Connacht

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The fixture details for this year's Investec Champions Cup and Challenge Cup matches involving the four Irish provinces have been revealed.

Ulster will begin their Challenge Cup campaign with a home game against Racing 92 at the newly-named Affidea Stadium in Belfast on Friday 5 December (20:00 GMT).

Richie Murphy's side will then travel to face Cardiff away on Saturday 13 December (20:00), before taking on the Cheetahs at a European venue still to be confirmed on Sunday 11 January (15:15) and concluding with a home match against Stade Francais on Saturday 17 January (13:00).

In the Champions Cup, Leinster host Harlequins on 6 December (17:30), with the venue to be confirmed, with Munster away to Bath on the same day (20:00)

On Friday 12 December, Leinster are on the road to take on Leicester Tigers at Welford Road (20:00), with Munster hosting Gloucester at 17:30 on 13 December.

Leinster entertain La Rochelle on Saturday 10 January (17:30), then Munster are away to Toulon on 11 January (13:00).

In the final round of pool games, Leinster face Bayonne away on Saturday 17 January (15:15) and Munster play Castres at Thomond Park at 17:30 on the same day.

Connacht's Challenge Cup campaign commences with a trip to Ospreys on Sunday 7 December (15:15), followed by games at home to Black Lion (Saturday 13 December, 20:00), away to Montpellier (Sunday 11 January, 13:00) and home to US Montauban (Saturday 17 January, 20:00).

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With 16 players on British and Irish Lions duty this summer, interim Ireland head coach Paul O'Connell's 33-man squad for this summer's matches against Georgia and Portugal features 13 uncapped players. BBC Sport NI takes a closer look at those hoping to feature in green for the first time.

Having once dreamed of representing the Springboks, Shayne Bolton hopes this summer marks the start of a successful Ireland career, four years on from leaving his native South Africa to join Connacht.

The imposing 24-year-old wing caught the eye for the western province during the 2024-25 season, scoring six tries in 13 games and five in his last seven.

Injury robbed him of the chance to impress on the Emerging Ireland's tour of South Africa last autumn, but he was called up as injury cover during the Six Nations and scored a try in Ireland A's defeat by England in February.

Standing 6ft 2ins tall and with pace to burn on the right wing, Bolton provides an intriguing alternative to the more established widemen in O'Connell's squad.

Bolton will have his first chance to impress in an Ireland shirt after being named to start against Portugal on Saturday.

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With 16 players on British and Irish Lions duty this summer, interim Ireland head coach Paul O'Connell's 33-man squad for this summer's matches against Georgia and Portugal features 13 uncapped players. BBC Sport NI takes a closer look at those hoping to feature in green for the first time.

Another new face in the Ireland set-up, Darragh Murray is another youngster who cut his teeth in the Emerging Ireland and Ireland 'A' environments before earning his call-up to the big time.

A 6ft 7in lock from Roscommon, the 23-year-old has firmly established himself in the Connacht second row, starting 11 United Rugby Championship games this season.

Murray, whose older brother Niall is also a Connacht second row, is an effective line-out jumper and ball-carrier.

Having been a talented Gaelic footballer in his youth, Murray looks to have chosen the right sporting path as he closes in on becoming Roscommon's first Ireland international since Jack Carty.

Murray will get an early chance to impress this summer having been selected to start Saturday's Test against Georgia by interim head coach by Paul O'Connell, the inspiration for all emerging Irish locks.

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Leinster and La Rochelle have again been paired together in the draw for the Investec Champions Cup pool stages.

The four-time champions and former Irish fly-half Ronan O'Gara's side have met six times in the past five seasons, including twice in finals won by the French outfit.

The other sides in Pool Three are English pair Leicester Tigers and Harlequins, Top 14 side Bayonne and United Rugby Championship (URC) rivals the Stormers, although Leinster will not play the latter given that they are in the same domestic competition.

Munster have also been handed a familiar opponent and will play Castres of the Top 14 for the 20th time in this competition.

The southern province, who will be under new head coach Clayton McMillan next season, will also play Bath, Toulon and Gloucester with Edinburgh the other URC representative in Pool Two.

