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 ...
is a popular team sport on the island of
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
, organised on an
all-Ireland basis, including players and teams from both the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...
and
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
. Its governing body, the
Irish Rugby Football Union
The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) () is the body managing rugby union in the island of Ireland (both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland). The IRFU has its head office at 10/12 Lansdowne Road and home ground at Aviva Stadium, where a ...
(IRFU), was founded in 1875, making it the third oldest rugby union in the world after the
RFU (England) and the
SRU (Scotland), which were both founded in 1871.
The
Ireland national team is currently first in the
World Rugby Rankings (as of October 2024), and has won the
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship (known as the Six Nations, branded as Guinness M6N) is an annual international rugby union competition by the teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. It is the oldest sports tournament conte ...
(and its predecessor competitions) fifteen times, most recently in
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
, including four
Grand Slams, the most recent being in
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
. Ireland has appeared at every men's Rugby World Cup but never advanced beyond the quarter-final.
Ireland has four professional teams, organised by the four provincial unions that make up the IRFU,
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
,
Munster
Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...
,
Ulster
Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
and
Connacht
Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...
, who compete in the
United Rugby Championship (URC), the
European Rugby Champions Cup and the
EPCR Challenge Cup.
Munster are the most recent Irish team to win the URC in
2022–23, while Leinster are the most successful side historically. Irish provinces have had considerable success in European competitions, with seven European Rugby Champions Cups (4 Leinster, 2 Munster and 1 Ulster) and one Challenge Cup win (Leinster).
At the local level, fifty club sides compete in the five divisions of the
All-Ireland League, of which
Cork Constitution are the current champions.
The
Ireland women's rugby union team compete in the
Women's Six Nations,
WXV and the
women's Rugby World Cup, while women's teams from Ireland compete in the
IRFU Women's Interprovincial Series and the cross-border
Celtic Challenge competition with sides from Scotland and Wales.
Governing body
The Irish Rugby Football union was formed in 1879, after the merger of the
Irish Football Union, which controlled rugby in
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
,
Munster
Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...
and parts of
Ulster
Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
, and the Northern Football Union of Ireland, which controlled in the game in the
Belfast
Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
area. As part of this amalgamation, the IRFU established three provincial branches to run the game in Leinster, Munster and Ulster; a fourth branch was founded for
Connacht
Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...
in 1885.
The IRFU was a founding member of the
International Rugby Board
World Rugby is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. World Rugby organises the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport's most recognised and most profitable competition. It also organises a number of other international competit ...
(now called
World Rugby) in 1986. Despite the
partition of Ireland in 1921, the IRFU continues to run the game on an all-island basis.
International rugby
The Ireland national team represents the whole Island of Ireland, selecting players from both the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...
and
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
. Its first international match was a 7-0 defeat by
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
in 1875.
Since 1995 the Ireland national team has been fully professional. They play their home games at the
Aviva Stadium in Dublin. They compete in the annual
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship (known as the Six Nations, branded as Guinness M6N) is an annual international rugby union competition by the teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. It is the oldest sports tournament conte ...
, the four-yearly
Rugby World Cup
The Men's Rugby World Cup is a rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams, the winners of which are recognised as the World championship, world champions of the sport.
The tournament is administer ...
, and various
mid-year and
autumn
Autumn, also known as fall (especially in US & Canada), is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Southern Hemisphe ...
international matches.
The national team has won several
Triple Crowns and three
Grand Slams and is able to play at a competitive level with the world's rugby giants, having beaten all including
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
in the last five years.
Development teams
As with all top-tier rugby nations, and many lower-tier countries, Ireland field an "A" national side, a second-level national selection primarily intended to develop younger talent for possible future duty on the senior national team. Since February 2010, the IRFU have rebranded the A side as
Ireland Wolfhounds. The Wolfhounds generally play "A" teams of the other major European powers and senior sides of lower-tier nations. Ireland also field an occasional development team,
Emerging Ireland, used to try out promising young players. The
Ireland national under-20 rugby union team competes in the annual
Six Nations Under 20s Championship and
World Rugby U20 Championship tournaments. The
Ireland national schoolboy rugby union team competes in the
Rugby Europe Under-18 Championship.
IQ Rugby (formerly the
Irish Exiles) is a development programme to identify potential Ireland players from the
Irish diaspora.
