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RTÉ News
25-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Camogie semi-finals: All you need to know
SATURDAY Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior semi-finals Galway v Tipperary, UPMC Nowlan Park, 3pm Cork v Waterford, UPMC Nowlan Park, 5pm TV Both semi-finals will be broadcast live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. ONLINE Score updates and match reports available on RTÉ Sport Online and RTÉ News app. RADIO Score updates on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport. WEATHER Saturday will be a mix of sunny spells and scattered showers, the odd heavy one later in the day. Highest temperatures of 16 to 21 degrees in a moderate, occasionally fresh, westerly wind. Galway v Tipperary A repeat of last year's tumultuous semi-final, in which Galway snatched the pass to an All-Ireland final from Tipperary's grasp in dramatic fashion, scoring the last three points including Carrie Dolan's injury-time winner, having fallen two behind in the 56th minute. Both sides have lost players for a variety of reasons since, but the cruciate injuries suffered by Eimear McGrath and Clodagh Quirke appear particularly cataclysmic blows to the blue and gold, following the retirements of Cáit Devane, Mary Ryan and Nicole Walsh. Galway are without Niamh Kilkenny and Áine Keane among others, but have Shauna Healy and Emma Helebert - pictured below - back and appear to be in better form than they were this time 12 months ago. The Rebels steamrolled them in the league final but since then, Cathal Murray's charges won their group, scoring the last six points against Waterford when the sides had been level with a little more than four minutes of normal time remaining in the last tie. Niamh Mallon and Dolan have been their primary scorers, while a defence of Healy, Helebert, Dervla Higgins and Róisín Black look solid. Tipp were beaten by 18 points by Cork in their opener but bounced back with facile victories over Wexford, Limerick and Clare, racking up 11-62 in the process, at an average of more than 3-22 a game. Clare pushed Waterford very hard in their quarter-final, a week after losing by 20 points to the Premier. Tipp have the benefit of coming through a thrilling quarter-final against Kilkenny. They capitalised on a huge slice of luck when the Cats had a goal chalked off with referee Ray Kelly having blown for a penalty before Caoimhe Keher Murtagh found the net. Walsh's successor in the Tipp No 1 jersey, Laura Leenane saved Aoife Prendergast's shot The game went to extra time and Clodagh McIntyre, reintroduced after being substituted, scored a sensational goal to edge Tipp home. Karen Kennedy, Grace O'Brien, Mairéad Eviston, Karin Blair and Róisín Howard are among the leaders Denis Kelly can call upon. We can expect another fiercely contested affair. Cork v Waterford This is a repeat of the 2023 All-Ireland final and Waterford will be hoping for a different result than when Amy O'Connor scored a hat-trick of goals in two minutes of action as the Rebels sauntered to victory. Nothing went right for Waterford that day, with Vikki Falconer, deputised to reprise her marking heroics of the season on O'Connor but suffering an ACL injury after three minutes. Beth Carton missed a penalty too and it proved a thoroughly forgettable day. Carton had a penalty saved in the quarter-final also as the Déise struggled with the favourites mantle but with Niamh Rockett flourishing from play and placed balls, Annie Fitzgerald and Abby Flynn sporadically dangerous when fed, Lorraine Bray coming into it in the second half and Falconer excelling on Róisín Begley, they prevailed by ten points, despite wasting a number of goal chances too. Cork will have noted the trouble Áine O'Loughlin caused however, and it would be no surprise to see a ball winner of Sorcha McCartan's calibre on the edge of the square at some point. Of course the Rebels have a huge mix of talent, and their style of play is more about speed and movement than the long ball. McCartan had a huge impact as a sub in last year's All-Ireland final, though, and Ger Manley is fortunate to have such a different arrow in his bow. Ashling Thompson remains a key cog in the engine room, and Laura Treacy and Libby Coppinger are at the heart of a mean defence. There seems to be no end to the Mackey twins, Pamela and Katrina, and no matter who Manley starts up top, they are scoring at present, Clodagh Finn among the newbies making an impact. The Leesiders are chasing a three-in-a-row and are unbackable favourites to advance but if Waterford bring their A game, they have the attacking talents to ask questions of their Munster neighbours.
