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Wes Hoolahan still producing magic at 38 years of age

The former Ireland international has been instrumental in helping Cambridge United to the top of League Two.

As a 38-year-old midfielder who’s been playing regular football for the good part of 20 years, you would expect Wes Hoolahan to slowly fade into retirement at this stage of his career.

He only played a total of 11 league games between two seasons for West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle Jets. So, when Cambridge United announced his signing, there wasn’t much expected of Hoolahan who was seen by many as past it or crocked.

Well, Hoolahan has gone on to prove his doubters wrong, endearing himself to Cambridge United fans as somewhat of a cult hero in the process.

Hoolahan has been one of his side’s most impressive performers this season which currently sees them sat at 1st in the EFL League Two table. The U’s weren’t seen as promotion contenders at the start of the season, having finished at a modest 16th place the previous season. So, for them to be top of the league with just 4 games remaining is quite the achievement.

“Wessi”, as he’s affectionately known by Norwich City, Ireland and now Cambridge United fans, has contributed an impressive 8 assists and 5 goals in 33 league games this season. He’s been so awe-inspiring that he won League Two Player of the Month in January, and could well be on his way to a Team of the Year inclusion.

Yesterday, he assisted the winner in what could be a season-defining 3 points for Cambridge.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR WESSI?

I’m sure many people would like to see Hoolahan return to the Ireland fold, particularly given the lack of creativity within the team currently. Realistically, that won’t happen, though.

It doesn’t seem likely that he’ll hang up his boots at the end of this season given his ability is still very much evident. At the same time, time isn’t on his side and it’s not very often you see footballers enjoy career longevity like Hoolahan has.

A farewell season in League One – assuming that Cambridge will achieve promotion – could be on the cards for Hoolahan in what’s been a storied career for one of the most overlooked players of the 21st century.

Watch: Brian Kerr’s impassioned speech about racism in football

The former Ireland boss let his opinion be heard during a discussion regarding UEFA’s 10-match ban of Ondrej Kudela for racial abuse.

Brian Kerr has long been an advocate for equality in football – and society in general, of course. So, when the topic of Ondrej Kudela’s 10-game ban imposed by UEFA was brought up as a topic of discussion during Virgin Media Sport’s Europa League coverage, he didn’t hold back in voicing his opinion.

For context, Slavia Prague defender Ondrej Kudela racially abused Rangers’ midfielder Glen Kamara during a Europa League Round of 16 tie. Kudela approached Kamara during a break in play, covered his mouth with his hand and whispered something – presumably of a racist nature – into Kamara’s ear. This sparked an immediate reaction from Kamara and fellow Rangers’ player Bongani Zungu which resulted in a scuffle between the two teams.

It was announced on Wednesday that Kudela was found guilty of racial abuse and handed a 10-game ban by UEFA, while Kamara received a 3-game ban for assaulting Kudela after the game.

“It’s disgusting in society, it’s disgusting in football and for far too long UEFA and FIFA as the authorities in world football have been miles too lenient,” said Brian Kerr on UEFA’s decision.

“This has gone on far too long, right around Europe. Groups like SARI for years have been trying to deal with UEFA and to get them to put out strong punishments to associations and clubs. Not just closing down sections of grounds, making them play away games for a long time. Really punishing them. Fining clubs and fining associations substantial amounts of money, so that they’ll put proper policies in place.

“We’ve seen an uprising recently in support for the Black Lives Matter movement and various rights around abuse and racism and the internet and how players have been abused. I’m glad, but it’s taken far too long for it to be recognised and for this uprising to take place in support of what’s only common decency and respect of all human beings.”

Host Tommy Martin and panellist Keith Andrews agreed with Brian Kerr’s sentiment, claiming UEFA’s punishment was far too lenient given the offence.

Slavia Prague were knocked out of the Europa League on the night, losing 4-0 (5-1 aggregate) to English side Arsenal.

How to find reputable sportsbook reviews?

There are thousands of sportsbook reviews online, each trying to be the best of the other. Searching for a review on a particular sportsbook comes with all kinds of results, and sometimes finding the best one can be more challenging than you may have thought.

It is always best to know what to look for when you need a reputable sportsbook review with this problem. Sportsbook reviews need to have as much information about any sportsbook that you are searching for. The information should be as comprehensive as possible. Below are some of the critical factors that reputable sportsbook reviews need to have.

