Dylan Donnellan showed he is the lineout maul maestro with a hat-trick of tries as Clontarf ended Young Munster’s unbeaten start to the Energia Men’s All-Ireland League season.

Munsters’ five-match winning run in the Energia Men’s All-Ireland League was halted by Clontarf who triumphed 33-17 in Greenfields to move to the top of Division 1A. In-form hooker Donnellan now has eight tries to his name.

A devastating lineout drive in the 10th minute propelled him over for his first score, superbly converted from out wide by Conor Kearns.

It was 21-5 by half-time as the north Dubliners continued to pack a punch up front, Donnellan was driven over on two more occasions before Jack Harrington’s try gave the Cookies a late lift.

Yellow cards for David Begley and Max Kearney preceded a ‘Tarf penalty try and a converted Dan Walsh effort at the other end.

Michael Brown’s excellent offload saw the visitors strike the killer blow in the 67th minute, as replacement Adrian D’Arcy touched down. Conor Hayes responded late on with his seventh try of the campaign.

Meanwhile, after putting it up to Munsters last time out, UCC broke their duck with a hard-earned 10-6 win at Ballynahinch. All of the points in this basement battle – including Matthew Bowen’s well-finished try – were crammed into the first quarter.

Defending champions Cork Constitution have undoubtedly hit form, this time handing UCD a 38-10 beating at Temple Hill for their third successive win. Classy centres Greg Higgins (2) and Niall Kenneally contributed three tries.

Terenure College reeled off second half tries from Levi Vaughan, Craig Adams, who had a James Lowe-esque finish, and Alan Bennie to overcome Garryowen 25-13 at Lakelands Park.

On Friday night, Lansdowne lost 27-25 on their home patch to Dublin University who watched their stand-in out-half Aran Egan arrow over a last-gasp match-winning penalty.

Two counter-attacking tries, scored by Cathal Gallagher and Paul Stack, saw Highfield win Division 1B’s top of the table clash. They beat Old Wesley 20-7, with fit-again out-half James Taylor kicking 10 points.

Ulster starlet Aaron Sexton touched down twice in Malone’s 22-21 derby defeat of Banbridge, while Andrew Willis’ 67th-minute try – his second of the game – guided City of Armagh past Naas on an 18-17 scoreline.

St. Mary’s College continued on the winning trail, edging out Old Belvedere 24-21 thanks to a smashing Ronan Watters try and some defiant late defence.

WEEKEND RESULTS:

ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE DIVISION 1A:

LANSDOWNE 25 DUBLIN UNIVERSITY 27, Aviva Stadium back pitch (played on Friday)
Scorers: Lansdowne: Tries: Peter Hastie, Mark Boyle, Eamonn Mills, Jamie Kavanagh; Con: David Moran; Pen: Peter Hastie
Dublin University: Tries: Alan Francis, Louis O’Reilly, Jamie Berrisford; Cons: Aran Egan 3; Pens: Aran Egan 2
HT: Lansdowne 13 Dublin University 14

LANSDOWNE: Stephen Madigan; Liam O’Sullivan, Paul Kiernan, Corey Reid, Andy Marks; Peter Hastie, Cormac Foley; Frank Kavanagh, Luke Thompson, JJ Hession, Joey Szpara, Jack Dwan, Clive Ross, Jack O’Sullivan (capt), Mark Boyle.

Replacements: Jamie Kavanagh, Oisin Michel, Daniel Murphy, James Kenny, Eamonn Mills, David Moran.

DUBLIN UNIVERSITY: Luis Faria; Hugh Twomey, Marcus Kiely, Gavin Jones, Ronan Quinn; Aran Egan, Louis O’Reilly; Bary Vermeulen, Mark Nicholson, Thomas Connolly, Joe McCarthy, Harry Sheridan, Anthony Ryan, Alan Francis, Diarmuid McCormack.

Replacements: Donnacha Mescal, Thomas Clarkson, Jack Dunne, Jamie Berrisford, Cormac King, Louis McDonough.

BALLYNAHINCH 6 UCC 10, Ballymacarn Park
Scorers: Ballynahinch: Pens: Jack Milligan 2
UCC: Try: Matthew Bowen; Con: Rob Hedderman; Pen: Rob Hedderman
HT: Ballynahinch 6 UCC 10

BALLYNAHINCH: Yasser Omar; Shane Ball, Tagen Strydom, Rory Butler, Aaron Cairns; Jack Milligan, Chris Gibson; John Dickson, Zack McCall (capt), Kyle McCall, James Simpson, John Donnan, Thomas Donnan, Oli Loughead, Bradley Luney.

Replacements: Nacho Cladera Crespo, Joshua Hanlon, Diego Vidal Souza, Callum Irvine, Conor McAuley, Greg Hutley.

UCC: Rob Hedderman (capt); Louis Bruce, Darragh French, Daniel Squires, Matthew Bowen; Cian Whooley, Louis Kahn; Alessandro Heaney, Scott Buckley, Corey Hanlon, Sam O’Sullivan, Mark Bissessar, Aidan Brien, Jack Kelleher, Jack O’Sullivan.

Replacements: Daniel O’Connor, Tom Ormond, Michael Cogan, Patrick McBarron, Luke Kerr, Timothy Duggan.

