Champions Cup
Toulon boss takes aim at Rhys Webb
“His agents are offering him all over Wales, while he still owes us one more year on his contract.”
Toulon’s president, Mourad Boudjellal is not known for being a shy, reserved , hide in the background style owner. He’s the opposite but this weekend the Toulon boss has gone nuclear!
Yesterday, his comments about Julian Savea made headlines, stating he was releasing the All Black (read the comments here) following the defeat to Agen.
Savea was not the only one in the firing line. Rhys Webb was also in line for a verbal spray.
The Welsh
“His agents are offering him all over Wales, while he still owes us one more year on his contract.”Don’t worry, I won’t hold him back.”
His agent Derwyn Jones, speaking on behalf of the Webb, said:
“The last month or so has been really difficult for Rhys with his family moving back to Wales because one of his sons found it hard to settle out there and adjust to being in a French language school.
“However, Rhys wants to make it clear he hasn’t had any conversations with the club at all about leaving Toulon.
“He has a strong family network which will support his fiancée and children back home in Bridgend.
“Toulon have openly said he’s one of the most professional players they have come across.
“Rhys’s immediate goal is to help the club start winning again and make the top six in the French league.
“The club have spoken to me to say they are concerned about how Rhys will cope without his family.
“But Rhys has assured me he’s committed to the club.
“The club have not indicated to me they are unhappy with Rhys, which is a totally separate conversation.
“So Rhys remains committed to the team.”
A new-look coaching team will lead Munster Rugby this season with Head Coach Graham Rowntree joined by Mike Prendergast, Andi Kyriacou and Denis Leamy.
New Attack Coach Prendergast joined from Racing 92, Forwards Coach Kyriacou was promoted from his role as Elite Player Development Officer and Defence Coach Leamy has returned from Leinster.
See profiles for the three new members of the coaching team below. Scroll down to watch Graham Rowntree’s first interview as Munster Head Coach.
Mike Prendergast – Attack Coach
Mike Prendergast has joined Munster from Top 14 side Racing 92, where he held the role of Attack and Backs Coach since 2019.
Prendergast has a wealth of experience of coaching at the top level and in addition to Racing 92 he has held assistant coaching roles with Stade Francais, Oyannax Rugby and Grenoble FCG since making the move to France in 2013.
On completing his professional playing career in 2009 the scrum-half continued playing with his club Young Munster RFC while also progressing on the coaching front as he held Head Coach and Director of Rugby roles with the Limerick side.
On the provincial coaching front, he previously worked closely with Academy Manager Ian Costello and Team Manager Niall O’Donovan when overseeing the backline for the Munster A’s that enjoyed British and Irish Cup success in 2012.
Andi Kyriacou – Forwards Coach
Andi Kyriacou has been promoted from his role as an Elite Player Development Officer with the Greencore Munster Rugby Academy, a position he held since April 2021.
From England, the former hooker lined out for the province during the 2006/07 season when on loan from Saracens and went on to represent Ulster and Cardiff Rugby before retiring from the professional game in 2013.
Over the last decade he has held numerous coaching roles in the areas of the scrum, defence, skills, and forwards working with Cardiff Rugby, Sale Sharks, Russia Rugby and Nottingham.
Andi Kyriacou prior to Munster’s Champions Cup clash against Wasps in Coventry.
Denis Leamy – Defence Coach
Denis Leamy returned to Munster after a three-year spell at Leinster, where he first held a role as an Elite Player Development Officer before moving up to the role of Contact Skills Coach in October 2021.
Following a hugely successful playing career with Munster and Ireland Leamy’s coaching career saw him work with several sides across the province over seven years including Young Munster RFC, Rockwell College, Clonmel RFC, Cashel RFC and Garryowen FC.
On the provincial front the Tipperary native also worked at various stages with Munster’s age-grade players and the ‘A’ team before making the move to Leinster.
He joined the Ireland U20s team as Assistant Coach for the 2021 Six Nations campaign.
New Defence Coach Denis Leamy.
Video | Graham Rowntree Interview
Images & Content from Munster Rugby
We spoke to Graham Rowntree about his new role as Munster Head Coach ahead of the pre-season training programme.
Graham spent three years as Munster Forwards Coach before stepping up to become Head Coach.