Ulster will start the season in the Challenge Cup for the first time in their history and have been paired with Cardiff, Exeter Chiefs, Cheetahs, Racing 92 and Stade Francais.

They faced Exeter in last season's Champions Cup, and Racing the season before that, although have not faced Stade Francais since 2009 or the Cheetahs since they departed what was then the PRO14 in 2020.

The Challenge Cup does not have the same rule against playing teams from your own league so Ulster could face Cardiff given they will play four opponents from their six-team pool.

Former England coach Stuart Lancaster will guide Connacht in the second-tier competition with the western province handed a more varied draw than their Irish rivals.

They are in Pool One along with Montauban, promoted to the Top 14 this season, and Georgian side Black Lion.

URC duo Ospreys and Zebre, as well as French side Montpellier, are also in the group.

Full fixture dates, times, and locations will be confirmed at a later date.

EPCR pools involving Irish sides

Champions Cup Pool 2: Bath Rugby, RC Toulon, Munster Rugby, Castres Olympique, Edinburgh Rugby, Gloucester Rugby

Champions Cup Pool 3: Leinster Rugby, Leicester Tigers, Harlequins, La Rochelle, Bayonne, DHL Stormers

Challenge Cup Pool 1: Ospreys, Zebre Parma, Montpellier, US Montauban, Black Lion, Connacht Rugby

Challenge Cup Pool 3: Toyota Cheetahs, Cardiff Rugby, Exeter Chiefs, Racing 92, Stade Francais, Ulster Rugby

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This summer, another door will open for Ben Murphy.

A year ago, he was packing his bags and heading west after agreeing to join Connacht from Leinster.

It has proved a fruitful step. While he admits the province's 2024-25 season was "up and down", his progress was smooth.

He played 16 times and scored nine tries. Earlier this year, he was a training panellist on Ireland's Six Nations squad.

But now, with the country's frontline stars on British and Irish Lions duty, the 24-year-old scrum-half is keen to impress while swapping the green of Connacht for the similarly shaded Test jersey.

"From the outside looking in, it [receiving an Ireland call-up] probably would have been far-fetched," he admits.

"But I kind of felt that with the movements this year, Lions year and all that, that there was going to be an opportunity for a young scrum-half to come into the squad and I just wanted to put my best foot forward to be the one to be in that position.

"Thankfully I got an opportunity earlier with Connacht. I've managed to push forward and get into the squad so [I'm] delighted."

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After Ireland's summer's Tests against Georgia and Portugal, Murphy will return to the winds of change in Galway, with former England boss and Leinster senior coach Stuart Lancaster having recently taken the reins.

Murphy previously crossed paths with Lancaster while he was coming through the Leinster academy.

"I didn't feel we were too far away from being very good [last season]," added Murphy, who flourished in the latter stages of Pete Wilkins' tenure.

"And I think Stu has the ability to take us to that next step. He's been left a good foundation by the staff that were there last year but were ready to take that next step obviously next year."

With Ben on the cusp of a Test debut and his younger brother Jack establishing himself in the Ulster first-team under dad/head coach Richie, it has been a whirlwind couple of years for the Murphy clan.

"Yeah its been busy for my mum anyway," he smiled.

"She's been up and down the road a lot from Belfast to Galway to wherever. It has been hugely exciting obviously. Ulster have had their ups and downs as well as us.

"We've kind of been on a similar journey I feel. And Jack the same. Young half-back, learning his trade but he's starting to come into his own now. Massively exciting times for everyone."

Matt Gault
BBC Sport NI Senior Journalist

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Stuart Lancaster's appointment as Connacht boss is exactly the kind of statement of intent the club needed after a trying season.

The Galway-based club finished 13th in the United Rugby Championship, winning just six of their 18 games, and were unable to reach the last four of the Challenge Cup.

But after Munster lured the highly-rated Clayton McMillan away from the Chiefs in New Zealand, Connacht have convinced Lancaster to return to Ireland in a head-turning addition to the IRFU's coaching network.

It is indeed a serious coup. While Lancaster endured a difficult time as England boss, his reign ending after a dismal 2015 Rugby World Cup campaign, he built a reputation as one of rugby's most astute coaches during a trophy-laden stint as Leinster senior coach.