CORK CONSTITUTION 38 UCD 10, Temple Hill
Scorers: Cork Constitution: Tries: Niall Kenneally, Greg Higgins 2, JJ O’Neill, Cathal O’Flaherty, John Poland; Cons: Aidan Moynihan 4
UCD: Try: James Tarrant; Con: James Tarrant; Pen: Chris Cosgrave
HT: Cork Constitution 22 UCD 3

CORK CONSTITUTION: Billy Crowley; JJ O’Neill, Greg Higgins, Niall Kenneally, Rob Jermyn; Aidan Moynihan (capt), Gerry Hurley; Brendan Quinlan, Max Abbott, Paddy Casey, Cian Barry, Eoin Quilter, John Forde, Michael Casey, David Hyland.

Replacements: Jack Dinneen, Dylan Murphy, Cathal O’Flaherty, Luke Cahill, John Poland, Tomas Quinlan.

UCD: Chris Cosgrave; David Heavey, David Ryan, James Moriarty, Jack Ringrose (capt); James Tarrant, Rob Gilsenan; Chris Hennessy, Bobby Sheehan, Evin Coyle, Diarmuid Mangan, Tom Coghlan, Alec Byrne, Sean O’Brien, Ronan Foley.

Replacements: Richie Bergin, Rory Mulvihill, Rory McGuire, Jack Gardiner, Harry Donnelly, Tim Corkery.

TERENURE COLLEGE 25 GARRYOWEN 13, Lakelands Park
Scorers: Terenure College: Tries: Levi Vaughan, Alan Bennie, Craig Adams; Cons: Caolan Dooley 2; Pens: Caolan Dooley 2
Garryowen: Tries: Nicky Greene, Jamie Shanahan; Pen: Tony Butler
HT: Terenure College 6 Garryowen 5

TERENURE COLLEGE: Adam La Grue; Sam Coghlan Murray, Colm de Buitléar, Caolan Dooley, Craig Adams; Cathal Marsh, Alan Bennie; Campbell Classon, Levi Vaughan, Andy Keating, Mike Murphy, Michael Melia, Harrison Brewer, Luke Clohessy, Conall Boomer.

Replacements: Conor McCormack, Adam Tuite, Matthew Caffrey, Robert Lalor, Mark O’Neill, Jake Swaine.

GARRYOWEN: Jamie Heuston; Colm Quilligan, Bryan Fitzgerald, Jack Delaney, Jamie Shanahan; Tony Butler, Ed Barry; Mark Donnelly, Pat O’Toole, Darragh McCarthy, Roy Whelan, Kevin Seymour (capt), Nicky Greene, Daniel Feasey, Sean Rennison.

Replacements: Dylan Murphy, Michael Veale, Jack Madden, Aaron Cosgrove, Tommy O’Hora, Alan Fitzgerald.

YOUNG MUNSTER 17 CLONTARF 33, Tom Clifford Park
Scorers: Young Munster: Tries: Jack Harrington, Dan Walsh, Conor Hayes; Con: Evan Cusack
Clontarf: Tries: Dylan Donnellan 3, Penalty try, Adrian D’Arcy; Cons: Conor Kearns 3, Pen try con
HT: Young Munster 5 Clontarf 21

YOUNG MUNSTER: Patrick Campbell; Conor Hayes, Pa Ryan, Harry Fleming, Jack Harrington; Evan Cusack, Jack Lyons; David Begley, Mark O’Mara, Conor Bartley, Alan Kennedy (capt), Tom Goggin, Bailey Faloon, John Foley, Dan Walsh.

Replacements: Peter Meyer, Paul Allen, Sean Rigney, Eoin O’Connor, Adam Maher, Craig O’Hanlon.

CLONTARF: Jack Power; Michael Brown, Michael Courtney, Matt D’Arcy (capt), Seni Reilly Ashiru; Conor Kearns, Angus Lloyd; Darragh Bolger, Dylan Donnellan, Ben Griffin, Cormac Daly, Ed Kelly, Adrian D’Arcy, Max Kearney, Tony Ryan.

Replacements: Barry Gray, Ivan Soroka, Jonny Phelan, Peter Hoy, Cian O’Donoghue, Fionn Gilbert.

ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE DIVISION 1B:

HIGHFIELD 20 OLD WESLEY 7, Woodleigh Park
Scorers: Highfield: Tries: Cathal Gallagher, Paul Stack; Cons: James Taylor 2; Pens: James Taylor 2
Old Wesley: Try: Ben Burns; Con: Ian Cassidy
HT: Highfield 3 Old Wesley 0

HIGHFIELD: Luke Kingston; Gavin O’Leary, Paddy O’Toole, Mark Dorgan, Paul Stack; James Taylor, Chris Banon (capt); James Rochford, Travis Coomey, Ian McCarthy, Dave O’Connell, Fintan O’Sullivan, Ryan Murphy, Cathal Gallagher, Miah Cronin.

Replacements: Robert Murphy, Cillian Buckley, Ronan O’Sullivan, Eddie Earle, Shane O’Riordan, David O’Sullivan.

OLD WESLEY: Conor Gaston; Tommy O’Callaghan, Jack Costigan, Eoin Deegan, David Poff; Ian Cassidy, Ben Murphy; Cronan Gleeson, Ben Burns, Rob O’Donovan, JJ O’Dea, Iain McGann (capt), Paul Derham, Josh Pim, Reuben Pim.

Replacements: Robert Byrne, Sam Kenny, Alastair Hoban, Will Fay, Paddy McKenzie, Charlie O’Regan.

MALONE 22 BANBRIDGE 21, Gibson Park
Scorers: Malone: Tries: Stewart McKendrick, Aaron Sexton 2; Cons: Rory Campbell 2; Pen: Rory Campbell
Banbridge: Tries: Conor Field, Max Lyttle; Con: Adam Doherty; Pens: Adam Doherty 3
HT: Malone 12 Banbridge 8

MALONE: Aaron Sexton; Rory Campbell, David McMaster, Nathan Brown, Andy Bryans; Callum Smith, Lewis Finlay; Tommy O’Hagan, Claytan Milligan, Ricky Greenwood, Adam McNamee, Stewart McKendrick, James McAlister, Dan Kerr, Dave Cave (capt).

