EASTER WEEKEND IS upon us and there’s plenty big sporting action on TV in store over the next few days to keep you entertained.
In rugby the focus is on the European adventures of the provinces with Leinster and Munster in Champions Cup action while Connacht and Ulster head into the Challenge Cup arena.
After the international break, there’s a massive League of Ireland showdown between the last two Premier Division winners as Shamrock Rovers face Dundalk tonight while the Premier League also returns.
The AFLW final series starts tomorrow with Irish players featuring and in racing there’s the Fairyhouse Easter Festival with the Irish Grand National on Monday.
Here’s what’s in store for you to tune into over the next few days.
Friday
6.20am: Live AFL coverage as North Melbourne play Western Bulldogs on BT Sport 2.
1.15pm: Sky Sports Golf have action from Day Two of the Valero Texas Open from San Antonio and that continues later at 9pm.
5pm: The opening women’s Golf Major of the year with Day Two of the Ana Inspiration from California.
5.30pm: Leinster take on Toulon in the last 16 in the Champions Cup, live coverage on BT Sport 3. In soccer Barnsley play Reading in the Championship, live on Sky Sports Main Event.
5.45pm: It’s Longford Town v Sligo Rovers in the opening LOI game of the weekend on WATCHLOI.
7.45pm: Shamrock Rovers against Dundalk in the big LOI Premier Division showdown, it’s live on RTÉ 2.
8pm: Birmingham City play Swansea City in the Championship on Sky Sports Main Event.
8pm: Another Champions Cup last 16 game with Gloucester play La Rochelle on BT Sport 3.
Saturday
6.35am: Live AFL action on BT Sport 2 as Essendon play St Kilda.
11.30am: AC Milan, second in Serie A, face Sampdoria on Premier Sports 1 in the early Italian soccer match.
12.30pm: The rugby action for the day in the Champions Cup begins with Wasps facing Clermont Auvergne on Virgina Media Two and BT Sport 3.
12.30pm: Soccer action with Chelsea v West Brom in the Premier League on BT Sport 1 and it’s Huddersfield v Brentford in the Championship on Sky Sports Main Event.
1pm: Live racing coverage on TG4 from Fairyhouse and Cork.
2.30pm: Bundesliga action on BT Sport Extra 2 as Borussia Dortmund play Eintracht Frankfurt.
3pm: BT Sport 3 have the live action as Munster face Toulouse in the Champions Cup. At the same time England play Scotland in the Women’s Six Nations.
3pm: Leeds United v Sheffield United in the Premier League is live on Premier Sports 1.
3.15pm: Real Madrid play Eibar on La Liga TV.
4pm: The top two in Ligue 1 in France play with Paris Saint-German play Lille on BT Sport Extra 3.
5pm: Juventus meet Torino in Serie A on Premier Sports 2.
5.30pm: Full AFLW deferred coverage on TG4 of Melbourne Demons against Fremantle Dockers as the 2021 finals series begins with plenty Irish interest.
5.30pm: Reigning champions Exeter meet Lyon in the Champions Cup on BT Sport 3.
5.30pm: It’s Man City against Leicester City in the Premier League on Sky Sports Main Event. The big one in the Bundesliga as the top two, Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig, face off on BT Sport 1.
6pm: Bohemians v St Pat’s, Derry City v Waterford and Drogheda United v Finn Harps are the Premier Division fixtures available on the WATCHLOI platform.
7.30pm: Celtic take on Falkirk in the Scottish Cup third round on Premier Sports 1.
8pm: Connacht take on Leicester in the Challenge Cup on BT Sport 3. It’s France against Wales in the Women’s Six Nations on the RTÉ Player.
8pm: All the action from the third round of the Valero Texas Open on the PGA Tour on Sky Sports Golf.
8pm: Arsenal face Liverpool in the last Premier League battle of the day, catch that one on Sky Sports Main Event.
10pm: Catch Carl Frampton’s fight against Jamel Herring is on Channel 5 for the WBO world super featherweight belt.
Sunday
8.55am: The Tour of Flanders is live on Eurosport.
12pm: Southampton meet Burnley in the opening Premier League game of the day on Sky Sports Main Event.
12.30pm: Racing 92 take on Edinburgh in the Champions Cup on BT Sport 3.
1.50pm: More deferred AFLW coverage on TG4, this time it’s Collingwood against North Melbourne, as this year’s finals series continues.
2.05pm: Newcastle United play Tottenham in the Premier League on Sky Sports Main Event.
2.30pm: Live racing coverage from Fairyhouse on RTÉ 2, the feature at 5pm is the Grade 1 Gold Cup.
3pm: Bordeaux Begles v Bristol Bears is next up on BT Sport 3 for the Champions Cup schedule.
4.30pm: Aston Villa v Fulham on Sky Sports Main Event as part of the day’s Premier League schedule.
5.30pm: It’s Scarlets against Sale Sharks on BT Sport 3 in the last of the Champions Cup knockout games of the weekend.
6pm: It’s the final round of the Valero Texas Open from San Antonio on Sky Sports Golf with coverage later at 7.30pm on Sky Sports Main Event.
6.30pm: Rangers take on Cove Rangers on Premier Sports 1 in the Scottish Cup third round.
7.30pm: Man United face Brighton in the day’s last Premier League game on BT Sport 1.
8pm: Ulster play Harlequins in the Challenge Cup on BT Sport 3.
8pm: La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid face Sevilla on La Liga TV.
Monday
12.30pm: It’s Middlesbrough against Watford in the Championship on Sky Sports Main Event.
2.30pm: RTÉ 2 are live from Fairyhouse for the Irish Grand National meeting, the big one is off at 5pm.
3pm: Sunderland fans can watch them in League One action against Peterborough on Sky Sports Main Event.
5.30pm: Sheffield Wednesday face Cardiff City in the Championship on Sky Sports Football.
6pm: Everton take on Crystal Palace in the evening’s Premier League opener on Sky Sports Main Event.
7.30pm: Jimmy White v Stephen Hendry in the World Snooker Championship qualifying is live on the Eurosport app.
8pm: Barcelona play Real Valladolid on La Liga TV.
8.15pm: West Ham go up against Wolves on Sky Sports Main Event in the Monday night Premier League game.
The42 Rugby Weekly / SoundCloud
Murray Kinsella, Bernard Jackman and Gavan Casey look back on the Pro14 final and ahead to the provinces’ European knockout games.
