Darragh Kenny and Eddy Blue win in USA

Offaly’s Darragh Kenny won at the five-star show in Bridgetown, USA, over the weekend.

On Saturday evening Darragh Kenny and the 11-year-old bay gelding Eddy Blue claimed victory in the 1.50m $78,000 Hampton Classic Speed Cup, jumping clear in 69.27 seconds. USA’s McLain Ward took second place in a time of 69.68 seconds, while Ireland’s Conor Swail was third with Vital Chance de la Roque.

The combination had taken the runner-up spot in the 1.45m Speed Stakes on Thursday. They jumped a foot-perfect clear round to stop the clock in 31.95 seconds, just behind Rene Dittmer in 31.18 seconds.

In Sunday’s 1.60m CSI5* Grand Prix Kenny was seventh with Chic Chic, while in the 1.45m CSI2* Grand Prix four Irish riders finished inside the top six. Conor Swail took the runner-up spot behind Nayel Nasser for Egypt. Riding the 16-year-old gelding Count Me In, Swail and Count Me In were double clear to finish less than a second behind Nasser.

Irish rider Philip McGuane completed the podium, riding the nine-year-old mare Orphea HQ; Jonathan Corrigan was fifth with the nine-year-old mare Oaky Flandria, while Conor O’Regan and Mendini DR came home in sixth place.

Investigation Underway: Alleged Assault on Sky Sports Pundit Roy Keane

An alleged assault on Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane has triggered a police investigation in England.

The incident occurred in the aftermath of Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium. Sky Sports has confirmed that fellow pundit Micah Richards attempted to intervene and “defuse” the situation. Here’s a closer look at the unfolding situation and the ongoing investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

The Incident and Immediate Fallout:

Following Arsenal’s triumph over Manchester United, an incident unfolded that took the sports community by surprise. The alleged assault on Roy Keane occurred just moments before footage of the incident began circulating on social media. This swift dissemination of the incident sparked public outcry and prompted law enforcement to take action.

Micah Richards’ Intervention:

In a commendable display of sportsmanship, Micah Richards, a fellow Sky Sports pundit, stepped in to try and deescalate the situation. His quick response to intervene and prevent further harm highlighted the importance of maintaining a safe and respectful environment within the sports industry.

The Metropolitan Police Investigation:

While no arrests have been made at this time, the Metropolitan Police have launched a thorough investigation into the alleged assault that took place after the match on Sunday. This development underscores the seriousness of the incident and the commitment of the authorities to ensure justice is served.

Impact on the Sports Community:

The alleged assault on Roy Keane has left a lasting impact on the sports community, raising questions about the safety and security of pundits and personnel within the industry. As the investigation progresses, it serves as a reminder of the need to address such incidents and maintain a zero-tolerance policy for violence in sports.

Confirming the incident, a Sky Sports spokeswoman said: “We understand the police are investigating an alleged assault by a member of the public immediately preceding the footage circulating on social media.

Conclusion

As the investigation into the alleged assault on Roy Keane continues, the sports world watches closely, hoping for a swift resolution and a renewed commitment to fostering a safe and respectful environment within the industry. This incident serves as a stark reminder that violence has no place in sports, and it is essential to ensure the well-being of all individuals associated with the game.

A history of heartbreak – 1991 Rugby World Cup

Some background

The 1991 tournament was originally supposed to be hosted solely by France. This soon changed due to political wrangling and horse-trading between the Five Nations sides. Political and financial wheeling and dealing led to Marcel Martin of the FFR (Fédération Française de Rugby) declaring that the French were incapable of hosting the tournament on their own. As a result, the games were shared out between the five home countries. Each of the unions got a share of the pie.

From an Irish perspective, this was positive news, both financially for the IRFU, and also for the national team. They would now play two of their pool games at their home venue. Landsdowne Road was also nominated to host a quarter-final and semi-final for the tournament, while Ravenhill would host the pool match.