RTÉ News
04-07-2025
- Climate
- RTÉ News
Camogie quarter-finals: All you need to know
SATURDAY Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior quarter-final Clare v Waterford, Croke Park, 2.30pm Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior relegation final Derry v Wexford, Darver, 2pm SUNDAY Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior quarter-final Tipperary v Kilkenny, Croke Park, 1.15pm TV Live coverage of both quarter-finals on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. ONLINE Score updates and match reports available on RTÉ Sport Online and RTÉ News app. RADIO Score updates on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport and Sunday Sport. WEATHER Saturday: Mostly cloudy on Saturday with patchy outbreaks of rain and drizzle. While a few bright spells will develop, it'll stay rather cloudy overall. Highest temperatures of 16-22C, warmest in the south and east, where it will feel quite mild and humid. Sunday: Cloudy to begin. Brightening up through the afternoon and for the evening with sunny spells and scattered showers. Highest temperatures of 14-19C. Clare v Waterford Waterford go into this as favourites, as regulars at this stage of proceedings and with most of the panel having been involved in the All-Ireland final two years ago. Those that weren't have played in All-Ireland minor finals. Clare are in the second year of a rebuild, and making the last six after reaching the 1B league final is considerable progress for John Carmody's young squad. Beating Wexford and drawing with Limerick enabled them to progress on score difference but they will need to improve on a 20-point defeat by Tipperary last week to advance. Ahead of quarter-final weekend in the camogie championship, @MartyMofficial spoke to some of the players who will be involved — RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) June 30, 2025 Waterford had a change of management after the league, with coach Mick Boland taking over from Jerry Wallace. They didn't lose a game in Munster or All-Ireland Championship, a run that included a first ever championship win over Kilkenny, until last weekend's late collapse in Athenry, when they conceded the last six points to Galway, having been level with four minutes of regulation time remaining. That defeat cost them a direct route to the last four but they have a second bite of that particularly cherry. The Banner will look to O'Loughlin, Clare Hehir and Ziyan Spillane to provide leadership, and their defence in particularly will be tested by a high scoring Waterford attack in which Niamh Rocket is excelling, along with former player of the year Beth Carton and Annie Fitzgerald, with Lorraine Bray provides the energy from the middle. Derry v Wexford Wexford would probably have had designs on a place in the knockouts stages, but find themselves in a relegation final. Having lost to the Clare, the wheels really fell off the wagon after falling short against Limerick. There were two heavy defeats by Tipperary and Cork and the only positive you could find was that they knew their fate before last weekend's loss to the Rebels. Derry were down 10 first-team players from last year, when they retained senior status comfortably, so were up against it from the start. They gave up four goals in the Division 2 league decider against Offaly and that defensive frailty left them vulnerable against Waterford, Galway and Kilkenny. Neither side can be full of confidence but in a one-off game to determine relegation or salvation, the team that can park recent history the best will survive. Tipperary v Kilkenny These old rivals got off to chastening starts but rebounded well to get to this juncture. They both began the year without a number of familiar faces – Mary Ryan, Cáit Devane and Nicole Walsh for Tipp, the Walsh cousins Miriam and Grace and Julianne Malone for Kilkenny – but their production lines ensure that they should always be competitive. Kilkenny fell to a first ever championship loss to Waterford but beating Dublin, who defeated them in last year's All-Ireland quarter-final, meant they were going to advance from their group. They went toe to toe with Galway in the first half before falling away, but Tommy Shefflin has been working on some different set-ups, including playing Katie Power in a deeper role and the Noresiders should be getting closer to gel now. A second Croke Park defeat in a row would be tough for the Stripeywomen to take, but Tipp will start as slight favourites. They lost by 18 points to Cork, which must have been a huge shock but their attack really clicked into gear subsequently against the Wexford, Limerick and Clare. It was a good response as they became accustomed to being without cruciate victims, Eimear McGrath and Clodagh Quirke. With Grace O'Brien, Karen Kennedy, Karin Blair and Mairéad Eviston standing out, they racked up 15-62 in the process of securing the runner-up berth behind the All-Ireland champions. Apart from Power, Kilkenny can look to the likes of Laura Murphy, Caoimhe Keher Murtagh Aoife Prendergast.