Ireland Sevens
The
Ireland national rugby sevens team competes in the
World Rugby Sevens Series, the
Rugby World Cup Sevens and at the
Summer Olympics. Unlike the national team, sevens players are not selected from the provincial teams, although some go on to play for the provincial teams. Their highest ever finish in the
SVNS is second
2023–24 SVNS league. They have made the semifinals of the Rugby World Cup Sevens twice, once in
1993
The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as:
* International Year for the World's Indigenous People
The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
and in
2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
, coming in third place in the latter. Their highest finish at the Summer Olympics is 6th at the
2024 Summer Olympics
The 2024 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad () and branded as Paris 2024, were an international multi-sport event held in France from 26 July to 11 August 2024, with several events started from 24 July. P ...
.
Ireland Women
The Irish Women's Rugby Football Union (IWRFU) was founded in 1991, and the
Ireland women's national rugby union team made their international debut in 1993. The IWRFU became affiliated to the IRFU in 2001, and was incorporated into the IRFU in 2008. The Ireland women's team have competed in the
Women's Rugby World Cup since its second edition in
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
, and the
Women's Six Nations Championship (and its predecessor competitions) since
1996. Ireland hosted the
2017 Women's Rugby World Cup, and lost to
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
17–27 in the eighth place play off.
Provincial rugby
The four branches of the IRFU each organise a provincial team:
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
, based at the
RDS Arena in
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
;
Munster
Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...
, based at
Thomond Park in
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...
;
Ulster
Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
, based at
Ravenhill in
Belfast
Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
; and
Connacht
Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...
, based at the
Sportsgrounds in
Galway
Galway ( ; , ) is a City status in Ireland, city in (and the county town of) County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay. It is the most populous settlement in the province of Connacht, the List of settleme ...
. In the amateur era, they were representative teams, selected from the best club players in the province, and competed in the annual
IRFU Interprovincial Championship, as well as playing against international touring teams. After rugby union was declared open to professionalism in 1995, they were developed into professional teams.
Today, they compete in the
United Rugby Championship (URC) alongside teams from Scotland, Wales, Italy and South Africa, and the
European Rugby Champions Cup and
EPCR Challenge Cup, which also include teams from France and England. All four provinces have been champions of the URC (or its predecessor competitions), Leinster eight times, most recently in 2021; Munster four times, most recently in 2023; Ulster once in 2006; and Connacht once in 2016. Leinster have won the Champions Cup four times, most recently in 2018; Munster twice, most recently in 2008; and Ulster once in 1999. Leinster have won the Challenge Cup once, in 2012.
To encourage the development of Irish talent, the provinces are allowed only three non-Irish-qualified players in their squads. Each province has an academy programme to develop young players from local schools and clubs to professional level. Regular internationals are signed on central contracts to the IRFU, meaning that they, and not the provinces, control when the players play and when they rest.
Each province also has a women's team which competes in the annual
IRFU Women's Interprovincial Series. Irish women's teams compete in the
Celtic Challenge tournament alongside teams from Scotland and Wales. In the first year, 2023, Ireland entered a Combined Provinces team. In the
2024 tournament, they entered two teams, the Wolfhounds, a combined Ulster-Leinster team, and the Clovers, a combined Munster-Connacht team.
Club rugby
Since 1990, the top club sides in Ireland have competed in the
All-Ireland League. It originally featured nineteen clubs in two divisions, and currently has fifty clubs in five divisions, 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B and 2C, with promotion and relegation between them. The bottom team in Division 2C is relegated to their province's Junior League. Playoffs are held between the winners of the four provincial Junior Leagues to decide who will replace them. The
Bateman Cup is played for annually by the winners of the provincial Senior Cups. The Women's All-Ireland League was founded in 1992 has one division containing nine clubs. The provincial branches each organise a pyramid of league and cup competitions for both men's and women's teams.
Schools rugby
Each province has a senior schools' tournament: the
Leinster Schools Rugby Senior Cup; the
Munster Schools Rugby Senior Cup; the
Ulster Schools' Cup; and the
Connacht Schools Rugby Senior Cup; and an under-15 tournament: the
Leinster Schools Junior Cup; the
Munster Schools Junior Cup; the Ulster
Medallion Shield; and the
Connacht Schools Junior Cup.
Demographics
Playing numbers
The last report on the number of players playing rugby union conducted by World Rugby in 2019 showed 79,000 registered players (i.e. those registered with clubs, including the 21,000 adult players) and an overall total of 196,000, incorporating women’ players, schools, sevens etc.
