Leinster Rugby

Leinster Rugby

Leinster Rugby Logo
Nickname(s)	Les Bleus, Boys in Blue
Founded	1879 (1879)
Location	Dublin, Ireland
Ground(s)	RDS Arena (Capacity: 18,500) Aviva Stadium (Capacity: 51,700)
CEO	Mick Dawson
Coach(es)	Leo Cullen
Captain(s)	Isa Nacewa
Most caps	Gordon D'Arcy (257)
Top scorer	Felipe Contepomi (1,225)
Most tries	Shane Horgan (69)
League(s)	Pro12
2014–15	5th
1st kit 2nd kit
Official website
www.leinsterrugby.ie

The four provinces of Ireland

Leinster Rugby (Irish: Rugbaí Laighean) is one of the four professional provincial rugby teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the Pro12 and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) Leinster Branch, which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU and is responsible for rugby union throughout the geographical Irish province of Leinster.

Leinster play their home games primarily at the RDS Arena, although larger games are played in the Aviva Stadium when the capacity of the RDS is insufficient. Before moving to the RDS in 2005, Leinster's traditional home ground was Donnybrook Stadium, in Dublin 4. The province plays primarily in blue and the team crest features a harp within a rugby ball, the harp being taken from the flag of Leinster.

Leinster turned professional along with its fellow Irish provinces in 1995 and has competed in the Pro12 (formerly known as the Celtic League and the Magners League) since it was founded in 2001, having previously competed in the annual Irish interprovincial championship. Leinster "A" competes in the British and Irish Cup. Leinster have four times been Pro12 champions and three times champions of Europe.

History

Founding (1875–1899)

The Leinster Branch was inaugurated at a meeting on the 31st of October, 1879. The meeting was held at Lawrence's premises 63 Grafton Street and was largely attended. Although this was the formal founding of Leinster as we know it today, with the amalgamation of the Irish Football Union and the Northern union, the Leinster provincial team had been active since 1875 - when the first interprovincial derby was played against Ulster. The Leinster and Ulster teams also made up the representative Irish team that competed against England in Irelands first ever international in 1875. Upon the founding of the union, Munster were also added to the fray in 1879, when their first provincial team was selected and first Munster players represented Ireland.

The clubs represented at the meeting were; Wanderers, Lansdowne, Arlington School, Dublin University, Dundalk, Phoenix F.C. and Stephen's Hospital.

F. Kennedy (Wanderers) was elected first Hon. Secretary of the Branch and C.B. Croker (Lansdowne) first Hon. Treasurer.

The function of the Branch was to organise the game of rugby football in the province. Every year five representatives would be selected to join the IRFU Committee. They would be known was the "Leinster Five" and would pick the Leinster representative teams.

The first Interprovincial matches between Leinster, Ulster and Munster were held in 1875. At this time the matches were played with 20 players a side. Leinster lost to Ulster by a converted try and beat Munster by one goal to nil. Since then there has been a match between these teams annually, with Connacht joining the fold in 1885.

Leinster Schools Interprovincial matches have been taking place since 1888. Leinster Schools beat the Ulster Schools in Belfast on Saturday, April 7, by a dropped goal to a try. Their first match against Munster Schools took place on 18 March 1899, when Leinster won by two tries to one.

The Leinster Schools Senior Cup, which is one of the biggest annual events in Leinster Rugby commenced in 1887. The competition is still one of the most prestigious competitions to win in Leinster Rugby to date. The first official Leinster Senior Challenge Cup was created in 1881. Once this knock out competition was firmly established, there was a natural demand for a competitive league. Thus the Senior Challenge Cup was followed by the Senior League.

The other natural progression was the creation of leagues to follow all cups played at all levels of competition such as the Junior Cup and the Junior League, the Third A Cup (Moran Cup) by the Junior 3 League and so on.

Amateur period (1900 – 1990s)

The early 1920s led to the creation of the Provincial Towns Cup and the Metropolitan Cup, which are still hard fought competitions in the Leinster Rugby calendar. Much has changed in rugby over the years, but the original idea of Leinster Club Rugby acting as a feeder for the Leinster Interprovincial side, though now professional, still stands true.

All Interprovincial matches were abandoned during the years of the Great War (1914–18) and the War period (1939–45), though unofficial matches were played.

The first major touring side to play Leinster was a team drawn from the New Zealand Army – the Kiwis, in 1946. Although it was not an official touring side organised by the New Zealand Rugby Union, the quality of the match, which was drawn 10 points each, is still remembered to this day.

The first official overseas touring side that came to play Leinster was an Australian touring side in 1957. Since then, Leinster has played against every major touring side from Fiji to France.

Before the days of professional rugby union, there was further emphasis on Irish club rugby as opposed to the provincial game. During these times the provincial sides were purely representative sides and games were far less frequent than now. Between 1946 and 2002 the sides would meet annually to contest the Irish Interprovincial Championship and on rare occasion would be tested against touring international sides. When rugby union was declared 'open' in 1995, these four teams became the four professional teams run by the Irish Rugby Football Union and therefore much of the history of the side has been made in the modern era.

