The Namibia national rugby union team represents Namibia in men's international rugby union competitions nicknamed the Welwitschias, are a tier-two nation in the World Rugby tier system, and have participated in the six Rugby World Cup competitions since their first appearance in 1999. They are governed by the Namibia Rugby Union.
The Ireland national rugby union team is the men's representative national team for the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team represents both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Ireland competes in the annual Six Nations Championship and in the Rugby World Cup. Ireland is one of the four unions that make up the British & Irish Lions – players eligible to play for Ireland are also eligible for the Lions.
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 Ireland and South Africa rugby union teams have a rivalry dating back to 1906. The Springboks of South Africa dominated their early meetings, as have the other southern hemisphere giants, with the Irish winning just once against South Africa prior to 2004, but results have since turned in Ireland's favour, winning eight of the twelves matches between the sides since 2004. Following Ireland's tour win over New Zealand in 2022, South Africa are the only major Southern Hemisphere team over which Ireland has not achieved a series victory.
Rugby World Cup records have been accumulating since the first Rugby World Cup tournament was held in 1987.
The Lansdowne Cup is a rugby union trophy competed for by Australia and Ireland. Established in 1999, the cup was donated to the Australian Rugby Union by the Lansdowne Club of Sydney. The cup was launched in advance of the two Test matches played during the 1999 Ireland rugby union tour of Australia. The crystal trophy, made by Ireland's Waterford Crystal, for which the two nations compete was unveiled at a pub in Brisbane on 9 June 1999. Australia have won the Cup eight times while Ireland have won on six occasions.
Donal Gerard Lenihan is a retired Irish rugby union player. He appears regularly as a co-commentator on TV and radio for rugby matches and writes for the Irish Examiner. He also works as a financial consultant in Cork. Lenihan was inducted into the Munster Rugby Hall of Fame in April 2019. He was inducted into the Rugby Writers of Ireland Hall of Fame in November 2013. He was adjudged Irish rugby’s ‘Player of the Decade’ for the 1980s by the Irish Times. Lenihan was elected President of Cork Constitution Rugby Club in 2020-2021. His brother Cormac Linehan has been very successful as a manager for Kilmurry junior A team, being touted as the next potential Cork senior football manager.
Stephen Paul Ford was a Welsh international rugby union winger. After being banned from rugby union for an act of professionalism, he was eventually allowed back into the sport and went on to represent the Wales national team. He played club rugby for Cardiff.
The Ireland Wolfhounds are the second national rugby union team of Ireland, behind the Ireland national team. They previously competed in the Churchill Cup together with the England Saxons, the national teams of Canada and the United States, as well as a selection of other nations' 1st, 2nd and 3rd representative sides. They also played against other Six Nations countries' A sides during the Six Nations. They have intermittently played touring sides, namely South Africa in 2000, the All Blacks in 2001 and Australia in 2006. On the 21 June 2009, Ireland A won their first Churchill Cup, beating the England Saxons 49–22 in the final. They also won the Churchill Plate three times in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Initially named Ireland B, the side was redesignated to Ireland A from the 1992–1993 season. They were once again renamed the Ireland Wolfhounds in January 2010. This name was inspired by a nomadic invitational side, which competed between 1956 and 1987 against other club sides throughout Ireland. The Wolfhounds have not competed in a competition since the IRFU declined to compete in the 2016 Tbilisi Cup. Ireland A played their first match in over seven years against the All Blacks XV in November 2022 at the RDS losing 19–47.
New Zealand first played against Ireland in 1905, during the 1905–1906 All Blacks tour of Europe and North America, beating Ireland 15–0 at Lansdowne Road, Dublin. The two teams have played 37 test matches, with New Zealand winning 31, Ireland winning 5, and 1 match drawn.
The 1979 Ireland rugby union tour of Australia was a series of eight matches played by the Ireland national rugby union team in Australia in May and June 1979.
1992 Ireland rugby union tour of New Zealand. The Ireland national rugby union team embarked on their second tour of New Zealand, having previously visited in 1976. The tour party included father and son – tour manager Noel Murphy and his son Kenny Murphy. In 1993 Mick Galwey, Vince Cunningham, Richard Wallace and Nick Popplewell all returned to New Zealand with the British and Irish Lions.
The Ireland national rugby union team toured of Australia in May and June 1994. It was their second tour of Australia, having previously visited in 1979. Both Jonny Bell and Keith Wood made their senior international debuts in the first test.
1999 Ireland rugby union tour of Australia. The Ireland national rugby union team embarked on their third tour of Australia having also visited in 1979 and 1994. The tour saw Brian O'Driscoll make his full international in the first test against Australia. In 2001, O'Driscoll, together with Jeremy Davidson and Malcolm O'Kelly would return to Australia with the British and Irish Lions.
The history of rugby union matches between Argentina and Ireland is one of a very even contest and significant mutual rivalry, a rivalry increased by a series of notable meetings at the Rugby World Cup.
Romain Poite is a French former rugby union international referee. Poite retired in November 2021 after refereeing 72 tests, refereeing the third-most international tests in international rugby behind Nigel Owens (Wales) and Wayne Barnes (England). He made his debut in 2006, and has been a referee at three World Cups, including the 2019 Final.
The History of rugby union matches between Ireland and Italy dates back to New Year's Eve 1988 when Ireland defeated Italy in a tour test match, 31–15. Ireland have dominated the meetings, with the Italians having achieved four victories. The teams' most recent meeting was in the 2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches in Dublin, where Ireland won 33–17.
William Iain Henderson is an Irish professional rugby union player who plays as a lock for United Rugby Championship club Ulster and the Ireland national team, and has been selected for two tours with the British & Irish Lions. He has been the captain of Ulster since 2019, and captained Ireland in 2021 and 2023.
The 1967 New Zealand rugby union tour of Great Britain, France and Canada was a tour undertaken by the New Zealand national rugby union team. The series consisted of 17 matches, four of Test status against international opposition. The New Zealand team finished the tour undefeated, the first time they had achieved this in the Northern hemisphere since the 1924–25 Invincible team.
Ireland and United States first played each other at rugby union in 1994 with Ireland emerging victorious, 26–15 at their home ground, Lansdowne Road, in Dublin. They have played each other eleven times, five times in the United States, five times in Ireland and once at a neutral venue in New Zealand during the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Ireland and the US also played each other in the 1999 Rugby World Cup, but the fixture was played at Ireland's home ground. Ireland's 3–83 victory against the USA in June 2000 is their highest score and largest winning margin against any international opponent. Ireland have won all eleven matches played between the teams. In March 1990 an under-25 Ireland side beat at full USA side 12–10 at Thomond Park. Four days prior to competing in their first international test match, a full USA side beat an Ireland Development side 13–20 at the Galway Sportsground on 1 November 1994.
Namibia