Latest news with #EnergiaAll-IrelandLeague
Irish Independent
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Former Munster and Irish Rugby Sevens player looking for ‘dominant woman' with ‘dark eyes' set to enter Love Island Villa
Conor Phillips (25), a former Munster Rugby and Irish Rugby Sevens player will enter the villa for the 12th season of the show, starting next week. He follows in the footsteps of Limerick man and former Rugby Sevens player Greg O'Shea, who won the fifth season of Love Island in 2019. When asked what type of person he is looking for, Phillips said: 'Someone who is really sure of themselves, ambitious, a bit of a go-getter and good craic." 'I like dark eyes and I don't mind a dominant woman,' he said. He continued: 'I don't like to answer to anyone else. I like to do my own thing. It's something I'm working on for a relationship. Hopefully I've improved.' Phillips joins another Irish contestant, Dublin actor and panto actress Megan Forte Clarke, who will also take part in the summer series. Having debuted for Munster in 2022, he received the news shortly after that the province would not be offering him a contract, having come up through Young Munster. 'You're in Munster and you think you are going to play rugby until you're 35 and then go on TV and all this stuff,' Phillips told the Irish Independent. 'I never thought about a job but my mom always made sure that I got my degree in health and exercise fitness in UL, I just finished that last year,' he said in 2024. Following this, he moved to Dublin to play with Terenure, playing a key role in his team making it to the Energia All-Ireland League final against Cork Con. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more At the time, while working in tech sales, he lived with Conán O'Donnell (former Connacht prop), who was in the same position as he had just come back from the Toronto Arrows. He said: 'We were on the dole together. It was very tough. I don't think we appreciated how tough it was. We just got on with it. 'Looking back on it now, it's humbling because if you had any bit of an ego, thinking you were above anyone because you played rugby, you definitely aren't when you're going into the post office every week trying to get money. 'That was quite tough. There were thoughts going through my head, 'will I go back to Limerick just to be with my mom? I'm comfortable there. Will I just pack it in and go play abroad?' The Limerick native said his biggest 'ick' in someone is being needy, or needing to do everything together. "I like someone to be independent and do their own thing and then we come together and do our thing,' he said. When asked about his claim to fame, he replied: 'I play professional rugby. I'm a winger.' When asked if he were the CEO of anything, what would it be, he replied: 'Mischief. I'm the class clown type vibe. Being in big teams and groups all the time, I'm always mixing things up, stirring the pot.' On how he likes to fIirt, he said: 'I ask girls if they want to go halves on a baby. It doesn't work, but it gets them laughing. It's an ice-breaker, not a serious question of course.' 'I'd be keeping my head above water… I'm doing nicely as a single person, but I need a relationship, I need to settle down and invest in some stocks,' he added. He listed singing as one of his hidden talents. 'My go to is Mario's 'Let Me Love You'. I've sang in front of a lot of people before,' he said. 'If it's your first rugby match you have to get on the bus and sing -they loved it.'
Irish Times
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
AIL awards: Dan Goggin named Division 1A player of season
The former Munster centre Dan Goggin has been named as the Division 1A player of the season at the annual Energia All-Ireland League awards after a superb first season with St Mary's College. Goggin helped the newly promoted club earn a home semi-final in their first season back in the top flight after a seven-year absence. As well as his big ball-carrying and try-scoring exploits in his customary position of inside centre, Goggin underlined his value when moving to number eight for his team's run-in. The Men's and Women's Coach of the Year Awards went to Quenton O'Neale of Old Belvedere, the runaway Division 1B champions, and Jason Moreton of Wicklow respectively. Eilís Cahill from UL Bohemian was awarded the Women's AIL Player of the Year to augment her match-winning in the last play of the final against Railway Union. READ MORE The other divisional players of the year awards went to Nenagh Ormond's Kevin O'Flaherty in 1B, Instonians' Bevan Prinsloo in 2A, Wanderers' Jamie Kavanagh in 2B and Midleton's JB Du Toit in 2C. The Energia Possibilities Award went to Lansdowne FC, who recovered from a difficult start to win the Bateman Cup in January, which in turn was the launching pad to their surge into the semi-finals, where they lost 17-15 away to eventual champions Clontarf. Young Munster's Cathal Quaid was awarded the Community Hero Award for 2025. Along with many other jobs within the club, Cathal is the minis coach to the under-8s, assistant secretary, and was pivotal in structuring a pathway for the under-21s team for next season. The Ireland Women's team head coach Scott Bemand and Women's Scrum Coach Denis Fogarty, along with the Ireland Men's and British & Irish Lions Assistant Coaches John Fogarty and Andrew Goodman, were among those in Bective Rangers clubhouse to announce the recipients of the Energia All-Ireland League awards. Awards & Winners: Energia All-Ireland League Women's Division Player of the Year 2024/25: Eilís Cahill, UL Bohemian Energia All-Ireland League Men's Division 1A Player of the Year 2024/25: Dan Goggin, St Mary's College Energia All-Ireland League Men's Division 1B Player of the Year 2024/25: Kevin O'Flaherty, Nenagh Ormond Energia All-Ireland League Men's Division 2A Player of the Year 2024/25: Bevan Prinsloo, Instonians Energia All-Ireland League Men's Division 2B Player of the Year 2024/25: Jamie Kavanagh, Wanderers Energia All-Ireland League Men's Division 2C Player of the Year 2024/25: JB Du Toit, Midleton Energia AIL Coach of the Year Awards Energia All-Ireland League Men's Division Coach of the Year 2024/25: Quenton O'Neale, Old Belvedere Energia All-Ireland League Women's Division Coach of the Year 2024/25: Jason Moreton, Wicklow Energia AIL Community Hero Award Cathal Quaid, Young Munster Energia AIL Referee of the Season Dan Carson Energia AIL Possibilities Award Lansdowne FC
RTÉ News
30-04-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
RTÉ Rugby podcast: URC whitewash for the provinces plus exclusive Linda Djougang interview
Neil Treacy is joined by Bernard Jackman and Jonny Holland to discuss the week's big news in Irish rugby. We look back on Sunday's Energia All-Ireland League final, where Jonny's Cork Constitution side were edged out by Clontarf 22-21 in a gripping Aviva Stadium decider. The panel then turn their attention to a chastening weekend for the Irish provinces in the BKT URC (12:55), with all four sides losing a regular season game on the same weekend for the first time since 2015. Later, we look ahead to Leinster's Investec Champions Cup semi-final against Northampton Saints on Saturday (43:21). And Neil also sits down at the Aviva to chat to Ireland prop Linda Djougang (53:05), who looks back on the recent Guinness Women's Six Nations campaign, and discusses her journey through rugby, as well as Ireland's World Cup ambitions.