Replacements: Harry Andrews, Aidan McSwiggan, James Welling, Conor Spence, Shane Kelly, Ben Halliday.

BANBRIDGE: Adam Doherty; Conor Field, Joseph Finnegan, Josh Cromie, Ross Cartmill; Andrew Morrison, Neil Kilpatrick; Michael Cromie (capt), Peter Cromie, Stuart Cromie, Alex Thompson, Brendan McSorley, David O’Connor, Max Lyttle, Robin Sinton.

Replacements: Tim Savage, Josh Chambers, Matthew Laird, Alexander Weir, Aaron Kennedy, Dean Hayes.

NAAS 17 CITY OF ARMAGH 18, Forenaughts
Scorers: Naas: Try: Bryan Croke; Pens: Peter Osborne 4
City of Armagh: Tries: Andrew Willis 2; Con: Kyle Faloon; Pens: Kyle Faloon 2
HT: Naas 8 City of Armagh 11

NAAS: Peter Osborne (capt); Donal Conroy, Gary Kavanagh, Matt Stapleton, Sam Cahill; Craig Ronaldson, Connor Halpenny; Conor Doyle, John Sutton, Adam Coyle, David Benn, Paul Monahan, Cillian Dempsey, Will O’Brien, Ryan Casey.

Replacements: Connor Johnson, Peter King, Patrick O’Flaherty, Paulie Tolofua, Tim Murphy, Bryan Croke.

CITY OF ARMAGH: Kyle Faloon; Andrew Willis, Chris Colvin, Matthew Hooks, Tim McNiece (capt); Harry Boyd, Gerard Treanor; Peter Lamb, Jack Treanor, Paul Mullen, Josh McKinley, Sam Glasgow, James Hanna, Ryan O’Neill, Neil Faloon.

Replacements: Jack Sleator, Aaron Whyte, John Glasgow, Ryan Morton, Alex Johnston, Evin Crummie.

NAVAN v SHANNON, Balreask Old (Covid-19-affected match cancelled – 0-0. Both teams are awarded two points)

ST. MARY’S COLLEGE 24 OLD BELVEDERE 21, Templeville Road
Scorers: St. Mary’s College: Tries: Liam Curran, Mick O’Gara, Ronan Watters; Cons: Conor Dean 3; Pen: Conor Dean
Old Belvedere: Tries: Jerry Cahir, James McKeown; Con: Justin Leonard; Pens: Justin Leonard 3
HT: St. Mary’s College 14 Old Belvedere 10

ST. MARY’S COLLEGE: Mark Fogarty; Matt Timmons, Myles Carey, Mick O’Gara, Ruairi Shields; Conor Dean, Dave Fanagan; Daniel Lyons, Richie Halpin (capt), Mick McCormack, Liam Corcoran, Ian Wickham, Liam Curran, Niall Hurley, Ronan Watters.

Replacements: Steven O’Brien, Tom O’Reilly, David Aspil, Tim MacMahon, Aaron O’Neill, Daniel Leane.

OLD BELVEDERE: Colm Hogan; James McKeown, Robbie Deegan, Jack Gilheany, Jack Keating; Justin Leonard, Aaron Atkinson; Jerry Cahir, John McKee, Ryan McMahon, Connor Owende (capt), Fionn McWey, Paddy Dowling, Jack Breen, Tom Ryan.

Replacements: Joe Horan, Hugh Flood, Dean Moore, Jack Culligan, Tommy Whittle, David Butler.

ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE DIVISION 2A:

Cashel 24 Ballymena 14, Spafield
Dolphin v Buccaneers, Musgrave Park (Covid-19-affected match cancelled – 0-0. Both teams are awarded two points)
MU Barnhall 18 Old Crescent 23, Parsonstown
Nenagh Ormond 15 Queen’s University 45, New Ormond Park
UL Bohemians 32 Rainey Old Boys 24, UL Arena

ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE DIVISION 2B:

Ballina 24 Wanderers 40, Heffernan Park
Belfast Harlequins 9 Greystones 13, Deramore Park
Blackrock College 14 Sligo 16, Stradbrook
Galway Corinthians 52 Dungannon 16, Corinthian Park
Malahide 33 Galwegians 17, Estuary Road

ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE DIVISION 2C:

City of Derry 9 Clonmel 6, Judge’s Road
Enniscorthy 32 Sunday’s Well 0, Alcast Park
Midleton 27 Skerries 28, Towns Park
Omagh Academicals 17 Bruff 15, Thomas Mellon Playing Fields
Tullamore 34 Bangor 15, Spollanstown

The post Energia Men’s All-Ireland League Round-Up – Round 6 appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The birth of Moana Pasifika and the Fijian Drua, whose first match will be away to the Blues at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday 19 February, are part of the Super Rugby Pacific draw announced today by joint venture partners New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and Rugby Australia (RA).

To read more about the Super Pacific Draw, click here.

The regular season features Super Round Melbourne, an event backed by TEG Live, Asia Pacific’s leading live entertainment company, and the Victorian Government, which will see all 12 teams gather at AAMI Park in Melbourne in Round 2 for three straight days of double-headers (25-27 February).

Each team will play a total of 14 matches during the regular season, 11 round-robin fixtures plus the introduction of three additional rivalry matches which will see each team play a home and away series against three other teams.

