The Knock On Rugby Podcast

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’s Promotion Party: The Kilkenny Women are officially Division 2 bound! After a clinical 36–0 dismantling of MU Barnhall, they’ve secured the Leinster League Div 3 title with a game to spare. We also discuss the big news off the pitch as Steve Ashmore is confirmed as Director of Rugby for next season.Carlow’s Super Sunday: Oak Park is buzzing after the J2s claimed their league title in a gritty win over Kilkenny. We also pay tribute to Wes Shirley, who looks set to hang up the boots after a legendary shift. Plus, we recap the Men’s 1st XV’s physical 21–0 win over Kilkenny and the ongoing success of the Bees’ inclusive team.Tullow’s Tightrope Walk: It was a week of extremes at the Black Gates. After a high-scoring win over Wexford, a heavy defeat to Suttonians has left the 1sts fighting for their Division 1A survival. Can they find their form before a daunting trip to title-contenders Boyne?Towns Cup Preview: It’s Round 2 of the Provincial Towns Cup this Sunday! We preview the massive local derbies: Tullow vs. Kilkenny at the Black Gates and Carlow vs. Wicklow at Oak Park.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.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 (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! 🎙️🏉

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!

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 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 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!

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.

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.The Carlow v Wicklow game was called off due to snow still lying on the pitch and has been rescheduled for the weekend of 25th January. Carlow host Tullow this weekend in the big local derby, which is always a big clash. The women's team has a win at the weekend against De La Salle/St Mary's/Guinness.Kilkenny's games against Wexford last weekend were called off due to the snow as were a lot of other underage fixtures. Kilkenny are away to Boyne this weekend in the league. They've been a bogey team for the side in some of their past meetings and have a dangerous attack. Kilkenny's women lost to Ashbourne.Tullow beat Suttonians 13-7. A monumental effort from the club members saw over 60 people grab a shovel, brush and wheelbarrow and clear the pitch of snow so that games could go ahead. Tullow had a huge defensive effort to keep the Dublin side out and it was even 0-0 at half time. The women's team were in action against Old Belvedere however they lost that one. Their next game is against Swords.We also have all the youths' updates and fixtures.

This is The Knock On, KCLR Sport's weekly rugby podcast.The weather was the reason a lot of games were called off last weekend. However Tullow's firsts were in action against Ashbourne and got the win there in a gale, the seconds had to concede their game. Tullow have a few injuries on their books and are trying to navigate their way through this period. This Saturday Tullow take on Enniskillen in Tullow in the Semi Final of the AIL Junior Cup. A number of the youths' fixtures fell foul of the weather.The firsts and seconds lost their games in the league against Seapoint. They suffered late injuries too. Their next game is against Bective in the new year. The women had no match at the weekend.

This is The Knock On, KCLR Sport's weekly rugby podcast. In this episode, Stephen Byrne is joined by Tom Crotty from Carlow Rugby Club, James Blanchfield from Kilkenny RFC and Paddy Browne from Tullow RFC. Tullow had a win in the AIL Junior Cup against Seapoint, they trailed 17-14 at halftime but pushed on and won the game 24-27. It was a particularly satisfying win says Paddy Browne as Tullow were beaten by the Dublin side in the league in their recent run-ins. Paddy says "Things are lifting a bit" as the team finds more consistency. They take on Enniskillen in the next round on the 14th of December. The women's side lost to Suttonians 12-48 in their AIL league game. They're up against UL Bohs on the 17th of December in a game that must be rescheduled. There was great mention of the U13 side, they have 41 players in the panel, so much so that they have problems trying to rotate the panel, they've a brilliant win record too this season. Carlow had a development side in action last weekend where they beat Clondalkin. They've 40 players training in the senior ranks and this gave a chance to provide some of the other players a game said Tom Crotty. 20-24 was the final score in the game. The side has been using the downtime recently too to sharpen their skills and intensity, they had a recent training camp with well-known fitness trainer Paul Ward from Paulies Bootcamp. There's no game this weekend for the senior men, their next game is against Suttonians. The Carlow women played the Midland Warriors at the weekend beating them 30-0. They've 24 players now on the panel and are going from strength to strength in what is their first season competing. We have news from all the youth's sides from the weekend as well.

This is The Knock On, KCLR Sport's weekly rugby podcast. In this episode, Stephen Byrne is joined by Tom Crotty from Carlow Rugby Club, James Blanchfield from Kilkenny RFC and Paddy Browne from Tullow RFC. Kilkenny were away to De La Salle Palmerston in a nail-biting game, Kilkenny got a last minute kick to win it 19-21, their first away win of the season. They're away to Dundalk at the weekend and could have a few injuries to contend with. Kilkenny women head for Longford this weekend in the league. Tullow played Seapoint who sit on top of the table, both the J1 and J2 teams were beaten. Tullow had a few injuries before the game so it disturbed preparations. The consolation was that they did pick up bonus points against the Dublin club. Tullow take on Athy this weekend. The women take on Railway Union in the AIL. Carlow took on Athy in a tight affair and lost, "another game we should have won" says Tom Crotty. He said mistakes and lapses of concentration hurt them. He says " they're so close to getting it right". Carlow head for Ashbourne this weekend in an almost "must win" game as Carlow need to stay off the bottom of the league table. Carlow ladies had a friendly against Thurles and were beaten, but plenty learned from the game. They take on Lansdowne this weekend. SETU were in action during the week where they beat UL with some local players involved. We have news from all the youth