The 42
27-04-2025
- Sport
- The 42
21-year-old Cooney stars as Clontarf dethrone Cork Constitution
Clontarf 22 Cork Constitution 21 Dave Mervyn reports from the Aviva Stadium BRINGING BACK MEMORIES of their 2016 Joey Carbery-inspired final win, Hugh Cooney stamped his mark all over Clontarf's riveting 22-21 victory over defending champions Cork Constitution at the Aviva Stadium. Carbery was a Leinster Academy player when he steered Clontarf to their second Energia All-Ireland League title, and the 21-year-old Cooney followed suit with a player-of-the-match performance today that saw him score a try, save one, and supply two try assists. A 74th-minute converted score from Connor Fahy, Cooney's 20-year-old centre partner, was just enough to get Clontarf over the finish line, despite Cork Constitution replying through replacement Jacob Sheahan with three minutes left. It is a fourth Division 1A crown for Andy Wood's men, and their first since 2022. With Cork Con missing out on retaining the top flight trophy, Shannon remain the last team to go back-to-back in the mid-2000s. Advertisement James Taylor, the player-of-the-match in last year's final, converted tries from Sean French (27 minutes) and Adam Maher (38) as Cork Con twice came from behind to lead 14-12 at half-time. Armed with the vast majority of the possession and territory, Clontarf should have been in front but Conor Kelly, the division's top points scorer, uncharacteristically missed two penalty attempts and pulled a conversion wide. The talismanic Cooney crossed and set up Clontarf captain Dylan Donnellan's 15th try of the season. The table toppers failed to take advantage of Ronán O'Sullvan's sin-binning, but Kelly was back on target with a 46th-minute penalty. It remained 15-14 to 'Tarf with Taylor and Kelly both missing penalties, before Wexford youngster Fahy, in his first year at the club, stormed over for a cracking try which Kelly converted, putting eight points in it. Sheahan rallied Cork Con by bursting over off a lineout maul, with Taylor's crisp conversion restoring the one-point gap. However, lively replacement Oran Walsh came up with a late turnover to seal a famous All-Ireland senior and Under-20 double for 'Tarf. Clontarf scorers: Tries: Hugh Cooney, Dylan Donnellan, Connor Fahy; Cons: Conor Kelly 2; Pen: Conor Kelly Cork Constitution scorers: Tries: Sean French, Adam Maher, Jacob Sheahan; Cons: James Taylor 3
RTÉ News
27-04-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Hugh Cooney is Clontarf hero in win over Cork Constitution
Bringing back memories of their 2016 Joey Carbery-inspired final win, Hugh Cooney stamped his mark all over Clontarf's riveting 22-21 victory over defending champions Cork Constitution at Aviva Stadium. Carbery was a Leinster Academy player when he steered Clontarf to their second Energia All-Ireland League title, and the 21-year-old Cooney followed suit with a player-of-the-match performance today that saw him score a try, save one, and supply two try assists. A 74th-minute converted score from Connor Fahy, Cooney's 20-year-old centre partner, was just enough to get Clontarf over the finish line, despite Cork Constitution replying through replacement Jacob Sheahan with three minutes left. It is a fourth Division 1A crown for Andy Wood's men, and their first since 2022. With Cork Con missing out on retaining the top flight trophy, Shannon remain the last team to go back-to-back in the mid-2000s. James Taylor, the player of the match in last year's final, converted tries from Sean French (27 minutes) and Adam Maher (38) as Cork Con twice came from behind to lead 14-12 at half-time. Armed with the vast majority of the possession and territory, Clontarf should have been in front but Conor Kelly, the division's top points scorer, uncharacteristically missed two penalty attempts and pulled a conversion wide. The talismanic Cooney (above) crossed and set up Clontarf captain Dylan Donnellan's 15th try of the season. The table-toppers failed to take advantage of Ronán O'Sullvan's sin-binning, but Kelly was back on target with a 46th-minute penalty. It remained 15-14 to Tarf, with Taylor and Kelly both missing penalties, before Wexford youngster Fahy stormed over for a cracking try which Kelly converted, putting eight points in it. Sheahan rallied Cork Con by bursting over off a lineout maul, with Taylor's crisp conversion restoring the one-point gap. However, lively replacement Oran Walsh came up with a late turnover to seal a famous All-Ireland senior and Under-20 double for Tarf.
