Ireland national schoolboy rugby union team

Sports team

Rugby team

Ireland Schoolboys

Union| Irish Rugby Football Union
Emblem(s)| the Shamrock
Coach(es)| Terry McMaster

1st kit

2nd kit

|

The Irish Schoolboys rugby union team is the national team for secondary school students and under-18 school players in Ireland.[1][2][3][4][5] There is an equivalent Ireland under 18 clubs side that play international rugby.

## Role

[edit]

The Irish Schoolboys side represents the nation against youths of other nations.

They provide a starting point for Ireland qualified players that has led to players representing the National Team, Ireland A, Development, Provincial, Students, Irish U-20 and AIL teams.[6]

Currently in both the Republic and Northern Ireland there are 246 Schools playing rugby; Ulster (107), Leinster (75), Munster (41) and Connacht (23).[7][8][9]

## School competitions

[edit]

Each of the four Provinces holds a Schools Cup competition every season, usually culminating in a Provincial Cup Final held on or around St Patricks Day (17 March each year). Despite the age group the qualifying games and finals are usually very well attended with crowds often better than those attending most adult club games, for Leinster Schools Cup Finals crowds of 15–20,000 are not unusual. This has brought onboard sponsors of the various competitions such as the Northern Bank Schools' Cup (Ulster),[10] Supermacs Schools Cup (Connacht) and the Powerade Schools' Cup (Leinster).[11]

## Opposition

[edit]

They also play against other 6 Nations countries' schoolboys sides during the year, and also other test playing nations schools teams on a more infrequent basis.[1][2][12][13][14]

Recent matches include a narrow loss to France in a schoolboy Under-18 match on 20 December 2007.[15]

Since 2011, the team has taken part in the annual European Under-18 Rugby Union Championship, winning the title in this competition in 2011. It was Ireland's fourth appearance in the final, having previously lost to France in 2007, 2008 and 2010. 2011 marked the first time that Ireland was represented by a schools team rather than a Clubs XV.[16]

## Notable former Schoolboy representatives

[edit]

The following players have been called up by the Ireland senior national team.

* Andrew Trimble
* David Humphreys
* Tommy Bowe
* Paddy Wallace
* Jacob Stockdale
* Rory Best
* Simon Best
* Fionn Carr
* Paddy Jackson
* Stuart Olding
* Darren Cave
* Paul Marshall
* Nathan Doak
* Neil McMillan
* Michael Lowry
* James Hume
* Jeremy Davidson
* Iain Henderson

* Gordon D'Arcy[17]
* Luke Fitzgerald[18]
* Cian Healy[19]
* Jamie Heaslip[20]
* Shane Jennings[21]
* Rob Kearney[22]
* Brian O'Driscoll[23]
* Johnny Sexton[24]
* Gavin Duffy[25]
* Andrew Dunne[26]
* Oli Jager[27]

## Honours

[edit]

* European Under-18 Rugby Union Championship
* Champions: 2011
* Runners-up: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014

## European championship

[edit]

### Positions

[edit]

The team's final positions in the European championship:

Year | Division | Tier | Place

|
|
|

2004 | A Division  | I  |
2005 | A Division  | I  | 5th
2006 | A Division  | I  | 2nd – Runners-up
2007 | A Division  | I  | 2nd – Runners-up
2008 | A Division  | I  | 2nd – Runners-up
2009 | A Division  | I  | 3rd
2010 | A Division  | I  | 2nd – Runners-up
2011 | Elite Division  | I  | 1st – Champions
2012 | Elite Division  | I  | 2nd – Runners-up
2013 | Elite Division  | I  | 3rd
2014 | Elite Division  | I  | 2nd – Runners-up
2015 | Elite Division  | I  | 7th

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Hands, David (15 April 1998). "Ireland youngsters in pursuit of clean sweep". The Times. p. 40.
2. ^ a b Ace, George (20 April 1987). "K AND School of Justice". The Times.
3. ^ "McHugh Hails Emerging Irish Referees". 27 March 2008. Archived from the original on 3 April 2008. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
4. ^ "Ireland Under-18 Schools Squad Chosen For French Clash". 27 November 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2008. [dead link‍]
5. ^ "The Visit of U-19 Japanese National Rugby Team to Dublin". 28 March 2007. Retrieved 8 April 2008.
6. ^ "about". Irish Colleges Rugby Union. 5 April 2008. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
7. ^ "Irish Rugby.net - links, fixtures and clubs of Irish Rugby". IrishRugby.net. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
8. ^ "Irish Rugby Union team news". Irish Rugby. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
9. ^ "Rugby chiefs muscle in on body building risk to pupils". The Independent. 10 January 2008. Retrieved 8 April 2008.
10. ^ "Methody secure Schools' Cup win". BBC Sport. 17 March 2008. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
11. ^ "Double injury woe for 'thrown together' Irish". Irish Independent. 26 March 2008. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
12. ^ "Draws & Results". Australian Schools Rugby. 6 April 2008. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
13. ^ "Ireland 18 Schools team to Play Wales in U18 Schools Six Nations Rugby festival". Heavensgame.com. 26 March 2008. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
14. ^ "Australian Schoolboys start their tour with a win". 27 November 2005. Archived from the original on 3 September 2006. Retrieved 8 April 2008.
15. ^ "Irish stunned as dubious try steals win for France". The Irish Examiner. 21 December 2007. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012.
16. ^ European Glory For Ireland Schools Team Archived 25 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine IRU website, published: 23 April 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2011
17. ^ "Gordon D'Arcy". Leinster Rugby. 5 April 2008. Archived from the original on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
18. ^ "Luke Fitzgerald". Leinster Rugby. 5 April 2008. Archived from the original on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
19. ^ "Cian Healy". Leinster Rugby. 5 April 2008. Archived from the original on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
20. ^ "Jamie Heaslip". Leinster Rugby. 5 April 2008. Archived from the original on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
21. ^ "Shane Jennings". Leinster Rugby. 5 April 2008. Archived from the original on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
22. ^ "Rob Kearney". Leinster Rugby. 5 April 2008. Archived from the original on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
23. ^ "Brian O'Driscoll". Leinster Rugby. 5 April 2008. Archived from the original on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
24. ^ "Jonathan Sexton". Leinster Rugby. 5 April 2008. Archived from the original on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
25. ^ "Gavin Duffy". Connacht Rugby. 5 April 2008. Archived from the original on 28 March 2008. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
26. ^ "Andrew Dunne". Connacht Rugby. 5 April 2008. Archived from the original on 29 April 2008. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
27. ^ "Irish Rugby | Ireland U-18 Schools Team Named for Semi-Final".