Pool Two

Ciarán Fitzgerald’s side were drawn in Pool 2 alongside Scotland, Japan and Zimbabwe. Ireland easily dispatched Zimbabwe in their pool opener by 55-11. In a one sided match they were 33-0 ahead at the break before taking their foot off the gas somewhat in the second half. They ran in eight tries to Zimbabwe’s two. Tries from David Curtis, Simon Geoghegan, a brace from Nick Popplewell and four tries from no.8 Brian Robinson as well as four conversions and five penalties from Ralph Keyes gave Ireland a 44 point win. (A Try was still worth 4 points at the 1991 World Cup, the change to five points didn’t happen until an IRFU board meeting in April 1992).

Three days later Ireland were back in action against Japan. Two tries from Connacht back row Noel Mannion and one apiece from fellow back rower Pat O’Hara and full back Jim Staples along with two conversions and four penalties from Keyes saw Ireland win by 32-16.

The Scots had home advantage at Murrayfield for the pool decider between the two sides. Scotland had also enjoyed one sided wins in their other matches, running in a combined fifteen tries in their 47-9 win over Japan and 51-12 victory against Zimbabwe.

It was Ireland’s third game in nine days, but there was no shortage of motivation, as the winners of this game would clinch pool 2 and secure an easier route to the semi-final. Thanks to Western Samoa’s shock 16-13 win over Wales at the Cardiff Arms park earlier in the tournament the little Pacific nation had already sealed the second qualifying spot form Pool 3 and would face the winner of the Pool 2 clash between Scotland and Ireland, while Australia who topped Pool 3 awaited the second place side from our pool.

The first half went well for Fitzgerald’s men and three penalties and a sweetly struck drop goal from Ralph Keyes off his left foot saw Ireland lead 12-9 at the break. Scotland’s first half points came from two Gavin Hastings penalties and a Craig Chalmers drop goal. Keyes extended that advantage to six points with another penalty after the resumption. However, that was to be the last score for Ireland as the Scots dominated the remainder of the game. Tries from Gary Armstrong and Graham Shiel saw the home-side win by 24-15.

Another crack at the Aussies in a quarter

Thanks to the way the schedule fell Ireland had eight days to recover from that Murrayfield defeat before hosting the hotly fancied Aussies at Lansdowne Road. The southern hemisphere nation were considered to be fitter, faster, stronger and better drilled and were expected to advance easily to the semi-finals. They had a team full of household names such as Tim Horan, Phil Kerins, John Eales, Nick Farr-Jones, Michael Lynagh & David Campese. Incidentally on the Australian bench that day was Ireland’s current high performance director David Nucifora.

The match started along expected lines as David Campese waltzed in for an early Aussie try after 16minutes which duly converted by Michael Lynagh and Ireland were 0-6 behind. However, Australia failed to build on their early lead and in a repeat of their 1987 meeting scrum-half and captain Nick Farr-Jones had to be replaced inside the first twenty minutes after picking up a recurrence of a knee ligament injury.

A Ralph Keyes penalty halved the deficit for the Irish on 24 minutes and then another strike from Keyes levelled up the game at 6 apiece before the break.

A penalty from Lynagh edged Australia back in front early in the second half, but the Aussie’s couldn’t pull away from a tenacious Irish side, who’s ferocious tackling and superb work rate constantly disrupted the flow of the Australian side. A Ralph Keyes drop goal, this time off his right foot, levelled up the game at 9-9 after 50 minutes.

A second David Campese try after a nice loop move by Jason Little off the back of a scrum gave the Australian’s the lead once again and after Lynagh converted they were ahead by 6 points, Ireland then had their best spell of the game as Jim Clarke was twice denied in the corner by last ditch Campese tackles. Another Keyes penalty ate into the Australian lead and Lansdowne erupted on 74 minutes, when Ireland took the lead for the first time in the match after Ballymena flanker Gordon Hamilton burst onto a pop pass from Jim Clarke to race home from 40 meters out.

After Keyes converted Ireland had a scarcely believable 18-15 lead against their highly rated opponents as the clock ticked into the last five minutes. But just as the Lansdowne Road faithful started to believe that their side were on the brink of history, a last minute Michael Lynagh try broke Irish hearts.

After Ireland’s exit…..

So for the second tournament in succession, albeit in very different circumstances to their previous hammering in Ballymore in ‘87, Ireland had lost out to the mighty Australians at the quarter-final stage. The Australian team were relieved to survive such a close shave and they would subsequently go on to lift the trophy after a 12-6 win over England in the final at Twickenham.

