The New Zealand 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. Famed for their unmatched international success, the All Blacks have often been regarded as the most successful sports team in human history.
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 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 14 times and the Triple Crown 26 times, making them the most successful outright winners in the tournament's history. 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.
Michael John Catt OBE is a South African-born former rugby union player who played for the England national rugby union team. He played professionally for the clubs London Irish and Bath. He earned 75 international caps for England and played in two World Cup Finals, in 2003 and 2007. With his appearance in the October 2007 final, at age 36 years 1 month, he became the oldest ever player to play in a Rugby World Cup final. Since 2008, Catt has coached various rugby teams, and has since 2019 been an assistant coach for the Ireland national rugby team.
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.
Edward Jones is an Australian rugby union coach and former player. He currently coaches the Australia national rugby union team after returning to replace Dave Rennie in January 2023 following his sacking from England. He was the head coach of the England national team from 2015 to 2022.
Andrew David Farrell, is an English rugby union coach, and a former rugby league and rugby union player. He has been head coach of the Ireland national team since 2019.
Warren David Gatland is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player who is currently in his second spell as the head coach of the Wales national team.
Owen Andrew Farrell is an English professional rugby union player, currently captain of Gallagher Premiership side Saracens. Farrell has played international rugby for England since 2012. Farrell is one of the top points scorers in test history, having scored over 1000 points from over 100 tests.
Josef Schmidt HonFRCSI is a New Zealand and Irish rugby union coach, who is the attack coach for the New Zealand national team.
Peter O'Mahony is an Irish rugby union player. He plays for Munster in the United Rugby Championship and European Rugby Champions Cup and Ireland internationally. During his career, O'Mahony has captained Presentation Brothers College, Ireland U18, Ireland U20, Munster, Ireland and the British & Irish Lions. He plays primarily as a flanker, but can also play at number 8, and represents Cork Constitution in the All-Ireland League.
Conor Murray is an Irish rugby union player who plays for Munster in the United Rugby Championship and European Rugby Champions Cup. Internationally, Murray has represented Ireland and the British & Irish Lions, whom he captained temporarily in 2021. He plays as a scrum-half and represents Garryowen in the All-Ireland League.
The British & Irish Lions toured New Zealand during June and July 2017. The Lions, a rugby union team selected from players eligible to represent England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales, played ten matches: against all five New Zealand Super Rugby franchises, the NZ Provincial Barbarians, the Māori All Blacks and three test matches against New Zealand.
Tadhg Gerard Beirne is an Irish rugby union player, currently playing for Munster in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. His primary playing position is lock, but can also play in the back-row.
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.
Jeremy Loughman is an Irish rugby union player for United Rugby Championship and European Rugby Champions Cup side Munster. Internationally, Loughman made his senior debut for Ireland in 2022. He plays as a prop.
In June 2018, Ireland played a three-test series against Australia as part of the 2018 June rugby union tests. It was the first time Ireland had played a test series against Australia in Australia since 2010. The series was part of the sixth year of the global rugby calendar established by World Rugby, which runs through to 2019.
The 2020 Tri Nations Series was the seventeenth edition of the annual southern hemisphere competition, involving Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. On 16 October 2020, 2019 Rugby Championship winners and 2019 Rugby World Cup champions South Africa confirmed their withdrawal from the originally planned 2020 Rugby Championship due to South African government travel restrictions, player welfare and safety concerns related to COVID-19. This meant that the competition temporarily returned to its previous Tri-Nations format - played across six weekends with each team playing each other twice.
In July 2022, Ireland played a three-Test series against New Zealand as part of the 2022 mid-year rugby union internationals. Ireland also played two matches against the Māori All Blacks. This was Ireland's first tour since their tour to Australia in 2018, their first tour to New Zealand since 2012, and their first encounter against New Zealand since November 2021.
In July 2022, England played a three-test series against Australia as part of the 2022 mid-year rugby union tests. They played the Wallabies at three locations across Australia within as many weeks, with the overall winner receiving the Ella-Mobbs Trophy.
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