Ulster won't take a football mindset into Toulouse showdown, says Dan Soper

Ballymena Academy Director of Rugby, John Nicholl, is relishing the chance to be the first school to take the Ulster Schools Cup out of Belfast in 14 years, when they take on current holders Royal Belfast Academical Institution on Monday at Ulster's home of rugby, the Kingspan Stadium. In a competition which has been traditionally dominated by…

The skies are clearing, the evenings lengthening, and just about every top-level rugby tournament outside of the Rugby Championship is now in full swing. As ever with this point of the season there is plenty to talk about with the Six Nations turning the corner into the final two rounds and players securing their futures with new deals or…

RBAI v Campbell College (10.30am) Undoubtedly the tie of the round as 2023's Finalists meet in this year's last-16, the luck of the draw favouring only the neutral spectator. The home side, the defending champions, have some extremely talented players in the likes of Fraser Cunningham, Josh Gibson and Blake McClean at their disposal, but Campbell…

Ulster and Ireland centre Stuart McCloskey feels that the gulf in budgets and the new format of the Investec Champions Cup doesn't mean the competition is contested on a level playing field. Toulouse, with a budget of over £30 million, put Ulster to the sword last Saturday night scoring seven tries at Kingspan Stadium to leave Dan McFarland's side…

Ulster welcome Connacht to Belfast tonight in the URC as both sides sit very close to one another in the table with both sitting on four points but Ulster edge things with an extra bonus point. Recent encounters in the Champions Cup have been hit and miss for the teams with Ulster winning in their last European encounter, beating Racing 92 31-15,…

A little less than six weeks on from the Rugby World Cup wrapping up, another of the sport's premier tournaments gets underway on Friday when the European Champions Cup makes it's highly anticipated return. Europe's top domestic tournament features 24 teams this season and has undergone something of a facelift. Gone are the two pools of 12,…

Seán O'Brien & Sione Tuipulotu © Getty Images Defending Vodacom United Rugby Championship champions Munster gave a strong statement in terms of defending their title while fellow Irish side Leinster snatched a win at the death against Connacht that would have given gasps of relief, if not concerns, ahead of a massive opening Investec Champions Cup…

In the seconds after Ulster's gripping victory over Munster last Friday night, the camera focused in on David McCann, the home side's young flanker. The 23-year-old looked utterly exhausted after the final whistle. And with good reason, too. McCann was relentless for the entire contest and played a key role in Ulster's stunning second-half…

LEINSTER Rugby will look to book a Champions Cup final place with a win over Toulouse this Saturday in Dublin. Leo Cullen's men are just one game away from booking a home final spot as they face their French rivals at Aviva Stadium. The semi-final clash at IRFU HQ this Saturday is heading for expected ticket sales of 45000. This is despite concerns…

The 2023 renewal of the Ulster Senior Football Championship begins this weekend with the preliminary round clash between Armagh and Antrim. With the new Championship format in place, the provincial series offers the last chance for teams to secure their place in the Sam Maguire Cup with the finalists from each province guaranteed a place in the…

Ulster travel to Dublin on Saturday faced with the daunting task of tackling four-time European Champions Leinster at the Aviva Stadium. A formidable task, no doubt, given the two sides' form. Such is the disparity between the two on paper that the odds-makers have Leinster has even money to win the tournament, whilst Ulster comes in at 100/1. Yet,…

As the curtain comes down on the pool stages of the 2022/23 Heineken Champions Cup. Rugby fans were once again reminded of the razor-thin margins in club rugby's toughest competition. Coming into the final round of this season's competition just three teams were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. Now bidding adieu to eight teams,…

At the beginning of the season, Ulster were flying. In truth, there had been nothing but good vibes around Kingspan Stadium for quite some time. Homegrown players like Robert Baloucoune were blazing a trail in Ireland colours, head coach Dan McFarland had signed a contract extension until 2025, as well as Rory Sutherland - the Scotland and Lions…

Evan Treacy/INPHOMunster's Jack Crowley (file pic). # not fussed Versatile Crowley happy to fill any slot for Munster The 22-year-old doesn't mind where Graham Rowntree and his management play him. JACK CROWLEY has been asked to fill many roles for Munster and Ireland during 2022 but the Bandon native is happy to slot into any job in red or green…

Jack Crowley has been asked to fill many roles for Munster and Ireland during 2022 but the Bandon native is happy to slot into any job in red or green to keep progressing. Crowley, who will be 23 in a couple of weeks, will start 2023 at out-half for Munster having edged ahead of Ben Healy in the pecking order behind Joey Carbery, and he knows there…

United Rugby Championship (04/02/22) Ravenhill, Ulster 32 Connacht 12 Scorers, Ulster: G Jones, M Moore, R Baloucoune (2) tries; N Doak 2 pens, 3 cons. Connacht: O McNulty, A Wootton tries; C Fitzgerald 1 con. The game changers Ulster: Nathan Doak, scrum-half While Ulster's pack has been impacted heavily by international absentees and the injury…

Ulster were one of the most consistent sides in Europe last season, yet once again had little to show for it. Another campaign of promise ended in heartbreak, both in Europe and the BTK United Rugby Championship, extending Ulster's wait for silverware into a 17th year. The galling nature of their URC semi-final loss to the Stormers would have…

La Rochelle were of course crowned as European champions, as they defeated Leinster thanks to a last-gasp try at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille. Much of the discussion after the final has been based around La Rochelle's director of rugby Ronan O'Gara, although their maiden European title certainly wouldn't have been possible without some…

It is a weekend where the top team in the Shield, the Stormers, could go as high as second overall. Conversely, if the Cape team loses to Edinburgh on Friday and the other two local teams contending for top eight places win their games, they could drop to last in the conference. And their overall log position could be as low as eighth. The Stormers…

It's half-time in the last 16 of the Heineken Champions Cup as the great and good of European rugby do battle for a place in the quarter-finals. With another intoxicating weekend of knockout drama in store, we preview every game from the last 16, with all eight matches available to watch exclusively live on BT Sport. Read on for TV channel…

Ulster resumed their European campaign this afternoon, facing Toulouse in France. While outsiders in the two-legged affair, their chances of upsetting the odds were boosted after a moment of madness from a member of the opposition. Toulouse entered this tie as heavy favourites, having won the competition last year, although they have been short of…

It has been a strangely subdued start to the season for the four Irish provinces. While Ireland enjoyed a November to remember, beating the All Blacks as part of a three-Test cleansweep, all was quiet on the domestic front. But now provincial duty takes precedence once again, and this weekend sees the return of Europe and the Champions…

Ulster return to Heineken Champions Cup action this weekend as they take on Harlequins on Saturday. Dan McFarland's side have made a strong start to their campaign, winning their opening two matches against Bath and Clermont Auvergne. Can they make it three wins from three? Here's some information about the game: When and where is Ulster v…

Bath Rugby may have had a favourable Heineken Champions Cup draw but it has cut very little ice with the bookmakers. The Blue, Black and White avoided all three league champions in the top pot of seeds - Saracens, Leinster and Toulouse. They also avoided the highest ranked team in pot two - Glasgow Warriors. As well as some attractive away trips…