A History of heartbreak – 1987 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand

16 Participants

As one of the founder members of the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB), Ireland automatically qualified for the first Rugby World Cup. The hosts Australia and New Zealand along with other four board members were England, Scotland, Wales, and France were also guaranteed a place. South Africa also had a seat on the IRFB board but were not invited due to a sporting embargo caused by the pro-apartheid policies of their government.

The IRFB also issued invitations to nice associate members to bring the tournament total up to 16 teams. Argentina, Canada, Fiji, Italy, Japan, Romania, Tonga, United States and Zimbabwe all made the trip to Australia and New Zealand for the inaugural competition.

Pool Two

Ireland were drawn in Pool 2 alongside Wales, Canada and Tonga. However, disaster struck before their opening game. Ireland’s coach and former international player, Mick Doyle, suffered a heart attack at the opening dinner in New Zealand. He was admitted to hospital in Auckland to recover, but the Kerryman made a good recovery and was back in charge before the end of the Pool stages.

Ireland lost their opener to the Welsh on the 25th May in Wellington by 6-13, Mark Ring got the only try of the game for the Welsh and two Jonathan Davies drop goals made sure of the result. Ireland’s scores coming from two Michael Kiernan penalties.

Five days later they were in action again, this time in Dunedin against Canada. It was to prove a comfortable 46-19 win for the Irish. Keith Crossan (2), Michael Bradley, Brian Spillane, Trevor Ringland and Hugo MacNeill accounting for the tally of seven Irish tries. Michael Kiernan converted five of the tries and also added two penalties. The Canadian hooker, Mark Cardinal, crossed for their only try, while Wasps player Gareth Rees kicked three penalties and a drop-goal.

Before their final pool game against Tonga on the 3rd of June, the Irish squad had to move camp from the South Island of New Zealand to Brisbane in Australia. The Irish enjoyed another convincing win in front of only 4,000 at a rather empty-looking Ballymore. Irish Centre, Brendan Mullin, ran in a hat-trick of tries and Hugo McNeill added another two, as the Irish outscored their Tongan opponents 5 tries to nil. Three conversions and two penalties from Tony Ward also added gloss to Ireland’s 32-9 win.

Our first Quater-Final exit

Second spot in Pool 2 gave Ireland a tough quarter-final assignment against the winners of Pool 1. In the key match in that pool the co-hosts Australia had beaten England 19-6 to seal top spot, so it was off to Sydney to take on the formidable challenge of a quick and skillful Aussie side.

Ireland were up against and needed a good start against their more illustrious opponents. Unfortunately, it was the home side who struck first after there minutes. A fired up Philip Matthews launched himself into the air in an attempt to block down Nick Farr-Jones’ garryowen and as he turned his body away from Farr-Jones he caught him square in the face with his hip. Match referee Scotland’s Brain Anderson awarded a penalty to the home side, which Michael Lynagh duly converted. An illustration of how refereeing has changed since 1987 is illustrated by the fact that a carbon copy of this incident saw CJ Stander receive a straight red card after catching Patrick Lambie under almost identical circumstances during Ireland’s 2016 tour to South Africa.

The injured Nick Farr-Jones was replaced at scrum-half soon after by Brian Smith, who would later go on to represent Ireland. Andy McIntyre got the games first try after both Michael Bradley and Hugo McNeill spurned chances to clear the ball. The substitute Smith added a second try off the back of a five-meter scrum a few minutes later. Shortly after the scoreline got worse from an Irish perspective, when their defence was torn open by Matthew Burke for a third Aussie try. At half-time, Ireland were 24-0 behind and a rout was on the cards.

Another Lynagh penalty after the break increased Australia’s lead to 27 points. Ireland finally broke their duck when Michael Kiernan converted a penalty to take the bare look off the scoreboard. Quick hands from the Australian backline saw Matthew Burke cross for his second try before a late mini-revival from the Irish side. Hugo MacNeill gave the travelling fans something to cheer about with cheeky dummy creating space after a cleverly worked move off the back of a tap and go penalty from 5 meters out. Ireland added a second try late in the game from Michael Kiernan, which came after a great bursting drive from prop Phillip Orr and a strong carry from Phillip Matthews. The final score read Australia 33 Ireland 15

Little did we know at the time, but a quarter-final exit was to become a familiar theme for Irish rugby.

