Just a quick note to all those avid readers of the MyMunster blog - There hasn’t been much to read lately, and sincere apologies for that. MyMunster is part of a small business and like many small Irish businesses, 2009 was like the “perfect storm”. Resources have been extremely scarce and the blog has suffered.

The same is true for the MyMunster.com website.

All we can do is hope that 2010 brings some respite. (Happy New Year by the way).

So thanks for all the support in the past, and fingers crossed you’ll be seeing some new content here in the coming months.

Sincerely,

The MyMunster team.

The Classic Bar & Club Classic, South Main Street, Cork is hosting a fundraiser in aid of The Stuart Mangan Appeal on Friday 26th June.

The event will begin with a Sports Table Quiz at 7.30pm in The Classic Bar with special guest Peter Clohessy acting as Quizmaster for the evening. A table of four people is €100 with prizes for first and second place as well as spot prizes raffled throughout the night. The night will continue in Club Classic from 11pm, where music and promotions will keep everyone entertained ‘til late.

Proceeds from the night will go to The Stuart Mangan Appeal, which is raising funds to secure Stuart’s future financial needs following a catastrophic sporting injury last year.

All support is welcome! Tables are limited so to book a table please contact Adrienne on 086/8556476 / email adrienne@clubclassic.ie. or come along to Club Classic from 11pm to support this worthy charity.

The Classic Bar, 1-3 South Main St., Cork.
www.clubclassic.ie

For more information on the Stuart Mangan appeal, please visit the web site by clicking here.

2010 Heineken Cup pools announced

The pools for the 2009/10 Heineken Cup have been announced.  Like last year, Munster are in Pool 1 which this time contains 4 silverware winners.   Munster are the winners of the Magners league, Perpignan are the French champions, Northampton Saints won the European Challenge Cup and Benetton Treviso are the Italian Super 10 winners.
This promises to be an interesting pool with some lively rugby to watch.  The 2010 Heineken Cup Final will be held in Paris on the 22 May. 
The other pools are as follows:

POOL 2 - Biarritz Olympique, Gloucester, Newport Gwent Dragons, Glasgow Warriors

POOL 3 - Leicester Tigers, Ospreys, Clermont Auvergne, Viadana

POOL 4 - Bath, Stade Francais, Ulster, Edinburgh

POOL 5 - Toulouse, Cardiff Blues, Sale Sharks, Harlequins

POOL 6 - Leinster, London Irish, Scarlets, Brive

Ireland 'A' compete in the Churchill Cup

Today Ireland ‘A’ play their first match in the 7th annual Churchill Cup.   This years competition is being held in Colorado USA with 6 countries competing in 2 pools.  Ireland is in Pool A with Canada and Georgia, while pool B contains Argentina Jaguars, England Saxons and USA.

Normally Connacht’s Michael Bradley coaches the team but this year Declan Kidney along with the rest of the senior Ireland coaching staff are in charge.  Obviously with an eye to building the senior squad for the world cup in 2 years time. 

Some players such as Tony Buckley and Donnacha Ryan, that played in the recent summer tour of Canada and USA have been given another chance to perform and impress. While there are young players including Chris Henry that are being given their first opportunity to make an impact on the future plans for the Irish rugby team.
 

Ireland take to the field at 7pm local time in  Infinity Park, Glendale.  The team is as follows:
Ireland ‘A’
1 - Bryan Young (Ulster)
2 - Sean Cronin (Connacht)
3 - Tony Buckley (Munster)
4 - Donnacha Ryan (Munster)
5 - Devon Toner (Leinster)
6 - Neil Best (Northampton Saints)
7 - Sean O’Brien (Leinster)
8 - Chris Henry (Ulster)
9 - Isaac Boss (Ulster) Captain
10 - Niall O’Connor (Ulster)
11 - Johne Murphy (Leicester)
12 - Keith Matthews (Connacht)
13 - Fergus McFadden (Leinster)
14 - Fionn Carr (Connacht)
15 - Denis Hurley (Munster)

Replacements:
16 - Denis Fogarty (Munster)
17 - Cian Healy (Leinster)
18 - Trevor Hogan (Leinster)
19 - John Muldoon (Connacht)
20 - Frank Murphy (Connacht)
21 - Jonathan Sexton (Leinster)
22 - James Downey (Northampton Saints)

UCC Rugby Football Club celebrates what may be the most successful season in its 137 year history. 

