Leinster’s Investec Champions Cup hopes went up in smoke losing 37-34 to Northampton at the Aviva. The game was live on KCLR thanks to Halo Care and afterwards our commentary team of former Ireland out half Mick Quinn and Brendan Hennessy discussed what went wrong. First though here’s Leinster captain Caelin Doris and Head Coach Leo Cullen.

This week on The Knock On, KCLR Sport’s weekly rugby podcast, Stephen Byrne is joined by Tom Crotty (Carlow Rugby Club), James Blanchfield (Kilkenny RFC), and Paddy Browne (Tullow RFC) to break down all the latest rugby action.

Kilkenny’s seconds were in Towns Cup action, the women’s team are wrapping up their season, and the U18s had a strong campaign—losing just three players ahead of next year. We also touch on the ongoing challenge of losing players to Kilkenny College.

Tullow’s women’s team could have a lifeline in the AIL, with Suttonians reportedly withdrawing from the league. The club continues to thrive at underage level, with impressive participation and development.

We preview Carlow’s big clash against Athy in the Towns Cup final this Sunday at 3pm in Naas. Tom Crotty highlights the importance of a solid defence against Athy’s attacking prowess, noting that getting to a final is tough—but winning it is even tougher.

We also check in on Carlow’s J2s and youth teams as their season winds down. Tune in for all this and more on The Knock On! 

This week on The Knock On, KCLR Sport’s weekly rugby podcast, Stephen Byrne is joined by Tom Crotty (Carlow Rugby Club), James Blanchfield (Kilkenny RFC), and Paddy Browne (Tullow RFC) to discuss all the latest rugby action.

• Carlow RFC: Carlow has been relegated to Leinster League Division 1B after losing their playoff game against Wexford. Their goal for next season is to get promoted back to Division 1A. The focus, however, is on the Towns Cup Semi-Final this weekend, where they will face Wicklow at Cill Dara’s grounds. The J3s will also be in action, taking on Ardee in the Anderson Cup Quarter-Finals.
• Tullow RFC: Tullow will play against Athy in the Towns Cup Semi-Final on Sunday, also at Cill Dara, after defeating Gorey in the Quarter-Finals. The youth teams are doing well, reaching four finals. Paddy Browne also spoke highly of the Tullow Ladies’ Team and their successful season in the AIL.
• Fixtures & Youth Rugby Review: We round up all the latest youth rugby results and upcoming fixtures for Tullow, Carlow, and Kilkenny RFCs.

Tune in for all this and more on The Knock On!

Carlow will face Athy in the Bank of Ireland Towns Cup Final. They squeezed out a 10-9 win against Wicklow, unfortunately Tullow lost out in the first semi-final against Athy. We had live coverage of both game on KCLR and afterwards got some post-match from both camps. The final is on in Naas on Sunday April 27th and will be live on KCLR.

This week on The Knock On, KCLR Sport’s weekly rugby podcast, Stephen Byrne is joined by Tom Crotty (Carlow Rugby Club), James Blanchfield (Kilkenny RFC), and Paddy Browne (Tullow RFC) to discuss all the latest rugby action.

Towns Cup Action
Tullow progressed to the Quarter-Finals after Skerries conceded their match. They now face Gorey away on Sunday.
Carlow takes on a strong Boyne side, who recently won Division 1B of the league.
We have the team sheets for both Tullow and Carlow’s upcoming matches.

Club Updates
Tullow RFC
J2’s face New Ross.
Tullow Ladies played their final home league game, falling short against Cooke RFC.
Katie Corrigan & Dannah O’Brien are in action with the Irish squad.

Carlow RFC
J2’s meet Wexford Wanderers.
J3’s face Longford in the Anderson Cup.

Kilkenny RFC
J2’s take on Edenderry.
J3’s battle Portarlington.
Silverware success for the Kilkenny youth teams at Foulkstown.
Tag Rugby returns this summer—James shares details on how to get involved.

Fixtures & Youth Rugby Review
We round up all the latest youth rugby results and upcoming fixtures for Tullow, Carlow, and Kilkenny RFCs.

This week on The Knock On, KCLR Sport's weekly rugby podcast, Stephen Byrne is joined by Tom Crotty (Carlow Rugby Club), James Blanchfield (Kilkenny RFC), and Paddy Browne (Tullow RFC) to discuss all the latest action.

• Tullow RFC: Their Towns Cup game was postponed last week due to a bereavement in Suttonians, but it will take place this weekend. Tullow have nearly a full squad available, with just one change in the pack that dominated the scrum last time out. The winners will face Gorey away in the next round.
• Kilkenny RFC: A disappointing loss to Wicklow in a game they felt they let slip away. With many players unavailable, Kilkenny have decided not to compete in the Plate, instead giving players a rest with some taking holidays.
• Carlow RFC: Through to the next round of the Towns Cup, but Tom Crotty felt they were flat despite the win. With areas to improve, they now face Boyne away in the next round. Carlow also have a crucial Leinster League Division 1A playoff against Wexford the following week.

