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

After an absolute thriller last weekend, Tullow and Wicklow couldn’t be separated as they finished 27-all in Division 1B, a hard-fought draw that keeps both sides pushing in the Leinster League standings. This Saturday, Tullow travel to take on a tough Suttonians outfit looking to climb the table and build momentum.

On the women’s side, Tullow Ladies are back at Black Gates on Saturday afternoon, hosting Blackrock, hoping to turn recent midfield battles into points on the board.

Over in Division 1B, Kilkenny RFC head to De La Salle Palmerston on Saturday, aiming to upset the Palmerston pack and climb away from the drop zone in what’s set to be a bruising contest. Meanwhile, Kilkenny’s women’s team stay at home to face Ashbourne, where a strong performance could really boost their confidence for what’s ahead.

Back in Carlow, the Carlow men’s squad hosts Dundalk this weekend at Oak Park — a fixture that could be massive for league positioning as the season reaches its business end. And it’s a double-header as Carlow Ladies also take on CYM at home, with both sides looking to put phase pressure on their opponents and secure bragging rights.

All that 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 of Carlow Rugby Club, James Blanchfield from Kilkenny RFC, and Paddy Browne of Tullow RFC to break down all the latest action from across the local rugby scene.

Carlow delivered a dominant performance in the Towns Cup, overpowering New Ross 66–0 to book their place in the next round, where they will face Wicklow. The fixture also carried a poignant moment, with a tribute paid to the late Martin Dunphy. Martin was a former Carlow player and a central figure in the club’s golden era, playing a pivotal role in the historic Towns Cup teams that achieved an unprecedented three-in-a-row in 1992, 1993 and 1994.

The scheduled ladies’ game involving Carlow was unfortunately called off due to adverse weather conditions.

Kilkenny also progressed in the Towns Cup following a solid 27–7 victory over Enniscorthy. They now set up a next-round clash with Tullow. It was a successful outing for Kilkenny across the board, with their women’s side continuing their impressive form by defeating Navan 24–10. That result leaves the Kilkenny women with an outstanding record of nine wins from ten games this season.

Tullow, meanwhile, had a bye in the Towns Cup but came into the next round with confidence after a strong league win over Seapoint the previous week, despite finishing that match with just 13 players. Tullow returns to league action this weekend with a challenging fixture away to Wicklow.

We also bring you all the latest youth rugby news and updates from around the region.

All that 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 of Carlow Rugby Club, James Blanchfield from Kilkenny RFC, and Paddy Browne of Tullow RFC to break down all the latest action from across the local rugby scene.

Kilkenny RFC picked up a strong home win over Mullingar, running out 28–17 victors in Leinster League Division 1B after scoring four tries to two. They’re back at home this weekend as Clondalkin come to town, while the Kilkenny women travel to face South East Lions on Sunday.

Carlow RFC enjoyed a dominant away win against Clondalkin, winning 40–17, and now turn their attention to an away trip to Gorey this weekend. It was a tougher outing for the Carlow women, who were beaten by Birr in Division 4.

Tullow RFC were edged out at home by Tullamore in a high-scoring Division 1A encounter, losing 35–28. They face a tough test away to Seapoint this weekend. Tullow women were beaten 38–10 by Wicklow in the AIL and will look to bounce back at home against UL Bohemians.

We also bring you all the latest youth rugby news and updates from around the region.

All that 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 break down all the latest rugby action.

Co. Carlow RFC were crowned South East Premier J1 champions after edging out Tullow RFC by the narrowest of margins in a thrilling final at Black Gates.

We preview Tullow RFC v Tullamore RFC in the Leinster League; this represents a real test for Tullow at home. Tullamore’s higher league position and consistency give them the edge, but a positive home performance could see Tullow push them hard — especially if they tighten up in defence and take scoring chances. Expect a physical contest. The U18S won the South East last weekend. Tullow ladies are away to Wicklow in the AIL.

Carlow head for Clondalkin and will be the favourites for this one. Clondalkin have struggled this season and are currently at the bottom of the table without a win, making this a crucial fixture for them if they want to climb out of the relegation zone, but in league rugby, the underdog always has a chance if they can slow the game down and stay disciplined. Carlow women are also away to Birr in Division 4.

Kilkenny RFC and Mullingar RFC go head-to-head and will be looking to bounce back from mixed results and a tough run of fixtures. Kilkenny women play South East Lions on Sunday in Division 3.

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

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.