Ireland Rugby Team

Ireland Rugby Union Team

History of rugby in Ireland

The men’s Ireland rugby union team played their first international match against England in 1875.

However, the history of rugby in Ireland starts even earlier in 1854 when students at Dublin University, who had learnt the game while studying at English public schools, set up a club. The game expanded from its base in Dublin over the following decades into the early twentieth century. Established in 1879 the Irish Rugby Football Union, became members of the International Rugby Board (now World Rugby) in 1886.

The Ireland rugby union team is made up of players from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The Ireland rugby squad play their home matches at the impressive Aviva Stadium in Dublin which opened in 2010. The stadium is famous for its atmosphere, especially when supporters sing the famous “Fields of Athenry.”

Winning habits

The Irish rugby team have participated in every edition of the Rugby World Cup, making it to the quarter finals on eight occasions. The Ireland rugby team have been the outright winners of the Guinness Men's Six Nations on 16 occasions, most recently in 2024.

Meanwhile, the Ireland rugby union team have benefited from their club sides dominating Europe in recent years.

Irish rugby legends

Arguably the sport’s greatest outside centre, Brian O’Driscoll (2016), record breaking British & Irish Lions captain Willie-John McBride (2009) and Ireland’s record point scorer Ronan O’Gara (2018) are just a few of the 12 that have represented the Ireland rugby team who have been inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.

Hospitality at Ireland rugby matches

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