All 12 clubs will have their bye in either Round 7, Round 8, or Round 9 providing a fair chance for all teams to recharge as they launch their final push for a place in the Grand Final with all 91 matches live and exclusive on Sky including an eight-team playoff series which will kick-off in the first week of June.

Super Rugby Pacific will also embrace diversity with Women in Rugby to be celebrated in Round 3, a Culture Round in Round 6, ANZAC Day in Round 10, and a Heritage Round in Round 12.

NZR General Manager Professional Rugby & Performance Chris Lendrum said the draw was easy to understand and a level playing field for the teams involved.

“The draw reflects the new look and feel of the competition whether it’s the historic opening match at Mt Smart Stadium, the Super Round, the traditional rivalries that have built up over more than 20 years, or the first time Moana Pasifika and the Fijian Drua go head-to-head on ANZAC weekend.”

“We have two new clubs who are building competitive squads right now, and ten other clubs who are excited by a fresh challenge. I think the inaugural season of Super Rugby Pacific will be a true celebration for rugby in the Pacific and will showcase the immense playing and coaching talent in the region. We can’t wait to get started next February.”

New Zealand’s five Super Rugby clubs the Blues, Hurricanes, Chiefs, Crusaders, and Highlanders, as well as Moana Pasifika, will confirm their 38-man squads on Monday, 22 November.

Rugby Australia Chief Executive Andy Marinos said:

“It’s fantastic to be able to confirm our draw for the 2022 competition, and from the outset, I’d like to thank our teams, broadcasters, New Zealand Rugby, and SANZAAR for their co-operation and collaboration in getting to this point.

“Super Rugby Pacific is fresh and exciting as we look to provide fans a new game-day experience every time they go to a match… We will also host ANZAC, Heritage, Cultural, and Women in Rugby Rounds, as we acknowledge, recognize and celebrate the communities who make our game so great, and I’m excited to see this play out during match days.”

As well as a first look at the two competition newcomers, the blockbuster first round will also deliver a classic southern derby between the 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa champion Crusaders and the Highlanders at Orangetheory Stadium in Christchurch.

The Hurricanes and Chiefs will start the season on the road against the Waratahs and Reds respectively in Sydney and Brisbane, while the final match of Round 1 is an all-Aussie affair between the Force and the Rebels.

Super Rugby Pacific Setup

Format:

• 12 teams: Moana Pasifika, Fijian Drua, Blues, Chiefs Hurricanes, Crusaders, Highlanders, Waratahs, Reds, Force, Brumbies, Rebels
• 14 regular season matches = 11 round-robin matches + 3 rivalry matches
• One bye round per team (all byes in Rounds 7,8 & 9)

Playoffs:

• 8-team playoffs format – QFs: June 3-5; SFs: 10-11 June; FINAL 18 June.
• Total Matches: 91
• Season Length: 18 weeks = 15-week regular season + three-week playoff series

Opening match: Friday 18 February: Moana Pasifika v Brumbies @ Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland.

Super Round Melbourne: Round 2, Friday-Sunday 25-27 February @ AAMI Park Melbourne Park.

Moana Pasifika v Waratahs; Highlanders v Blues; Hurricanes v Chiefs; Crusaders v Reds; Rebels v Brumbies; Fijian Drua v Force.

New Zealand team’s home and away rivalry matches:

Blues
Highlanders (H) Rd 11; (A) Rd 2
Chiefs (H) Rd 12; (A) Rd 8
Moana Pasifika (H) Rd 7; (A) Rd 13

Chiefs
Blues (H) Rd 8; (A) Rd 12
Crusaders (H) Rd 7; (A) Rd 15
Brumbies (H) Rd 13; (A) Rd 6

Crusaders
Chiefs (H) Rd 15; (A) Rd 7
Highlanders (H) Rd 1; (A) Rd 6
Hurricanes (H) Rd 12; (A) Rd 3

Highlanders
Blues (H) Rd 2; (A) Rd 11
Crusaders (H) Rd 6; (A) Rd 1
Hurricanes (H) Rd 9; (A) Rd 4

Hurricanes
Crusaders (H) Rd 3; (A) Rd 12
Highlanders (H) Rd 4; (A) Rd 9
Moana Pasifika (H) Rd 11; (A) Rd 15

Themed Rounds
Women in Rugby Round – Round 3 (4-5 March)
Culture Round – Round 6 (25-26 March)
ANZAC Round – Round 10 (22-23 April)
Heritage Round – Round 12 (6-8 May)

To read more from this writer, click here.

And to read more in-depth and up-to-date Irish and international club rugby news, click here.

The post Super Rugby Pacific 2022 draw announced appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

With the confirmation of a full schedule, the 11 Provincial Unions teams outside of the Auckland region will play the remaining four weeks of round-robin matches. The Premiership and Championship semi-finals and finals are scheduled for the second and third weekends of November.

The first two weeks of the Bunnings Warehouse NPC were played in full before COVID-19 Alert Level restrictions saw the competition put on hold. With Auckland-based teams confirmed unable to re-join the competition, NZR has made changes to ensure the integrity of the competition is maintained.

A revised Bunnings Warehouse NPC draw can be found here.

In addition to the scheduled round-robin matches, there will be a non-competition match played each week. This will feature teams that would have otherwise played Auckland region teams, to ensure teams don’t go two weeks without a match. Any additional, non-competition matches hosted by the Ranfurly Shield holder will not be considered mandatory challenges.

The first non-competition match will see Tasman hosting Bay of Plenty this Sunday 17 October at 14:00 (NZT).

