1. The Coach | ‘Being a Coach’, ‘How to Coach’, and ‘Preparation for Planning’.
  2. The Player | ‘Who are you coaching?’. Whether they are child, youth or adult players, male or female and address the need to be inclusive.
  3. The Game | a focus on movement for Gaelic games, skill development and games.

 

This programme will provide coaches with awareness, knowledge and experiences related to:

  • Why do you Coach? | Each coach is an individual, and each will bring their own skills and characteristics to our games.
  • How do you Coach? | A set of skills and behaviours which coaches can use in games and training sessions
  • What do you Coach? | The games and developmental activities that can be used by coaches, and how to structure sessions to hone the skills of players
  • Who do you Coach? | The specific players that a coach has within their team/group; looking at age, stages of the player pathway they are at, the importance of inclusivity and how it impacts upon their coaching

 

Upon completion of this Award, coaches can then choose learning and development opportunities specific to them, their needs, and abilities with specific reference to the stage of the player pathway (see attached graphic) that they coach.

 

Welcoming this new ICGG award;

 

Uachtarán CLG, Larry McCarthy said: “Working in partnership with the LGFA and the Camogie Association, I believe that this new introductory coaching to Gaelic games course will have a profound effect on our volunteer coaches. This streamlined and collaborative approach will allow new coaches to concentrate on how to coach and how to coach well and will allow them to maximise their time and the impact they have in developing players. Tús maith leath na hoibre, we are told, and this can put Gaelic games on a strong footing.”

 

Uachtarán of the Camogie Association, Hilda Breslin said: “We are delighted to be involved in the development of the first collaborated coaching programme within the Gaelic games family. This collaboration will provide prospective coaches within the Gaelic games Associations to come together and learn the fundamentals in a supportive and inclusive environment. We are excited for the future success that this collaboration will bring, and I thank my colleagues in the GAA and LGFA for their continued support in the development of this programme”.

 

Speaking on behalf of the LGFA, President Mícheál Naughton said: “The launch of the Introduction to Coaching Gaelic Games is another major collaborative project between the Ladies Gaelic Football Association, the GAA and the Camogie Association. This is a very important step for the provision of coach education at grassroots level and ensuring courses are more accessible at local level. The benefits will be evident for clubs all over the world, with this single course now being provided for coaches regardless of the code they are coaching, rather than having to attend multiple events. We would like to thank everyone involved for the hard work in bringing this to fruition and we look forward to getting coach developers active across the country, and beyond.”

7 Tips to Help You Choose an Online Gambling Website

Taking your time when picking an online casino is very important. Virtually anyone with basic computer skills can create a convincing gambling site and use it to steal either your information, money, or both. Other sites will use tactics to sucker you in and won’t live up to their promises. You also have casinos that are outdated, don’t offer the best experience, or are unreliable. This is why you need to know how to identify a good website before you start looking at options. Let’s take a look at a few tips to help you choose an online gambling website.

Look at their Certification

The most important thing when picking an online casino is checking their licensure. If a casino is unlicensed, there is no reason for you to play there as this is the clearest sign of a fraudulent casino.

If you want to know where you can find the licensing information, you should be able to see it in a site’s footer or on their about page. This would be a good time to look up the information you find there and see how detailed it is. The more details you can get about the company, its ethos, and its history, the better.

You also have to know that there are only a handful of regulatory bodies that you can trust and are respected by the community. These include the UK Gambling Commission, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, Curacao e-Gaming, the Malta Gaming Authority, the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority, and the Alderney Gambling Control Commission. If the casino is not licensed by one of those, you can always check their background history, but it’s wiser to stay away.

Look at the Bonus Structure Closely

You’ll notice that almost all online casinos offer some sort of bonus to new players. Most of the time, they will offer a deposit match on your first and sometimes second, third, and even fourth deposit.

You have to be very careful with those bonuses as they can be deceiving. First of all, if any casino offers a match deposit over 300%, beware. This usually means that the casino is either a fraud or that some hidden terms make the bonus almost impossible to redeem.

The thing you have to pay very special attention to when looking at a match bonus is the wagering requirements. All these bonuses will require that you spend a certain amount of money before you can withdraw your money, and that’s understandable. But this amount needs to be reasonable.

Ideally, you want to pick a bonus with the lowest wagering requirements possible. The lowest you’ll find is 20 times your initial deposit plus bonus, but the average bonus will require that you spend anywhere from 30 times to 40 times that amount. If any bonus requires you to spend more than that, it’s not worth it.

