Latest news with #JoshvanderFlier
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Leinster Rugby make drastic change to new jersey ‘to align with wider club values' in major break from tradition
LEINSTER RUGBY has revealed the club's new home jersey - with a major change to previous kits. The province has ditched the four stars that used to adorn the shirt, representing their four 3 Leinster Rugby revealed a new home kit for 2025/26 Credit: Twitter/Leinster Rugby 3 Jamison Gibson-Park, Josh van der Flier, and Sam Prendergast modelled the shirt Credit: Twitter/Leinster Rugby 3 The shirt will no longer bear the four stars representing their Champions Cup titles Credit: Twitter/Leinster Rugby And while Leo Cullen's men will once again go in search for their fifth title in 2025/26, their past success will not be represented on the kit in non-European competition. The four stars will, however, remain on the European jersey worn in the Investec Champions Cup, in celebration of the victories in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2018. Explaining why, Rugby club values, to ensure that the playing kit celebrates all the players and all the teams that wear it." The new kit will be worn by the men and women's teams, as well as the age grade and junior rugby squads this forthcoming season. Read More on Leinster Rugby They will be worn competitively for the first time in the upcoming Vodafone Senior Women's Interprovincial Championship next month. Leinster Rugby CEO Shane Nolan, said, 'This decision reflects our ambition to be representative of the whole club, across all teams and all competitions . 'We are incredibly proud of our Champions Cup history and the stars will remain on our European jersey, but we also believe the home jersey should speak to and celebrate the full Leinster journey for our men's and our women's teams and of course our age grade and junior rugby representative teams – past, present and future . 'There is no doubt that the landscape is changing. Most read in Rugby Union "We are entering a period of huge opportunity and growth for the women's game, in particular, and we want to be ahead of that change as best we can on a number of fronts. "This is just one example and Castore have worked very closely with us on that, as well as consulting with our players. Inside Scotland and Lions hero's stunning house that boasts giant basement room with bar for FIFTY people to party 'Importantly, the stars will remain on our European kit, as a proud tribute to our Champions Cup achievements and the rich legacy behind them. 'This new jersey represents us all. "We think that supporters will love it, and that our players will love pulling it on.' Fourteen Leinster players are currently with the British & Irish Lions for their tour of Australia . And seven of those have been named to start in the opening test against the Wallabies. Australia on Saturday morning at 11am Irish time, with the Provincial teammates And when it comes to the forwards,
The Guardian
10-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Andy Farrell's five key selection posers for first British & Irish Lions Test
The Lions have barely had a second for reflection lately. Is it Thursday in Canberra or Friday in Adelaide? Either way, there is another game just around the corner. With scant time for proper training, the management have been relying on players sticking their hands up on matchdays but no one, as yet, has nailed down the No 7 jersey. This matters because the Wallabies will be strong at the breakdown and possess an array of jackal threats. If Toulouse's Jack Willis were here the conversation might be different but there is probably one starting spot to be contested between Josh van der Flier, Jac Morgan, Tom Curry and Henry Pollock. Curry had the chance to stake an unanswerable claim against the Brumbies but, in common with many others, had a tricky evening. The other three are all involved against the Australia-New Zealand Invitational XV this weekend and there remains much to play for. The management clearly like the game-breaking ability that Pollock can offer and Morgan, despite not being the biggest of men, can be a real nuisance. Curry's work-rate will be hard to overlook unless Andy Farrell, in his quest for cohesion, simply reverts to his trusted Irish lieutenants and starts Van der Flier. They appreciate a Big Red in Australia, whether it be kangaroos or a decent shiraz. And the flame-haired Ollie Chessum is already making an impact down under. He has been as consistently good as almost any of the Lions forwards, to the point where it will now be a major surprise if he does not feature in the Test 23. The question is what role he should fill. The back-row balance did not look entirely right against the Brumbies and there is only one tour game left in which to fiddle around with the blend. Tadhg Beirne has played a lot of rugby this season but is he still at his sharpest? Or could the Lions conceivably go for all-out mobility and start both Beirne and Chessum in the same starting XV for the first time on this tour? Beirne, interestingly, is back in the second row this weekend but picking him there for the first Test would mean omitting big Joe cCarthy. If Beirne has a colossal game this weekend, though, it will give the whole debate a vigorous stir. Before the tour this was widely seen as Sione Tuipulotu's shirt to lose. But the Scotland captain has been injured and is still shaking off a touch of ring rust. Bundee Aki, on the other hand, offers a powerful simplicity at 12 that gives Finn Russell the option of using him as either a compelling decoy or a straight-up carrier. Teams may think they know what Aki is going to do but stopping him from five metres out remains easier said than done. In theory that simplifies the equation for Tuipulotu against a physical-looking combined Au-NZ Invitational XV: crank things up or accept a Test place may have to be delayed. But what about Owen Farrell? Who would the Lions want coming off the bench in a pressure-laden Test match if, heaven forbid, Russell or even Aki were to go down early on? If Farrell Jr goes well in Adelaide, his ability to operate at both 10 and 12 makes him a genuine option for the matchday 23. Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion The selection at 12 has wider ramifications. If Aki starts, the temptation to pair him with his Ireland teammate Garry Ringrose clearly increases. Ringrose is a strong defender and may well be seen as the man to defuse the obvious threat of the Wallabies' emerging star Joseph Aukuso Sua'ali'i. The Irishman is in form, too, having scored tries in Perth, Brisbane and Canberra already on this tour. That may mean Huw Jones will have to be patient unless he rips it up in Adelaide and shows he can offer another dimension to the Lions' attacking effectiveness in the wider channels. Again it also boils down to the collective blend: if the Lions back three is also going to be predominantly Irish it makes Ringrose the safer, more logical pick. The moment Blair Kinghorn whacked the pitch with his hand in frustration after being injured against the Brumbies it felt ominous for the Lions. Sure enough Ireland's versatile Jamie Osborne has been summoned as cover and Farrell will have to find another full-back for next week's first Test. The situation is complicated by the fact Hugo Keenan has played only once on tour prior to this weekend because of illness. He is also a different kind of player to Kinghorn and a less obvious bench option. So what does Farrell do? Stick with the devil he knows or roll the dice? One option could be to shift his favourite player Mack Hansen to full-back. That would permit him to start both Hansen and Tommy Freeman in Brisbane, with James Lowe's raking left boot also in the back-three mix. Marcus Smith might disagree but, right now, it would be a huge call to select the Harlequin as a starting Lions Test 15.
The Citizen
05-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Scrappy Lions put through paces by under-strength NSW Waratahs
The Lions were given their sternest test during their time in Australia so far, but came through to beat the New South Wales Waratahs on Saturday. British and Irish Lions' Josh van der Flier (C) runs with the ball during the rugby match between the British and Irish Lions and the NSW Waratahs in Sydney on July 5, 2025. (Photo by Saeed KHAN / AFP) / — IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE — Scotland centre Huw Jones crossed twice as a scrappy British and Irish Lions were forced to battle hard in grinding past a second-string NSW Waratahs 21-10 on Saturday, offering the Wallabies a glimmer of hope. The tourists outscored the home side three tries to two at a packed Sydney Football Stadium, banking a third straight win of their Australia tour. But it was less than convincing against a team missing a slew of players on Australia duty that had lost five of their last six Super Rugby games. After scoring 16 tries and 106 points in their opening two games, the Lions lacked invention and physical presence, missing rested playmaker Finn Russell and skipper Maro Itoje. They took a 14-5 advantage into the break, but it was a mediocre first 40 minutes, with too many mistakes and poor decision-making. The second half was marginally better as substitutes came on, but nowhere near as slick as their first two games to give Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt plenty to ponder ahead of the opening Test on July 19. The Lions had a setback before kickoff when exciting young blindside flanker Harry Pollock was ruled out with what coach Andy Farrell described as 'a slight problem with the calf'. It saw skipper Tadhg Beirne move from lock to six and Scott Cummings promoted off the bench to the second row. The Lions leaked an early try against both Western Force and the Queensland Reds, and were nearly caught on the hop again. Hugo Keenan dropped the ball on three minutes and the Waratahs raced away, with Mack Hansen making a try-saving tackle to save the Lions blushes. They quickly settled and, with Owen Farrell watching on after controversially jetting in as cover for injured utility back Elliot Daly, opened their account on 12 minutes. Set free by Sione Tuipulotu from a lineout, Jones — the only repeat starter from their last game against the Reds — sliced through the defence with Fin Smith adding the extras. But despite the Lions dominating territory and possession, the Waratahs' defence proved resolute and the home side worked their way into the game. Waratahs flanker Charlie Gamble broke free from a maul and dotted down near the half-hour mark to jubilation from the 40,568 fans. But the try was denied for obstruction. The Lions responded immediately with Jones again the main man, using nifty footwork to score his second try, and third of the tour, after picking up a flat pass from scrum-half Alex Mitchell. But the 'Tahs kept coming and finally got their reward when winger Darby Lancaster streaked free down the left to keep them in the hunt at half-time. They struck again soon after the restart, with Ethan Dobbins barging over to make it 14-10. With a raft of substitutes on, the Lions perked up and claimed their third try through Mitchell, who dummied and darted over after grabbing the ball from the back of the maul. But that was as good as it got.
