Ireland national rugby union team

The Ireland national rugby union team is Ireland's international rugby union team. It is unusual in international rugby in that it represents both political entities on the island of Ireland: Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Today the team plays home games at Lansdowne Road in Dublin but in the past they have played home games in Belfast in Northern Ireland. For approximately five years there was a second union, the Northern Football Union of Ireland, but in 1879 the two unions resolved their differences and merged.

Related Topics:
Ireland - Rugby union - Northern Ireland - Republic of Ireland - Lansdowne Road - Dublin - Belfast - 1879

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The national anthem of the Republic of Ireland, Amhrán na bhFiann, is played only for games played in the Republic; Ireland's Call is always used either alongside or instead of Amhrán na bhFiann. Instead of the Irish tricolour, the official flag of the Republic, a quartered flag with symbols representing the four provinces of Ireland is flown. At some matches, the standard of the island's rugby governing body, the Irish Rugby Football Union, is displayed on the field during pre-match ceremonies.

Related Topics:
National anthem - Amhrán na bhFiann - Ireland's Call - Irish tricolour - Irish Rugby Football Union

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Ireland play in the Six Nations Championship, and in recent years have been the strongest of the Celtic nations. They have only won one Grand Slam but have won the Triple Crown seven times, most recently in 2004. However, they have finished bottom of the Championship table on thirty occasions.

Related Topics:
Six Nations Championship - Grand Slam - Triple Crown - 2004 - Bottom of the Championship table

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Competitions have taken place since the late 1800s with the modern day Inter Provincial Championship between Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Connacht first contested in 1920. Another focus for the domestic game in Ireland, which benefits from the majority of the national side plying their trade at home, is the All Ireland League. This was started in 1990 and has now expanded to four divisions.

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There are around 15,000 seniors and three times as many juniors playing rugby in Ireland. They have some magnificent individual players with Malcolm O'Kelly, Mike Gibson, Willie John McBride and Fergus Slattery all winning over sixty International caps, Keith Wood winning the inaugural IRB World Player of the Year Award in 2001, and Brian O'Driscoll being arguably the top centre in the world today.

Related Topics:
Malcolm O'Kelly - Mike Gibson - Willie John McBride - Fergus Slattery - Keith Wood - 2001 - Brian O'Driscoll

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