Leinster

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Leinster have confirmed the return of Ireland international Joey Carbery before the 2026-27 season.

Fly-half Carbery, who has 37 Ireland caps, has spent the past two seasons with Bordeaux-Begles in France, where he won two Investec Champions Cup titles.

The New Zealand-born 30-year-old came through the Leinster academy and made 37 senior appearances during his first spell, helping the province win a Pro14 and Champions Cup double in 2018.

He moved to Munster the same year and helped them win the United Rugby Championship title in 2023.

"I am delighted to be returning home to Leinster," said Carbery.

"I am thrilled to be joining in with Leo and the lads, there are some familiar faces and loads of new ones to get to know.

"I am working hard now to get myself fit and ready and contribute to the team as soon as possible."

Head coach Leo Cullen said Leinster "are delighted to welcome" Carbery back to the club.

"Joey and his family have been huge contributors to the province over many years and it certainly feels like a homecoming for Joey," said Cullen.

"He has gained plenty of valuable experience over the last number of years and we are all keen to learn from each other over the coming months as we look to compete in a new season."

Carbery joins Leinster following Ciaran Frawley's departure to Connacht.

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Ulster will face Cheetahs, Perpignan, Dragons, Bayonnais and Zebre in pool one of the 2026-27 European Challenge Cup.

Richie Murphy's side lost this year's final against Montpellier and are back in the second-tier European competition after finishing ninth in the United Rugby Championship table.

They have been drawn against French opposition again in Top 14 sides Bayonnais and Perpignan, who finished 12th and 13th in the division.

The province will also come up against South African side Cheetahs, who they beat in the group stage last year, as well as familiar URC opposition in Italian side Zebre and Welsh team Dragons.

In the Champions Cup, this year's beaten finalists Leinster will be up against French sides Clermont Auvergne and Pau as well as English teams Leicester Tigers and Sale Sharks and fellow URC outfit Glasgow Warriors in Pool One.

Due to tournament rules, the URC champions will not play against Glasgow.

Connacht, who sneaked into the URC play-offs and qualified for the Champions Cup ahead of Ulster, have been handed a tough draw in Pool Two.

They will be up against Toulouse, Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle, Saracens, Exeter Chiefs and Lions, who they will not play.

Munster are in Pool Three and will take on back-to-back winners Bordeaux, Racing 92, English sides Bristol Bears and Gloucester and Stormers, who they won't face.

The pool stage of both the 2026-27 Champions Cup and Challenge Cup will see the introduction of try-scoring bonus points awarded only to teams who cross at least three more times than their opponents – rather than for simply scoring four or more tries.

There will also be a change in qualification criteria for the last-16 stage with only three teams from each of the four pools going through automatically, with the remaining four last-16 spots allocated on the basis of table points collected.

Champions Cup draw

Pool 1: Leinster, Glasgow, Pau, Sale, Leicester, Clermont

Pool 2: Toulouse, Lions, Saracens, La Rochelle, Exeter, Connacht

Pool 3: Bordeaux-Begles, Stormers, Racing 92, Munster, Bristol, Gloucester

Pool 4: Northampton, Bath, Cardiff, Montpellier, Stade Francais, Bulls

Challenge Cup draw

Pool 1: Cheetahs, Ulster, Perpignan, Dragons, Bayonne, Zebre

Pool 2: Treviso, Lyon, Newcastle, Sharks, Castres, Scarlets

Pool 3: Ospreys, Edinburgh, Black Lion, Harlequins, Toulon, Vannes

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Leinster captain Caelan Doris has been passed fit to start Friday's United Rugby Championship final against the Pretoria Bulls as Tadhg Furlong returns to the line-up.

Ireland skipper Doris was a doubt after picking up a knee injury in the semi-final win over the Stormers but he will lead a side showing three changes for the Croke Park decider (19:30 BST).

Furlong is named at tight-head prop - the three-time British and Irish Lion's first start since April - with Connacht-bound Jerry Cahir replacing the injured Andrew Porter at loose-head

Fit-again Tommy O'Brien returns on the right wing with James Lowe starting on the opposite side in his final game before departing the province.

Hugo Keenan remains at full-back with Rieko Ioane and Jamie Osborne continuing in midfield, while Jamison Gibson-Park and Sam Prendergast are retained in the half-backs.

Hooker Dan Sheehan is fit enough for a place on the bench after missing the Stormers game, with Ronan Kelleher again picked in the number two shirt.

Joe McCarthy and James Ryan form an unchanged second row with Max Deegan and Josh van der Flier joining Doris in the back row.

Leinster are hoping to retain the URC title after missing out on a fifth Champions Cup success with defeat by Bordeaux in Bilbao in May.

Leo Cullen's side beat the Bulls 32-7 in last season's URC final.

Leinster: Hugo Keenan; Tommy O'Brien, Rieko Ioane, Jamie Osborne, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Jerry Cahir, Ronan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Max Deegan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt)

Replacements: Dan Sheehan, Alex Usanov, Thomas Clarkson, Diarmuid Mangan, Jack Conan, Luke McGrath, Harry Byrne, Garry Ringrose

Bulls: Willie le Roux; Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie, Harold Vorster, Stravino Jacobs; Handre Pollard, Embrose Papier; Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar, Francois Klopper, Ruan Vermaak, Ruan Nortje, Marcell Coetzee (capt), Elrigh Louw, Cameron Hanekom

Replacements: Marco van Staden, Jan‑Hendrik Wessels, Wilco Louw, Cobus Wiese, Jeandre Rudolph, Zak Burger, Stedman Gans, Nizaam Carr

Jana McCabe
BBC Sport NI journalist

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Leinster head coach Leo Cullen says coach Jacques Nienaber is "fully committed" to the province who are "lucky to have" him.