Leo the Leinster Lion

Leinster Lions (1990s–2005)

Leinster became a professional outfit in the mid-1990s. The "Leinster Lions" name came into existence during the 2001–02 season as the result of a joint marketing initiative between Leinster Rugby and its kit sponsors, the Canterbury Clothing Company. Before the start of the 2004–05 season however, the 'Lions' was dropped from the name. It is still used for marketing and branding, in particular the Cubs Club for Junior members of Leinster Rugby. The Leinster mascot is "Leo the Lion".

Leinster's first season in the newly formed Celtic League ended in success as the Lions were crowned the inaugural champions, beating rivals Munster Rugby in the 2001–02 final. In 2002–03, they became only the third team in the history of the European Cup to win all their games in pool play. They also went one step further in the playoffs than the previous season by reaching the semi-finals (for the first time since 1995–96), but lost at home against French side Perpignan, which was accompanied by an unsuccessful season in the Celtic League. The 2003–04 season also ended in disappointment as Leinster slumped to their worst ever league performance and failed to qualify from their European Cup group.

Title misses (2004–07)

Leinster improved during the 2004–05 season, finishing 3rd, just 3 points behind the eventual winners, the Ospreys. Leinster also won all of their pool games in that year's European Cup, and were again among the favourites for the title, however they went out at the quarter final stage to Leicester Tigers.

The next two seasons of the Celtic League were to end in near misses for Leinster, as they lost out on the 2005–06 and 2006–07 league titles on the final day of the season. These seasons also saw progress in the European Cup. In 2005–06, Leinster progressed to the semi-final but were eliminated by Irish rivals Munster at Lansdowne Road and they reached the quarter-final the following year where they were beaten by eventual winners London Wasps.

European and domestic success (2008–Present)

Increasing attendances at Leinster games led to a move across Dublin 4 from Donnybrook Stadium to the redeveloped RDS Arena.

In 2007–08, Leinster failed to qualify from their European Cup pool, but did end the season as Celtic League champions, sealing the title with a 41–8 victory over the Newport Gwent Dragons in front of their home fans at the RDS.

In the 2008–09 season, Leinster topped their European Cup pool despite away losses to French side Castres and English side Wasps. Victory over Harlequins in the quarter-finals followed, despite the Bloodgate Scandal. Leinster overcame Munster 25–6 in a semi-final in Dublin's Croke Park that broke the world record attendance for a "club" rugby union game with a crowd of over 82,200. Leinster won the 2009 European Cup Final in Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, beating Leicester Tigers 19–16 to claim their first European crown.

The RDS Arena before the 2010 Celtic League Final.

In 2009–10 Leinster was eliminated from the European Cup at the semi-final stage by eventual winners Toulouse. Also despite having topped the Pro12 league during the regular season, Leinster lost the first ever Play-off Final 17–12 on their home ground to the Ospreys.

In the 2010–11 European Cup, Leinster defeated the top English teams (Leicester Tigers, Saracens & Northampton Saints), as well as top French sides, Toulouse (who were the defending European champions), Racing Metro & Clermont Auvergne, (the French Champions). to go on to regain their title as champions of Europe in the 2011 European Cup Final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Trailing at half time, Leinster scored 27 unanswered points in the second half to beat Northampton 33 – 22 and claim their second European crown with the biggest comeback in European Cup final history. Leinster were also chasing a Pro12 & European Cup double, but lost 19 – 9 to Irish rivals Munster in the Pro12 Final.

In 2011–12 Leinster became only the second side ever to retain the title of European Champions. Leinster emerged unbeaten in group play to top their group and went on to defeat the Cardiff Blues 34–3 in the quarterfinals, followed by a 19–15 semifinal victory over ASM Clermont Auvergne. and defeated Ulster in the first all-Irish final 42–14, recording the most points scored and the most tries scored in a European Cup final as well as becoming the first unbeaten side to win the European Cup. Once again, Leinster targeted the double, and faced a repeat of the 2010 Pro12 final against the Ospreys. However, Leinster's domestic title challenge fell at the final hurdle, conceding a final minute try to slump to a one-point defeat, and unable to complete the double despite topping the table in the regular season.

The 2012–13 campaign proved to be another successful season for Leinster Rugby. The club finished in second place during the regular season of the Pro12 and defeated Glasgow Warriors by a score of 17–15 in their semi-final play-off match on 11 May 2013. On 17 May, Leinster were crowned champions of the European Challenge Cup after defeating Stade Français 34–13 in the final at their home ground, the RDS Arena. Leinster successfully completed the double on 25 May, defeating Ulster 24–18 in the Pro12 final to claim their third league championship.

Leinster continued their success in the 2013–14 season by becoming the first team ever to defend the Pro12 title, topping the league in the regular season and defeating Glasgow Warriors 34 – 12 in their 5th consecutive Pro12 play-off final and also secured their 7th major title in as many years.