Working with head coach Leo Cullen and building on the impressive body of work put together by Joe Schmidt before he took the Ireland job in 2013, Lancaster helped turn Leinster into one of the most exciting teams in Europe, with the great Johnny Sexton describing him as a "special coach" after the club's Champions Cup triumph in 2018.

Speaking of Leinster, the other provinces have a long way to go before bridging the gap in Irish rugby, but Lancaster has already proved adept at developing players within the IRFU system. Under his watch, the likes of Finn Treacy (centre, 20), John Devine (centre, 21) and Harry West (fly-half, 22) - all of whom have just been promoted from the academy - could progress quickly.

His pre-existing connections in Ireland may also help Connacht's ability to attract players to Galway, too, with Santiago Cordero and JJ Hanrahan among the players leaving the club.

With Harlequins director of rugby Billy Millard's recent recruitment as general manager, Lancaster will be able to focus on senior team matters. It may take time, but the 55-year-old Englishman unquestionably has the rugby IQ and tactical acumen to breathe new life into Connacht.

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The quarter-finals of the 2024-25 United Rugby Championship season have yet to be played, but already the fixtures for the 2025-26 campaign have been released.

The Irish provinces learnt their URC schedule for the new term on Wednesday.

The opening round of fixtures will take place on the final weekend of September, with eight-time league winners Leinster taking on DHL Stormers on the opening evening of games on Friday 26 September.

Ulster will host the Dragons on the same day, with Munster travelling to play the Scarlets on Saturday 27 September and Connacht at home to Benetton on the same day.

The second round of matches will include Edinburgh v Ulster on Friday 3 October and Bulls v Leinster, Munster v Cardiff and Connacht v Scarlets on Saturday 4 October.

The festive derby games will see Leinster face Ulster on the run-up to Christmas on Friday 19 December, then on Saturday 27 December Connacht are at home to Ulster and Munster host Leinster.

On Friday 2 January, Ulster face Munster, while Leinster are at home to Connacht the next day.

The competition will follow the same format as recent years, with the top eight teams contesting the quarter-finals on the final weekend of May, followed by semi-finals on Saturday 6 June and the final on Saturday 20 June.

You can view a full list of the fixtures here, external.

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Ireland wing Mack Hansen will miss Connacht's final two United Rugby Championship games because of an ankle injury.

In a squad update issued on Tuesday, Connacht ruled out the Australia-born 27-year-old for "approximately five weeks".

Hansen is hoping to be included in Andy Farrell's British and Irish Lions squad when it is unveiled on Thursday.

He has scored 12 tries in 28 caps for Ireland since being handed his debut by Farrell in February 2022.

If selected, Hansen should have recovered in time for the Lions' pre-tour game against Argentina in Dublin on 20 June.

Another Lions hopeful in Bundee Aki is available again after missing Connacht's URC games in South Africa against the Stormers and Lions with a heel problem.

On Monday, Ireland captain Caelan Doris' Lions hopes were hit as Leinster announced he needs a shoulder operation.

Connacht host Edinburgh in the URC on Saturday evening (19:35 BST). Interim boss Cullie Tucker's side are 14th and have only slim hopes of reaching the end-of-season play-offs.

Andy Gray
BBC Sport NI Journalist

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Stormers (26) 34

Tries: Feinberg-Mngomezulu 3, Roos, Hartzenberg Cons: Feinberg-Mngomezulu 3 Pen: Feinberg-Mngomezulu

Connacht (24) 29

Tries: Jennings 2, Oliver, Tierney-Martin, Murphy Cons: Carty 2

Santiago Cordero had a last-gasp try ruled out as Connacht fell to a 34-29 defeat by the Stormers in Cape Town in the United Rugby Championship.

After Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who had earlier scored a hat-trick of tries, sent the Stormers five points clear with a late penalty, Cordero thought he had levelled the game with the clock in the red.

However, a TMO intervention ruled that hooker Dave Heffernan had impeded a tackle earlier in the play and the Stromers held on to win a pulsating fixture.

The win moves the Stormers into the top eight, which would secure a play-off, while Connacht jump into 11th with their try-scoring and losing bonus points.