After Ireland’s exit….

The Australians fell at the next hurdle, as the hosts went down by 24-30 against the French in the semi-finals. While in the other semi-final, our pool opponents Wales suffered a heavy 49-6 defeat to the All-Blacks.

New Zealand became the first side to lift the Webb-Ellis Cup after defeating France 29-9 in front of their home crowd at Eden Park, Aukland. Grant Fox was the star of the show with a conversion, a drop-goal and four penalties.

Ireland’s Rugby World Cup adventures – A history of Heartbreak

A brief history of the Rugby World Cup

Despite the origins of the game dating back over 164 years and the governing body the IRB being formed in Dublin in 1886, we had to wait until 1987 for the first formally organised Rugby World Cup to take place.

There are many political and sporting reasons why the event took one hundred and one years to organise.

The Origins

Allegedly, the origins of the sport began in the town of Rugby in the English Midlands in 1823, when a certain young gentleman by the name of William Webb Ellis decided to pick up the ball and run with it. The rest, as they say, is history. The trophy that the twenty best teams in the world will compete for in France over the next two months bears his moniker as a testament to his legacy.

Before 1885 the laws of the game were still somewhat up for dispute. After a contentious try in a game between England and Scotland, the English claimed that as they founded the game they should be the final arbitrator of any disputes. Unsurprisingly this was not acceptable to the home unions of Scotland, Ireland and Wales. The trio met in Dublin in 1886 to formalise the rules and set up the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB), the English RFU eventually relented and joined in 1890.

The Split

During the next decade, the game underwent a form of civil war as the ruling bodies of the game wished to remain amateur, while a large portion of the players in working-class regions wished to be compensated for loss of earnings due to matches clashing with their normal working hours. This led to a split within the game which became known as ‘the great schism and led to the creation of two separate codes, Rugby League and Rugby Union.

Global Spread

The spread of the game internationally was due largely to the British Army and British Navy. Teams were established in British colonial outposts. The spread to other countries by ex-pats was somewhat slower. In the commonwealth countries of Australia, South Africa and particularly New Zealand the game spread quickly, while in tropical areas such as India and the West Indies, the slower tempo of Cricket was more suited to the climate.

Rugby at the Olympics

In 1900 Rugby was introduced at the second running of the modern Olympics. This was thanks in no small part to the lobbying by the father of the modern Olympics, Baron Pierre de Coubertin. It helped that the Baron was a huge rugby fan. De Coubertain himself refereed the first-ever game in the domestic French Club Championships in 1892. Only three countries sent teams to the games held in Paris.

France, Germany and Great Britain contested the games and the French went home with the Gold medal.

Rugby wasn’t part of the 1904 games in St.Louis, but returned for the 1908 games in London. There were also only two teams this time around Australia and Great Britain. The Wallabies lifted the title. It was 1920 before Rugby was included again and an American side made up of players from Stanford, Berkeley and Santa Clara Universities lifted the crown in Antwerp, Belguim. The 1924 Olympics games was, to date, the last time rugby was included as a 15 a-side game. The US defeated the hosts France in the final in front of 21,00 in Colombes and the disgruntled locals invaded the pitch on the final whistle.

In 1925 Baron Pierre de Coubertin stepped down as head of the Olympic movement, the IRB had never encouraged their members to participate in the games and the lack of support led to the end of the sports involvement with the Olympics until the sevens version of the game was reintroduced in Brazil in 2016.

The ‘Originals’

Around the same time as the Olympic Games was being revived, rugby-playing countries began to send representative sides on ‘tours’ to other rugby nations. The most famous of these sides was the 1905 ‘Original All-Blacks’ led by Donegal man Dave Gallaher. Born in Ramelton, as David Gallagher he moved to New Zealand with his parents while still a child. In 1895 he joined Ponsonby Rugby club and went on to play in New Zealand’s first-ever test match, against Australia in Sydney in 1903.

The ‘Originals’ played 35 games in the British Isles, France and the USA during a span of six months from September 1905 to January 1906. They lost only one of these (0-3 against Wales at Cardiff Arms Park) and scored 976 points while conceding only 59. Their 15-0 win over England at Crystal Palace drew a then record crowd estimated to be 100,000. It was during this tour that they picked up the All-Blacks tag.

