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BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
NIFL set for two-tier restructure for 2026-27
The Northern Ireland Football League has announced a restructure for the 2026-27 season. NIFL is the body that runs the Irish Premiership, Championship and Premier Intermediate Leagues - the top three divisions in Northern Ireland which each contain 12 teams. However, a restructure will see an expanded 16-team Championship formed and bring an end to the Premier Intermediate League for the 2026-27 a National Conference League will be formed for tiers three to five of the football pyramid in Northern structure of the Irish Premiership will remain unchanged and NIFL says the goal is to have five divisions of 12 teams within "three to four years".At the end of the 2025-26 season, there will be no relegation from the Championship and the top four teams from the Premier Intermediate League will be promoted to the second tier for the restructure. The remaining teams will be part of the National Conference says the move is an "evolution" and chief operating officer Steven Mills said it came as a result of both Irish FA and NIFL strategies. "I believe they create a clear performance pathway for ambitious clubs, while also challenging existing clubs to further develop and progress," said Mills."A lot of work from key stakeholders has gone into this, and we thank them all for their input, most importantly our clubs. "This also further highlights the urgent need for the NI Football Fund to come to fruition and for increased investment to continue growing the game, as our clubs continue to face the evolving challenges and needs of their communities."In addition to the restructure, the NIFL board has a new Professional Game Ground Criteria, which is a five-year plan to raise standards across the Premiership and Championship.
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Garry Ringrose's brave decision causes midfield rethink as Lions target series win
If ever Andy Farrell wanted a story of selflessness to underline the team-first mentality he demands of his side, then Garry Ringrose has given him one. This week had been shaping as a special one in the life of the Ireland centre, a perhaps overdue Test appearance in a British and Irish Lions shirt finally set to arrive after being named in the starting side for Saturday's clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. But in training on Thursday, Ringrose knew something wasn't right. The Irishman had been ruled out of the first Test through concussion and returned to action on Tuesday against the First Nations & Pasifika XV; there had been no second head contact or set-back since but at the end of the Lions' session, Ringrose went to Farrell and asked to be stood down. It was a brave call that not all might have made. Plenty of players, past and present, would have kept quiet and hoped to get better, prepared to risk the possible consequences. 'To play with him and get to know him over the last couple of months has been a real privilege and honour,' Maro Itoje said of the centre. 'I'm gutted for him that he's in this position. But, also, it shows the measure of the man to be so selfless. All we ask of all of us is to be selfless and put the team first. When push comes to shove, you see who really does it. Garry is a man who really did it." It may be that Ringrose's series is over. It is not yet clear when he would be able to return to action, having served the mandatory 12-day stand down after failing his head injury assessment (HIA) during the Brumbies game and progressed through the return-to-play protocols. His situation shows again how much is unknown and unclear about brain injuries. His absence grants a reprieve for Huw Jones, who had been slated to spend Saturday with a watching brief. 'It's a good place to be sometimes,' Farrell said of the Scot. '[When] these things happen in the warm-up of any game, the pressure is off and people tend to play freely because of that type of situation. Huw won't miss a beat in that regard." Farrell is believed to have already decided to ally Aki and Ringrose before Sione Tuipulotu reported a tight hamstring, with the Irish duo thought to have been the preferred pairing for the first Test before Ringrose's first concussion issue forced a rethink. It is nonetheless a huge blow Tuipulotu to miss out, a native Melburnian who had spoken with such pride about what it would mean to play his home city. But, as Farrell said, and Ringrose can attest: 'That's rugby. The fairytale is not always written.' Indeed, there has been no room for undue sentiment in the head coach's selection on this tour. The presence of Jac Morgan on the bench for the second Test comes purely on the basis of the flanker's form rather than any desire to ensure representation from all four corners; likewise, Owen Farrell 's inclusion reflects the impact he has had as a leader as he makes a first Test appearance since the 2023 World Cup. Blair Kinghorn 's availability means that Marcus Smith's capacity to cover 15 is of less value – with the versatility of the bench pair and Tommy Freeman, all backline bases are covered. The Irish thread running through the side is hardly a surprise. Nine