Connacht Rugby have bolstered their squad with the addition of versatile scrumhalf Cillian Willis.

Tommy Bowe will help the Ospreys kick-off the defence of their Magners League title with a trip to familiar territory when the Welsh region open the tournament's 10th anniversary campaign against Ulster at Ravenhill on the weekend of 4 September.

There will be plenty of new faces appearing in the Magners League this season, and not just with the two new Italian clubs, Benetton Treviso and Aironi Rugby.

Connacht's Tim Allnutt presented new signing Ezra Taylor with his Connacht jersey at the Sportsground, Galway today.

Connacht have beefed up their pack for the new Magners League season by signing Queensland Reds Super 14 forward Ezra Taylor.

Former Great Britain and England rugby league international Mike Forshaw is joining Connacht as defence coach.

A number of fringe players in the Ireland squad have been handed a chance to press their claims for further international recognition this weekend.

Celtic Rugby is pleased to announce that it has secured a new television deal that will see terrestrial broadcasters BBC ALBA, BBC Northern Ireland, RTE and TG4 join its established partners BBC Wales and S4C in televising Magners League games next season.

Sean Cronin believes playing regular Magners League rugby is the key factor behind his rise to international prominence.

Munster's Ronan O'Gara will wear the Ireland No10 shirt ahead of Leinster's Jonathan Sexton for the mouth-watering clash with the All Blacks this weekend.

Michael Bradley's final match in charge of Connacht ended in disappointment as Ulster outscored their provincial rivals by 29 points in the second half of Friday's derby clash at Ravenhill.

Ulster have won their last seven clashes with Connacht whilst Connacht have not won in Belfast since November 1960.

The Scarlets moved themselves off the bottom of the Magners League table by putting a weakened Connacht side to a sword in a 58-10 win at Parc y Scarlets.

Connacht turned the Magners League table on its head to dish out a 14-point defeat to leaders Leinster and boost their chances of qualifying for the Heineken Cup for the first time.

Connacht beat Scarlets 16-10 at the Sportsground in round seven and are going for a first ever season's double over the West Walians.

Connacht's only win over Leinster since 2004 came in this equivalent fixture last year at the Galway Sportsground.

Connacht's eight-match unbeaten run at the Sportsground was ended by Munster as the defending champions took the spoils in Sunday's Magners League derby.

Connacht have beaten Munster only once in their last 32 meetings since 1986: 12-6 at the Sportsground in the Magners League on 28 December 2008.

New Zealander Miah Nikora kicked a late penalty as Connacht, the Magners League's bottom side, edged out high-flying Edinburgh in an absorbing encounter at the Sportsground on Friday.

The two sides also met on Good Friday two season's ago with Edinburgh winning 38-8 at Murrayfield.