RTÉ News
28-06-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Monaghan's quality of play not matched by their belief
Monaghan need to make a statement win in Croke Park this weekend and prove they fully believe they are genuine All-Ireland contenders. That's the view of former Tyrone player Enda McGinley, who isn't convinced the Farney men truly believe they will be part of the shake-up for Sam Maguire ahead of their quarter-final this weekend with Donegal. The all-Ulster clash on Saturday afternoon will kick-start the series of last-eight encounters at GAA HQ, with Donegal dominating the headlines in the build-up. The Ulster champions will be action for a third week on the trot with Jim McGuinness' side set for a ninth championship outing in 13 weeks. In a statement released on Monday, the county said that the welfare of their players has not be considered, with Saturday's 4pm throw-in coming six days after the preliminary quarter-final defeat of Louth. The Farney men have enjoyed a fine season under Gabriel Bannigan – promotion to Division 1 and having last weekend off courtesy of topping a round-robin group that didn't contain any side from the top tier. Micheál Bannigan and Stephen O'Hanlon have been causing havoc up front, but speaking on the RTÉ GAA podcast, McGinley questions whether Monaghan, who put it up to the Tir Chonaill men in Ulster before falling short by two points, have the confidence required to take out a contender. "Monaghan have to make that statement win," he said. "They have to show that they come to Croke Park as equals and are capable of winning the whole thing. "Do Monaghan truly believe they are capable of winning the whole thing? I don't know. I would genuinely would doubt that. "That's a critical weakness." McGinley feels Donegal's ceiling is higher, and has been surprised that with the personnel available to McGuinness, they remain so reliant on the evergreen Michael Murphy. "Donegal have the tools to spread the big men right across (the pitch), yet when they need a kickout, there is only one man they continually and repeatedly go to, that's Michael Murphy. "Tyrone sort of cancelled that out (All-Ireland series) and that was the winning of the game for them. "Monaghan, as an Ulster team, will know well how to target that. Donegal have to play better, but Monaghan have to have a belief, not just that they can win this game, but the whole thing. "They have played some of the best football all year, probably more consistent than some of the other top teams. "I'd imagine the messaging in the Monaghan camp is, 'we've been playing good stuff, primarily against tier two sides, but we now have to show up against the big boys and take down a Division 1 team. Are we ready for that or not?'" Follow a live blog on the All-Ireland Football Championship quarter-finals on Saturday on and the RTÉ News app. Listen to commentaries on Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1. Watch highlights on The Saturday Game at 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Watch two All-Ireland Football Championship quarter-finals, Meath v Galway and Armagh v Kerry, from 1.15pm on Sunday on RTÉ 2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on and the RTÉ News app. Listen to commentaries on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1. Watch highlights on The Sunday Game at 10.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
RTÉ News
27-06-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Camogie Championship Round 5: All you need to know
SATURDAY Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Championship Group 1 Wexford v Cork, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 2pm Tipperary v Clare, FBD Semple Stadium, 3pm Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Championship Group 2 Galway v Waterford, Kenny Park, 1pm Dublin v Derry, Parnell Park, 2pm ONLINE Score updates and match reports available on RTÉ Sport Online and RTÉ News app. Galway v Waterford live on Camogie Association YouTube channel. RADIO Score updates on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport. WEATHER Saturday will start out cloudy with scattered rain. It'll become drier and brighter in the west and north during the afternoon and evening with sunny spells developing. However, cloudy, damp and humid conditions will linger further south and east through much of the day. Maximum temperatures ranging from 17-23C in light to moderate southwest to west winds. Group 1 Wexford v Cork Wexford's campaign has been very