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Leinster and Children in Hospital Ireland announce partnership

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Leinster Rugby has announced Children in Hospital Ireland (CIH) as its latest charity partner for the month of September as part of the Charity Affiliate Programme.

Since 1970, CIH’s team of staff, supporters and volunteers have been playing a major role in initiating and furthering changes in how children are cared for in Irish hospitals.

Each year in Ireland there are, on average, over 325,000 hospital visits by children and for over 10,000 of those, this means an average of a three-night stay.

Volunteers from all backgrounds, ages, and experiences give two hours a week to support children and their families through providing play in their local hospitals.

CIH vets, trains, and provides ongoing support for hundreds of volunteers in 14 paediatric units in Ireland every year.

Across Leinster, 145 volunteers are currently back in the major Dublin hospitals, Kilkenny and Drogheda. However, teams are eagerly growing again as new volunteers are recruited following long pauses during COVID restrictions.

Community support means so much to families at a time filled with stress and anxiety.

“Our son Freddie was born in June 2021. He is a twin to Theo, but Freddie had a hard start due to some medical complexities and spent his first year of life in Crumlin. With a twin and older sibling at home there were times we couldn’t always be with Freddie and so the volunteers in Crumlin were a massive support to us with this,” say Tracy and Andrew Holmes.

“We used their services a lot in that year and we could not be more grateful to them, it would have made our hospital journey much harder without their support.”

In attendance at the launch in Leinster Rugby head office in UCD were a number of Leinster Rugby players, as well as representatives from CIH.

Welcoming the news of the partnership, Anna Gunning, CEO of CIH said:

“We are thrilled to have been selected as charity partner for Leinster Rugby for September. This provides us with an opportunity to highlight the work of Children in Hospital Ireland and bring it to new audiences.

“We hope to attract new volunteers, supporters and partners which will help to develop our services and therefore support more children in hospital and their families. Thank you to all the team in Leinster Rugby for affording us this opportunity.”

Speaking on behalf of Leinster Rugby, Marcus Ó Buachalla, who manages the charity partnerships, said, “It was great to meet the team from Children in Hospital Ireland here this morning, but more so, to meet some of their volunteers and some of the parents and the children that have come to rely on them over the last few years.

“Chatting to them and hearing the impact that the charity has had on them and their lives while in hospital was eye opening and hopefully we can highlight over the month ahead the great work that they do.”

Leinster Rugby also confirmed that Bank of Ireland would continue to support the charity partner scheme again this season and that its player of the month award donation will now be made to the monthly charity affiliate, rather than the player in question, a move that is also supported by the Leinster Rugby players.

Like all the charities selected, Children in Hospital Ireland was selected by Leinster Rugby after a consultation process involving the leadership group of the men, women’s and Academy teams and consultation with the premium sponsors and partners and the OLSC.

For more information on Children in Hospital Ireland, please visit their website.

Further information about the Leinster Rugby Charity Affiliate Programme:

The charities supported by Leinster Rugby as part of this initiative, include;

2020/21 Season: Women’s Aid (November), Debra Ireland (December), numerous local causes supported by Bank of Ireland (January), ALONE (February), Pieta (March), AsIAm (April), LauraLynn (May), the Gavin Glynn Foundation (June), Irish Heart Foundation (August) and CRY (September)

2021/22 Season: Alzheimer Society of Ireland (November), Peter McVerry Trust (December), numerous local causes supported by Bank of Ireland such as Outcomers, Citywise Means Business, New Horizon and Purple House (January), the RNLI (February), Irish Cancer Society (March), Irish Community Air Ambulance (April), CRY (May) and Belong To (June)

The selection process for all the charities includes the Leinster Rugby players, Leinster Rugby sponsors and partners and also the Official Leinster Supporters Club (OLSC).

Images & Content from Leinster Rugby


URC

Squad Update | Munster Prepare For Cardiff At Thomond

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The Munster squad are preparing at the HPC ahead of Saturday night’s URC Round 13 clash against Cardiff at Thomond Park.

The game kicks off at 7.35pm with tickets from €20 available here.

In player news, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Crowley, Conor Murray, Calvin Nash and Peter O’Mahony have all returned to the HPC after helping Ireland to the 6 Nations title.

On the injury front, Academy back-row forward Ruadhán Quinn suffered a hand injury against Ospreys on Friday night and will be sidelined for a number of weeks.

Oli Jager and Fineen Wycherley have started their rehab following minor procedures for respective knee injuries.

Alex Nankivell is completing the RTP protocols and his availability will be determined later this week.

Simon Zebo was unavailable for the Ospreys game due to a low-grade hip injury and is due to return to training this week.

Continuing to rehab: Dave Kilcoyne (shoulder), Diarmuid Barron (foot), Roman Salanoa (knee), Jean Kleyn (knee/eye), Paddy Patterson (knee), Liam Coombes (shoulder), Patrick Campbell (shoulder).