While the Auckland-based teams’ matches both played and scheduled remain on the points table, points for matches unable to be played against Auckland-based teams will be split 2 points for each team. The final adjustment to the Bunnings Warehouse NPC will see semi-finals and finals played in both the Premiership and Championship but no promotion or relegation for any teams this season.

Steve Lancaster, NZR General Manager of Community Rugby said:

“We are grateful to be confirming the remainder of the Bunnings Warehouse NPC.”

“The teams can continue to train and play with certainty. While our fans and rugby community will have six more weeks of provincial rugby to look forward to.

“We acknowledge there are elements of the competition which have been impacted, which is unfortunate but also unavoidable. It wasn’t an easy decision to remove promotion and relegation, we realize this is disappointing for some teams but with the Auckland region unable to compete, we needed to ensure the competition outcomes are as fair as possible and we also don’t know with any certainty that further teams won’t be impacted by COVID-19 restrictions before the end of the competition.

“The Super City competition for Auckland-based teams is still an option, we continue to work with the teams and key partners on the feasibility of making this happen. Our hope is to have an update later this week.”

Waikato and Northland regions are currently operating under COVID-19 Alert Level 3 restrictions, with the teams from those regions currently based in Tauranga and unable to play at home until those regions return COVID-19 Alert Level 2.

Northland was scheduled to play Otago in Whangarei on Friday 15th November. The match will be relocated to Rotorua, at the same time and day. Waikato was due to host Taranaki at home this Saturday, the team remains hopeful of playing at FMG Stadium and will wait for the government’s next COVID-19 Alert Level update before announcing where they will play.

To read more in-depth and up-to-date Ireland and international rugby news, click here.

The post Bunnings Warehouse NPC draw confirmed for rest of the season appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Ireland Women’s captain Ciara Griffin enjoyed a try-scoring return to the pitch in UL Bohemians’ barnstorming 46-17 win over title rivals Old Belvedere.

Griffin, who was sprung from the UL bench, played for the first time since Ireland’s Rugby World Cup Qualifier heartbreak in Parma two weeks ago.

The Kerry native burst off the back of a late scrum, absorbing a cover tackle before crashing over the try-line.

Bohs bagged eight tries in all as they moved to the top of the Energia Women’s All-Ireland League, taking advantage of the cancellation of the Covid-19 affected match between round two leaders Railway Union and Malone.

Old Belvedere was missing some key players, most notably top-scoring out-half Hannah Tyrrell who was unavailable, and the loss of captain Jenny Murphy to a first-half red card was a huge setback.

The hosts’ powerful set-piece work provided the platform for a number of scores, with teenager Courtney Duhig – a real prospect at scrum-half – crossing from a dominant five-meter scrum.

The Red Robins were full of running, try-scoring captain Chloe Pearse charging away down the right-wing with a trademark hand-off as her side led 29-7 at the break. Out-half Nicole Cronin also touched down in a player-of-the-match performance.

‘Belvo had their moments, taking the few chances they could create with centre Ailbhe Dowling slicing through in the 38th minute.

They had two more unconverted efforts from Lesley Ring (66 minutes) and Clare Gorman (74).

Ballincollig’s impressive form since their promotion continued with a second home victory of the campaign. Fiona Hayes’ side is now just a point outside of the top four ahead of a week’s break in fixtures.

In a 31-17 bonus point success against Galwegians, ‘Collig’s 19-year-old scrum-half Gemma Lane was clinical in putting away two tries. She was sharp in open play and lock Denise Redmond was the pick of the forwards before getting injured.

Front rowers Roisin Ormond and Clare Coombes claimed the other tries for the Cork outfit, while ‘Wegians’ standout back, center Orla Dixon, ran in two of their three tries.

Facing high-ranking opposition for the third week running, Wicklow’s young guns went down 63-0 to Blackrock College. Beth Roberts’s cross-field kick found Emer Staunton but that elusive first try was foiled by Blackrock’s scramble defense.

Ireland prop Laura Feely made her ‘Rock debut in a runaway 11-try triumph.

Young replacement Maggie Boylan helped her to four, with a hat-trick for Eimear Corri and a brace from captain Michelle Claffey.

Number 8 Hannah O’Connor’s quartet of conversions took her to the top of the league’s scoring charts on 34 points. Connacht’s Nicole Carroll also kicked well for Suttonians, finishing with 13 points in their 28-12 defeat of Cooke.

It was Sutts’ first league win under new head coach Stephen Costelloe and owed much to a 22-point first-half salvo. Leinster’s Emily McKeown showed her finishing skills with a brace from the right-wing, and prop Julia Bauer was prominent throughout the forward exchanges.

Cooke’s two tries were registered by in-form lock Naomi McCord, who made it three in three rounds, and Ulster skipper Beth Cregan who showed her versatility by reverting to the back row.

ENERGIA WOMEN’S ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE – ROUND 3 RESULTS:

BALLINCOLLIG 31 GALWEGIANS 17, Tanner Park

Scorers: Ballincollig: Tries: Roisin Ormond 2, Clare Coombes, Gemma Lane 2; Cons: Denise Redmond 2, Alison Kelly
Galwegians: Tries: Orla Dixon 2, Ursula Sammon; Con: Mary Healy
HT: Ballincollig 24 Galwegians 7

BALLINCOLLIG: Lauren Fahey; Jayne Pennefather, Christine Arthurs, Mona Fehily, Heather Kennedy; Kelly Griffin, Gemma Lane; Roisin Ormond, Clodagh Walsh (capt), Clare Coombes, Denise Redmond, Gillian Coombes, Eimear Perryman, Katelyn Fleming, Eimear Minihane.