Plus, we review all the youths' fixtures and results across the three clubs.

This week, Stephen Byrne is joined by Tom Crotty (Carlow Rugby Club), James Blanchfield (Kilkenny RFC), and Paddy Browne (Tullow RFC) to break down all the latest rugby action across Carlow, Kilkenny, and Tullow.

• Kilkenny RFC traveled to Cill Dara with a weakened squad and fell 34-7. They now shift their focus to a home clash against Wicklow in the Towns Cup, where they’ve named a strong and experienced lineup. Meanwhile, Kilkenny’s women’s team were defeated by Edenderry in Division 3 and now preparing to take on CYM this weekend.
• Tullow RFC edged out Bective 28-27 in a nail-biting contest, securing their place in Division 1A for next season. Theseconds team suffered a defeat. Their Towns Cup fixture against Skerries has been postponed due to a bereavement at the Dublin club. Tullow’s women put up a fierce fight but fell short against Galwegians; they now look ahead to an away game against Ballincollig.
• Carlow RFC battled hard against Suttonians in Dublin but now faces a relegation playoff. The seconds team picked up a win, and the firsts will meet Longford in the Towns Cup. Carlow’s J2s will also take on Athy in a friendly. On a high note, Carlow’s women’s team clinched the Division 6 Cup with a 26-12 victory over Midlands Warriors.

Plus, we’ll have a full report on all the latest news from the three clubs.

This week on The Knock On, KCLR Sport's weekly rugby podcast, Stephen Byrne is joined by Tom Crotty (Carlow Rugby Club), James Blanchfield (Kilkenny RFC), and Paddy Browne (Tullow RFC) to discuss all the latest action.

🔹 Kilkenny RFC – A strong win over Dundalk in Foulkstown, a trip to Cill Dara ahead, and eyes on Wicklow in the cup.

🔹 Tullow RFC – A crucial victory over Athy, featuring four sets of brothers in the lineup, a dominant scrum performance, and a big game against Bective coming up. Plus, Tullow women face Galwegians this weekend.

🔹 Carlow RFC – Fresh off a win against Ashbourne, Carlow now heads to Suttonians. We break down the league permutations and their focus on the next match. Carlow women have a shot at winning the league if they beat Midlands Warriors.

🔹 Youth Rugby Round-Up – A full report on the latest from all three clubs.

Tune in for all the latest local rugby insights! 

This is The Knock On, KCLR Sport's weekly rugby podcast.

Stephen Byrne talks to James Blanchfield from Kilkenny RFC, Tom Crotty from Carlow RFC and Paddy Browne from Tullow RFC.

Tullow were beaten by Seapoint at the weekend in what is a tough run into the end of the season. Seapoint's try at the end of the game put Tullow out of contention for a losing bonus point. Paddy says it's going to be tough to avoid the second from bottom place on the table. Sean O'Brien played at full back and got the last 15 minutes of the game. They take on Athy this weekend in what is another local derby. Tullow women were away to Suttonians in the AIL and were beaten, they take on Railway Union this weekend.

Carlow firsts were away to Athy last weekend where they lost but did pick up two points, the seconds won their game. They take on Ashbourne this weekend at home. The women's team take on Lansdowne.

Kilkenny were at home to Wexford at the weekend, slow start, good middle and shocking end said James Blanchfield. Kilkenny take on Dundalk this weekend. The women take on Longford at home this weekend.

We also have updates on all the youths fixtures from the weekend for the clubs.

And some chat about Ireland in the Six Nations.

Stephen Byrne talks to James Blanchfield from Kilkenny RFC, Tom Crotty from Carlow RFC and Paddy Browne from Tullow RFC.

Tullow are at home to Seapoint this weekend, Tullow have three games left in the Leinster League and have what Paddy says is the tougher side of the draw. Tullow women away to Suttonians in the AIL and the J1's play Barnhall. There's a club development application going in for female changing rooms, referee changing rooms, disabled toilets and parking, first floor bar and viewing gallery. 

Kilkenny beat De La Salle Palmerston 36-24, they were missing six starters including their front row. Kilkenny put in a great performance, James Blanchfield said. The seconds lost. Kilkenny are at home to Wexford this weekend in what was a rescheduled game due to snow a few weeks ago. Kilkenny women beat Tallaght.

Carlow are away to Athy this weekend, the confidence is up having had a good win over Wicklow a few weeks ago. Tom says they are under no illusions about this game or what's to come towards the end of the season, he says Carlow are in a good place but you must play the full 80 minutes against Athy.     

We also have updates on all the youths fixtures from the weekend for the clubs.