Stadiums and attendance
The professional era and the advent of the competitions now known as
United Rugby Championship and the
European Rugby Champions Cup have seen
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 ...
become a major
spectator sport in Ireland.
European Cup games are generally well supported in all the provinces, with sellouts the norm and massive crowds in Dublin's
Lansdowne Road for quarterfinal and semifinal matches. Ulster, Munster and Leinster have all won the Heineken Cup. In the past
Ulster
Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
led the then-Celtic League attendances for 3 years in the row and
Connacht
Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...
,
Munster
Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...
and
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
's crowds have grown year on year and with the later two setting new world records for province/club attendance.
Munster extensively renovated and expanded their traditional home of
Thomond Park in a project that was completed in 2008. The
Royal Dublin Society expanded their
RDS Arena in the same time period, which prompted Leinster to make it their primary home while they were planning to expand their own traditional ground at
Donnybrook. After the Donnybrook plans fell through, Leinster chose to remain at the RDS and in 2023 Leinster embarked on renovation plans to increase the capacity of the arena. Connacht completed ground expansion and renovation works in time for the 2011/2012 season with the construction of the Clan Terrace. And in 2014, Ulster completed the complete reconstruction of Ravenhill Stadium into a modern 18,000 capacity stadium. Munster are currently in the process of construing a new stand at their secondary home of
Musgrave Park.
Before the opening of Aviva Stadium,
Ireland international games sold out against all but the weakest opposition, and with the team playing at
Croke Park during the reconstruction of Lansdowne Road, attendances regularly topped 80,000. However, the Aviva saw disappointing attendance during its first Tests in 2010, with no match selling out; media reports indicated that this was largely due to an IRFU ticketing strategy that made little sense in an
uncertain economy. More recent Tests have seen crowds much closer to capacity, including sellouts or near-sellouts for all of Ireland's Six Nations home fixtures.
History
Early years
Rugby clubs started to appear in Ireland in the mid-19th century.
Dublin University Football Club was in existence by 1855, giving it a strong claim to being the world's oldest extant football club of any code. Other early clubs still in existence include
Wanderers (founded 1869),
Queen's University (1869),
Lansdowne (1873),
Dungannon
Dungannon (, ) is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the second-largest town in the county (after Omagh) and had a population of 16,282 at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2021 Census. The Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Counci ...
(1873) and
University College Cork
University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) () is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork (city), Cork.
The university was founded in 1845 as one of three Queen's Universit ...
(1874). Ballinasloe, founded in 1875, merged with Athlone in 1994 to form
Buccaneers;
North of Ireland, founded in 1868, merged with
Collegians
Collegians are an Australian rugby league football team based in Wollongong, New South Wales, Wollongong. The club are a part of Country Rugby League and compete in the Illawarra Rugby League premiership.
Originally known as CBC Old Boys, the c ...
in 1999 to form
Belfast Harlequins.
The
Irish Football Union was founded to govern the game in Leinster, Munster and parts of Ulster in December 1874. The Northern Football Union of Ireland was founded in January 1875, and controlled the game in the Belfast area The two unions amalgamated to form the IRFU in 1879, but not before the first interprovincial match, between
Ulster
Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
and
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
, and
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
's first international match against
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
, both in 1875. Ireland played their home games at
Lansdowne Road in Dublin from 1878. The earliest competitions include the
Ulster Schools' Cup, first held in 1876, and the
Dublin Hospitals Rugby Cup, first held in 1881.
The amateur era
Club rugby
The Leinster Challenge Cup, later known as the
Leinster Senior Cup, was first played in 1882, won by Dublin University. Senior Cup competitions followed in the other provinces: the
Ulster Senior Cup was first won by North of Ireland in 1885; the
Munster Senior Cup was first won by
Bandon in 1886; and the
Connacht Senior Cup was first won by Galway Town in 1896. Ulster was the first province to establish a provincial league, the
Ulster Senior League, first won by
Queen's in 1891. The
Munster Senior League followed, first won by
Garryowen in 1903; the
Connacht Senior League was first won by
Galwegians in 1926; the
Leinster Senior League was not founded until 1971, and was first won by
St. Mary's College in 1972. The
All-Ireland League, featuring clubs from all four provinces, was founded in 1990, and was first won by
Cork Constitution.
Provincial rugby
The
IRFU Interprovincial Championship, between the provincial representative teams of
Ulster
Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
,
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
,
Munster
Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...
and
Connacht
Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...