Irish Daily Mirror
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Star Wars of Lions v Australia awaits Josh van der Flier after long wait
It is written in the stars that Josh van der Flier's Lions debut will come against The Force. The Wicklow man's family had a video player instead of TV channels when he was a kid and his watching options largely consisted of watching the Lions or Star Wars. He didn't grow up to become a Jedi but the force is finally with the 32-year-old Leinster and Ireland star after he departed Dublin for Australia on Saturday with Andy Farrell's British and Irish Lions squad. His debut is expected to play against the Western Force on Saturday, a moment that has been a long time coming for the 73-times capped Ireland star. "Gosh, I always wanted to play (for the Lions)," he admitted. "I didn't really know that rugby was a job when I was younger, it probably wouldn't have been something I verbalized. "But I used to watch an Irish game or a game on TV and then go out to the garden and pretend to be someone who played for Ireland or the Lions. It's probably the pinnacle. It's hard to compare with playing for your country but it is a very hard thing to do, so it's pretty cool." When he wanted to watch the Lions when he was a child he popped across the road to his grandparents' house. "I just have a vague memory of it, I would have been quite young," van der Flier recalled. 'I distinctly remember, I think it was 2005, we had a family video and we taped over it by mistake. "It was Lions against New Zealand that year, we used to watch that over and over again. It was either that or Star Wars or something. So I ended up watching a lot of that 2005 Lions game.' When Leinster finished training on the day of the squad announcement, van der Flier made a bee-line for home. "I didn't even bother showering, I was straight out the door because I didn't want to be there in front of loads of lads if guys didn't get picked or if I didn't," he recalled. "So I just went home. My wife actually facetimed me so we watched it together. It was a long wait. Last time I had a vague memory of the announcement just popping up and that was it, this time it was like 30 minutes of TV before it got to it. I was sitting there sweating on the couch." With a surname starting with 'v', the wait was even longer as he watched as back row after back row was named before announcer Ieuan Evans got to his one. 'You have a good idea of how squads are made up so you obviously need specialized lineout back rows, maybe one or two 7s," said van der Flier. "And then there were like four 8s and my name hadn't been called and you think 'oh no', but I made it in the end.' The worry didn't end there, however. Van der Flier missed Leinster's URC semi-final with a hamstring issue, and was a doubt for the final but did start the victory over the Bulls. "I never hurt my hamstring before, thankfully I've been good with muscle things, but it didn't feel too bad to be honest," he said. "I'd no reference point, it ended up being a small little thing - I got a knee in the back of it I think - but the unknown was still...I was hoping it was alright. Thankfully it was. "People were asking me what the story is with tickets, wondering what my plans were and I was literally saying, 'I'm not even thinking about that until I'm finished (with Leinster)'. Winning the URC was brilliant, so the last few days I could go into camp and it was here. It was ignore it until it was there." Van der Flier was then travelling reserve for the opening defeat to Argentina at the Aviva Stadium last Friday night but wasn't required to play. The Lions arrived in Perth around midday Irish time on Sunday. They went straight into a busy schedule yesterday with a visit to Clottesloe and an aboriginal cultural experience in the form of a 'Welcome to Country' in Kings Park. But had some time to take stock of his impressive journey when the Lions trained at the UCD Bowl last week. "It was incredible, we trained here on Tuesday and it was very cool coming out into the changing rooms," said van der Flier. "It's my first time properly here since playing here for UCD." He played for the club in 2014 and '15. "It's very easy when things are going from one thing to the next to get used to where you're at," the flanker reflected. "To be involved in the Lions is incredible and you come to the UCD changing rooms for the first time since a few years ago, it's special."