Disputed governance globally

The logistics of long-distance travel in the early part of the century were slow and costly. Touring teams went from one hemisphere to another for long spells. They needed to play multiple games to justify the travel. The success of both the Olympics and FIFA’s football World Cups had shown that the public interest was there for major sporting events. However, the politics of the governing bodies and the fact that Rugby was played at different times of the year in the two different hemispheres delayed the development of a Rugby equivalent.

The ‘Home Unions’ of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales had been slow to include other countries in the governance of the game. They felt that they were the guardians of the amateur principles upon which the game was founded.

Despite the success of various southern hemisphere touring sides, it wasn’t until 1948 that the Australian Rugby Union, New Zealand Rugby Football Union and South Africa Rugby Board joined the IRFB. The French Federation joined in 1978 and it wasn’t until after they had already held the first World Cup in 1987 that Italy, Argentina, Canada and Japan were invited to join in 1991.

Plans for a World Cup

Harold Tolhurst, a former Australian winger and a test match referee, was among the first to formally propose a Rugby World Cup. In the early 1960’s he suggested that Australia host a month long tournament to find a world champion between the four sides from Great Britain, France, South Africa, New Zealand and the hosts. But in 1968 the IRFB stated that they forbade their member countries from participating in any such tournament. As recently as 1983 the IRB (International Rugby Board) stated that ‘the concept found no support’. Among the principal objections was the fact that the IRB did not want such a tournament to be run by commercial operators as they feared this would encroach on their ‘amateur ethos’.

But as Bob Dylan might have said, the times they were a-changin’. The 1981 Springboks tour to New Zealand saw riots outside the grounds as the Apartheid regime came under the spotlight. Isolation from the rest of the rugby world led the South African board (SARB) to propose a professional game. Meanwhile, there was a dispute in Australia as nine members of their squad to play New Zealand refused to travel. They argued that the daily allowance offered was too small. In 1983 David Lord, an Australian entrepreneur, proposed a professional league along the same lines as Kerry Packer’s successful Cricket league.

The increasing commercialisation and popularity of other sports in traditional rugby areas as well as the advent of sports television and the associated earning potential led the power brokers of the game into a rethink. At a meeting in 1984 it was agreed to conduct a feasibility study into holding a Rugby World Cup. The feedback this time was positive and at a meeting held in Paris in 1985 a vote was taken. The ‘Home Nations’ were still initially opposed, with the southern hemisphere powers and France in favour of a global tournament. After an initial tied vote, John Kendall-Carpenter of England was won over and changed his vote as did his Welsh counterpart on hearing of the change, so it was now a 10-6 vote in favour of a World Cup. The tournament was to be held jointly by Australia and New Zealand from 22 May – 20 June 1987.

In part two of the story I’ll take a look at Ireland’s record in the first World Cup in Australia in 1987.

For further reading on the history of the Rugby World Cup and the origins of the game take look at the following links:

https://web.archive.org/web/20060414193531/http://www.worldcupweb.com/WCrugby/history.asp

https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/1987-rugby-world-cup/the-world-cup-is-born

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gallaher-s-great-legacy-brought-home-at-last-1.547030

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_World_Cup

Three NFL Teams You Should Consider Supporting as A European NFL Fan

The Irish aren’t short of sports to cheer on. Gaelic football, Rugby, Soccer, and Hurling have been popular for generations, and they will continue to be exactly that.

However, in recent years, a newer obsession has made its way to the Emerald Isle.

No, Conor McGregor, we’re not talking to you. Although you have made MMA more popular than ever despite your recent decline. No, we are of course referring to American Football.

If you weren’t aware, the NFL returns to our screens on September 10th as the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs raise the curtain against an underdog Detroit Lions side that isn’t afraid of upsetting the apple cart. Patrick Mahomes’ side secured a second Lombardi in five seasons last term when they came from behind to pip the Philadelphia Eagles to the trophy at Super Bowl LVII inside Phoenix’s State Farm Stadium. They are the favourites for glory once again next term however, they will have plenty of competitors vying for their crown.