, was first played in 1946, with Ulster being the first champions.
International rugby
The Home Nations Championship, ancestor of today's
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship (known as the Six Nations, branded as Guinness M6N) is an annual international rugby union competition by the teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. It is the oldest sports tournament conte ...
, was first played in 1883, between the
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
,
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
,
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
and
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
national teams.
It became the Five Nations Championship in 1910 with the addition of
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. Ireland first won the competition in 1926, jointly with Scotland. Their first outright win, and Grand Slam, came in 1948.
The
Rugby World Cup
The Men's Rugby World Cup is a rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams, the winners of which are recognised as the World championship, world champions of the sport.
The tournament is administer ...
was first held in
1987
Events January
* January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency.
* January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade.
* January 3 – Afghan leader ...
; Ireland were knocked out by
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
in the quarter-finals. In the
1991 Rugby World Cup, they again went out to Australia in the quarter-finals. In the final World Cup of the amateur era in
1995 they were knocked out in the quarter-finals once more, this time by
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.
Ireland's most capped players of the amateur era include North of Ireland centre
Mike Gibson (69), Ballymena lock
Willie John McBride (63), Blackrock flanker
Fergus Slattery (61), Dungannon lock
Paddy Johns (59), and Old Wesley prop
Philip Orr (58). Dublin University centre
Brendan Mullin is Ireland's top try scorer of the amateur era with 17; Dolphin centre
Michael Kiernan is top points scorer with 308.
The professional era
On 26 August 1995, rugby union was declared open to professionalism by the
International Rugby Board
World Rugby is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. World Rugby organises the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport's most recognised and most profitable competition. It also organises a number of other international competit ...
. The IRFU had been opposed to this, and rugby in Ireland was poorly prepared for professionalism. Amid fears that Irish players could be signed up by English clubs, they began by offering contracts to international players.
Provincial rugby
The
Heineken Cup
The European Rugby Champions Cup (known as the Investec Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a pre ...
, now known as the
European Rugby Champions Cup, was launched the same year.
Ireland was given three places, and rather than enter clubs, the IRFU entered three of the four provincial teams,
Munster
Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...
,
Ulster
Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
and
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
. This led to the development of the provincial sides as professional teams, starting with match fees, and later contracts for provincial players.
["Seventy six players win IRFU contracts", ''Irish Independent'', 17 July 1997] Ulster
Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
won the competition in 1999. Munster have won it twice, in
2006 and
2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
, and Leinster four times, in
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
,
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
,
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
(defeating Ulster), and
2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
. In addition, Leinster won the
European Challenge Cup in
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
after having parachuted in from that season's Heineken Cup.
The
Celtic League, featuring all four Irish provinces alongside teams from Scotland and Wales, was launched in 2001. The
IRFU Interprovincial Championship was discontinued. The League expanded to a 22-match schedule in 2003, and for the first time the Irish provinces could operate as full-time professional teams, with players only rarely able to play for their clubs. The competition was renamed the
Pro12 in 2011 with the addition of two teams from Italy; the
Pro14 in 2017 with the addition of two teams from South Africa; and the
United Rugby Championship in 2021 with the incorporation of four South African teams. Irish provinces have won the competition fourteen times in 24 seasons, and all four provinces have won it at least once. Leinster won the league in
2002,
2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
,
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
,
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
,
2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
,
2018–19,
2019–20 and
2020–21; Munster won in
2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
,
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
,
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
and
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
; Ulster won it in
2006; and
Connacht
Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...
won it in
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
.
International rugby
The Five Nations became the
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship (known as the Six Nations, branded as Guinness M6N) is an annual international rugby union competition by the teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. It is the oldest sports tournament conte ...
in 2000 with the addition of
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. Ireland's first win of the professional era came with a Grand Slam in
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
. They won it again in 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2023 (the last two also being Grand Slams), and 2024. They went out in the quarter-finals of the World Cup in
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
(to
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
);
2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
(to
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
); at the group stage in
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
; and in the quarter-finals in 2011 Rugby World Cup, 2011 (to
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
), 2015 Rugby World Cup, 2015 (to Argentina), and 2019 Rugby World Cup, 2019 (to
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
). After a victorious 2022 Ireland rugby union tour of New Zealand, tour of New Zealand in 2022, Ireland went into the 2023 Rugby World Cup as one of the favourites, but went out in the quarter-finals to eventual runners-up
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
.