Replacements: Gerda Coyne, Olivia Hay Mulvihill, Laurileigh Baker, Kira Fitzgerald, Meaghan Kenny, Sinead O’Reilly, Alison Kelly.

GALWEGIANS: Casie O’Connell; Chloe McCrann, Orla Dixon, Ursula Sammon, Laoise McGonagle; Saskia Morrissey, Mary Healy (capt); Jessica Loftus, Tracy Lawlor, Ellen Connolly, Rebecca Dunne, Celia Killilea, Lea Turner, Lisa-Marie Murphy, Deabhla Canty.

Replacements: Sarah O’Rourke, Kiara Irwin, Ruby Lynch, Ines Delgado, Camille Lassalle, Rhiann Heery, Catriona Shally.

BLACKROCK COLLEGE 63 WICKLOW 0, Stradbrook

Scorers: Blackrock College: Tries: Michelle Claffey 2, Eimear Corri 3, Emma Hooban, Aoife Moore, Maggie Boylan 4; Cons: Hannah O’Connor 4
Wicklow: –
HT: Blackrock College 43 Wicklow 0

BLACKROCK COLLEGE: Natasja Behan; Eimear Corri, Michelle Claffey (capt), Ciara Scanlan, Orla Molloy; Jackie Shiels, Niamh Griffin; Laura Feely, Emma Hooban, Christy Haney, Mairead Holohan, Anna Potterton, Aoife Moore, Aoife Browne, Hannah O’Connor.

Replacements: Meadhbh O’Callaghan, Caoimhe Molloy, Hannah Hodges, Katie Fitzhenry, Caoimhe O’Callaghan, Maggie Boylan.

WICKLOW: Eva Phelan; Naoise O’Reilly, Aoibhin Stone, Sarah Gleeson, Emer Staunton; Beth Roberts, Erin McConnell (capt); Lauren Barry, Robyn Mullen, Kathy Byrne, Ciara Brennan, Caitlin Griffey, Shauna Soady, Emily Ryan, Jessica Schmidt.

Replacements: Maya McDevitt, Amy Barry, Laura Newsome, Nicola Schmidt.

MALONE 0 RAILWAY UNION 0, Gibson Park

Match Cancelled – Please note that due to a confirmed case of Covid-19 in the Malone Women’s squad, and the subsequent directions from the Public Health Authority, the match between Malone and Railway Union has been called off.

As per the IRFU Rugby Committee decision on Covid-19 affected games, the match will not be replayed and each team is awarded two league points with a 0-0 score being applied.

SUTTONIANS 28 COOKE 12, JJ McDowell Memorial Grounds

Scorers: Suttonians: Tries: Emily McKeown 2, Catherine Martin; Cons: Nicole Carroll 2; Pens: Nicole Carroll 3
Cooke: Tries: Naomi McCord, Beth Cregan; Con: Amanda Morton
HT: Suttonians 22 Cooke 5

SUTTONIANS: Sophie Gibney; Emily McKeown, Catherine Martin, Jools Aungier, Lena Kibler; Jessica Kelleher, Lauren Farrell McCabe; Julia Bauer, Julia O’Connor, Katie Grant Duggan, Brenda Barr, Ciara O’Brien, Roisin O’Driscoll, Louise Catinot, Aifric O’Brien.

Replacements: Mary Healy, Megan Cullen, Aislinn Layde, Nicole Carroll.

COOKE: Teah Maguire; Tamzin Boyce, Claire Johnston, Dolores Hughes, Georgia Boyce; Amanda Morton, Hannah Kilgore; Ilse van Staden, Megan Simpson, Aishling O’Connell (capt), Sorcha Mac Laimhin, Naomi McCord, Beth Cregan, Katie Hetherington, Helen McGhee.

Replacements: Caolinn McCormack, India Daley, Eimear McQuillan, Lucy Thompson, Hannah Allen.

UL BOHEMIANS 46 OLD BELVEDERE 17, UL Arena

Scorers: UL Bohemians: Tries: Sarah Quin, Courtney Duhig, Aoife Corey, Chloe Pearse, Nicole Cronin, Stephanie Nunan, Helen McDermott, Ciara Griffin; Cons: Nicole Cronin 3
Old Belvedere: Tries: Ailbhe Dowling, Lesley Ring, Clare Gorman; Con: Jemma Farrell
HT: UL Bohemians 29 Old Belvedere 7

UL BOHEMIANS: Aoife Corey; Stephanie Nunan, Alana McInerney, Rachel Allen, Helen McDermott; Nicole Cronin, Courtney Duhig; Chloe Pearse (capt), Kate Sheehan, Fiona Reidy, Claire Bennett, Sarah Garrett, Clodagh O’Halloran, Edel Murphy, Sarah Quin.

Replacements: Lily Brady, Eilis Cahill, Laura Delaney, Eva McCormack, Ciara Griffin, Abbie Salter-Townshend, Shannon Dawson.

OLD BELVEDERE: Grace Miller; Laura Carty, Elise O’Byrne-White, Ailbhe Dowling, Clare Gorman; Aine Donnelly, Jemma Farrell; Alice O’Dowd, Rachel Murphy, Vic Dabanovich O’Mahony, Oonagh Hynes, Jan Carroll, Ivanna Dempsey, Lesley Ring, Jenny Murphy (capt).

Replacements: Melissa Hayden, Sarah Melvin, Ciara O’Dwyer, Amber Redmond, Niamh Fitzgerald, Ava Jenkins.

To read more in-depth and up-to-date Women’s All-Ireland League and provincial rugby news, click here.

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It will be officially renamed the ‘EPCR Challenge Cup’. This new look and feel have emerged following feedback from fans worldwide and EPCR has stepped up to create an enduring identity for the future.