disappointing, especially given their initial aim of at least securing the third knockout spot in this group. Their hopes were dashed by losses to Clare and Limerick, consigning them to a relegation play-off against either Dublin or Derry. In stark contrast, reigning champions Cork have enjoyed a seamless journey, maintaining a flawless record without facing significant challenges. They've effectively utilised a diverse squad, and a victory here will solidify their position as group winners, guaranteeing direct progression to the semi-finals. Tipperary v Clare Both Tipperary and Clare have already secured their places in the quarter-finals. The only scenario in which Clare wouldn't directly qualify is an improbable 58-point defeat, which would force a play-off with Limerick. While unlikely, Tipperary has shown excellent resilience, bouncing back from an opening-round thrashing by Cork with two comfortable victories over Wexford and Limerick. Clare followed their win against Wexford with a draw against Limerick. The outcome of this match will determine which team secures the second-place seeding, offering a more favourable draw against the third-placed team from Group 2. Group 2 Galway v Waterford Both Galway and Waterford have already qualified. The winner of this match will earn a coveted direct berth in the semi-finals (barring an improbable, catastrophic defeat), while the loser will still likely be favoured to advance from the quarter-finals. The terms "winner" and "loser" here refer to seeding, as a draw would be sufficient for Waterford to claim the top spot due to their significantly superior score differential. Nevertheless, this remains an intriguing contest. Topping the group is a significant incentive, but perhaps even more importantly, both teams will welcome this challenging test at this stage of the season before the stakes become even higher. Waterford has experienced a resurgence since Mick Boland took over as manager after the league, replacing Jerry Wallace. They've since secured a spot in the upcoming Munster final and achieved a perfect three wins from three in the All-Ireland Championship. Their defence appears more robust, and their scoring has been prolific. According to Cathal Murray, Galway displayed their best half-hour of hurling this season in the second half of their match against Kilkenny last Saturday. Both teams appear to be peaking at the right time. Dublin v Derry This match is a direct battle for maintaining senior status. A draw will be enough for Dublin, as despite being pointless after three games, like their opponents, they have shown competitiveness, particularly against Kilkenny and Galway. Derry has struggled significantly after losing two-thirds of the team that impressed in their senior debut last year, a challenge that has proven too great to overcome. They now face Wexford in the relegation final.
RTÉ News
13-06-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
URC Grand Final: Leinster v Bulls - All you need to know
After the Stormers, Munster and Glasgow Warriors all etched their names onto the BKT United Rugby Championship trophy in the last three years, there will be another new name joining them this weekend. While Leinster have won the previous iterations of this competition eight times, they haven't done so since the arrival of the big four South African franchises in 2021. For the Bulls, it's a case of third time lucky. Jake White's side beat Leinster in the semi-finals in both 2022 and 2024, only to lose in the final on each occasion. Here's everything you need to know ahead of this Saturday's final at Croke Park. RADIO There will be live commentary of Leinster v Bulls on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport. ONLINE There will be a live blog on for Leinster v Bulls, as well as match report and reaction. TV Leinster v Vodacom Bulls will be shown on TG4 and Premier Sports, with kick-off at 5pm. The game can also be streamed on WEATHER It looks like Saturday will be a day of unpredictable weather conditions, with sunshine and showers forecast at various stages during the day, and temperatures around 15C. PREVIEW/TEAMS It speaks to the competitiveness of the URC that Leinster and the Bulls lead the way for the most wins in the competition (59 and 54) across the last four seasons, and yet neither have got their hands on the trophy. While the Bulls have been to this stage twice before, this will be Leinster's first time in the final of the URC - in its current guise - having won the older versions of this