Irish Examiner
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Josh van der Flier finally gets to love his Lions dream
Josh van der Flier has gone a long way for a man who never really went anywhere. The day job is a Leinster outfit that has its base in UCD, a campus where he attended college and played AIL rugby before moving on to the professional game. His home matches, for both club and country, are played in the city where he went to school and learned so much about his trade. Even his first experience with the British and Irish Lions has had Dublin as its initial backdrop. One of the late arrivals into camp after Leinster's URC final defeat of the Bulls, van der Flier was able to stroll from the team's digs in St Stephen's Green to his wife's workplace nearby for lunch. It didn't really feel like being on tour at all. Read More British and Irish Lions warn Australia must release players for tour fixtures That will be different now that the party has moved on to Perth and a fixture against Western Force this Saturday in which he will be expected to garner some game time having sat out the tour opener against Argentina in the Aviva Stadium. It's been a long time coming. Unfortunate to miss out for the South African trip in 2021, he was made stew that bit longer when the squad was announced last month, the alphabetical arrangement giving him some nervous moments before he brought up the rear in terms of forwards. 'You have a good idea of how squads are made up so you obviously need specialized lineout back rows, maybe one or two sevens. And then there was like four sevens and my name hadn't been called and you think, 'oh no', but I made it in the end.' He did, but the anxiousness didn't end there. A hamstring injury – his first ever – forced an early exit against Scarlets in the URC quarter-final and he missed the last four tie against Glasgow before returning for the Bulls run at Croke Park. TOUCHDOWN IN OZ: Josh van der Flier signs an autograph for a fan after arriving in Perth ahead of the Lioins first game against Western Force on Saturday. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan Now, finally, he gets his chance to wear that famous red jersey at the age of 32 and bring to life the dreams he played out in his back garden after watching the Lions from afar here at home two decades ago. 'We didn't have the channels in my house,' he explained. 'My grandparents lived across the road so we would go in and watch the Lions. I just have a vague memory of it, I would have been quite young. I distinctly remember, I think it was 2005, we had a family video and we taped over it by mistake. 'It was Lions against New Zealand that year, would that be right? So we used to watch that over and over again. We didn't have the TV channels at home, it was just cassettes. So it was either that or Star Wars or something. So I ended up watching a lot of that 2005 Lions game.' Which of the three Tests they recorded that time he didn't say. It doesn't matter much in the sense that the tourists were well-beaten in all three. The current crop made for the southern hemisphere with far more expected of them. No-one would say it's easy or straightforward when merging players from four different national teams – and 15 clubs - into one but Felipe Contepomi had an interesting take on that concept before last week's Puma game in Dublin. Read More Jamison Gibson-Park and Hugo Keenan carry injuries as Lions land in Australia The Argentina manager drew parallels in style between Ireland, Scotland and Wales and suggested that even England's strategic approach through the back end of the Six Nations campaign mirrored something of their Celtic cousins. It could be that there is more uniformity in rugby these days. "There seems to be,' said van der Flier. 'A lot of coaches seem to have done it well. Like in Ireland there was obviously Joe Schmidt and then a few coaches and players under him, and they end up coaching the way he did. "I think there's probably a bit of spillover. Andy Farrell coming from England, I'm sure there would have been players who worked with him and on previous Lions tours. There definitely is a bit of crossover. 'I wouldn't know any difference, if you know what I mean, so I couldn't really compare it to too much, but I don't think from my perspective I've found it too different and I don't think too many lads have. I think they've settled in quite well.'
