Leinster secured their second consecutive United Rugby Championship title by defeating the Bulls 36-7 at Croke Park. The victory avenges their recent Champions Cup final loss and marks Leinster's 10th league title overall.
Glasgow Warriors defeat Connacht 5 tries to 3, advancing to semi-final of United Rugby Championship
Leinster thrashed Ospreys 68-14 with 10 tries, securing second place in the URC and a potential home semi-final. Joe McCarthy scored a hat-trick, and Jordan Larmour crossed twice in the dominant performance.
Cardiff booked their URC play-off spot and a European Champions Cup place with a bonus-point win against Stormers. Jacob Beetham scored two tries, with Tom Bowen and Ioan Lloyd also contributing to the victory. The match also marked a potential final appearance for Leigh Halfpenny.
Connacht secured a URC play-off place with a bonus-point victory over Edinburgh. Tries from Ioane, Hurley-Langton (2), and Devine sealed the win, moving Connacht to sixth in the table.
Cardiff booked their URC play-off and European Champions Cup spot with a bonus-point win against Stormers. Jacob Beetham scored two tries, with Tom Bowen and Ioan Lloyd also contributing to the victory. The match also marked a potential final appearance for Leigh Halfpenny.
Hong Kong and their Kazakhstan opponents will both be chasing a first when they clash in Almaty in the Asia Rugby Emirates Women’s Championship on Sunday. With second place at stake, the hosts will be attempting to end a two-year losing streak. Hong Kong, meanwhile, have yet to beat Kazakhstan away from home. Both sides go into the encounter on the back of heavy defeats at the hands of Japan, who thumped Hong Kong 71-12 on Tuesday, having previously dispatched the home side 64-12. Hong Kong...
Bath unhappy with collision between Barbeary and LucuSome camera angles were unavailable to TMO in semi-finalAn independent broadcast director is set to be in position for this month’s Champions Cup final in Bilbao after disquiet about the lack of crucial replays available to match officials during Bath’s 38-26 semi-final defeat against Bordeaux-Bègles on Sunday. Johann van Graan, Bath’s head of rugby, suggested three high tackles on his No 8, Alfie Barbeary, were missed because the referee and television match official (TMO) had not been supplied with all the requisite angles by the French host broadcaster. Members of the commentary team on Premier Sports also highlighted the absence of replay footage.Different protocols are in place in the Champions Cup compared with the United Rugby championship and the Six Nations, when an independent operator sits with the TMO to ensure the best pictures are readily available. On Sunday, under EPCR regulations relating to host country arrangements, a French director was in place. Continue reading...
Munster secured a commanding 41-14 victory over Ulster at Thomond Park, scoring seven tries in the process. Flanker John Hodnett crossed for four tries while substitute Alex Kendellen grabbed a hat-trick as the hosts claimed a bonus-point win. The result sees Munster move above Ulster in the United Rugby Championship table with two rounds remaining, enhancing their hopes of making the top-eight knockout phase.
Dragons secured a dramatic 19-17 victory over Zebre in Parma with David Richards scoring a last-minute winner in the URC. The Welsh side's first away win since April 2022 lifts them above Scarlets into 14th place, avoiding being Wales' worst-performing team. Dragons face Montpellier in the Challenge Cup semi-final on May 3.
Cardiff secured their first victory against Ospreys at Arms Park since 2007 with a win that lifts them to fourth in the URC table. The Blue and Blacks scored through Rory Thornton, Liam Belcher and Dan Thomas, while Callum Sheedy kicked nine points. Ospreys had Daniel Kasende sent off for 20 minutes, with the match featuring multiple yellow cards as Cardiff held on for a crucial derby win in front of 12,036 fans.
