The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The Lions are a test side and most often select players who have already played for their national team, although they can pick uncapped players who are eligible for any of the four unions. The team currently tours every four years, with these rotating between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in order. The most recent test series, the 2021 series against South Africa, was won 2–1 by South Africa.
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. Rugby is simply based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game is played between two teams of 15 players each, using an oval-shaped ball on a rectangular field called a pitch. The field has H-shaped goalposts at both ends.
The Australia national rugby union team, nicknamed the Wallabies, is the representative national team in the sport of rugby union for the nation of Australia. The team first played at Sydney in 1899, winning their first test match against the touring British Isles team.
The Romania national rugby union team represents Romania in men's international rugby union competitions, nicknamed Stejarii, is long considered one of the stronger European teams outside the Six Nations. They have participated in all but one Rugby World Cup and currently compete in the first division of the European Nations Cup, which they won recently in 2017. Rugby union in Romania is administered by the Romanian Rugby Federation.
The Wales national rugby league team represents Wales in international rugby league football matches. Currently the team is ranked 17th in the IRL World Rankings. The team was run under the auspices of the Rugby Football League, but an independent body, Wales Rugby League, now runs the team from Cardiff. Six Welsh players have been entered into the Rugby League Hall Of Fame.
The Samoa national rugby union team represents Samoa in men's international rugby union and it is governed by the Samoa Rugby Union. They are also known as Manu Samoa, which is thought to derive from the name of a Samoan warrior. They perform a traditional Samoan challenge called the siva tau before each game. Samoa Rugby Union were formerly members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance (PIRA) along with Fiji and Tonga. They are ranked 11th in the world.
The United States men's national rugby union team represents the United States in men's international rugby union. Nicknamed the Eagles, it is controlled by USA Rugby, the national governing body for the sport of rugby union in the United States. USA Rugby is a member of Rugby Americas North, one of six regional governing bodies under World Rugby. Until rugby returned to Olympic competition, with sevens at the 2016 Rio Games, the United States was the reigning Olympic rugby champion, having defeated the one other competitor in 1920 and the two other competitors at the 1924 Summer Olympics.
The Canada national rugby union team represents Canada in men's international rugby union competitions and is governed by Rugby Canada. Canada is classified by World Rugby as a tier two rugby nation and has competed in competitions such as the Americas Rugby Championship and the Rugby World Cup. Canada traditionally plays in red and white.
The All Blacks XV is the second national rugby union team of New Zealand, after the All Blacks. New Zealand's second national team has had numerous names in its history: Junior All Blacks, New Zealand XV, New Zealand A, New Zealand B, All Blacks XV.
Rugby union is a moderately popular team sport played in Romania with a tradition of more than 100 years. In past eras, the game has been more popular, and Romanian national teams have been among the highest ranked in world rugby, but the standing of the nation has declined since the dawn of professionalism and the end of communism. The Romanian men's national team are currently 20th in the World Rugby Rankings as of 19th March 2023.
The USSR national rugby union team was a sporting side that represented the Soviet Union in rugby union until the early 1990s.
The 1974 New Zealand rugby union tour of Ireland, Wales and England was a series of eight matches played by the New Zealand national rugby union team in November 1974.
Glamorgan County RFC is a Welsh rugby union club that manages an invitational team, known as Glamorgan that originally played rugby at county level. The team is made up of amateur players from sports clubs in the Glamorgan region and historically played matches against other county teams from Wales and England, and during the 20th century was a key fixture for touring international teams. Today the club manages Glamorgan's premier rugby union tournament, the Glamorgan County Silver Ball Trophy, and arranges invitational Glamorgan teams to face Welsh rugby clubs during celebrations, such as anniversaries.
SCM Rugby Timișoara is a professional Romanian rugby union club from Timișoara, which plays in the Liga Națională de Rugby, the first division of Romanian rugby. The team first won the championship in 1972, becoming the first club outside Bucharest to achieve this performance. In the modern format of the SuperLiga, SCM Rugby Timișoara won 4 titles in 6 seasons. The team is colloquially known as "Universitatea" Timișoara as it has historical ties with the University of Timișoara. In 2014 the club became a partner of London-based Saracens rugby club. In 2020, the club's partnership with London-based Saracens rugby club ended making them change their identity to SCM Rugby Timișoara. SCM Rugby Timisoara`s annual operating budget for the 2020-21 season is approximately 910,000 Euros.
The 2005 end of year tests, also known as the 2005 Autumn Internationals, refers to several international rugby union matches that took place during November/December period between touring teams from the southern hemisphere – Australia, Argentina, New Zealand and South Africa – and one or more teams from the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. South Pacific team also tour the northern hemisphere as well as tier 2 European sides.
The 2004 end of year tests international rugby union matches that takes place during November/December period between touring teams from the southern hemisphere. These consist of Australia, Argentina, New Zealand and South Africa, and one or more teams from the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. South Pacific teams also toured the northern hemisphere, as well as Tier 2 European sides.
The 1981 New Zealand rugby union tour of Romania and France was a series of ten matches played by the New Zealand national rugby union team in Romania and France in October and November 1981. The All Blacks won eight of the ten games, including the international match against Romania and both internationals against France. The only team to defeat the All Blacks was a French regional selection, and the All Blacks were also held to a draw by another regional team.
The 1991 Romania rugby union tour of New Zealand was a series of matches played between May and June 1991 in New Zealand by Romania national rugby union team to prepare the 1991 Rugby World Cup.
Rugby union and apartheid had a complex and supportive relationship. From 1948 to 1994, international rugby relations with the country, and also the non-integrated nature of rugby within South Africa drew frequent controversy. South Africa remained a member of the International Rugby Board (IRB) throughout the apartheid era.
Peter Standish Burke was a New Zealand rugby union player, coach and administrator. A lock and number 8, Burke represented Bay of Plenty, Auckland and Taranaki at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, in 1951, 1955 and 1957. He played 12 matches for the All Blacks including three internationals.
Poverty Bay 
Waikato 
Manawatu 
North Auckland 
Marlborough 
Southland 
South Canterbury 
Junior All Blacks