There were 15 Munster players in AIL action at the weekend.

In Division 1A, Fionn Gibbons and Chris Moore helped Young Munster beat Dublin University with Gibbons among the tries.

Mark Donnelly lined out for Cork Constitution as they were beaten by Terenure College.

Kieran Ryan, Darragh McSweeney and Daniel Okeke couldn’t prevent Shannon falling to a defeat to City of Armagh.

In Division 1B, Colm Hogan, Jack Oliver, George Hadden, Max Clein, Cian Hurley and Jack Daly helped Garryowen to a win over Queen’s University. Hogan, Clein and Cronin were among the tries with Oliver kicking a conversion.

Scott Buckley and Andrew O’Mahony were in action for UCC as they lost to St Mary’s College.

Tickets

URC Round 13: Saturday, March 30

Munster v Cardiff Rugby, Thomond Park, 7.35pm; Buy tickets here

Women’s 6 Nations Round 3: Saturday, April 13

Ireland v Wales, Virgin Media Park, 4.45pm; Buy tickets here

URC Round 16: Saturday, May 11

Munster v Connacht, Thomond Park, 5.15pm; Buy tickets here

URC Round 18: Saturday, June 1

Munster v Ulster, Thomond Park, 5.15pm; Buy tickets here

Images & Content from Munster Rugby


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URC

Squad Update | Preparations Continue For Ospreys

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The Munster squad are continuing preparations ahead of Friday night’s URC Round 12 clash against Ospreys in Swansea (7.35pm).

On the injury front, there is good news for John Hodnett (finger), Jack O’Donoghue (knee) and Simon Zebo (knee) as they all return to training this week.

Oli Jager (knee) and Fineen Wycherley (knee) are both due to see specialists this week for possible surgery.

Alex Nankivell is following the return to play protocols following a head injury in training last week.

On the international front, Craig Casey and Jeremy Loughman have returned to the squad after Ireland’s 6 Nations triumph at the weekend.

Continuing to rehab: Dave Kilcoyne (shoulder), Diarmuid Barron (foot), Roman Salanoa (knee), Jean Kleyn (knee/eye), Paddy Patterson (knee), Liam Coombes (shoulder), Patrick Campbell (shoulder).

Tickets

URC Round 13: Saturday, March 30

Munster v Cardiff Rugby, Thomond Park, 7.35pm; Buy tickets here

Women’s 6 Nations Round 3: Saturday, April 13

Ireland v Wales, Virgin Media Park, 4.45pm; Buy tickets here

URC Round 16: Saturday, May 11

Munster v Connacht, Thomond Park, 5.15pm; Buy tickets here

URC Round 18: Saturday, June 1

Munster v Ulster, Thomond Park, 5.15pm; Buy tickets here

Images & Content from Munster Rugby


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URC

British & Irish Lion to join Glasgow Warriors

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Sutherland to join Glasgow Warriors

Glasgow Warriors can confirm that Scotland prop Rory Sutherland will join the club this summer.

The British and Irish Lion joins the Scotstoun-outfit from French side Oyonnax, making the move to Scotstoun on a two-year deal as Franco Smith’s squad continues to take shape.

The confirmation of the loose-head prop’s move to Glasgow also comes on the eve of his involvement in Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations clash with Ireland in Dublin, where he is in contention to win his 30th cap for Scotland, part of the match day squad.

The 31-year-old Sutherland will bring a dynamic ball-carrying presence to the Warriors in addition to a solid platform at the set-piece.

After making his debut for Edinburgh in 2014, the prop went on to make 91 appearances in the capital before a summer switch to Worcester Warriors in 2021.

A short-term stint with Ulster followed after Worcester’s demise in 2022, running out on 12 occasions for the Irish province.

Sutherland’s form for Scotland across the 2020 and 2021 campaigns saw him selected for the 2021 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa, joining future Glasgow team-mate Zander Fagerson amongst the front-row options.

He became the first Scottish prop to represent the invitational squad since the late Tom Smith when selected for the first Test, playing just under an hour in the 22-17 victory over the Springboks.

Sutherland said: “The past couple of years have been tough since I had to leave Worcester. I’ve been at a few clubs and I haven’t had the consistency I’d have liked in my game. This move to Glasgow, and back to Scotland, offers me the chance to work on getting that back into my rugby.

“Glasgow is a really successful team, so to be offered the chance to come to Scotstoun is attractive for any player. For me, it allows me to come back home, and be closer to my family, which will work wonders for me.

“I’ve gotten close to some of the Glasgow players while in camp with Scotland and they talk highly of Franco and the culture in the club. I’m looking forward to that and getting back to the homeland!”

Head Coach Smith added: “We are pleased to be able to add a prop of Rory’s calibre to our squad ahead of next season.

“His qualities will make him a real asset to our playing group, as we continue to develop our strength in every position.

“We look forward to seeing him in action at Scotstoun over the next couple of seasons and we know that the Warrior Nation will welcome him to our club.”

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