Irish Rugby

  1. Etzebeth pictured during a South Africa training session

  2. Paul O'Connell and Jacques Nienaber

  3. Ireland assistant coach Paul O'Connell

  4. Rassie Erasmus looks on

  16. Crowley named URC players' player of the year

    Jack Crowley in action for MunsterInpho

    Jack Crowley established himself as Johnny Sexton's successor for Ireland

    Munster and Ireland fly-half Jack Crowley has been named the United Rugby Championship's Players' Player of the Year.

    It caps a breakthrough year for the 24-year-old, who helped Ireland win the Six Nations after replacing Johnny Sexton in the starting 10 jersey.

    The award was was voted for by the captain and vice-captain of all 16 teams, with nominees required to have made a minimum of nine appearances.

    Munster finished the regular URC season at the top of the table after winning 13 of their 18 games but were knocked out of the play-offs by Glasgow in the semi-finals on Saturday.

    The award comes after his head coach Graham Rowntree was named United Rugby Championship coach of the year for the 2023-24 season.

    Last week, Crowley was one of three Munster played named in the URC's Elite XV along with Alex Nankivell and Tadhg Beirne.

    Crowley was also named next-gen player of the season while Shane Daly won the ironman award for playing the most minutes.

  20. Ulster to play Queensland Reds in Belfast friendly

    Queensland head coach Les KissGetty

    Queensland Reds head coach Les Kiss is a former Director of Rugby at Ulster

    Ulster are to play Australian Super Rugby side Queensland Reds in a friendly match at Kingspan Stadium on 7 February.

    The fixture will form part of the club's centenary celebrations for its home ground next season.

    The game is part of a wider European tour by the Brisbane-based team and will see the return of Ulster's former Director of Rugby Les Kiss, now Queensland Reds head coach.

    Another familiar face to Ulster fans will be former prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, who will return to Belfast after spending the 2022-23 season with the Irish province, before joining the Reds.

    Next season's fixture will be the third time the two sides have met, with Ulster having first faced the Reds at Ravenhill in 1986, the Australian visitors winning a tight match by six points to four.

    It would be 22 years before the sides would meet again when a Reds Development team were beaten 24-0 by Ulster in a pre-season friendly at the province's home ground in 2008.

    "Personally I can't wait. I have great memories of my own time at Ulster," said Kiss.

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