Previous season standings

Heineken Cup / Rugby Champions Cup

Season	Pool/Round	Pos	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Bonus	Points
1995–96	Pool C	1st	2	2	0	0	–	4
	Semi-final	Leinster 14 – 23 Cardiff
1996–97	Pool B	3rd	4	2	0	2	–	4
1997–98	Pool A	3rd	6	2	0	4	–	4
1998–99	Pool A	4th	6	2	0	4	–	4
1999–2000	Pool 1	2nd	6	4	0	2	–	8
2000–01	Pool 1	2nd	6	3	1	2	–	7
2001–02	Pool 6	1st	6	5	0	1	–	10
	Quarter-final	Leicester Tigers 29 – 18 Leinster
2002–03	Pool 4	1st	6	6	0	0	–	12
	Quarter-final	Leinster 18 – 13 Biarritz Olympique
	Semi-final	Leinster 14 – 21 USA Perpignan
2003–04	Pool 3	2nd	6	4	0	2	2	18
2004–05	Pool 4	1st	6	6	0	0	2	26
	Quarter-final	Leinster 13 – 29 Leicester Tigers
2005–06	Pool 5	2nd	6	4	0	2	6	22
	Quarter-final	Toulouse 35 – 41 Leinster
	Semi-final	Leinster 6 – 30 Munster
2006–07	Pool 2	1st	6	4	0	2	5	21
	Quarter-final	Wasps 35 – 13 Leinster
2007–08	Pool 6	3rd	6	3	0	3	0	12
2008–09	Pool 2	1st	6	4	0	2	4	20
	Quarter-final	Harlequins 5 – 6 Leinster
	Semi-final	Munster 6 – 25 Leinster
	Final	Leinster 19 – 16 Leicester Tigers
2009–10	Pool 6	1st	6	4	1	1	4	22
	Quarter-final	Leinster 29 – 28 ASM Clermont Auvergne
	Semi-final	Toulouse 26 – 16 Leinster
2010–11	Pool 2	1st	6	5	0	1	4	24
	Quarter-final	Leinster 17 – 10 Leicester Tigers
	Semi-final	Leinster 32 – 23 Toulouse
	Final	Leinster 33 – 22 Northampton Saints
2011–12	Pool 3	1st	6	5	1	0	2	24
	Quarter-final	Leinster 34 – 3 Cardiff
	Semi-final	ASM Clermont Auvergne 15 – 19 Leinster
	Final	Leinster 42 – 14 Ulster
2012–13	Pool 5	2nd	6	4	0	2	4	20
2013–14	Pool 1	1st	6	5	0	1	2	22
	Quarter-final	RC Toulon 29 – 14 Leinster
2014–15	Pool 2	1st	6	4	1	1	2	20
	Quarter-final	Leinster 18 - 15 Bath
	Semi-final	RC Toulon 25 - 20 Leinster (A.E.T.)

European Challenge Cup / Rugby Challenge Cup

Season	Round	Result
2012–13	Quarter-Final	Wasps 28 – 48 Leinster
	Semi-final	Leinster 44 – 16 Biarritz Olympique
	Final	Leinster 34 – 13 Stade Français

Celtic League / Pro12

Season	Pos	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Bonus	Points
2001–02	1st (Pool A)	7	7	0	0	0	21
	Quarter-Final	Leinster 34 – 22 Newport
	Semi-final	Leinster 35 – 13 Glasgow
	Final	Leinster 24 – 20 Munster
2002–03	5th (Pool B)	7	3	0	4	6	18
2003–04	8th	22	9	1	12	9	47
2004–05	3rd	20	12	1	7	7	57
2005–06	2nd	20	14	0	6	10	74
2006–07	3rd	20	12	1	7	11	61
2007–08	1st	18	13	1	4	7	61
2008–09	3rd	18	11	1	6	6	52
2009–10	1st	18	13	0	5	3	55
	Semi-final	Leinster 16 – 6 Munster
	Final	Leinster 12 – 17 Ospreys
2010–11	2nd	22	15	1	6	8	70
	Semi-final	Leinster 18 – 3 Ulster
	Final	Munster 19 – 9 Leinster
2011–12	1st	22	18	1	3	7	81
	Semi-final	Leinster 19 – 15 Glasgow
	Final	Leinster 30 – 31 Ospreys
2012–13	2nd	22	17	0	5	10	78
	Semi-final	Leinster 17 – 15 Glasgow
	Final	Ulster 18 – 24 Leinster
2013–14	1st	22	17	1	4	12	82
	Semi-final	Leinster 13 – 9 Ulster
	Final	Leinster 34 – 12 Glasgow
2014–15	5th	22	11	3	8	12	62