 

Sportsbook reviews are essential; otherwise, people will have to chat and share information on the different sportsbooks. Information such as payouts, promotions, payment methods, and customer service has played a significant role in perceiving other sportsbooks. Betting.net is a great place to start for reputable information on different sportsbooks.

 

Trustworthiness

One key aspect of any sportsbook review is the amount of trustworthiness it has. Many sportsbook reviews cannot be trusted, which is evident from different sites all over the internet. It is essential to filter out those that don’t meet the review expectations as they have lackluster offerings and unreliable information.

 

Trustworthiness mainly comes from the site’s ability to review issues on the honor wagers placed and information on the time it takes for payouts. Information on safety and security should be factual and the sportsbook’s power to effectively handle the player’s funds. Information on reliable bonuses and promotions should also be a significant factor when considering the review’s trustworthiness. The type of customer support that the sportsbook has should also be reviewed based on experience and the reputation the sportsbook has reviewed.

 

Ratings

Sportsbook reviews should have some form of ratings to determine the level of professionalism of the sportsbook sites. The systems for ratings can range from one sportsbook review to another. It can be in the form of a point system such as a percentage from 0-100. It doesn’t necessarily have to give single numbers since they can also be rated in stars from 1 to 5 on different subcategories. Some of these subcategories that can be placed include banking, customer service, bonuses and promotions, sportsbook features, and the website’s UI and UX.

 

Rating this subcategory provides a good foundation for the review’s quality since players will have a rough estimated idea of how the sportsbook performs.

 

Odds

Information on odds from any sportsbook is vital for all players. Some sportsbook reviews tend to miss out on this, which doesn’t help in their traffic. Having information on the odds from a sportsbook is vital for players to know if they can have a winning chance if they consider using the odds.

 

Information on odds should be for as many markets as possible since players come from all over the world and love different types of games. The odds should be factual and not just seem lucrative to attract players to the review. If they are not accurate, it may mislead the player and eventually lead to many losses when betting on games from sportsbooks.

 

The odds should be competitive and reasonable; otherwise, with time, the sportsbook review will not benefit players at the end having a bad reputation for misinformation.

 

Bonuses and Promotions

The chances are that when going through a review as a punter, you are looking for information on promotions that you may have missed out on. Sportsbook reviews should list as much information about bonuses and promotions since these are a vital part of what players need to increase their winning chances. It is also crucial that the promotions are obtained from the sportsbook to avoid getting players trapped in scams. The information on bonuses and information should be currently available and not the ones that have already expired or anticipated.

 

The information should not have any form of bias. It is always best to scroll through the sportsbook review to see if they have as many subtopics covered as possible. You can always check the reviews’ subheadings and the amount of content under each to know if the sportsbook review is worth spending your time on.

Ian Garry: Ireland’s next MMA star?

The proposed Irish MMA – or more specifically UFC – invasion during the mid-2010’s never quite came to fruition. The rapid ascent of Conor McGregor up the UFC rankings as well as the success of Irish/Straight Blast Gym fighters at UFC Fight Night: McGregor vs. Diego Brandão in Dublin got a lot of people very excited about the future of MMA in Ireland. McGregor’s exclamation of “we’re not here to take part, we’re here to take over” at the same event did nothing to calm the hype train, either.

It’s now 7 years after that event and it’s safe to say that there was no take over. Of course, you have the obvious success of Conor McGregor who famously went on to knock out the phenomenal José Aldo in just 13 seconds to win the UFC Featherweight Championship. After that, he became the first fighter to hold UFC titles in multiple divisions at the same time after defeating Eddie Alvarez to win the Lightweight Championship. Other than McGregor though, none of his compatriots would go on to leave a lasting legacy in the MMA world.

That’s not to say that the future of Irish MMA is bleak, though. In fact, there’s a number of Irish fighters coming through that we could be hearing a lot more about in the not-so-distant future. James Gallagher, Dean Barry and Leah McCourt are just some examples that spring to mind.

The most promising of the lot, though, could be welterweight Ian Garry. The Dubliner currently competes in Irish promotion Cage Warriors where he holds a record of 6-0 and is aptly nicknamed “The Future”.

Of his professional MMA bouts, Garry has finished all but one of his opponents. His most impressive performance coming in his last fight against UFC alumnus Rostem Akman on the 19th March where he delivered a devastating head-kick KO to the Swede in the second round of the fight.