championship eight times, most recently in 2021. After three finals in South Africa, this will be the first time the URC has been decided on Irish soil. Don't get too swayed by home advantage though, in two of the last three finals the away team has taken the trophy. The sides have met six times before, and the Bulls lead the head-to-head 4-2. Their regular-season meetings have been evenly split with Leinster winning both in Dublin, and the Bulls victorious twice in Pretoria. The difference has been in the play-offs, with the South Africans stunning Leinster at the RDS back in 2022, before winning at the same stage last season at Loftus Versfeld. While cross-hemisphere wins have proven difficult in the last four years, the Bulls have adapted well. In April, their 16-13 win against Munster at Thomond Park made them the first and only South African team to win away from home at all four Irish provinces, while they have also beaten each of the Irish teams this season. Their preparations this week have been aided by a better travel schedule, flying out from South Africa last Sunday to give themselves extra time to settle in Dublin. While Leinster topped the regular season and have lost just twice in this campaign, the Bulls are probably the form side in the competition. They've won eight games in a row in this competition, a run that started with their 21-20 win against Leinster in March, while they won away to both Munster and Glasgow in that period. This will be Leinster's fifth time playing at Croke Park, and they have a 100% record in their previous four visits, defeating both Munster and Harlequins at GAA HQ this season. Leo Cullen is without some key players for this weekend, with British and Irish Lions pair Hugo Keenan and Tadhg Furlong both out injured, while captain Caelan Doris is on the long-term list. The province have been able to recall Josh van der Flier and Garry Ringrose after they missed the semi-final win against Glasgow. Jordie Barrett starts in the centre and will play his 15th and final game for the province as his short-term deal comes to an end. It will also be a final Leinster appearance off the bench for Gloucester-bound Ross Byrne, with the 30-year old set for his 186th game in blue. The Bulls make just one change to their side, but it's a big one, with back row Cameron Hanekon ruled out with a knee injury, as Marco van Staden comes in at flanker, and Marcell Coetzee shifts across to cover Hanekom's absence at number 8. Leinster: Jimmy O'Brien; Tommy O'Brien, Garry Ringrose, Jordie Barrett, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Thomas Clarkson; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan (capt). Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Jack Boyle, Rabah Slimani, RG Snyman, Max Deegan, Luke McGrath, Ross Byrne, Jamie Osborne. Bulls: Willie le Roux; Canan Moodie, David Kriel, Harold Vorster, Sebastian de Klerk; Johan Goosen, Embrose Papier; Jan-hendrik Wessels, Johan Grobbelaar, Wilco Louw; Cobus Wiese, JF van Heerden; Marco van Staden, Ruan Nortje (capt), Marcell Coetzee. Replacements: Akker van der Merwe, Alulutho Tshakweni, Mornay Smith, Jannes Kirsten, Nizaam Carr, Zak Burger, Keagan Johannes, Devon Williams. WHAT THEY SAID Leo Cullen (Leinster head coach): "I can't speak for the players specifically, but you want to go out and do your best on any given day and not look too much at the outcome. Unfortunately, the reality is once you get closer to something that's what people tend to look at and they can quite often trip themselves up. So [ we are] making sure we focus on playing well, because that's the bit we can control, the outcome and some of the other variables, we can't control." Jake White (Bulls head coach):"One of the messages I got to the players was one of the things about this competition is that you need to play your best rugby in the last three weeks, and we haven't managed to do that in the four years. We have managed to play really well over a period of time but we haven't managed to back up three performances in a the challenge for all these teams. You got to have your best guys out, they got to be playing their best and you've got to prepare them the best they can be for those last three Saturdays." Bulls 21-20 Leinster, 22 Match 20025 (Loftus Versfeld) Bulls 25-20 Leinster, 15 June 2024 (Loftus Versfeld) Leinster 47-14 Bulls, 29 March 2024 (RDS) Bulls 62-7 Leinster, 22 April 2023 (Loftus Versfeld) Leinster 26-27 Bulls, 10 June 2022 (RDS) Leinster 31-3 Bulls, 5 September 2021 (Aviva Stadium)
