The British and Irish Lions have proud traditions of honour, dignity and respect - or so we are repeatedly told - but this message has not yet hit home with their social media guru.

Two controversial - well, let's say 'poor taste' - tweets posted on the official British and Irish Lions Twitter feed have had to be removed over the last few days, the last of which appeared on Tuesday.

In reference to the Lions' victory over South Africa in the third Test of the 2009 tour, the following Tweet was posted of an injured animal with its genitals caught on a fence.

Given tour manager Andy Irvine's

Andrew Trimble scored a second-half brace for Ulster

Ulster deservingly finished top of the Pro12 league courtesy of a bonus-point victory over Cardiff Blues at Ravenhill on Friday night which secured a home semi-final against Scarlets.

It capped what has been a long, arduous campaign for Ireland's northern province, who started the season in style and remained unbeaten until a 24-10 loss to Munster at Thomond Park on 29 December.

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By Kieran Beckles

The full schedule for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, to be played in England and Wales (click the image to expand to full size):

The 2015 Rugby World Cup schedule

Warren Gatland's British and Irish Lions squad has been branded a "slab of red meat" in the Australian media following the announcement of the 37-man party.

Australians woke up to the news of Gatland's squad with their press offering an almost unanimous verdict of Gatland's intentions - he would try to physically intimidate the Wallabies on their home soil.

Gatland picked the biggest Welsh contingent in over 30 years - 15 players in all - after they retained their Six Nations crown by overpowering England on the final day of the tournament. And scribes Down Under believe that match will

Munster youngster Simon Zebo deserves to be named the Irish Rugby Union Players' Association's Player of the Year after a string of eye-catching performances over the past season.

Also on the shortlist for the end-year award is Leinster forward Cian Healy and Ulster number eight Nick Williams, with the winner set to be crowned on 8 May.

The 23-year-old, who is also nominated for the European Player of the Year in January, has thrilled on the wing for both Munster and Ireland this term.

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By Kieran Beckles

Munster scrum-half Peter Stringer smiles holds the trophy following their Heineken Cup final match against Biarritz in Cardiff (Reuters)

Peter Stringer announced last week that he would be joining Bath on a permanent deal at the end of the season, ending his long-term affinity with Munster.

The diminutive scrum-half enjoyed many highs during a 15-year career with the Irish province, including two Heineken Cup triumphs and a couple of domestic league successes.

So after so many appearances for Munster, here are three of Stringer's most memorable moments from his club career - so far.

Read the full article from Kieran Beckles of Yahoo! Contributor Network here

Spring is that glorious time of year when the sun comes out, the grounds thaw and the leaves re-appear on trees. It is also the time when one of English club rugby's traditional powerhouses, and indeed the only club to have remained at the pinnacle of the domestic scene for the past decade and a half, start to turn it on. This season looks to be no different for the Leicester Tigers.

There is something about the club that sees them always begin to click as the business end of the season approaches. Be it the return of their huge international contingent from Six Nations duty, the realisation

The news that Jonny Wilkinson has penned a new one-year contract with Toulon on Tuesday will only serve to fuel the nostalgic speculation that the former England fly-half could be a surprise inclusion in this summer's British and Irish Lions squad.

The 33-year-old, who is the second-highest point-scorer in Test history, has been linked with a return to the squad in recent months, even though the man himself has played down - in fact, all but dismissed - his chances of featuring.

Wilkinson, who has been pondering his retirement from the game, has been in fine form for Top 14 leaders Toulon and