Current standings

Pro12

2015–16 Pro12
	Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points For	Points Against	Points Diff	Tries For	Tries Against	Try Bonus	Losing Bonus	Points
1	Leinster (RU)	22	16	0	6	458	290	+168	51	27	6	3	73
2	Connacht (CH)	22	15	0	7	507	406	+101	60	46	8	5	73
3	Glasgow Warriors (SF)	22	14	1	7	557	380	+177	68	37	8	6	72
4	Ulster (SF)	22	14	0	8	488	307	+181	61	29	8	5	69
5	Scarlets	22	14	0	8	477	458	+19	45	54	2	5	63
6	Munster	22	13	0	9	459	417	+42	56	36	6	5	63
7	Cardiff Blues	22	11	0	11	542	461	+81	62	53	5	7	56
8	Ospreys	22	11	1	10	490	455	+35	55	49	6	3	55
9	Edinburgh	22	11	0	11	405	366	+39	41	36	2	8	54
10	Newport Gwent Dragons	22	4	0	18	353	492	−139	33	57	0	10	26
11	Zebre	22	5	0	17	308	718	−410	35	99	3	1	24
12	Benetton Treviso	22	3	0	19	320	614	−294	35	79	0	8	20
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order: number of matches won; the difference between points for and points against; the number of tries scored; the most points scored; the difference between tries for and tries against; the fewest number of red cards received; the fewest number of yellow cards received.
Green background (rows 1 to 4) were play-off places, and earned places in the 2016–17 European Rugby Champions Cup. Blue background indicates teams outside the play-off places that earned places in the European Rugby Champions Cup. To facilitate the 2015 Rugby World Cup, there were no play-offs for the 2016–17 European Rugby Champions Cup; the 20th place went to the winner of the 2015–16 European Rugby Challenge Cup if not already qualified. Because Challenge Cup winner Montpellier qualified via the Top 14, its place passed to the top team from that league not already qualified. Plain background indicates teams that earned a place in the 2016–17 European Rugby Challenge Cup.

Pool 5

Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	Diff	TF	TA	TB	LB	Pts
Wasps (4)	6	4	0	2	186	72	+114	19	8	2	2	20
Toulon (6)	6	5	0	1	96	91	+5	9	7	0	0	20
Bath	6	2	0	4	88	131	–43	7	8	0	2	10
Leinster	6	1	0	5	82	158	–76	5	17	0	2	6

Honours

• European Rugby Champions Cup
  • Winners: 3 (2009, 2011, 2012)

• European Rugby Challenge Cup
  • Winners: 1 (2013)

• Pro12
  • Winners: 4 (2002, 2008, 2013, 2014)
  • Runners-up: 4 (2006, 2010, 2011, 2012)

• British & Irish Cup
  • Winners: 2 (2013, 2014)

• Limerick World Club 7's Series
  • Shield Winners: 1 (2015)

• Irish Inter-Provincial Championship
  • Winners: 22 (1949, 1950*, 1955*, 1957*, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965*, 1972, 1973*, 1976*, 1978*, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983*, 1984, 1994*, 1996, 1998*, 2002)

Results versus Touring Sides

Scores and results list Leinster's points tally first.

Date	Opponent	Location	Result	Score	Notes
17 November 1945	New Zealand Kiwis	Lansdowne Road, Dublin	Drew	10–10	Details of Tour
27 November 1957	Australia	Lansdowne Road, Dublin	Lost	8–10	Match Programme Match Ticket
1 February 1961	South Africa	Lansdowne Road, Dublin	Lost	5–12	Match Programme
22 January 1964	New Zealand	Lansdowne Road, Dublin	Lost	3–11	Match Programme
7 December 1966	Australia	Lansdowne Road, Dublin	Lost	3–9	Match Programme
15 November 1972	New Zealand	Lansdowne Road, Dublin	Lost	9–17	Match Programme
15 September 1973	Fiji	Lansdowne Road, Dublin	Won	30–9	Match Programme
13 November 1974	New Zealand	Lansdowne Road, Dublin	Lost	3–8	Match Programme Match Highlights
21 October 1978	Argentina	Lansdowne Road, Dublin	Lost	13–24
30 December 1979	Italy	Donnybrook, Dublin	Won	26–10	Celebrating 100 year anniversary
8 October 1980	Romania	Donnybrook, Dublin	Won	24–10	Match Programme
8 November 1989	New Zealand	Lansdowne Road, Dublin	Lost	9–36	Match Programme
17 October 1992	Australia	Lansdowne Road, Dublin	Lost	11–38	Match Programme
12 November 1994	USA	Donnybrook, Dublin	?	?	Match Programme
24 August 1999	Argentina	Donnybrook, Dublin	Lost	22–51	Match Report

Colours and crest

The flag of the Province of Leinster

The current crest was introduced in 2005 as Leinster Rugby held no copyright on the previous crest. The new, stylised crest, is made specific to Leinster Rugby as it incorporates the harp with a rugby ball. The Leinster Rugby crest is on all official club merchandise including replica jerseys.

The province's current kit is blue with a white harp and 12 white lines, which represent the 12 counties of Leinster, whilst the second kit is white with a blue harp and 12 blue lines.

The Leinster jersey also features three stars above the crest, to represent the three European Cup titles won to date.