“UFC, I’m coming,” shouted Garry at the camera after the finish, showing his high levels of confidence – that’s not at all misplaced.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR IAN GARRY?

The UFC is clearly Garry’s long-term goal. However, he remains at Cage Warriors for the time being and his next bout will be the biggest of his career to date. He’s scheduled to fight Englishman Jack Grant (17-6) in June for the vacant Cage Warrior’s Welterweight Belt.

If Garry does manage to win the belt, it’ll be very hard for the UFC to ignore.

Whether he’s awarded a contract immediately or given a shot at Dana White’s Contender Series, there’s every chance we could see Ian Garry competing in the UFC very soon.

UEFA Champions League semi-finalists confirmed

Manchester City, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea all won their quarter-final ties.

The Champions League semi-finalists have been fully confirmed today after Manchester City and Real Madrid managed to overcome their opponents over two legs. They’ll be joined by Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, who achieved the same feat yesterday.

Manchester City were tasked with defeating Borussia Dortmund over two legs to get to the semi-finals and they managed it in the end, despite a shaky start which seen them go down 1-0 (2-2 on aggregate). They eventually managed to win the tie 2-1 (4-2 on aggregate) with goals from Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden.

The other English side playing tonight, Liverpool, couldn’t quite achieve qualification like their neighbours. It was a scoreless draw between themselves and Real Madrid tonight, but the latter’s 3-1 victory in the first was enough to propel them into the semis.

Chelsea managed to beat Porto over two legs last night while Paris Saint-Germain went through on away goals against Bayern Munich, despite losing 1-0 on the night.

The fixtures and dates for the semi-final ties have already been confirmed. Chelsea will take on Real Madrid while Manchester City will face Paris Saint-Germain, meaning there’s every possibility we could see an all-English final. The semi-finals will be played between the 27th April and 5th May.

The final will then be played on Saturday 29th May at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul.

Natalya Coyle aiming to sharpen her epee form in Sofia this week

Natalya Coyle is aiming to sharpen her epee and improve her fencing form in Sofia this week with only 100 days to go until the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Coyle and her Irish team-mate Sive Brassil will compete in the last event of the regular season, UIPM 2021 Pentathlon World Cup Sofia (II), in the coming days.

With qualification taking place tomorrow (15 April) and the women’s final following on Saturday (17 April), two-time Olympian Coyle wants two more opportunities to test herself on the piste against the best fencers in the pentathlon world.

The 30-year-old from Meath finished seventh at the season-opener in Budapest in March but only after a fencing performance in the final that she described as “rusty” – 19 wins from 35 bouts.

Having worked hard for the past three weeks – and throughout the competition shutdown – with Pentathlon Ireland fencing coach Andrey Fedotov, she is ready to put her training into practice in the Bulgarian capital.

Coyle said: “I wanted to get back home and recover well after the first World Cup. It meant I was able to get a bit of training in at home, after quarantine, and I’m feeling nice and ready to go now.

“I am just looking forward to getting out and competing again. It’s going to be good to fence at a high standard again, as our access in Ireland is limited.”

Coyle has already qualified for Tokyo, courtesy of her performance at the 2019 European Championships, but 27-year-old Brassil is still very much in the thick of the chase, sitting 29th in the UIPM Olympic World Ranking.

This week’s competition will have a big influence on Olympic qualification, with only the Pentathlon World Cup Final and Pentathlon World Championships to follow before the rescheduled Games this summer.

Coyle admits she is happy to be back in amongst the competition circuit after cheering on Brassil and her other senior Irish team-mate, fiancée Arthur Lanigan-O’Keeffe, from home last week.

She said: “It was so nerve-wracking following everyone at home. I mainly get nervous for the semi-finals and then once everyone is safely through I relax.

“It’s great to have familiar faces around. Arthur isn’t here this week but it’s lovely when he’s here as well.

“It feels great and amazing that the Olympics are getting so close. Last year I didn’t know if the Games would go ahead and now that we’re 100 days to go I’m just delighted.

“Unfortunately I don’t see many people as we’re in a training bubble, but I hope everyone’s getting excited. Hopefully I can give everyone something to cheer about!”

Rachael Blackmore 7/4 From 10/1 For BBC Overseas Personality Of The Year

Punters are starting to get behind the idea of Rachael Blackmore becoming the first Irish sportsperson to win the BBC Overseas Personality of the Year award following her history-making year as a jockey.

