Leinster Rugby has confirmed that Zebre will provide the opposition for a pre-season friendly at the new look RDS on Oct. 12. The famous Ballsbridge venue will in future known as the Laya Arana. It will be Leinster’s fist game back at the famous RDS venue since May 2024. Attendance will be capped with Leinster season ticket holders being given the first option to secure their place at the game. Meanwhile Munster has confirmed that Pairc Ui Chaoimh in Cork will be the venue for their European Champions Cup game against Racing 02 on Oct.17, subject to GAA Central Council approval.
CUMMINS RESIGNS
FROM TIPP U2O TEAM
Brendan Cummins has stepped down as Tipperary under 20 manager after five years in charge. During his tenure the former Tipp senior goalkeeper led his county to All-Ireland success last year and to two Munster titles in 2024 and 2025. Tipp also contested this year’s Munster final, only to lose to eventual All-Ireland champions Clare in a penalty shootout. Cummins said: “It has been an honor to work with so many wonderful players over the last five years. There was a nice symmetry with winning the All-Ireland last year as manager as it was the 30th anniversary from when I won an All-Ireland under 21 titles as a player. There is so much potential within this group of players and it has been a privilege to be involved with them, but I think the time is right to hand the baton on.’’
Despite not getting out of Munster this year Tipp’s senior manager Liam Cahill is safe for now, as he still gets credit for winning the MacCarthy Cup last year. Cahill has brought in Aidan Stakelum as coach after losing David Herity to Henry Shefflin in Kilkenny.
Meanwhile Shefflin has suffered an early blow ahead of his first season in charge of The Cats with experienced defender Mikey Carey expected to be unavailable for the year ahead. Carey is planning to go traveling for the year as Kilkenny look set to be robbed of one of their longest-serving defenders.
Also Derek McGrath is the new Wexford senior hurling manager team after the Wexford county board last night ratified his appointment on a three-year term. Keith Rossiter vacated the position last month after three years in charge. McGrath is believed to have been a potential candidate back then to replace Darragh Egan, but the position went to Rossiter instead .McGrath has been manager of Doon in Limerick for the last three years. Under his guidance, the club won a first senior county title in 2024, beating Na Piarsaigh in the final. McGrath was manager of his native Waterford between 2014 and 2018 and took them to an All-Ireland final in 2017, which they lost to Galway.
BOHS VS. BOHS
Bohemians have confirmed a friendly against their Czech namesakes, Bohemians Praha, at Dalymount Park on Sept. 26. It will be the first-ever meeting between the two clubs and the last friendly to be played at Dalymount before the stadium’s redevelopment, which is due to begin in late October. Bohemians president Matt Devaney said: ‘‘We are delighted to be welcoming our namesakes from Czechia to Dalymount Park. For those of us supporting Bohs for a long time, we always held out hope that the two clubs might be drawn to play each other in European competition. Unfortunately, that hasn’t come to pass yet. But we feel that the last international club friendly to take place in Dalymount Park before its redevelopment is a really fitting send-off for the ground we all love so well.’’