Content strands celebrating diversity, embracing inclusion, and promoting accessibility. It will be available primarily on a new fan-focused tournament Instagram account epcr_challengecup and this will complement additional material on EPCR’s other social media channels as well as on epcrugby.com.

The rebrand is aimed at engaging a new generation of rugby fans while acknowledging the established supporters of the tournament since its inception in 1996.

How will the new Challenge Cup play out?

A modified format for the 2021/22 season will see 15 clubs with 10 European titles between them competing in three pools of five. Three-time finalists, RC Toulon, two-time winners, Gloucester Rugby, and Saracens, are among the favorites to lift silverware in Marseille next May.

Another former Challenge Cup winner, Biarritz Olympique, is making a welcome return to European competition after an absence of seven years.

The clubs were allocated into three pools based on their rankings from last season’s leagues and the pool stage will be played over five rounds starting on the 10^th December and finishing on the weekend 10^th April 2022.

A Round of 16 will be played on the weekend of 17^th April 2022, followed by quarterfinals and semi-finals, with the final at the Stade Vélodrome, Marseille on 27 May 2022.

One club in each pool will have a bye during each round. A limited number of fixtures will see clubs playing against opponents from the same league.

The three highest-ranked clubs from each pool, and the highest-ranked fourth-placed club, as well as the three clubs, ranked nine to 11 from each of the Heineken Champions Cup pools, will qualify for the Round of 16.

The exact dates of the pool stage fixtures, as well as kick-off times and TV coverage, will be announced shortly.

𝗘𝗣𝗖𝗥 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗽

The all new Challenge Cup has evolved!

Step up Real Rugby Fans. pic.twitter.com/QaaeID1BHV

— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) October 1, 2021

2021/2022 EPCR Challenge Cup Pools

Pool A

RC Toulon, Newcastle Falcons, Zebre Rugby Club, Worcester Warriors, Biarritz Olympique

Pool B

Dragons, Lyon, Gloucester Rugby, Benetton Rugby, USAP

Pool C

London Irish, Edinburgh Rugby, CA Brive, Section Paloise, Saracens

2021/22 weekends

First Round – 10/11/12 December

Second Round – 17/18/19 December

Third Round – 14/15/16 January 2022

Fourth Round – 21/22/23 January 2022

Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16 (1st leg) and EPCR Challenge Cup Round 5 – 8/9/10 April 2022

Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16 (2nd leg) and EPCR Challenge Cup Round of 16 – 15/16/17 April 2022

Quarter-finals – 6/7/8 May 2022

Semi-finals – 13/14/15 May 2022

EPCR Challenge Cup final – Friday 27 May 2022; Stade Vélodrome, Marseille

Heineken Champions Cup final – Saturday 28 May 2022; Stade Vélodrome, Marseille

To read more in-depth and up-to-date Irish and international rugby news, click here.

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Winger Aoife Doyle scored two tries to take the mantle of ‘super sub’ at Stradbrook.

Munster flanker Maeve Og O’Leary charged over from a Mairead Holohan offload to give Blackrock an 11-7 half-time lead. Ireland international Doyle then squeezed in at the corner to move Railway back in front, adding to Kate McCarthy’s earlier try.

A central Caughey penalty was followed by a try out wide from Railway centre Niamh Byrne, who was the beneficiary of a fine skip pass from 19-year-old centre Alex McGuinness.

Blackrock came under further pressure, leading to a yellow card for lock Holohan before the visitors sealed their bonus point. Lively replacement Claire Boles carried strongly off a scrum and the ball was flashed wide for Doyle to dot down again.

“The last 30 minutes of the game we came into our own. Nikki (Caughey) really started to control it and we came to our strengths which are our set piece – we’ve a great lineout, we’ve a great scrum,” said Doyle afterwards.

“So we just started to control the game the way we wanted to. The bench brought just a bit of calmness and communication. A first win in our first game is massive.”

Blackrock College (11) Railway Union (25), Stradbrook

Scorers: Blackrock College: Try: Maeve Og O’Leary; Pens: Hannah O’Connor 2
Railway Union: Tries: Kate McCarthy, Aoife Doyle 2, Niamh Byrne; Con: Nikki Caughey; Pen: Nikki Caughey
HT: Blackrock College 11 Railway Union 7

BLACKROCK COLLEGE:

Natasja Behan; Maeve Liston, Katie Fitzhenry, Michelle Claffey (capt), Maggie Boylan; Lisa Mullen, Niamh Griffin; Aoife Moore, Manuela McCarthy, Caoimhe Molloy, Anna Potterton, Mairead Holohan, Meadbh Scally, Maeve Og O’Leary, Hannah O’Connor.

Replacements: Judy Bobbett, Geena Behan, Aoife Browne, Tess Meade, Jackie Shiels, Eimear Corri, Ciara Scanlan.

RAILWAY UNION:

Aoife O’Shaughnessy; Stephanie Carroll, Maggie MacKinnon, Alex McGuinness, Niamh Byrne; Nikki Caughey, Molly Scuffil-McCabe; Grainne O’Loughlin, Lisa Callan, Megan Collis, Sonia McDermott, Siobhan McCarthy, Emma Murphy, Kate McCarthy, Deirdre Roberts.

Replacements: Chloe Blackmore, Aimee Clarke, Keelin Brady, Christine Coffey, Claire Boles, Erin Coll, Aoife Doyle.

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The Cork club’s long-awaited return to AIL rugby kicked off in brilliant fashion, young out-half Kelly Griffin jinking through midfield to score and convert after just six minutes.