Their main threat also plies its trade in the AFC conference. Ever since making quarterback Joe Burrow the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, the Cincinnati Bengals have been gunning for a maiden Lombardi, and the 2023 season will be no different. They have reached the AFC Championship game in each of the last two seasons, trading wins with the aforementioned Chiefs, with the Ohio-based side winning the first and the reigning champions winning the second earlier this year.

As a European NFL fan, you could do much worse than selecting the Bengals as your team for the upcoming campaign. However, if you are still undecided, here are three teams whose colours you should consider wearing every weekend between September and February.

Kansas City Chiefs

Let’s face it, the Irish love supporting the favourites. Just take a look at soccer for example. You’re much more likely to find a supporter of Liverpool or Manchester United on the streets of Dublin than you are Shamrock Rovers. If that sounds like you, then the Kansas City Chiefs are the team for you.

Andy Reid’s men have reached at least the AFC Championship game in each of the last five seasons. They have converted three of those appearances into trips to the Super Bowl and twice converted said trip into a Lombardi Trophy triumph. If you are into fast-paced high-scoring games, the Missouri-based outfit might be your team of choice.

Led by superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs play an offensive style of football that’s hard to beat. Since The former Texas Tech standout took over, the team has gone from strength to strength and is approaching dynasty-like status. As we have mentioned, they are the favourites for glory once more this season, and it will take a herculean effort to stop them from becoming the first team in almost two decades to win back-to-back Super Bowls.

Green Bay Packers

If you are looking for a team with a storied history and a passionate fanbase, you might want to cheer for the Green Bay Packers. The Wisconsin side is one of the NFL’s oldest and most iconic franchises, and their devoted fanbase stretches across generations. Their playing style favors cold-weather games, where they use their running game and defense to their advantage.

This year, they will need all the help they can get. They missed out on the playoffs on the final day of last season following a humbling defeat on home turf at the hands of the rival Detroit Lions. And if that wasn’t bad enough, this season will be their first in 15 years without iconic quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has been traded to the New York Jets.

Buffalo Bills

Lastly, if you’re looking for a team with a comeback story, consider becoming a Buffalo Bills fan. The Highmark Stadium outfit has a large, enthusiastic fanbase, and while they haven’t been to the Super Bowl since the early 90s, they’ve shown signs of improvement in recent years thanks to the drafting of talented quarterback Josh Allen.

The Bills play a hard-nosed style of football, which has led them to become a perennial playoff team. They remain the only team in NFL history to reach four consecutive Super Bowls however, they inexplicably lost all four and remain without a Lombardi Trophy in their baren looking trophy cabinet. If you love to root for the underdog, the Bills are the perfect fit.

Conclusion

As a European NFL fan, there are many great teams to support in the NFL. The New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New Orleans Saints, are just a few other suggestions should the ones we have highlighted not take your fancy. Each team we have mentioned however has its unique history, traditions, and fan culture, which make them exciting to support.

Ireland’s Rugby World Cup adventures – A history of Heartbreak

The 10th edition of the Rugby World Cup will kick-off on Friday night when the hosts welcome the All-Blacks to Stade de France (RTE2 8:15pm). Ireland’s own tournament gets underway the following afternoon in Bordeaux as Andy Farrell’s men take on underdogs Romania. Tonga are next up in Nantes a week later, before the probable pool decider against the Springboks in Paris on Saturday 23rd September. The final pool game is once again at the Stade de France two weeks later against Six Nations rivals Scotland.

Ireland have never entered a World Cup tournament in such a promising position. The grand slam was secured with a victory over England at Lansdowne Road on the 18th of March. They are the number one ranked side in the world and are unbeaten in 13 matches. Despite all that, there is a nagging feeling that our quarter-final curse will strike again. As a nation our track record at the sports premier tournament is unfortunately one of underachievement.

In this series, I’ll take a look back at Ireland’s track record at the previous nine tournaments. For the sake of context, I’ll first take a look at why the sport took so long to organise a global tournament. Over a hundred years passed from the formation of the International game until the first World Cup was held in Australia in 1987.

Then in the following nine parts, I’ll go tournament by tournament looking at each from an Irish perspective.

Origins of the Rugby World Cup

2007 Rugby World Cup

2011 Rugby World Cup

2015 Rugby World Cup

2019 Rugby World Cup

Smilla Soenderby wins dramatic KPMG Women’s Irish Open

Trophy — Smilla Soenderby won the KPMG Women's Irish Open at Dromoland Castle. Credit: Breandán Ó hUallacháin.

