Dolphin Rugby Football Club is a

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

club in

Cork "Cork" or "CORK" may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Stopper (plug), or "cork", a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container *** Wine cork an item to seal or reseal wine Places Ireland * ...

. The senior team play in Division 2C of the All-Ireland League. In the 2023-24 season, the club fielded more Adult Teams in competitive action than any other club in Munster, in fielding 6 Adult sides (4 Men's, an U20.5 side and a Women's Team (in Division 1 of the Munster League). In addition to this 3 Youth Sides, 3 Girls sides and 7 Minis teams.

History

The club was founded in 1902, by members of the Dolphin Swimming Club who were seeking to find a wintertime activity. Initially a Junior club they gained Senior status in 1913 after winning the

Munster Junior Cup The Munster Junior Cup is a rugby union competition played in the province of Munster, Ireland. The competition was established for the stronger junior clubs and the second teams of the Senior clubs in the province of Munster. The current champio ...

that year for the first time. Their first Munster Senior Cup came in 1921 and in 1942 the club moved to their current home at Musgrave Park A clubhouse was completed in 1956 with further facilities added in 1976. The club was not a member of the All-Ireland League for the inaugural season in 1990-91 but won promotion to the League the following season. The club won Division 2 of the League in 2002-03, the club’s centenary season.

Honours

*All Ireland League Division 2 Champions 2003 * Munster Senior Cup Winners (6): 1921, 1931, 1944–45, 1948 and 1956. *

(4):1913, 1923, 1926, 1944. *Munster Junior Plate: 1985. *Munster Under 20 League: 1984. * Munster Senior League: (8) 1924, 1926, 1929, 1949, 1955, 1956, 1973 and 1991.

Notable Past Players

Former Irish Coach,

Declan Kidney Declan Kidney (born 20 October 1959) is an Irish rugby union coach. He was the head coach of the Ireland national rugby union team from 2008 to 2013, where he won the 2009 Six Nations with a Grand Slam, winning the 2009 IRB Coach of the Year a ...

played for the club in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Michael Kiernan Michael Joseph Kiernan (born 17 January 1961) is a former international rugby union player. He had 43 caps for Ireland national rugby union team, Ireland, from 1982 to 1991, scoring 6 tries, 40 conversions, 62 penalties and 6 drop goals, in an ...

, with 43, is the club's most capped international player. J S McCarthy and Terry Kingston both captained Ireland. Tomás O'Leary was the scrum half on Ireland's 2009 Grandslam winning team. The club's top try scorer in The AIB League & Cup is

James Coughlan James Coughlan (born 9 December 1980) is a retired Irish rugby union player and current coach. Coughlan played primarily as a number 8 and represented Cork-based amateur club Dolphin in the All-Ireland League, his native province Munster an ...

with 37, Coughlan was captain of the Munster side that beat Australia in 2010. The following have represented Ireland at full international level whilst playing with Dolphin; IRFU Presidents *1955/56 C J Hanrahan *1973/74 I F Mahony *1983/84 G F Reidy

Current Munster-Contracted Players

* Niall Scannell *

Rory Scannell Rory Scannell (born 22 December 1993) is an Irish rugby union player who last played as a centre for United Rugby Championship club Munster. Munster Scannell made his senior Munster debut on 1 November 2014, starting at inside centre against ...

References

External links

Dolphin RFC's Official website
{{Sport in Cork City Rugby union teams in Ireland Rugby union clubs in County Cork All-Ireland League rugby union clubs Munster Senior League (rugby union) teams 1902 establishments in Ireland Rugby clubs established in 1902