The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, 2011 and 2015.
Jonathan Peter Wilkinson, CBE is an English former rugby union player. A fly-half, he played for Newcastle Falcons and Toulon and represented England and the British & Irish Lions. He is particularly known for scoring the winning drop goal in the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final and is widely acknowledged as one of the best rugby union players of all time.
The England national rugby union team represents England in men's international rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. England have won the championship on 29 occasions – winning the Grand Slam 13 times and the Triple Crown 26 times – making them the most successful outright winners in the tournament's history. As of 15 November 2021, England are ranked third in the world by the International Rugby Board. They are currently the only team from the Northern Hemisphere to win the Rugby World Cup, having won the tournament in 2003, and have been runners-up on three other occasions.
Brian Gerard O'Driscoll is an Irish former professional rugby union player. He played at outside centre for the Irish provincial team Leinster and for Ireland. He captained Ireland from 2003 until 2012, and captained the British & Irish Lions for their 2005 tour of New Zealand. He is regarded by critics as one of the greatest rugby players of all time.
The Japan national rugby union team, often known as the Cherry Blossoms, Sakura, and more recently The Brave Blossoms is traditionally the strongest rugby union power in Asia and has enjoyed and endured mixed results against non-Asian teams over the years. Rugby union in Japan is administered by the Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU), which was founded in 1926. They compete annually in the Pacific Nations Cup and previously in the Asia Rugby Championship. They have also participated in every Rugby World Cup since the tournament began in 1987.
The Ireland men's national rugby union team is the representative national team in the sport of rugby union for the island of Ireland. 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.
Leinster Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby union teams from the island of Ireland and the most successful Irish team domestically. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup.
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 it is governed by Rugby Canada, and play in red and white. Canada is classified by World Rugby as a tier two rugby nation. Canada has competed in competitions such as the Americas Rugby Championship and the Rugby World Cup.
The 2009 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa was an international rugby union tour which took place in South Africa from May to July 2009.
Keith Gerard Earls is an Irish rugby union player for Munster in the United Rugby Championship and European Rugby Champions Cup. Internationally, Earls plays for Ireland and represented the British & Irish Lions on their 2009 tour to South Africa. Earls began his career as a centre, but now plays primarily on the wing and has occasionally provided cover at fullback.
This article is a list of tours by the Ireland national rugby union team.
Stephen Leigh Halfpenny is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a fullback or wing for the Scarlets, Wales and the British & Irish Lions. Halfpenny is the third highest points scorer for Wales after Neil Jenkins and Stephen Jones.
The 2009 mid-year rugby union tests refers to the rugby union Internationals played from 23 May to 4 July 2009, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere.
The 2009 end of year rugby internationals, also known as the Autumn internationals in the Northern Hemisphere, saw Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina, tour the northern hemisphere.
Josef Schmidt HonFRCSI is a New Zealand-born rugby union coach, who was the head coach of Ireland from 2013–2019. In six years under his leadership, Ireland won three Six Nations Championships, including a Grand Slam in 2018. Ireland were ranked number 1 in the World Rugby Rankings for the first time in their history in 2019, and recorded their first-ever wins over his home nation of New Zealand. Schmidt's first head coaching role in Europe was with Leinster Rugby, beginning in 2010. He brought unprecedented success to the province, reaching six finals and winning four trophies in three years. He was previously an assistant coach with the Blues and Clermont Auvergne.
George Thomas Ford is an English professional rugby union player who plays at fly-half for Leicester Tigers and England. Ford made his debut for Leicester in 2009 and between 2013–2017 played for Bath, before re-joining Leicester, until 2021 when he signed for Sale Sharks for the 2022/23 Premiership season. Ford made his England debut in 2014, was selected for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, and started the 2019 Rugby World Cup Final. He won a Premiership Rugby title in 2013 for Leicester, and was a finalist for Bath in 2015.
David Kilcoyne is an Irish rugby union player for Munster in the United Rugby Championship and European Rugby Champions Cup. He plays as a prop and represents UL Bohemians in the All-Ireland League.
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.
In June 2013, Ireland toured North America, playing test matches against Canada and the United States. The tour was part of the second year of the global rugby calendar established by World Rugby, which will run until 2019, with Ireland helping to expand Test opportunities for Tier 2 nations in 2013.
Canada 
United States 
