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.
Rory David Best is an Irish former rugby union player who was the captain of the Ireland national team from 2016 to 2019. He played hooker for Ulster and was registered for Banbridge RFC. Best earned 124 caps for Ireland, making his debut in 2005 and retiring at the end of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, his fourth World Cup. Best is one of the most capped rugby players of all time, as well as the most-capped forward to represent Ireland.
James Heislip is an Irish former rugby union player who represented Leinster, Ireland and the British & Irish Lions. He played as a number 8. Heislip earned 95 caps for Ireland during his international career from 2006 to 2017, making him one of the most capped players in Irish national team history.
Seán Kevin O'Brien is an Irish retired professional rugby union player. He previously represented home province Leinster for eleven seasons. At Leinster, he helped the team win four European titles, and was named ERC European Player of the Year for the 2010–11 season, he then played three season's for English Premiership Rugby side London Irish.
Darren Cave is a retired professional Irish rugby union player who played centre for Ulster, sharing the province's appearance record with Andrew Trimble and Rob Herring with 229, and won eleven caps for Ireland.
The 2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia was a rugby union tour during June and July 2013. The British & Irish Lions played ten matches - a three-test series against Australia, and matches against the five Australian Super Rugby sides, a Combined New South Wales–Queensland Country team, and a match en route to Australia against the Barbarians.
Josef Schmidt HonFRCSI is a New Zealand and Irish rugby union coach, who is the current head coach of the Australia national rugby union team.
Simon Zebo is an Irish rugby union player who has played as a wing or fullback for clubs Munster and Racing 92, and for Ireland.
In June 2012, Ireland toured New Zealand playing three Tests against the All Blacks. The Irish tour was one in a series of tours by northern teams to be hosted by southern hemisphere nations. It was marketed as the 'Steinlager Series'.
The 2013 mid-year rugby union tests were international rugby union matches that were played in June 2013, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere.
Jack McGrath is a former Irish rugby union player who played loosehead prop. He played professionally for Leinster and Ulster and has also played international rugby for Ireland and the British and Irish Lions.
In June 2013, Wales toured Japan as part of the 2013 mid-year rugby test series. They faced Japan in a two-test series on 8 and 15 June, playing in the oldest dedicated rugby union stadium in Japan, Kintetsu Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Osaka, and the home stadium of Japanese rugby, Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo. The test series was Wales' first test series against Japan since 2001, when Wales were victorious 2–0, and their first encounter since Wales' 72–18 victory in the 2007 Rugby World Cup Pool B match. Wales were also the first Tier 1 nation to play Japan in Japan since Italy in 2006.
In June 2013, England played a two-test series against Argentina as part of the 2013 mid-year rugby test series. This series was part of the second year of the global rugby calendar established by the International Rugby Board, which runs through to 2019.
Finn Alastair Russell is a Scottish professional rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Premiership Rugby club Bath and captains the Scotland national team.
In June 2014, the Scotland rugby union team played single test matches against four countries; Argentina, Canada, South Africa and the United States. The opening three tests, United States, Canada and Argentina, coincided with the June international window, whereas the test against South Africa fell outside the international window. This meant players playing outside Scotland at club level were not permitted to be released by their clubs to represent Scotland against South Africa; Scotland effectively picked two separate squads, one for the USA and Canada games, the other for Argentina and South Africa.
In June 2014, Wales toured South Africa, playing a 2-test series against the Springboks. In addition to the two Test matches, Wales also played a warm-up uncapped match against domestic club side Eastern Province Kings. The three matches coincided with the June International Window, playing in the second and third week of the window.
In June 2016, England played a three-test series against Australia as part of the 2016 mid-year rugby union tests. They played the Wallabies across the three weeks of the June International window, 11 June–25 June, and contested the Cook Cup, which England had previously won eight times to Australia's twelve. The series was part of the fourth year of the global rugby calendar established by the International Rugby Board, which runs through to 2019.
In June 2017, England played a two-test series against Argentina as part of the 2017 mid-year rugby union tests. The series was part of the fifth year of the global rugby calendar established by the International Rugby Board, which runs through to 2019.
The 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa was an international rugby union tour that took place in South Africa in July and August 2021. The British & Irish Lions, a team selected from players eligible to represent England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales, played a three-match test series against South Africa, and tour matches against three of South Africa's four United Rugby Championship teams and South Africa A.
Ireland toured North America in May 2009, playing a Test match against Canada and the United States. Ireland won both matches, despite most of their first string players away on the 2009 Lions tour to South Africa.
Canada 
United States 