The two-time World Cup winner with the Springboks had cast doubt on his Leinster future earlier in the week after claiming he does not feel valued by the media and fans in Ireland.

However, Cullen is hopeful he will remain as part of the coaching staff and that Nienaber's comments may have been misunderstood.

"I think what he [Nienaber] was referring to is there are no guarantees in sport, is there?" Cullen said.

"So, I think what he is trying to get across, is that when there is a lot of flak on the team from media, sometimes a club will make changes, and I think that is what he was referring to.

"But I think in his own mind, yes, he is fully committed to Leinster so please don't get confused by that and I would be of the same opinion as well."

Nienaber is under contract until 2027 and helped Leinster win the United Rugby Championship title last year.

However, they suffered their fifth defeat in a Champions Cup final since 2018 in May when Bordeaux-Begles produced a ruthless display in Bilbao.

Cullen added that he has enjoyed Neinaber's three years at the province and confirmed he is in his future plans.

"Jacques is brilliant, I have to say I have really enjoyed working with Jacques," Cullen continued.

"I think we have a great group of coaches here. I think we have a great staff as well; there are so many great people in the building and it's a very enjoyable place to work.

"We are very lucky to have him [Neinaber]. He is a brilliant person, brilliant individual to work with and that is very much the plan for sure."

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Leinster hooker Dan Sheehan has been ruled out of Saturday's United Rugby Championship semi-final against the Stormers at Aviva Stadium (17:30 BST).

Joe McCarthy has recovered from a knock sustained in last week's quarter-final win over the Lions to partner James Ryan in the second row, while Ronan Kelleher replaces Sheehan at hooker.

Two other changes see Jamison Gibson-Park replace Luke McGrath at scrum-half while Josh van der Flier comes in for Scott Penny at open-side flanker.

James Lowe again starts on the left wing as uncertainty grows over the 33-year-old's future in Irish rugby. The 2025 British and Irish Lion became Leinster's all-time leading tryscorer in last week's resounding 59-10 win over the Lions in Dublin.

Sam Prendergast continues at fly-half after impressing against the Lions, with Hugo Keenan and Jimmy O'Brien joining Lowe in the back three, as Tommy O'Brien misses out again.

New Zealand international Rieko Ioane and Jamie Osborne are again paired in midfield.

With the injured Tadhg Furlong still sidelined, Thomas Clarkson is named at tight-head prop with Andrew Porter at loose-head.

Max Deegan and captain Caelan Doris join the returning Van der Flier in the back row.

Leinster are aiming to retain the URC title and extinguish some of the pain of last month's Investec Champions Cup final loss to Bordeaux-Begles.

Leinster: HKeenan; J O'Brien, R Ioane, J Osborne, J Lowe; S Prendergast, J Gibson-Park; A Porter, R Kelleher, T Clarkson, J McCarthy, J Ryan, M Deegan, J van der Flier, C Doris (capt).

Replacements: G McCarthy, A Usanov, R Slimani, D Mangan, J Conan, L McGrath, H Byrne, G Ringrose.

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James Lowe will make his 100th appearance for Leinster in Saturday's United Rugby Championship [URC] quarter-final against the Lions at Aviva Stadium [20:00 BST].

The 33-year-old Ireland international was left out of the squad for last week's European Champions Cup final defeat by Bordeaux Begles but is one of six squad changes made by head coach Leo Cullen for this weekend's URC play-off clash against the South African club.

Lowe equalled Shane Horgan's all-time try-scoring record for Leinster - 69 - in his last outing comes back onto the wing with Rieko Ioane moving to centre where he will partner Jamie Osborne who also missed out on the Bilbao final.

Jimmy O'Brien is a straight replacement for Tommy O'Brien on the opposite wing, with Hugo Keenan retaining his place at full-back.

In a changed half-back pairing, Sam Prendergast comes in at fly-half with Luke McGrath at scrum-half as Harry Byrne and Jamison Gibson-Park drop to the bench.

In the forwards, Tadhg Furlong is the only change in the front row with Tom Clarkson dropping out, while in the second row, Joe McCarthy and James Ryan retain their places.

There are changes at flanker with Max Deegan at blind-side and Scott Penny in at open-side, while Caelan Doris retains his place at number eight where he will captain the side.

Leinster: Keenan; J O'Brien, Ioane, Osborne, Lowe; Prendergast, McGrath; Porter, Sheehan, Furlong, J McCarthy, Ryan, Deegan, Penny, Doris (capt.)

Replacements: G McCarth, Usanov, Clarkson, Mangan, Van der Flier, Gibson-Park, Byrne, Henshaw.

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Leinster have confirmed Ireland prop Paddy McCarthy has been ruled out for the remainder of their season after sustaining a foot injury in last weekend's Champions Cup final defeat by Bordeaux Begles in Bilbao.

McCarthy will be absent for Saturday's United Rugby Championship play-off quarter-final against the Lions at the Aviva Stadium (20:00 BST), as well as any semi-final or final that the Irish province may contest in the competition.

The 22-year-old could also be a doubt for Ireland's Nations Championship campaign this summer, with their opening fixture against Australia in Sydney scheduled for 4 July, just two weeks after the URC final.

The loose-head was forced to retire hurt just six minutes after being introduced as a replacement in the European showpiece and was seen on crutches after the game.

The Ireland forward was making his first appearance since January, having just returned from an unrelated injury to his other foot. McCarthy also missed the entirety of this year's Six Nations.

A squad update published by Leinster on Tuesday indicated Joshua Kenny and Brian Deeny have returned to full training and are available for selection this weekend.

No further updates were provided on the fitness of Ryan Baird, Jack Boyle, Will Connors, Hugh Cooney, RG Snyman and Charlie Tector.