Ireland

Updated 18 Oct 2026, 18:30 IST

Next — women

South Africa v Ireland

Sat, 24 Oct · 14:00 Irish · Athlone Stadium, Cape Town · WXV

South Africa v Ireland

Sat, 31 Oct · 13:00 Irish · Athlone Stadium, Cape Town · WXV

Next — men

Ireland v Argentina

Fri 6 Nov · 20:10 · Aviva Stadium, Dublin · Nations Championship

VMTV / ITV | Where to watch

Last — men

No Ireland men Test since July. Next: Argentina, Fri 6 Nov, Aviva.

FT · New Zealand 40–21 Ireland · Nations Championship · Eden Park, Auckland

Sat 18 Jul · Match Report

Last — women

FT · Ireland Women 43–19 Japan · Women's Test · 2nd Test · Virgin Media Park, Cork

Sat 3 Oct · Match Report

Out

Iain Henderson — Out · Hip surgery in the summer
Jack Conan — Out · The42 (17 Oct): left the field with a shoulder injury after scoring…
Harry Byrne — Out · Concussion in Leinster’s URC opener vs Lions (came off the bench)
Michael Milne — Out · Munster Rugby squad update (Mon 12 Oct): loosehead Michael Milne…
Jack Crowley — Out · Lower-limb vascular injury (narrowing of a blood vessel)
Caelan Doris — Out · Knee infection has delayed his recovery from summer foot and knee…
Jack Boyle — Out · Achilles — longer-term rehab
Paddy McCarthy — Out · Foot — longer-term rehab

and 1 more on Availability →

How the Nations Championship works

12 teams. Two conferences: the Six Nations (Europe) and New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Fiji and Japan (Rest of World). Teams do not play their own conference. Each side plays the six teams in the other conference: three Tests in July (south) and three in November (north). Four points for a win, two for a draw, a bonus point for four tries or for losing by seven or fewer. After six rounds, matching places meet at Twickenham: 1st v 1st is the final. Ireland men next: Fri 6 Nov · 20:10 Irish · Argentina, then Fiji and South Africa.

Coming up

All kick-off times shown in Irish time.

18–24 Oct

South Africa v Ireland Women

Sat 24 Oct · 14:00 · Athlone Stadium, Cape Town · WXV

25–31 Oct

South Africa v Ireland Women

Sat 31 Oct · 13:00 · Athlone Stadium, Cape Town · WXV

1–7 Nov

Ireland v Argentina

Fri 6 Nov · 20:10 · Aviva Stadium, Dublin · Nations Championship · TV: VMTV / ITV

8–14 Nov

Ireland v Fiji

Sat 14 Nov · 20:10 · Aviva Stadium, Dublin · Nations Championship · TV: VMTV / ITV

View all fixtures →

Latest

Conan facing a spell out with a shoulder injury from Leinster’s win in Clermont

Conan is the second Ireland back row on the sidelines, with Caelan Doris out until early January, and Leinster are next against Munster in the URC at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday 24 October.

The42 · Cullen · Irish Independent Paywall

Beirne: IRFU contract option decision after the 2027 Six Nations

Ireland have him through the 2027 World Cup either way; the option decides whether his IRFU deal goes any further, and neither side has to trigger it.

The42 · Beirne clause · Irish Times · law tweaks Paywall

Written off before Europe, all four Irish provinces won their opening games

Leinster and Ulster top their pools on five points, and Connacht and Munster are second in theirs (EPCR pool tables, 18 Oct).

Independent · back foot Paywall · Independent · Jackman Paywall · Independent · Champions Cup jury Paywall ·

Ireland U20s return to Cork for the 2027 Six Nations

IRFU (13 Oct): Ireland Men’s U20s play their 2027 Six Nations home games at Virgin Media Park, Cork: England (Fri 5 Feb, 18:10) and France (Fri 12 Mar, 20:00). Away: Italy at Monigo (Fri 12 Feb), Wales at Cardiff Arms Park (Fri 19 Feb) and Scotland at the Hive Stadium (Thu 4 Mar).

IRFU

Simon Zebo: Joe Schmidt’s “double standards” made me dislike the Irish camp

Irish Times (Simon Zebo, 10 Oct): the former Ireland and Munster back says Schmidt nailed the build-up to the 2016 All Blacks win, but if he had always been like that, Zebo would never have gone to France.