Since becoming a professional jockey, Rachael Blackmore has been making waves with 2021 being her most successful year to date. The talented sportsperson had an incredible Cheltenham Festival recording six winners to become the first female to win the top jockey award for riding the most winners over the four days.

Following her success at Prestbury Park, Blackmore was introduced into the betting at 10/1 to win the BBC’s Overseas Personality of the Year award but after her history-making win on Minella Times in the Grand National at Aintree last week, she is now just 7/4 to continue to make history after punters latched onto her bigger price. No Irish sportsperson has ever won this award and the last jockey to win it was back in 1967 when George Moore from Australia landed the title.

Rachael is also fancied to become the first Irish person that has no residence in the United Kingdom, to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award and join the likes of AP McCoy on the role of honour. Those chances have been cut in half into 100/1 from 200/1.

Sarah Kinsella, spokesperson for BoyleSports, said: “We are running out of superlatives to use when talking about Rachael Blackmore and it seems that punters are confident her success will continue by making history at the BBC SPOTY Awards. Blackmore became the first woman to not only win the top jockey title at Cheltenham last month but also became the first woman ever to win the biggest race in the world, the Grand National. The Irish star is 7/4 from 10/1 for the BBC Overseas SPOTY title and 100/1 from 200/1 to win the main BBC SPOTY award.”

Leinster Rugby Summer Camps – Venues, Dates & Cost

Leinster Rugby has confirmed there will be Summer Camps in 2021 – We have dates & costs for the 29 venues around the province.

Leinster Rugby has confirmed that the Bank of Ireland Leinster Rugby Summer Camps will take place later this summer in 29 venues around the province.

Inclusion camps will also be taking place simultaneously in five of our clubs.

Subject to a green light from Government and NPHET, these camps will run in a Covid-19 compliant manner in 29 venues across the province with 37 camps in total taking place during July and August.

Our summer camp programme is aimed at girls and boys aged between six and 12, while our inclusion camps are open to all children with disabilities aged between eight and 12.

Due to the ongoing pandemic and with the health and safety of attendees and staff of paramount importance, our camps will run similar to last summer, with a number of changes to the camps from previous years and these were also outlined this morning:

The summer camps will be held from 9.30am-1pm over five days and the inclusion camp over three days from 10.30am-12.30am. A daily Covid-19 health sign-off will be required.

For a full list of camp venues and dates, click here.

The camps will be offered on a modified basis and there will be changes to the rugby activities made accordingly with Government guidelines at the time of the camps.

There will be no visit from professional Leinster Rugby players.

Leinster Rugby is committed to providing a fun and safe environment for those in attendance as well as those working on the camps, and once your place on a camp has been confirmed a full overview of the camp arrangements for your venue will be communicated in advance of the first day.

Speaking this morning Ray McCabe, Bank of Ireland Leinster Rugby Summer Camps Manager, said, “The last year has been hugely challenging for us all but we are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel and we are delighted to announce that the Bank of Ireland Leinster Rugby Summer Camps will once again be in our clubs and be available to both girls and boys.

“The recent Government announcement that our young players will be allowed to return to play later this month gave everyone a huge lift and it allowed us to start planning for the summer ahead. It was important for us as a club to offer as much rugby to as many kids and in as many areas as possible.

“As a result, we will host 37 camps in 29 different venues across the province, five of which will be our inclusion camps where we will be catering for children with additional needs. All camps will have qualified coaches, while we will also have SNAs to support each inclusion camp.”

All of the Bank of Ireland Leinster Rugby Summer Camps will continue to work within the Government guidelines in place but will of course focus on them playing rugby in a fun environment.

McCabe continued, “The biggest focus on our camps has always been to create a fun and safe environment. The kids have missed out on so much rugby throughout this pandemic, so we want to get the kids back into our clubs feeling part of it again, making new friends and doing all of this while playing rugby.

“Just like last year’s camps, each venue will be Covid-19 compliant. All players and coaches will have to complete a daily health check form before taking part in any activities.

“Every parent or guardian will also receive an information booklet prior to the camp starting with all
the details and the protocols outlined but of course should anyone have any concerns they are free to contact us directly and we will do our very best to reassure them.”

To provide further certainty to participants, Leinster Rugby is committed to reviewing its protocols on an ongoing basis in line with Government and HSE advice and, should a camp be cancelled due to new advice received, a full refund will, of course, be provided.