A week after their 43-40 Challenge Cup defeat by Racing 92, which led to head coach Pete Wilkins leaving his role, Connacht were involved in another high-scoring thriller in Cape Town.

After Feinberg-Mngomezulu scored a superb opening try inside 60 seconds after darting through a gap, Connacht responded as Shane Jennings crossed out wide after good hands from the Irish backline.

The Stormers hit the front when Evan Roos crashed over off the back of a scrum, but Connacht drew level when Conor Oliver bundled over after more pressure in the 16th minute.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu had a stunning opening 40 minutes and grabbed his second try when he made a break and found back row Paul de Villiers, who returned the pass back inside which allowed the sprinting fly-half to score unchallenged.

The best try of the half came moments later when Feinberg-Mngomezulu again found himself in space. He chipped the ball over Piers O'Conor, collected his own kick and scored to complete his hat-trick and secure the bonus point for the Stormers.

However, Connacht refused to go away and Dylan Tierney-Martin rounded off a maul to pull a score back, and Jennings grabbed his second try of the game with the final play of the half, but Carty could only push his conversion wide as the Stormers held a two-point lead at the break.

The scintillating rugby by the Stormers continued after the restart when the South Africans powered into the 22 after a big break by Seablo Senatla, moved it quickly through the hands and Feinberg-Mngomezulu produced a ridiculous no-look pass out the back for Suleiman Hartzenberg to touch down in the corner.

The Stomers pressed for a sixth score but repeated infringements by Connacht near their own line saw centre Cathal Forde sent to the sin-bin.

However, Connacht held firm and it was soon 14 against 14 as Warrick Gelant was shown a yellow card as his attempted intercept went forward.

Connacht's resilience was rewarded when Josh Murphy powered over but Carty could only strike the post with his conversion, and the Stormers led by two points with 13 minutes to play.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu landed a long-distance penalty to move the Stormers five clear, but there was late drama as Connacht came up just short of the line through Sean Jansen and Jack Auinger dropped the ball with the tryline gaping.

That was followed by the final play of the game when replacement Cordero danced over to level the game with a conversion to come, but the TMO ruled that Heffernan had stopped Roos from tackling Carty earlier in the play and the score was chalked off, much to the frustration of the visitors.

Stormers: W Gelant; S Hartzenberg; D Du Plessis, D Willemse; S Senalta, S Feinberg-Mngomzullu; S Ungerer; A Vermaak, AH Venter, S Sandi; S Moerat, R van Heerden; P de Villiers, M Theunissen, E Roos.

Replacements: JJ Kotze, V Matongo, B Harris, JD Schikerling, L Nel, D Fourie, P de Wet, B Loader.

Connacht: P O'Conor; C Mullins; D Hawkshaw, C Forde; S Jennings; J Carty; B Murphy; P Dooley; D Tierney-Martin; F Bealham; O Dowling, D Murray; C Prendergast, C Oliver, P Boyle.

Replacements: D Heffernan, J Duggan, J Augnier, J Murphy, J Joyce, M Devine, S Cordero, S Jansen.

Matt Gault
BBC Sport NI Senior Journalist

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Wednesday morning served up a startling reminder of the different worlds Leinster and the other Irish provinces currently inhabit.

Merely an hour after All Blacks centre Rieko Ioane announced his shock move to Leinster for the 2025-26 season, Connacht confirmed the departure of head coach Pete Wilkins.

Leinster are living under a cloudless, blue sky. They are top of the United Rugby Championship, are favourites to win the Investec Champions Cup and have an enviable squad that already includes an All Blacks star in Jordie Barrett - who will be gone by the time Ioane arrives - and a two-time World Cup winner in RG Snyman.

The reality for Munster, Ulster and Connacht is quite different. In the past 12 months, all three have parted ways with their head coach mid-season. While Leinster target the biggest prizes, their Irish rivals are scrapping to even qualify for Europe's top competition next season.

Even without the Wilkins news - which comes four days after Connacht's European Challenge Cup exit - the timing of the Ioane announcement is striking.

On Tuesday, the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) revealed another significant tweak to their central contract model: from August 2026, provinces must contribute 40% to central deals. Given that the union fully funded these deals up until a 30% requirement was introduced last year, it is significant.