Smilla Soenderby won the KPMG Women’s Irish Open in dramatic fashion at Dromoland Castle on Sunday evening.

Having shot an incredible final round of 62, the Dane found herself in a play-off with Sweden’s Lisa Pettersson, who carded a final round of 68, and third-round leader Anna van Dam from the Netherlands, who shot a 71 on Sunday.

With the play-off on the 18th hole, Petterson found herself just off the green. Van Dam was nicely placed on the green before an excellent shot from Soenderby left her with an opportunity for an eagle.

The 23-year-old Dane achieved an eagle, and with her two opponents failing to match her, Soenderby claimed her first Ladies European Tour victory.

Leona Maguire finished best of the Irish players in joint-14th place. Her 71 left her eight shots off the winning score.

Despite some early birdies in her final round, the Cavan golfer could never quite breach the gap between herself and the top of the leaderboard.

Sarah Byrne was the leading amateur, four shots behind Maguire. The Douglas golfer signed for a 70 on Sunday. Beth Coulter was a shot behind, having carded a 71.

A disappointing 75 for Olivia Mehaffy in her final round saw her finish on one-under for the tournament, the same score as Kate Lanigan.

Outright and Group Betting Preview for the 2023 Rugby World Cup

Betting Preview for the 2023 Rugby World Cup: Top Seeds Ireland Face Tough Challenge

As the highly anticipated 2023 Rugby World Cup approaches, fans and sports enthusiasts are eagerly analyzing the odds and placing their bets on the teams that they believe will emerge victorious. With Ireland leading the pack as World Number one, expectations are high.

However, their path to glory is laden with challenges, including a difficult group stage and the prospect of facing formidable opponents in the knockout stages including France/New Zealand.

In this betting preview, we will delve into the odds and prospects of the teams vying for rugby’s ultimate prize.

Outright Betting 2023 Rugby World Cup:

The outright betting odds for the 2023 Rugby World Cup reveal a closely contested competition, with several strong contenders in the mix.

The current favorites, New Zealand and France, both stand at 5/2 odds, reflecting the strength of these rugby powerhouses.

Following closely are reigning champions South Africa at 9/2, while Ireland, despite their World Number one status sit at 5/1 odds.

England and Australia are also within striking distance, with odds of 7/1 and 8/1, respectively.

Meanwhile, Argentina, Scotland, Wales, Fiji, and others face more challenging odds and can be backed at huge prices.

Group Stage Predictions:

Group A:

In Group A, hosts France (8/11) and perennial favorites New Zealand (even money) are expected to dominate. Both teams possess exceptional talent and a rich history of success, making this group a battleground for rugby supremacy. Their clash will likely determine the group winner, with the runner-up facing a challenging knockout match.

Group B:

Group B features the top-seeded Ireland (5/6), reigning champions South Africa (5/4), and Scotland (7/1). Ireland will face a stiff challenge from the Springboks, who are renowned for their physicality and strategic prowess. Scotland, although considered underdogs, cannot be underestimated. This group promises fierce competition and unpredictable outcomes. Johnny Sexton will hopefully be fit for the group matches

Group C:

Australia (3/10) enters Group C as the clear favorite, with their formidable team and impressive track record. Wales (5/2) poses a credible threat, possessing a well-rounded squad capable of causing upsets. Fiji (16/1) may prove to be a wild card, capable of surprising opponents with their flair and attacking style.

Group D:

Group D is headlined by England (1/3), the 2003 Rugby World Cup champions, who are favored to progress comfortably. Argentina (5/2) will be their primary challenger, armed with a talented squad that has shown flashes of brilliance. Japan (20/1) and other teams in the group face an uphill battle to secure qualification. Tonga at 66/1 could be the huge shock of the tournament.

Betting Advice

England look the value bet coming from the easier side of the draw at 7/1 but a small bet on their group opponents Tonga at 66/1 to top ground could be huge value.

Match betting at rugby World Cup

08 September

World Cup

France (-1) New Zealand(+1.0)

20:00 09 September

World Cup

Italy v Namibia (+27.0)