The Bank of Ireland Leinster Rugby Summer Camps are open to girls and boys aged six to 12 and are run by fully accredited IRFU coaches.

Each camp runs Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 1.00pm and participants will receive a Leinster Rugby goodie bag including an adidas t-shirt and a Rhino rugby ball.

There is an early-bird discount in place which will expire on Friday, 21 May.

Before this date each camp costs €75, the cost thereafter will be €90.

The Bank of Ireland Leinster Rugby Inclusion Camps will be run in five venues this summer:

  • Greystones
  • Mullingar
  • Navan
  • Coolmine
  • Newbridge

They are run by fully accredited IRFU coaches and special needs assistants. Our inclusion camps are open to all children with disabilities aged between eight to 12.

The inclusion camps will be run over three days, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 10.30am-12.30pm and will cost €60, while camp participants will also receive an adidas camp t-shirt, Rhino rugby ball and drawstring boot bag.

Full details on our summer camp programmes can be found here.

Preview of Cheltenham Wednesday – Evan Williams, Henry Oliver and Emma Lavelle

CHELTENHAM RACEDAY PREVIEW: Dr Richard Newland, Evan Williams, Henry Oliver, and Emma Lavelle Assess their chances on day one of The April Meeting.

Henry Oliver has reported The Big Bite to be in “good order” as he bids to sign off his season on a high in Wednesday’s feature at Cheltenham, the Grade Two Ballymore Silver Trophy Handicap Chase.

The eight year old looked likely to win last month’s Grade Three Greatwood Gold Cup at Newbury before hanging left on the run-in and Oliver is hopeful that his charge can build on that run with another good performance here.

He said: “He ran a creditable race off his mark last time and unfortunately it just didn’t all go to plan. Once he hit the rail (at Newbury) he straightened up but obviously his chance had gone by then, but he’s come back in really good order and he’s good to go again.

“The track here is a bit of an unknown, he has run there once before, but most of his form is on flat galloping tracks. His owners were keen to see if he handled the track just for future reference so we can make a bit of a plan for next year.

“It was pretty decent ground at Newbury the last day so I don’t see why this ground wouldn’t suit. He’s not had a busy season and seems to have come out of his last start well – he has a 4lbs higher mark here but the form is working out well and he’s in good order.”

Oliver also sends out the popular veteran Singlefarmpayment in the sixth race, the Weatherite Handicap Chase. The 11 year has been a regular fixture in competitive handicaps over the years and picked up his first success since December 2016 when winning at Ascot last month.

His trainer is now hopeful the gelding will have gained some confidence from that run last month and said: “He had his day last time and we were delighted for the old boy.

“Adrian gave him a lovely ride and everything came together and he won nicely to be fair to him. Hopefully that’s given the horse a bit of confidence and he seems bright and well this morning.

“The handicapper has been fair to him by putting him up 4lbs for that win and I think looking at some of his really good form he is well in. Hopefully he’s got a little bit of confidence now he’s got his head in front and he can go well again.”

One runner who is proving popular in the betting for tomorrow’s feature race – the Ballymore Silver Trophy Handicap Chase – is the Evan Williams-trained Coole Cody, who will be bidding to sign off a fine first season over fences on a high.

The 10 year old was an impressive winner of the Grade Three Paddy Power Gold Cup at the November Meeting, and Williams is hopeful that his runner can give another good account of himself here.

He said: “He’s been in great form all year and his Festival run was fantastic when you look at how well the winner ran at Aintree last week.

“He’s been a great horse this year and winning the Paddy Power Gold Cup was brilliant, so whatever he does he’ll always be the Paddy Power winner. He’s done very well for us and hopefully he runs well again.”

Williams also sends out Winds Of Fire in the Kingston Stud Handicap Hurdle and is hopeful that the drop back to two and a half miles will play into the hands of his six year old.

He said: “He’s had a good solid season. He’s found one or two horses a bit too good for him at times but he’s been going the right way and we just thought it was worth upping him in class off a featherweight because he has been so progressive this year.

“I think a stiff two and a half (miles) is probably his ideal trip – he’s got a good racing weight and although it’s a very competitive race, if he handles the track he’s got a good chance.”

Also represented in the feature race is the Emma Lavelle team, who send out Manofthemountain. The eight year old bounced back to form with a good effort to finish second at Kempton Park on the back of a break last month and his trainer is hopeful that this assignment will suit him.