## External links

[edit]

* Irish Colleges Rugby Union
* Under 18 Six Nations Festival
* IRB Junior World Championship
* FIRA AER U18 Euro Championship

* v
* t
* e

Ireland national rugby union team

* Irish Rugby Football Union

History|

* History
* Records

Players|

* All Players
* Brian O'Driscoll (tries
* caps)

Home stadiums|

* Aviva Stadium
* Lansdowne Road
* Croke Park

Competitions and trophies|

* Rugby World Cup
* Six Nations Championship
* Triple Crown
* Grand Slam
* Ireland national rugby union team tours
* Admiral Brown Cup
* Centenary Quaich
* Lansdowne Cup
* Millennium Trophy

Related teams|

* Sevens
* Ireland Wolfhounds
* Emerging Ireland
* Irish Exiles
* Universities
* U20s
* Schoolboys

Matches by opponent|

* Argentina
* Australia
* Barbarians
* England
* France
* Italy
* New Zealand
* Scotland
* South Africa
* United States
* Wales

Tours|

| Australia|

* 1967
* 1979
* 1994
* 1999
* 2003
* 2006
* 2008
* 2010
* 2018
* 2020

|

New Zealand|

* 1976
* 1992
* 1997
* 2002
* 2006
* 2008
* 2010
* 2012
* 2022

South Africa and Namibia|

* 1961
* 1981
* 1991
* 1998
* 2004
* 2016

France and Europe|

* 1988

Americas|

* Canada 1899
* South America 1952
* Argentina 1970
* North America 1989
* 2000
* Argentina 2007
* North America 2009
* North America 2013
* Argentina 2014

Oceania|

* 1976
* 1997
* 2003

Japan|

* 1985
* 2005
* 2017

See also|

* The Fields of Athenry
* Ireland's Call
* "Zombie"

* v
* t
* e

Rugby union in Ireland

Irish Rugby Football Union

National teams|

| Men's|

* Senior
* Sevens
* Ireland Wolfhounds
* Emerging Ireland
* Universities
* U20s
* Schoolboys

|

Women's|

* Senior
* Sevens

URC teams|

* Connacht
* Leinster
* Munster
* Ulster

Competitions|

| European|

* European Rugby Champions Cup
* European Rugby Challenge Cup
* United Rugby Championship
* British and Irish Cup
* Celtic Cup

|

National|

* IRFU Interprovincial Championship
* IRFU Women's Interprovincial Series
* All-Ireland League
* All-Ireland Cup

Provincial leagues|

* Connacht Senior League
* Leinster Senior League
* Munster Senior League
* Ulster Senior League

Provincial senior cups|

* Connacht Senior Cup
* Leinster Senior Cup
* Munster Senior Cup
* Ulster Senior Cup

Provincial junior cups|

* Leinster Towns Cup
* Munster Junior Cup
* Ulster Junior Cup

Intervarsity|

* The Colours Match

Schools senior cups|

* Connacht Schools Rugby Senior Cup
* Leinster Schools Rugby Senior Cup
* Munster Schools Rugby Senior Cup
* Ulster Schools' Cup

Schools junior cups|

* Connacht Schools Junior Cup
* Leinster Schools Junior Cup
* Munster Schools Junior Cup
* Ulster Medallion Shield

Related articles|

* List of Ireland national rugby union players
* Comparison of Gaelic football and rugby union
* London Irish
* Dublin Hospitals Rugby Cup

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* e

National sports teams of Ireland

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* Australian rules
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European national under-18 rugby union teams

U18 Six Nations Festival|

* England
* France
* Ireland
* Italy
* Scotland
* Wales

Elite Division|

* Belgium
* Czech Republic
* Georgia
* Netherlands
* Romania
* Portugal
* Spain
* Switzerland

Division A|

* Germany
* Lithuania
* Poland
* Sweden

Division B|

* Croatia
* Latvia
* Luxembourg
* Serbia
* Ukraine

Group C|

* Austria
* Denmark
* Hungary
* Moldova

Group D|

* Andorra
* Bulgaria
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Israel
* Malta

Former participants|

* Armenia
* Monaco
* Norway
* Slovenia

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