Kit suppliers

Since the 2007–08 season, Leinster's kits have been supplied by Canterbury of New Zealand.

Stadia

RDS Arena

Main article: RDS Arena

File:RDS Arena Grandstand.jpg

The RDS Arena

Leinster's current home ground is the RDS Arena. Games were first played at the RDS during the 2005–06 season, initially just for European Cup games. By the following season however, all games had been moved to the RDS. The RDS has undergone large scale redevelopment since Leinster moved in. The arena now has a mostly seated capacity of 18,500. As the RDS remains a showjumping venue, the North and South stands are removable. A roof has been constructed to cover the grandstand opposite the pre-existing Anglesea stand. The RDS will be Leinster's home until 2027, as a 20-year lease was signed in 2007.

In July 2014, it was announced by the RDS and Leinster rugby that a design competition was being held to develop the arena into a 25,000 capacity world class stadium, with work expected to commence on the redevelopment in April 2016. The selling of naming rights to the arena will be a key component in funding the project, with an initial budget of €20,000,000 being proposed.

Inside the RDS Arena prior to a Leinster Game

Aviva Stadium

Main article: Aviva Stadium

File:Aviva-under-lights.gif

Aviva Stadium prior to Leinster game

For bigger games where the RDS does not have sufficient capacity, Leinster play their games at the Aviva Stadium, which has an all-seater capacity of 51,700. These are often key home games in the European Cup or Pro12 games against domestic rivals. In 2010 they first played a home league game against Munster, the first time the stadium sold out, and then against ASM Clermont Auvergne. Leinster defeated Leicester Tigers at the venue in the 2010–11 European Cup quarter-finals and went on to beat Toulouse in the semi-finals, also held at the Aviva stadium on 30 April 2011, en route to winning their second European Cup. The following season Leinster hosted Munster, Bath and Cardiff at the Aviva Stadium and remained unbeaten at the ground until December 2012 when they lost 21–28 to ASM Clermont Auvergne.

Donnybrook Stadium

Main article: Donnybrook Stadium

File:DonnybrookStadium.jpg

Main Stand at Donnybrook Stadium

Leinster's traditional home over the years has been Donnybrook Stadium in Donnybrook, Dublin 4. Donnybrook consists of a single covered stand and three sides of open terracing. A move across Dublin 4 to the RDS Arena for Leinster was needed to accommodate growing crowds, as the 6,000 capacity stadium had become too small. For this reason, Leinster have signed a long term lease with the Royal Dublin Society to play home games at the RDS Arena. Donnybrook has since, however, been improved as a venue with the reconstruction of the grandstand in 2008 and remains an important venue for rugby union in Dublin. Due to limited space, it is unlikely that Donnybrook will undergo further redevelopment. Leinster A play their British and Irish Cup games in the stadium and the senior team have continued to hold certain pre-season friendlies in the stadium as well as most Leinster schools cup matches being held at the venue.

Supporters

Leinster supporter at the 2010 Magners League Cup Final

Before the advent of professionalism in the Irish game, provincial rugby games were generally poorly attended. During most of the 1990s, Leinster matches regularly attracted crowds of about 500 to 2,000. The decision to structure the game professionally via the provincial network through centralised player contracts and the subsequent on-field success achieved by Leinster and the other provinces resulted in a significant increase in support within a decade. Leinster had 3,700 season ticket holders in 2006, double the amount of the previous season. Leinster's supporters were named as 'Player of the Month' for April 2009 following their support in the European Cup Quarter Final against Harlequins at The Stoop. Leinster's average crowd numbers have risen considerably in recent years from 3,926 during the first season of the Pro12, to the current Pro12 average of 18,682. Leinster currently have roughly 12,500 season ticket holders.

The Leinster Jet

Leinster hold the record for the biggest Pro12 attendance. On 2 October 2010, Leinster played Munster in the 5th round of the league at the Aviva Stadium, this set a new crowd attendance record for a Pro12 game at 50,645. Leinster won the match 13–9.

The last match at the old Landsdowne Road stadium was against Ulster on 31 December 2006 before it was demolished to make way for the new Aviva Stadium, earning the match the moniker of "The Last Stand". Leinster won the match 20–12, with an attendance of 48,000 – a record at the time. A previous attendance record in the Pro12 was also set at Lansdowne Road, for a game between Leinster and Munster which drew a crowd of 30,000. Leinsters European Cup clash against Munster at Croke Park set a world record attendance for a "club" rugby union game with a crowd of 82,208. The Official Leinster Supporters Club was formally established as a club in 2007.

Leinster A

Leinster A is the team that represents Leinster in the British & Irish Cup and in the All Ireland Inter-provincial Championship. Pre-professionalism and a formal Celtic league structure, the main Leinster team competed in the AIPC. Since the advent of professionalism the provinces have fielded lesser teams to concentrate on the Celtic League. The team is composed of Senior Leinster squad players requiring gametime, Academy players and AIL players called up from their clubs.