It was said that the IRFU "intends" that the funds generated by the change will be invested into the player pathways of Connacht, Munster and Ulster.

The new model will certainly hit Leinster the hardest. As of next season, Leinster have 11 centrally contracted players, Connacht have two, Munster have one and Ulster none.

Leinster will be contributing a healthy chunk of budget to those 11 Ireland internationals, but with Ioane taking Barrett's place next season, the anticipated increase to their wage bill has clearly not hampered their ability to recruit in the short-term.

As well as Snyman, Leinster already have French prop Rabah Slimani on the books.

With Ioane replacing Barrett next season, Leo Cullen will again be able to name a matchday 23 where reserve scrum-half is the only position not occupied by a current international from one of the game's four highest ranked Test teams.

After losing three Champions Cup finals in three years, it is true that Leinster's change in approach to non-Irish qualified (NIQ) signings has been brought about their quest to win European rugby's biggest prize for a first time since 2018.

But while the moves will draw envious glances from those in other countries trying to compete for the same trophies, there can be little doubt there will be a similar response much closer to home too.

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Pete Wilkins has stepped down as head coach of Connacht with "a heavy heart" after Saturday's Challenge Cup defeat by Racing 92.

The French side came out on top in a 43-40 thriller in Galway to book their place in the semi-finals.

Wilkins spent eight years at Connacht, who are 13th in the United Rugby Championship table, and became head coach in 2023.

"During this season, I have been having some very open and honest discussions about my future at the club.," Wilkins said in a statement.

"Although incredibly privileged to have been given the responsibility of leading the rugby programme here, the longer I have spent in the role, the further away I have found myself from the aspects of coaching not only that I most enjoy, but also that allow me to contribute most effectively to the team."

Wilkins joined Conacht in 2017 as defence coach and he moved into the role of senior coach in the 2021-22 campaign.

The following year he became head coach under director of rugby Andy Friend as Connacht reached the semi-finals of the United Rugby Championship and in 2023 he took full control after the departure of Friend.

Connacht say Cullie Tucker will remain as interim head coach for the remainder of the season and the province will begin the process of recruiting a new head coach for next season.

David Humphreys, director of performance at the Irish Rugby Football Union said Wilkins had "contributed an enormous amount of growth of the game" in Connacht.

"Irish Rugby owes him a debt of gratitude for his dedication and commitment to the province," added Humphreys.

"A quality coach and respected figure in Irish rugby, Pete can remember his time in Connacht with pride, and I hope that he will continue to progress his coaching career in the years to come."

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Connacht have made five changes for their European Challenge Cup quarter-final against Racing 92 in Galway on Saturday.

The province got the better of fellow United Rugby Championship side Cardiff in the last 16 last weekend without captain Cian Prendergast.

The blind-side flanker returns to the six jersey for the visit from the Top 14 outfit, with Josh Murphy moving back into the second row for the tie (20:00 BST).

He will be partnered by former Bristol Bears lock Joe Joyce, who also missed the game against Cardiff.

Prop Denis Buckley starts at loose-head prop, while scrum-half Ben Murphy is fit again after finger surgery.

Shayne Bolton will miss out because of a quad strain with his place on the wing to be taken by Shane Jennings.

The visitors, who are 10th in the Top 14, have named former England captain Owen Farrell on the bench.

The ex-Saracens fly-half started against Perpignan last weekend but England Under-20s playmaker Dan Lancaster - the son of former England coach Stuart - has been handed the number 10 shirt.

Connacht: Hansen; Jennings, Gavin, Aki, Treacy; Hanrahan, B Murphy; Buckley, Heffernan, Bealham, J Murphy, Joyce, Prendergast (capt), Hurley-Langton, Jansen.

Replacements: Tierney-Martin, Dooley, Aungier, Dowling, Boyle, Devine, Ioane, Forde.

Racing 92: James; Naituvi, Habosi, Tuisova, Spring (capt); Lancaster, Le Garrec; Ben Arous, Escobar, Bamba, Palu, Rowlands, Baudonne, Kpoku, Joseph.

Replacements: Couly, Gogichashvili, Leota, R Taofifenua, Manyarara, D Taofifenua, Farrell, Chavancy.