He leads a new-look coaching team including Attack Coach Mike Prendergast, Defence Coach Denis Leamy and Forwards Coach Andi Kyriacou.
The new campaign kicks off in one month with Munster taking on Gloucester and London Irish in two pre-season games at Musgrave Park. Click here for fixture details and ticket news.
Watch Graham Rowntree’s first interview as Munster Head Coach below.
Pre-Season Fixtures
Buy a discount two-match pack here.
Friday, August 26
Munster Rugby v Gloucester, Musgrave Park, 7.30pm; Buy tickets here
Friday, September 2
Munster Rugby v London Irish, Musgrave Park, 7.30pm; Buy tickets here
Images & Content from Munster Rugby
Champions Cup
2022/23 Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup pool stage fixture schedules announced
Stade Rochelais, who won a first Heineken Champions Cup in such dramatic fashion in May, will launch the defence of their title at Stade Marcel Deflandre against another former tournament winner, Northampton Saints, when the 2022/23 EPCR season kicks off on the weekend of 9/10/11 December.
The Anglo-French clash in Pool B will be one of a host of mouthwatering match-ups, which include the landmark participation of South African clubs, following today’s (Thursday, 21 July) announcement of the Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup fixture schedules.
URC winners, the Stormers, will have a first competitive outing on French soil when they take on ASM Clermont Auvergne in the Stade Marcel-Michelin cauldron, while the Pretoria-based Bulls and the Sharks from Durban will be at home against Lyon and Harlequins respectively in Round 1 on the weekend of 9/10/11 December.
Click HERE for the 2022/23 Heineken Champions Cup pool stage fixtures
Reigning Gallagher Premiership champions, Leicester Tigers, will open their campaign against the Ospreys at the Swansea.com Stadium, and last season’s TOP 14 winners, Montpellier Hérault Rugby, will also be on the road when they face London Irish, who are making a return to the top flight for the first time since 2012, at Brentford Community Stadium.
Two of the tournament’s heavyweights, Munster Rugby and Stade Toulousain, who met in a memorable quarter-final last season, will renew rivalries in Round 1 in early December at what is certain to be a packed-out Thomond Park.
At this stage, EPCR are only announcing the fixtures by round for the pool stages, with exact dates, kick-off times and TV coverage in both the Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup to be announced as soon as possible following the conclusion of negotiations with broadcasters for the new cycle across each market.
The 2020 winners, Bristol Bears, will be hoping for a repeat performance when they start their EPCR Challenge Cup Pool A campaign against USAP at Stade Aimé Giral on the weekend of 9/10/11 December, while last season’s defeated finalists, RC Toulon, travel to Zebre Parma in Round 1.
Click HERE for the 2022/23 EPCR Challenge Cup pool stage fixtures
The Lions from Johannesburg will make their debut in the tournament against Worcester Warriors at Sixways, while the Cheetahs, who will play their two ‘home’ matches in Pool B at Stadio Lanfranchi in Parma, go head-to-head with Section Paloise at Stade du Hameau in the south-west of France in Round 1.
HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP
24 elite clubs (nine tournament winners with 36 EPCR titles between them)
Two pools of 12
Four pool stage rounds
Eight highest-ranked clubs from each pool qualify for the knockout stage
Knockout stage: Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final
Ninth and 10th ranked clubs from each pool qualify for the EPCR Challenge Cup
Click HERE for the Heineken Champions Cup pools
EPCR CHALLENGE CUP
20 clubs (seven tournament winners with 14 EPCR titles between them)
Two pools of 10
Four pool stage rounds
Six highest-ranked clubs from each pool qualify for the knockout stage
Knockout stage: Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final
Click HERE for the EPCR Challenge Cup pools
2022/23 key dates
Round 1 – 9/10/11 December 2022
Round 2 – 16/17/18 December 2022
Round 3 – 13/14/15 January 2023
Round 4 – 20/21/22 January 2023
Round of 16 – 31 March – 1/2 April 2023
Quarter-finals – 7/8/9 April 2023
Semi-finals – 28/29/30 April 2023
EPCR Challenge Cup final – Friday 19 May 2023; Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Heineken Champions Cup final – Saturday 20 May 2023; Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Content & Images from – EPC Rugby
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