Joe Schmidt has not gone for whoelsale change in his Irish squad which has just been named. The major inhibitor to players has been injury for instance to players such as Donnacha Ryan and Iain Henderson. The 34 man squad does include three uncapped players in David Kearney, James Coughlan and Jack McGrath. Whilst Ulster prop Tom Court is included having been excluded back … [Read more...]
Ireland 2013-14 Puma Alternative Jersey
The Ireland national rugby union team or the IRFU have officially released their alternative change strip for the 2013-14 season. Ireland have used the same Puma shirt template as the home jersey which boasts prints with the flags of the island’s four provinces on its upper inner back area. The colours of the Leinster, Ulster, Munster and Connacht provincial flags are … [Read more...]
Six Nations Preview – Wales v Ireland at Millennium Stadium with @HarpinOnRugby and @TheCoalFaceBlog
The Six Nations holds extra significance this year, with places on the Lions' tour of Australia up for grabs. Ahead of this weekend's opening round of matches we thought we'd ask the experts from each of the countries involved to give us their thoughts. For Wales' game against Ireland at Millennium Stadium we enlisted the help of the boys from The Coal Face, while responding … [Read more...]
New Players Vie For Lucrative Sponsorship Deals
As Rugby becomes more and more commercial the competition to sponsor sides and supply kits has increased, with a host of companies looking to establish themselves in the market and align themselves with some of the top brands in the sport. The Warrior brand is a relatively new name on the market, having previously focused on the North American markets of Ice Hockey and … [Read more...]
The shirt off their backs – Puma and Ireland to part company
German apparel giant Puma have decided to part company with their their biggest client in the world of Rugby Union, announcing that their deal with Irish Rugby will come to an end following the conclusion of the 2013/14 season. Puma, who have spread their attentions across a vast array of sports ranging from traditional markets like football to more diverse arenas such as … [Read more...]