Sponsorship

As of the 2014/2015 season the club are sponsored by Bank of Ireland, the country's oldest banking institution. However, on occasion the team will wear a shirt adorned with the logo of another sponsor due to a promotion run annually by the bank offering up the sponsorship space to an Irish business by way of a competition to win the right to become sponsor for a day. During the 2013/2014 season the contest was won by Dublin-based meat wholesaler Gahan Meats and for 2014/2015 the shirt sponsorship winners were accounting software provider Big Red Cloud. The sponsorship prize package is valued at €50,000 and attracts hundreds of companies keen to be shortlisted each year.

Management & Coaches

Position	Name	Nationality
Chief Executive	Mick Dawson	Ireland
Head of Rugby Operations	Guy Easterby	Ireland
Head Coach	Leo Cullen	Ireland
Backs Coach	Girvan Dempsey	Ireland
Defence Coach	Kurt McQuilkin	Ireland
Scrum Coach	John Fogarty	Ireland

Current squad

For player movements leading up to the 2016–17 season, see List of 2016–17 Pro12 transfers § Leinster.

2015-16 Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player Position Union Bryan Byrne Hooker Ireland Sean Cronin Hooker Ireland Aaron Dundon Hooker Ireland Richardt Strauss Hooker Ireland James Tracy Hooker Ireland Michael Bent Prop Ireland Royce Burke-Flynn Prop Ireland Ed Byrne Prop Ireland Tadhg Furlong Prop Ireland Cian Healy Prop Ireland Ian Hirst Prop Ireland Jack McGrath Prop Ireland Martin Moore Prop Ireland Mike Ross Prop Ireland Tadgh Beirne Lock Ireland Tom Denton* Lock England Mick Kearney Lock Ireland Mike McCarthy Lock Ireland Gavin Thornbury Lock Ireland Devin Toner Lock Ireland Hayden Triggs Lock New Zealand Dan Leavy Flanker Ireland Jordi Murphy Flanker Ireland Seán O'Brien Flanker Ireland Rhys Ruddock Flanker Ireland Dominic Ryan Flanker Ireland Tony Ryan Flanker Ireland Josh van der Flier Flanker Ireland Jack Conan Number 8 Ireland Jamie Heaslip Number 8 Ireland

Player Position Union Isaac Boss Scrum-half Ireland Luke McGrath Scrum-half Ireland Eoin Reddan Scrum-half Ireland Cathal Marsh Fly-half Ireland Jonathan Sexton Fly-half Ireland Ian Madigan Centre Ireland Collie O'Shea Centre Ireland Noel Reid Centre Ireland Ben Te'o Centre New Zealand Darragh Fanning Wing Ireland Luke Fitzgerald Wing Ireland David Kearney Wing Ireland Fergus McFadden Wing Ireland Mick McGrath Wing Ireland Rob Kearney Fullback Ireland Zane Kirchner Fullback South Africa Isa Nacewa (c) Fullback Fiji

• Senior 15s internationally capped players in bold.
• Players qualified to play for Ireland on dual nationality or residency grounds*.
• Irish Provinces are currently limited to 4 non-Irish eligible (NIE) players and 1 non-Irish qualified player (NIQ or "Project Player").

Academy squad

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player Position Union Sean McNulty Hooker Ireland year 1 Peter Dooley Prop Ireland year 3 Oisin Heffernan Prop Ireland year 1 Jeremy Loughman Prop Ireland year 1 Ross Molony Lock Ireland year 3 David O'Connor Lock Ireland year 1 Josh Murphy Flanker Ireland year 1 Peadar Timmins Flanker Ireland year 2

Player Position Union Nick McCarthy Scrum-half Ireland year 2 Ross Byrne Outside-half Ireland year 2 Joey Carbery Outside-half Ireland year 1 Harrison Brewer Centre Ireland year 2 Steve Crosbie Centre Ireland year 3 Thomas Daly Centre Ireland year 3 Thomas Farrell Centre Ireland year 3 Rory O'Loughlin Centre Ireland year 2 Garry Ringrose Centre Ireland year 2 Adam Byrne Wing Ireland year 3 Ian Fitzpatrick Wing Ireland year 2 Bill Dardis Fullback Ireland year 3 Cian Kelleher Fullback Ireland year 2