She said: “He’s come out of his last run great and he probably just took a blow at the back of the second last on what was his first run after a winter break.

“He will definitely have come on from that. He loves to jump and travel and although his winning has been done over three miles I think round Cheltenham with the hill I think it could play to his strengths. He didn’t get home when we ran him over further so I’m looking forward to seeing him run tomorrow.”

Lavelle also runs The Domino Effect in the Jockey Club Cheltenham and South West Syndicate Handicap Hurdle, a horse who opened his account over hurdles in good style at Chepstow last month.

His trainer feels he deserves to take his chance in this competitive heat now switched back to handicap company and said: “He’d knocked on the door a few times and has been a bit of a slow learner, so it has all started to come together and I think the cheekpieces probably helped him at Chepstow.

“He travelled well, jumped well and won the race nicely, but clearly going from novice company to handicapping is a big change and hopefully over three miles it will give him time to travel and jump and we’ll see where we are with him. Chasing will be his game next season, but he deserves a crack at a nice race like this.”

Elsewhere on the card, Dr Richard Newland is due to have three runners, including Captain Tom Cat in the Kingston Stud Handicap Hurdle. The six year old racked up a hat-trick on good ground in the early part of the season and his handler is hopeful of a good run here after being given a mid-season break.

He said: “He’s in good form. He’s been trained for the race and I think he probably wants better ground, we obviously had a very good season, had a nice break to freshen him up and the plan will be to go for the handicap hurdle tomorrow and then almost certainly we’ll be going novice chasing fairly soon after.

“He should hopefully go well – there’s no easy race at Cheltenham as we know, but he’s in good form and he’s ready to go. Cillin (Leonard, jockey) knows the horse well and has lots of confidence on him, so I hope he’ll run a really good race.”

Newland also sends out Aaron Lad in the Jockey Club Cheltenham and South West Syndicate Handicap Hurdle, who will be able to line up off a nice racing weight with his jockey Cillin Leonard taking off a useful 7lbs.

His trainer added: “He’s come out of the Newbury run really well. He had a little niggly problem at the start of the season and we’ve just been playing a bit of catch up to get out there, so we’ve decided to go over hurdles just for now.

“He ran a solid race last time, he’s trained nicely and he’s a really genuine animal. He’s been high enough in the weights and I’m pleased they’ve dropped him 3lbs here. The reason I’ve taken 7lbs off is purely to give every chance to the horse and he’s won round there before so we’ll have a go.”

Heineken & Challenge Cup Semi-finals – Kick-off times and TV coverage

It’s the 1st and 2nd of May for the Heineken & Challenge Semi-finals – we have kick-off times, and TV coverage announced

Four-time winners, Toulouse, will go head-to-head with Heineken Champions Cup semi-final debutants, Bordeaux-Begles at Stade Ernest Wallon, live on BT Sport and free-to-air on Channel 4 and Virgin Media, in the first of the high-profile matches on Saturday, 1 May.

The second semi-final clash featuring La Rochelle, similarly appearing at this stage for the first time in their history, and another four-time champion in Leinster Rugby, goes ahead at Stade Marcel Deflandre on Sunday, 2 May live on BT Sport.

In the Challenge Cup, old rivals in European competition, Leicester Tigers and Ulster Rugby, meet at Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Friday, 30 April, and the following evening, Bath Rugby host Montpellier at the Recreation Ground with both semi-finals live on BT Sport.

HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP semi-finals
(All kick-offs local time)

Saturday 1 May
Toulouse v Bordeaux-Bègles, Stade Ernest Wallon (16.00)
beIN SPORTS / BT Sport / FR 2 / C4 / Virgin Media

Sunday 2 May
La Rochelle v Leinster Rugby, Stade Marcel Deflandre (16.00)
FR 2 / beIN SPORTS / BT Sport

Heineken Champions Cup final: Saturday 22 May

CHALLENGE CUP semi-finals
(All kick-offs local time)

Friday 30 April
Leicester Tigers v Ulster Rugby, Mattioli Woods Welford Road (20.00)
BT Sport / beIN SPORTS

Saturday 1 May
Bath Rugby v Montpellier, Recreation Ground (20.00)
BT Sport / beIN SPORTS / FR 4

Challenge Cup final: Friday 21 May