Suttonians scrum-half Lena Kibler soon sniped over, and the north Dubliners, who are now coached by Stephen Costelloe, edged ahead early on the restart thanks to a Catherine Galvin penalty.

Fiona Hayes’ Ballincollig side redoubled their efforts and with five minutes remaining, Heather Kennedy raced for the corner and a high tackle saw referee Carl O’Meara award a penalty try.

Although Katie Grant Duggan got over for Sutts’ second try in the dying moments, the conversion proved too difficult and Ballincollig, thanks to some sterling defense, pocketed four hard-earned points.

Munster’s Gemma Lane, who paired up with Griffin as Ballincollig’s half-backs, said: “We’d put in a lot of hard work in training but we were all just really excited to get going, to be honest. It’s great to start the club season with a win and we’re very happy.

“Our motto for the team is just ‘work, work, work’, like the Rihanna song! So it really was just about hard work the whole time. That’s what we were saying to each other throughout the game.”

Ballincollig (14) Suttonians (13), Tanner Park

Scorers: Ballincollig: Tries: Kelly Griffin, Penalty try; Cons: Kelly Griffin, Pen try con
Suttonians: Tries: Lena Kibler, Katie Grant Duggan; Pen: Catherine Galvin
HT: Ballincollig 7 Suttonians 5

BALLINCOLLIG:

Sinead O’Reilly; Ellen O’Keeffe, Christine O’Sullivan, Mona Fehily, Heather Kennedy; Kelly Griffin, Gemma Lane; Alix Cunneen, Clodagh Walsh, Claire Coombes, Eimear Perryman, Gillian Coombes, Niamh O’Regan, Katelyn Fleming, Denise Redmond.

Replacements: Olivia Hay Mulvihill, Roisin Ormond, Meaghan Kenny, Sarah O’Donovan, Eimear Minihane, Laurileigh Baker, Christine Arthurs, Kira Fitzgerald.

SUTTONIANS:

Lauren Farrell McCabe; Carrie O’Keeffe, Catherine Martin, Jools Aungier, Megan Cullen; Catherine Galvin, Lena Kibler; Ciara O’Brien, Aoife Brennan, Julia Bauer, Brenda Barr, Aislinn Layde, Louise Catinot, Aifric O’Brien, Katie Grant Duggan.

Replacements: Julia O’Connor, Sophie Brennan, Roisin O’Driscoll.

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The final week of the regular season of the FPC Premiership and Championship will be completed with the remaining 10 teams. The respective finals series will be played on the first two weekends in October.

New Zealand Rugby General Manager Community Rugby Steve Lancaster said the decision was made in consultation with the three Auckland-based Provincial Unions and the New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association.

“It’s tough on the Auckland-based players who desperately wanted to represent their provinces in the final weeks of the competition, but after consulting with all parties it was clear we could not extend the competition any later than we have already.

“We needed to provide certainty to all involved in the competition and ultimately pushing out the finals again, while the Auckland-based teams are unable to train or play was just not feasible at this time,” Lancaster said.

The @AllBlacks have moved to the top of the World Rugby men's rankings pic.twitter.com/U75h8AVo88

— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) September 20, 2021

Defending champions and competition leaders Canterbury as well as Waikato, currently in second place, have already qualified for the finals series. Wellington Pride are still in the hunt for a semi-finals spot.

If Wellington beat the Bay of Plenty Volcanix in their final match of the regular season at Blake Park in Mount Maunganui this Saturday, 25th September, they will join Canterbury and Waikato in a three team finals series that will see the top qualifier go through to the final and the second and third-placed sides play a preliminary final.

The FPC Championship will go straight to the three-team finals format where current leaders the Manawatu Cyclones will be joined by Northland and Hawke’s Bay.

“In consultation with the Provincial Unions, it was confirmed that we would not replace Auckland teams with teams below them on the points table. For the integrity of the competition, it was agreed that only teams who qualified for the play-offs would progress beyond the end of pool play.”

“While it’s not the finish to the season we’d all hoped for, the positive is that we can look forward to some really meaningful fixtures over the next three weeks and a continuation of the exciting rugby we’ve seen throughout the season,” added Lancaster.

Under current COVID-19 Alert Level 2, the FPC can continue throughout the rest of New Zealand (outside of the Auckland region) if COVID-19 guidelines are followed.

Individual Provincial Unions will determine whether those guidelines are able to be met for this weekend’s rugby and will communicate directly with their respective clubs and schools.

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Moreover, the sports governing body said it has added a competition stage to the club guidelines. This will now allow the season to return in September. RTE Sport report that the five week contact training was also factored in to the plans. It was also revealed the IRFU will be modifying the 2020/2021 season. In a statement on Thursday the IRFU said, “The IRFU are now in a position to add a ‘Competition Stage’ to their Return To Rugby Guidelines For Clubs,”.

The statement continued, This is to allow clubs to plan and work towards the start of the 2020/21 season and the playing of rugby matches”. September has been given as the month in which rugby matches will be permitted to return for clubs. A specific date for the restart of games will not be announced until further clarity. It said also, “The given date will also factor in a minimum window of five weeks permitted for contact training ahead of a return to rugby matches”.

They said that all clubs are currently in the Covid 18 Safety Planning Stage. “All clubs are currently in the Covid-19 Safety Planning Stage, which they must complete before moving to the resumption of training at any level”. The IRFU said they also recognise travel, safety and expense and they therefore have tailored the season to suit this. “The governing body recognises concerns over travel, safety and expense and this will be reflected in the season’s structure. Clubs should expect that games at the start of the season will be kept local where practicable.”

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