Look at Reviews

The easiest way to find a great casino is to look up reviews on reputable casino sites. These sites will usually have extensive reviews of different casinos and reputable review sites will make sure that all the casinos on their list are legit.

If you’re looking for a great review site, we suggest you look at OnlineCasinos. OnlineCasinos has a list of all the best casinos along with details on what you can expect when playing there. They speak about the bonuses they have to offer, the types of games they have there, and other things like security, customer service, and payment options.

Check if the Casino Performs Regular Audits

Another thing you should look at is how fair the odds are at a certain casino. The only way to know this is to check an audit report. Reputable casinos will go the extra mile to show that their games are fair and seeing that a casino has been audited recently is a great sign. If you go on the website and you notice that it has been audited by eCOGRA, AuditNet, or GamingLabs and it’s licensed, then you can play there with complete peace of mind.

Look at their Software Provider

Not everyone knows this, but most online casinos will use software from a third party to run their games. There are a few reputed software providers in the business and knowing which provider a casino uses will give you a good idea of what you can expect as far as gameplay goes.

If you go with a casino that is powered by Microgaming, for instance, then you can expect it to have a huge selection of games with great themes. The same goes for NetEnt. If the casino is powered by Playtech, on the other hand, then you can expect games with advanced graphics, soundtracks and sound effects, and traditional gaming aspects. So, learn about the different providers in the business and their specialties.

Download and Test Their Software

Once you’ve found a few casinos that you can trust, you can check the quality of their software. Download the software on multiple devices and see how well it runs. Try a few games using their free play option and see how smooth the animations are. 

You should also pay very special attention to how stable the connection is. The last thing you want is for you to get disconnected in the middle of a high-stakes hand of blackjack, so check the quality of their servers before you start playing seriously.

Check their Customer Service

While you’re at it, you should also check how good the casino’s customer service is. If the casino has a live chat option, try to use it and see how fast you can get access to a rep. You should also give their customer service a call and have a few questions ready. You could ask them about their history, the number of games in their selection, or what software they use. How they answer should give you a good idea of whether they care about their clients.

Finding a great casino to play at should not be difficult once you know what to look for. Be sure that the casino is operating lawfully first and foremost and start looking at the fine details afterwards.

Jacques Villeneuve completes Daytona 500 test for Team Hezeberg

Jacques Villeneuve successfully completed this week’s two-day Next Gen NASCAR test for Team Hezeberg at Daytona International Speedway in preparation for the team’s plan to compete in the 64th running of the Daytona 500 next month.

The European team invited Villeneuve to compete in the iconic event following his race winning performances in the 2021 European NASCAR Whelen Championship. He will drive the #27 Team Hezeberg Ford Mustang.

Villeneuve is no stranger to the world of NASCAR racing having competed in selected events following his retirement from Formula One in 2006. He is looking forward to returning to racing in the United States and to working with Team Hezeberg in developing the car’s performance.

An initial test with the team took place in Charlotte last October. Villeneuve’s participation in the Daytona 500 on February 20th will depend on the outcome of the qualifying race three days earlier. The French-Canadian is relishing the challenge.

“There are a few races in the world that stand out for me – the Indy 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Daytona 500,” said Villeneuve. “It’s part of that very small group of special races that if you get the chance, try it out.”

“It was great to be back behind the wheel of a Next Gen NASCAR at Daytona this week. It really is impressive to drive. It was a good test with the new team and although we have some work to do with the qualifying set up we were comfortable and quick when running in the pack. The team is at the start of its journey over here but we are working well and making progress.”

–

Jacques Villeneuve won the 1995 PPG Indycar World Series for Team Green with four outright wins including that season’s Indianapolis 500. He finished 2nd in the FIA Formula One World Championship in 1996 before winning the World Championship with the Williams team in 1997. During his Formula One career he scored 11 Grand Prix victories, 13 pole positions and 23 podium finishes. He competed in the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours for Peugeot making his debut in 2007 and finishing 2nd in 2008.

Munster Rugby Transfer News – RG Snyman extends contract

Munster Rugby Transfer News – Lock RG Snyman, props Stephen Archer, Roman Salanoa, Liam O’Connor, and hooker Scott Buckley have all committed their futures to the province.

World Cup-winning Springbok RG Snyman has signed a two-year deal that will see him remain with the province until at least June 2024. Despite enduring a difficult time with injuries since arriving at the province in the summer of 2020, the 26-year-old is well settled at his Limerick base.

An out-and-out leader, he is highly regarded across the squad and already in four short appearances he has managed to display his athleticism and skill set, including a first try scored against the Stormers in Thomond Park.