Head to Head records against opponents in the Pro 12 and European Cup

Against	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	% Won
Bridgend	2	2	0	0	100.00%
Border Reivers	9	6	0	3	66.67%
Cardiff Blues	30	21	2	7	70.00%
Celtic Warriors	2	0	0	2	0.00%
Connacht	26	20	0	6	76.92%
Newport Gwent Dragons	25	17	0	8	68.00%
Ebbw Vale	1	1	0	0	100.00%
Edinburgh	32	19	0	13	59.38%
Glasgow Warriors	38	25	3	10	65.79%
Munster	32	17	1	14	53.13%
Newport RFC	3	3	0	0	100.00%
Ospreys	30	16	3	11	53.33%
Scarlets	30	20	1	9	66.67%
Swansea RFC	3	3	0	0	100.00%
Benetton Rugby Treviso	14	12	1	1	85.71%
Ulster	32	24	3	5	75.00%
Zebre + Aironi	9	9	0	0	100.00%
Bath Rugby	8	6	0	2	75.00%
Bristol Rugby	2	2	0	0	100.00%
Exeter Chiefs	2	2	0	0	100.00%
Gloucester Rugby	2	1	0	1	50.00%
Harlequin F.C.	3	2	0	1	66.67%
Leicester Tigers	10	6	0	4	60.00%
London Irish	2	0	1	1	0.00%
Newcastle Falcons	2	2	0	0	100.00%
Northampton Saints	5	4	0	1	80.00%
Sale Sharks	2	1	0	1	50.00%
Saracens F.C.	2	2	0	0	100.00%
Wasps RFC	7	3	1	3	42.86%
Amatori Rugby Milano	1	1	0	0	100.00%
SU Agen Lot-et-Garonne	2	2	0	0	100.00%
Biarritz Olympique	6	4	0	2	66.67%
Bordeaux-Begles	2	1	0	1	50.00%
CS Bourgoin-Jallieu	4	3	0	1	75.00%
CA Brive	2	2	0	0	100.00%
Castres Olympique	6	5	0	1	83.33%
ASM Clermont Auvergne	8	5	0	3	62.5%
Montpellier Hérault Rugby	2	1	1	0	50.00%
Pau	1	1	0	0	100.00%
USA Perpignan	1	0	0	1	0.00%
Racing 92 (Racing Métro)	2	2	0	0	100.00%
Stade Francais	5	2	0	3	40.00%
RC Toulon	4	0	0	4	0.00%
Stade Toulousain (Toulouse)	9	4	0	5	44.44%
Total	415	279	17	119	67.23%

Correct as of 09 January 2016.

In head-to-head terms, Leinster dominate Irish provincial rivals Ulster with a 24-5 win-loss record. Similar Leinster enjoy a 20-6 win:loss ratio against western province Connacht. Leinster hold only a narrow head-to-head lead against arch-rivals Munster in one of the most intense derbies in world rugby, where they possess a slim 17-14 advantage. Munster are the closest Pro12 team to having a positive record against Leinster - all of the league's other sides have substantial losing records against Leinster. The Welsh side Celtic Warriors existed in the league for its first couple of seasons and have a positive record against Leinster of two wins and zero defeats , but the sides only ever played a couple of matches head-to-head before Celtic Warriors and a number of other Welsh clubs went out of business or merged. This was also at a time when Leinster were nowhere near as strong as they are now.

In European terms, out of teams who have played at least three games against Leinster, only a few enjoy a winning record. Stade Toulousain (Toulouse) have a slim 5-4 advantage after nine matches between the two teams. Stade Francais lead Leinster 3-2, while RC Toulon have a commanding 4-0 head-to-head lead. These are the only European clubs who have played against Leinster at least three times who have a winning record against them. Unless a negligible number of matches has been played no English, Irish, Welsh, Scottish or Italian clubs lead Leinster in head-to-head terms.

Notable players & staff

See also Category:Leinster Rugby players

British and Irish Lions from Leinster

The following Leinster players, in addition to representing Ireland, have also represented the British and Irish Lions.

Tom Crean: 1896 Robert Johnston: 1896 George J. Morgan: 1938 Karl Mullen: 1950 Robin Roe: 1955 Tony O'Reilly: 1955, 1959 Ronnie Dawson: 1959, 1968 Niall Brophy: 1959, 1962 Bill Mulcahy: 1959, 1962 Mike Hipwell: 1971

Sean Lynch: 1971 Fergus Slattery: 1971, 1974 Tom Grace: 1974 John Moloney: 1974 Willie Duggan: 1977 Philip Orr: 1977, 1980 Rodney O'Donnell: 1980 John Robbie: 1980 Tony Ward: 1980 Ollie Campbell: 1980, 1983

Hugo MacNeill: 1983 Paul Dean: 1989 Brendan Mullin: 1989 Vince Cunningham: 1993 Eric Miller: 1997 Malcolm O'Kelly: 2001, 2005 Brian O'Driscoll: 2001, 2005, 2009, 2013 Shane Byrne: 2005 Gordon D'Arcy: 2005, 2009 Denis Hickie: 2005

Shane Horgan: 2005 Rob Kearney: 2009, 2013 Luke Fitzgerald: 2009 Jamie Heaslip: 2009, 2013 Cian Healy: 2013 Sean O'Brien: 2013 Jonathan Sexton: 2013

British and Irish Lions from other nations

The following Leinster players, in addition to representing their national team, have also represented the British and Irish Lions.