The old
Lansdowne Road stadium was demolished in 2007, and the new
Aviva Stadium, built on the same site, opened in 2010. In the meantime, home internationals were played at the Gaelic Athletic Association's stadium,
Croke Park.
Ireland's most-capped players of the professional era include Leinster centre Brian O'Driscoll (133), Leinster prop Cian Healy (129), Munster out-half Ronan O'Gara (128), Ulster hooker Rory Best (123) and Leinster out-half Johnny Sexton (118). O'Driscoll is Ireland's record try scorer with 46; Sexton is their leading points scorer with 1108.
Irish society and politics

Although rugby has traditionally been associated with the more anglophile elements of Irish society, it has not been without its following in the nationalist and republican communities. For example, the longest serving taoiseach, Éamon de Valera was a former player, and lifetime fan of the game. At the age of sixteen, De Valera won a scholarship to Blackrock College, County Dublin. It was at Blackrock College that de Valera began playing rugby. Later during his tenure at Rockwell College, he joined the school's rugby team where he played fullback on the first team, which reached the final of the Munster Senior Cup. De Valera was a close friend of the Ryan brothers at Rockwell who played on Ireland's Triple Crown-winning team in 1899. De Valera remained a lifelong devotee of rugby, attending numerous international matches up to and towards the end of his life despite near blindness.
Other notable politicians, from very different backgrounds, who have played rugby for Ireland include Tyrone Howe (a former Ulster Unionist Party, Unionist Party councillor), Trevor Ringland (a Unionist Parliamentary candidate) and Dick Spring (former Tánaiste and Labour Party TD).
Nowadays, rugby is played by both Irish nationalism, nationalists and unionists. Historically, it tended to be popular with different social groups in different parts of Ireland, although generally speaking it is regarded as a middle-class sport in Ireland and further afield. In
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...
city, it is enjoyed across the social spectrum, while in
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
and Cork City it remains very much a middle-class game. Rugby traditionally is not as prevalent in Connacht, although it is less defined there by social class. In
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
it is traditionally played in mainly-middle-class Protestant Grammar schools in the United Kingdom, grammar schools. The changing climate in
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
politics has altered this perceived tradition with the introduction of rugby into an increasing number of Catholic Church, Roman Catholic grammar and List of secondary schools in Northern Ireland, secondary schools which were previously exclusively associated with Gaelic games.
Rugby and the GAA

During the late 19th century, in response to the perceived encroachment of English sports, including rugby, Irish nationalist Michael Cusack (Gaelic Athletic Association), Michael Cusack set up the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).
Rule 42 of the GAA's Official Guide prohibited the playing of non-Gaelic games in GAA stadiums, including rugby until it was lifted in 2007. However, the rule was relaxed while
Lansdowne Road was being redeveloped, and rugby was played in
Croke Park including a match between Leinster and Munster that broke the club rugby attendance Rule 42#A world record attendance, record; see List of non-Gaelic games played in Croke Park for exceptions to this rule.
The first game to take place under the relaxed Rule 42 took place on 11 February 2007. It was a
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship (known as the Six Nations, branded as Guinness M6N) is an annual international rugby union competition by the teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. It is the oldest sports tournament conte ...
rugby match between
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
and
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
which Ireland lost 17–20. The following match against
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
generated some controversy, since it involved the playing of God Save the Queen at a ground where British soldiers had killed fourteen spectators on Bloody Sunday (1920), Bloody Sunday, 1920. There was a small protest by Republican Sinn Féin outside the ground which included a man holding a sign saying ''No to List of Gaelic Games terminology#F, foreign games'' while ironically wearing a Celtic FC tracksuit.
A 2008–09 Heineken Cup#Semi-finals, Heineken Cup semi-final was played in Croke Park on 2 May 2009, when
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
defeated
Munster
Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...
25–6. The attendance of 82,208 set a new world record attendance for a club rugby union game.
Leinster broke this record at Croke Park again in 2024, drawing a capacity 82,300 crowd for an Investec Champions Cup semi-final against Northampton Saints.
References
* Richards, Huw ''A Game for Hooligans: The History of Rugby Union'' (Mainstream Publishing, Edinburgh, 2007, )
Rugby Union, Irish Nationalism and National Identity in Northern Ireland
External links
Irish Rugby Football UnionRugby news from RTEIrish rugby union news from Planet Rugby
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rugby Union in Ireland
Rugby union in Ireland,