The province’s most-capped prop Stephen Archer has penned a one-year contract extension. The 33-year-old is the most recent player to reach 200 caps in 2019, joining an illustrious group of 11 players to reach the milestone.

The tighthead prop has now featured in 235 games and has been a vital member of the squad since his debut against Edinburgh at Murrayfield in October 2009. His name is rarely omitted from a team sheet showing great durability, strength, consistency of form and technique in a specialist position.

Loosehead prop Liam O’Connor has signed a one-year contract extension having made 32 Munster appearances since his 2016 debut in a Champions Cup clash against Stade Francais.

A product of Dolphin and CBC, the former Ireland U20s international plays his AIL rugby with Cork Constitution and graduated from the Academy to the senior squad in 2018.

Tighthead prop Roman Salanoa has signed on for three more years at Munster after one try in eight appearances for the province to date.

A former USA U20 international, the Hawaiian is a Shannon RFC clubman and joined the Leinster Academy in 2018 before making the move to Munster in the summer of 2020.

Hooker Scott Buckley follows Alex Kendellen in becoming the second Greencore Munster Rugby Academy player to be promoted to the senior squad ahead of next season, signing a two-year deal.

A product of Kinsale RFC and CBC, Buckley plays his AIL rugby with UCC and was a try-scoring Player of the Match on his Munster debut in the Champions Cup win over Wasps last month.

Superbike Championship announces full schedule for 2022

The Dunlop Masters Superbike Championship has announced its schedule for 2022 as it returns to a full calendar for the first time since 2019. With continuing support from Dunlop, a seven weekend championship will begin with the official test days in March and continue with a race event every month between April and September.

The six race events will all take place at Mondello Park, County Kildare, with three on the venues’ National Track and three on the International Track. For the first time the test weekend will also utilise both circuits over its two days. The championship will also feature some new initiatives along with an increase in the Superbike prize-fund.

Following one of the most competitive Superbike seasons for many years the championship promoters are looking to continue to grow the quality and quantity of bikes and riders involved in the feature classes. For 2022 the Superbike and Supersport categories will have longer qualifying sessions and Superbike competitors will also race for an increased prize fund. The value of the prize fund will increase by 30% with the Superbike awards increasing by more than €1,200 per event. Changes to the championship points scoring system are currently being finalised in an effort to keep more riders fighting for the championship right up until the final event.

A new award is being planned which will allow Junior riders across all categories compete against each other for the title of young racer of the year. The series will use a radical points scoring system which will see riders scoring more points the more competitors they finish ahead of, thereby rewarding performances in the more competitive classes.

Mondello Park will also continue its policy of trying to encourage young racers into the sport next season by supporting the FIM MiniGP Ireland Series. The FIM MiniGP racers will join the Masters for two events, with the championship for ten to fourteen year old’s incorporated into the timetable at the May and August rounds. In addition, Mondello Park and Motorcycling Ireland are offering a scholarship to one lucky rider who will be given the use of a MiniGP Ohvale for the full 2022 season. Applications for the scholarship are currently being taken and details can be found on fimminigpireland.com.

Further details of the new Dunlop Masters Superbike Championship season will be announced over the coming weeks as the championship gets ready for its thirteenth year. Preparations for the new season can be followed on the championship web site, masterssuperbike.ie and its social media pages.

2022 Championship dates

March 25/27 – Pre-season Testing – National & International Track
April 23/24 – Rounds 1-3 – National Track
May 21/22 – Rounds 4-6 – International Track
June 25/26 – Rounds 7-9 – National Track
July 23/24 – Rounds 10-12 – International Track
August 27/28 – Rounds 13-15 – National Track
September 24/25 – Rounds 16-18 – International Track

Injury News – Leinster Rugby’s Dan Leavy out until end of March

Dan Leavy, the flanker underwent a procedure to stabilise a fracture in his wrist last week and will be unavailable for at least two months.

The Leinster Rugby coaching team have provided an update on the squad ahead of this weekend’s Heineken Champions Cup clash with Montpellier.

That game at the RDS Arena kicks off at 1pm on Sunday and is live on BT Sport and beIN Sports.

There are currently two players in isolation due to Covid-19 – one as a close contact – and this follows the latest round of PCR testing carried out at Leinster Rugby yesterday.

There was disappointing news on Dan Leavy, the flanker underwent a procedure to stabilise a fracture in his wrist last week and will be unavailable for at least two months.

There are no further updates on the following:

Conor O’Brien (hamstring), Dave Kearney (back), Michael Milne (calf).

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