in the starting side, including seven from Leinster, would have been 10 if not for Ringrose's issue and probably 11 had Joe McCarthy's plantar fascia injury pulled up better. Given the value Farrell places on familiarity and trust, a heavy green tinge was to be expected. There are, perhaps, shades of Warren Gatland choosing 10 Welsh starters for the series decider in 2013; his head coaching successor will be hoping for a similarly effective performance. There was frustration in the Lions camp that they did not fully finish the job in Brisbane, a red-hot first 42 minutes let down by a lukewarm last 38. Ever since assembling for the first time after the squad naming, Farrell and his group have talked about the chance of making history and establishing themselves as the greatest Lions side in history – with the chance to really make a statement to start the series, they did not quite deliver. 'During victory you get an opportunity to be unbelievably honest and show each other just how much you can improve,' Farrell explained. 'There has been nothing but that this week. We know the game we want to play, we just need to keep understanding what it takes to get better.' British and Irish Lions XV to face Australia at the MCG (11am BST, Saturday 26 July): 1 Andrew Porter, 2 Dan Sheehan, 3 Tadhg Furlong; 4 Maro Itoje (capt.), 5 Ollie Chessum; 6 Tadhg Beirne, 7 Tom Curry, 8 Jack Conan; 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 10 Finn Russell; 11 James Lowe, 12 Bundee Aki, 13 Huw Jones, 14 Tommy Freeman; 15 Hugo Keenan. : 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Ellis Genge, 18 Will Stuart, 19 James Ryan, 20 Jac Morgan; 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Owen Farrell, 23 Blair Kinghorn. Australia XV: 1 James Slipper, 2 David Porecki, 3 Allan Alaalatoa; 4 Nick Frost, 5 Will Skelton; 6 Rob Valetini, 7 Fraser McReight, 8 Harry Wilson (capt.); 9 Jake Gordon, 10 Tom Lynagh; 11 Harry Potter, 12 Len Ikitau, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 14 Max Jorgensen; 15 Tom Wright.
BreakingNews.ie
4 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
'Selfless' Garry Ringrose praised after concussion withdrawal
Ireland's Garry Ringrose has been praised for self-reporting the concussion symptoms that have cost him the chance of playing his first Test for the Lions. Ringrose pulled out of a Lions team that shows three changes from the opening 27-19 victory over Australia, with Andrew Porter, Ollie Chessum and Bundee Aki given starts. Advertisement On the bench Owen Farrell is poised to make his first international appearance since helping England finish third at the 2023 World Cup and he is joined by Jac Morgan, the only Welshman in the touring party. The starting XV is made up of nine players from Ireland – seven of whom represent Leinster – four Englishmen and two from Scotland. The Ireland and Leinster contingent would have increased by one had Ringrose not told head coach Andy Farrell shortly before he was due to officially announce the team that his concussion symptoms had returned. An injury that initially surfaced after July 9's win over the ACT Brumbies forced him to sit out the first Test, but having made a successful comeback against the First Nations and Pasifika XV on Tuesday, he was poised to replace Huw Jones at outside centre. Advertisement Instead, he will be watching from the stands with Jones continuing in midfield for the Lions' shot at completing a series victory at Melbourne Cricket Ground. 'Garry was actually selected and unfortunately, after training, he's had to pull out,' Andy Farrell said. 'It's head-related again. It was literally as I was walking off the field. He came to me, and once that's mentioned, that's that. 'With these type of things players are getting very good at telling the truth of how they feel, so it was a no-brainer to make the change straight away. Advertisement 'It's very easy to keep it to yourself and lie and not be honest and open. It was very big of him and the right thing to do, 100 per cent. For the team as well, not just for Garry.' Lions captain Maro Itoje echoed the view of his head coach. Maro Itoje, left, and Andy Farrell hailed Garry Ringrose's selflessness (David Davies/PA) 'I'm gutted for him that he's in this position, but it also shows the measure of the man to be so selfless,' Itoje said. 'All we ask of all of us is to be selfless and put the team first. When push comes to shove, you see who really does it. Garry is a man who really did it.' Advertisement Had Ringrose been fit, he would have formed an all-Ireland partnership with Aki at the expense of Sione Tuipulotu and Jones, the Scotland combination who impressed in the series opener at Suncorp Stadium. Tuipulotu is struggling with a tight hamstring but the indications are that he would have been dropped even without the injury. Joe McCarthy has failed to recover from his foot problem, so Chessum slots into the second row, while loosehead prop Porter is preferred ahead of Ellis Genge in the front row. James Lowe is lucky to retain his place on the left wing after a poor display in the first Test, but with Blair Kinghorn present on the bench after overcoming a knee problem, Andy Farrell has a high-quality alternative ready. Advertisement
