Sport Comment | The Irish Times

The big screen in the Aviva Stadium at the announcement in 2016 of Ireland’s bid for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho

Gordon D’Arcy: Tough day on Lansdowne Road after RWC hammer blow

Seems we competed on emotional level knowing we didn’t stand a chance on stadiums or profit

Dublin’s Con O’Callaghan scores his side’s first goal against Mayo in this year’s football final. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho

GAA moves championship goalposts in major paradigm shift

Seán Moran: The day the All Irelands lurched in an entirely new direction forever

World Rugby’s Technical Review Group released their findings on Tuesday. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho

2023 Rugby World Cup criteria: Key findings

John O’Sullivan looks at key areas in World Rugby’s Technical Review Group report

Bernard Laporte: “Some will vote for France despite the recommendation”. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty Images

World Rugby will expect exemption on French law on doping

WR sought assurances, as a positive test in France is considered a criminal offence

Annalise Murphy on board Turn the Tide on Plastic during leg one of the Volvo Ocean Race. Photograph: Jen Edney/Volvo Ocean Race

Volvo Ocean Race diary part two: Meals vary from disgusting to not bad

Getting the first leg out of the way has helped banish doubts I had about undertaking an ocean race

The need to upgrade the required technology standard at the match venues counted against the Irish bid

Size matters as Ireland bid falls short in stadia and cities

Comparative scoring under ‘Venue and Cities’ plays big part in Ireland’s low score

Simon Zebo: Even Johnny Sexton’s departure to Racing 92, where Zebo is expected to end up, did not take him out of a World Cup. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho

Gerry Thornley: Don’t blame Bundee Aki for Simon Zebo’s exclusion

Guinness Series squad: Aki is not the Big Bad Wolf to Zebo’s Little Red Riding Hood

Tuesday is set to be a pivotal day in the race to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho

A defining day in Ireland’s bid to host 2023 World Cup

RWC board to release a report evaluating the three potential tournament host nations

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers during the press conference at Celtic Park, Glasgow, ahead of their Champions League match against Bayern on Tuesday night. Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire.

Rodgers plays down importance of Celtic win over Bayern

Champions League
Ewan Murray

Manager says a result would be good, but he is focused on ‘bigger picture’ and the future

Katie Taylor lands a right hand on Anahi Esther Sanchez during their WBA World Female Lightweight Title bout at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA Wire

Katie Taylor already has her eyes on a new prize

Other Sports
Ciarán Gallagher

Taylor hoping to unify women’s lightweight division after winning first world title in Cardiff

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino: “When he senses the players are getting a little stale, he likes to remind them that they all started playing the sport not for money or fame, but for love.” Photograph: Armando Babani/EPA

Ken Early: Quality of Pochettino’s process speaks for itself

Manager just needs trophies now to reinforce the real progress he has made at Tottenham

Aidan O’Brien celebrates as Saxon Warrior wins at Doncaster to secure the trainer a record 26 Group One winners in a single year. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty

There has to be more to Aidan O’Brien’s success than just ‘luck’

Rather enigmatic sporting figure has really delivered and is likely to keep doing so

Ugo Monye: brings a touch of expertise combined with humour to his analyst’s role.

TV View: Game on as clichés and mixed metaphors fill the dead air

Viewers suffer the bland and inane before unearthing a nugget or two of wisdom

Leinster’s Jordan Larmour is tackled short of the line by Rory Best of Ulster. Photograph: Darren Kidd/Inpho

Leinster dish out a dose of the blues to Ulster

Home side well beaten at the Kingspan Stadium by Leo Cullen’s impressive side

Simon Zebo: He’s 27 and has a young family and maybe four or five years left at the peak of a professional life in a brutal sport. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho

Decision to jettison Zebo an unsustainable policy based on fear

Other top players opting to stay with their provinces to keep their Irish careers alive

Champions Cup: Jeremy Sinzelle on his way to scoring a try against Ulster. Photograph: Tommy Dickson/Inpho

Are Ulster as ordinary as La Rochelle made them look?

Leinster will prove a different challenge as they know how to flick the switch

Connacht’s newly-qualified Bundee Aki is set to battle with Ulster’s Stuart McCloskey to partner Robbie Henshaw in the centre. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho

World Cup countdown reflected in Schmidt’s Ireland squad

Simon Zebo omitted after his decision to leave Munster at the end of the season

Munster’s John Ryan makes a break before being tackled by Paddy Jackson of Ulster: Munster were unbeaten away in matches immediately after the commencement of European fixtures during the 2012-2016 period. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho

Rugby Stats: How do Irish teams fare the week after Europe?

Leinster look set to continue unbeaten streak when Irish rivalries are renewed this weekend

Cork City players celebrate their Premier Division success. To see the community’s joy in Turner’s Cross that night would bring a tear to a stone. Photograph: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Joanne O’Riordan: Priceless emotion as Cork’s famine ends

Turner’s Cross was a special place to be as the Premier Division title was finally claimed

Sonia O’Sullivan on her way to finishing second in the 1500m at the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho

Sonia O’Sullivan: It’s not about the medals any more

Latest revelation of Chinese athletes doping confirms I was the best in the world in 1993

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