UCC Senior Team were crowned All Ireland League Winners (Division Two) and are promoted to Division One for the first time in the Club’s history since the AIL was established. 

The top four teams in the Club (Senior, J1, J2, U20) all won their major league competitions. 

U20s were undefeated in the South Western Conference League, while the Seniors, J1 and J2 lost one league game each in their respective season long leagues. 

A total of ten competitions and trophies were won by five of the six teams in the Club, i.e. 10 out of a possible 18 titles the Club compete for across the teams.

Congratulations to all involved!

Paul O’Connell will captain the British & Irish Lions in their opening match of the tour of South Africa when the tourists meet the Royal XV in Phokeng, near Rustenburg, on Saturday.

The Irish and Munster lock is joined in the starting line-up by Lions veteran Ronan O’Gara, while Keith Earls and Tommy Bowe make their Lions debuts in the backs.

Nine players will make their Lions run-on debuts including the centre pairing of 21-year-old Irishman Earls, who is the youngest player on tour in South Africa, and 22-year-old Welsh centre Jamie Roberts.

Commenting on the team selection, coach Ian McGeechan said: ‘For young men such as Keith Earls and Jamie Roberts it will be a day to remember and they will be thrilled to get an early taste of match action on the tour. Outside these guys is the proven experienced c0mbination of the Ospreys’ back three of Byrne, Bowe and Shane Williams.’

‘On Saturday we have in the team Martyn Williams, Ronan O’Gara and Simon Shaw who are on their third Lions tour. They know exactly what is in store in terms of the provincial matches. Scottish captain Mike Blair is at scrum-half, while players of the calibre of Paul O’Connell, Joe Worsley and Adam Jones have played over 50 Tests each.

 ’I think there’s a big buzz,’ he said. ‘We had a great week last week. Everyone’s out on the pitch at the same time, everyone’s in the gym at the same time, everyone’s in and around the training ground at the same time.

‘I think there’s a lot of good friendships being made, a lot of characters emerging already and that’s going to be a big thing for us.

‘I said a week ago that the talent is there in the group, the coaching is there in the group and now it’s up to us to perform as a team.’

He continued: ‘I think it’s important that when the players wear the jersey on this tour, they live up to the tradition and the history of the jersey.

‘I think when you look back at some of the players that have won the British and Irish Lions jersey down the years, there were great players.

‘Maybe in 2005 we didn’t live up to that. A lot of things went against us on the tour and at the same time I don’t think we did the tradition proud. I think for me personally, looking back at 2005 is a big motivation.’

‘I know for a few other guys that were on the tour, it’s the same thing. Living up to the tradition of the jersey is a big thing for us.

‘A lot of us when we play for our clubs give everything playing for Munster or Ireland. I think the same thing applies when we play for the British and Irish Lions.’

Lions Fans

Around 30,000 Irish and British fans are expected at the three test matches in Durban, Pretoria and Johannesburg at a cost of around €40m.

Altogether, the Lions can confidently expect to run out for the test matches at Kings Park, Loftus Versfeld and Ellis Park with half of each stadium wearing red Adidas shirts. Adidas hope to sell more Lions jerseys this year than Real Madrid or Chelsea shirts.

Thousands of supporters set to take advantage of South Africa’s relative proximity to fly in and out for a Test weekend, instead of undertaking a longer tour.

Bored at work? Here are some games and videos to keep you going!

Hurricanes Cory Jane charges down with his face

Online rugby games!

Sky Sports’ Fantasy Lions 2009

Enjoy!

Jerry Flannery

Jerry Flannery has been ruled out of the Lions tour to South Africa due to injury.

In the latest injury blow to the Lions, the combative Ireland hooker suffered a chipped bone in his left elbow during training on Wednesday afternoon.

A scan revealed the extent of the damage and Flannery requires surgery that will prevent him from departing for South Africa with the rest of the squad on Sunday.

The Lions management have yet to name a replacement but must choose between Ireland’s Rory Best and Ross Ford of Scotland, who are on the standby list for the position.

Set-piece specialist Best, who has markedly improved his all-round game in recent seasons, was a contender to make the initial 37-strong squad despite his position behind Flannery in Ireland’s pecking order.

Ford was another front-rower in contention to make the original party and the abrasive 25-year-old was considered unlucky to miss out.

Flannery is now the third Munster player to be ruled out of the Lions tour.