• Nathan Hines: 2009

Notable overseas players

The following is a list of notable non-Irish international representative Leinster players:

Felipe Contepomi Mariano Galarza

Shaun Berne Kane Douglas Rocky Elsom Owen Finegan* Lote Tuqiri* Chris Whitaker*

Matt Berquist Jimmy Gopperth Ben Te'o Brad Thorn*

Zane Kirchner Ollie Le Roux CJ van der Linde* Heinke van der Merwe*

Vasily Artemiev Adam Byrnes Will Green Nathan Hines Isa Nacewa Stan Wright

* indicates World Cup winners

Head coaches (professional era)

As of 6 October 2015

Coach	Season(s)	GP	W	D	L	Win %	Loss %	Championships / Notes
Leo Cullen	2015/16 –	3	2	0	1	66.7%	33.3%
Matt O'Connor	2013/14 – 2014/15	61	40	5	16	65.6%	26.2%	Pro12 (2014)
Joe Schmidt	2010/11 – 2012/13	99	77	3	19	77.8%	19.2%	European Cup (2011) European Cup (2012) Challenge Cup (2013) Pro12 (2013)
Michael Cheika	2005/06 – 2009/10	134	88	4	42	65.7%	31.3%	Pro12 (2008) European Cup (2009)
Gerry Murphy	2004/05	4	2	0	2	50%	50%	Interim Coach
Declan Kidney	2004/05	25	17	1	7	68%	28%
Gary Ella	2003/04	30	14	2	14	46.7%	46.7%
Matt Willams	2000/01 – 2002/03	46	31	3	12	67.4%	26.1%	Pro12 (2002) Irish Interprovincial Championship (2002)
Mike Ruddock	1997/98 – 1999/00	34	16	0	18	47.1%	52.9%	Irish Interprovincial Championship (1998)

Club captains (professional era)

• Isa Nacewa (2015/16)
• Jamie Heaslip (2014/15)
• Leo Cullen (2008/09 – 2013/14) – 6 titles (3 x European Cup, 1 x European Challenge Cup, 2 x Pro12)
• Brian O'Driscoll (2005/06 – 2007/08) – 1 title (Pro12)
• Reggie Corrigan (2001/02 – 2004/05) – 2 titles (Pro12, Irish Interprovincial Championship)
• Liam Toland (1999/00 – 2000/01)
• Gabriel Fulcher (1998/99)
• Kurt McQuilkin (1997/98) – 1 title (Irish Interprovincial Championship)

Personnel honours and records

European Player of the Year

• 2011– Sean O'Brien
• 2012– Rob Kearney

ERC European Dream Team

The following Leinster players were selected in the ERC European Dream Team, an all-time dream team of Heineken Cup players over the first 15 years of professional European rugby. (1995–2010)

• Rocky Elsom (Flanker), 2008–2009
• Brian O'Driscoll (Centre), 1999–2014

Elsom had the fewest Heineken Cup appearances in the team and was the only member born outside of Europe. Both players were part of the 2008–09 Heineken Cup winning team.

Pro12 Team of the Year

• 2006–07: Felipe Contepomi, Gordon D'Arcy, Denis Hickie, Jamie Heaslip
• 2007–08: Felipe Contepomi, Leo Cullen, Jamie Heaslip, Bernard Jackman, Ollie Le Roux, Malcolm O'Kelly, Stan Wright
• 2008–09: Rocky Elsom, Jamie Heaslip, Brian O'Driscoll
• 2009–10: Leo Cullen, Jamie Heaslip, Brian O'Driscoll
• 2010–11: Jamie Heaslip, Isa Nacewa, Sean O'Brien, Mike Ross, Richardt Strauss
• 2011–12: Isa Nacewa, Richardt Strauss
• 2012–13: Ian Madigan
• 2013–14: Sean Cronin, Jordi Murphy, Rhys Ruddock

Pro12 Golden Boot

The Golden Boot is awarded to the kicker who has successfully converted the highest percentage of place kicks during the 22 week regular Pro12 season. The prize has been awarded annually since 2012. (Percentage success rate in brackets)

• 2012– Jonathan Sexton (90%)
• 2013– Ian Madigan (86.96%)
• 2015– Ian Madigan (87.04%)

Individual records

All Time

• Most Appearances:(257) Gordon D'Arcy
• Most Points: (1,225) Felipe Contepomi
• Most Tries:(69) Shane Horgan
• Most Cons & Pens: (408) Felipe Contepomi

(correct as of 26 May 2015).

European Cup

• Most Appearances: (104) Gordon D'Arcy
• Most Points: (402) Jonathan Sexton
• Most Tries: (33) Brian O'Driscoll
• Most Cons & Pens: (137) Jonathan Sexton

(correct as of 26 May 2015)

Pro12

• Most Appearances:(145) Shane Jennings
• Most Points: (877) Felipe Contepomi
• Most Tries:(39) Shane Horgan
• Most Cons & Pens: (302) Felipe Contepomi

(correct as of 26 May 2015).

See also

• Rugby union in Ireland
• History of rugby union matches between Leinster and Munster

External links

• Official site
• Leinster Supporters Site and Forum
• Leinster Rugby feature on The Irish Times
• Unofficial Leinster Calendar & Results