The Rugby World Cup is a men's rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams, the winners of which are recognised as the World champions of the sport.
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.
Paul Jeremiah O'Connell is an Irish former rugby union player and coach. When he stopped playing, he was Ireland's third most-capped player (108) and the eighteenth most-capped international player in rugby union history. During his career, O'Connell captained Munster, Ireland and the British & Irish Lions. He is now the forwards coach for the Ireland national men's team.
The 2011 Rugby World Cup, was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board (IRB) selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005. The tournament was won by New Zealand, who defeated France 8–7 in the final. The defending champions, South Africa, were eliminated by Australia 11–9 in the quarter-finals. The result marked the third time that the tournament was won by the country that hosted the event.
The IRB2015 Rugby World Cup was the eighth Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial rugby union world championship. The tournament was hosted by England from 18 September to 31 October. Of the 20 countries competing in the World Cup in 2011, there was only one change: Uruguay replaced Russia. This was the first World Cup with no new teams to the tournament.
Jeremiah Paul Flannery is an Irish rugby union former player and current coach. During his playing career, Flannery, a hooker, played for Munster and Ireland, before being forced to retire in March 2012 due to injury problems. He joined Munster as a coach before leaving in 2019, and, in 2020, joined English Premiership club Harlequins as their lineout coach.
Keith Gerard Earls is an Irish former rugby union player who played as a wing for United Rugby Championship club Munster and the Ireland national team. He retired following the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Felix Jones is an Irish rugby union coach and former player. He played primarily as a fullback, but could also play on the wing. In October 2015, Jones was forced to retire from rugby due to a neck injury. He moved into coaching after retiring from playing, and is currently Defence coach with the England national team. He is the great grandson of Alfred Edwin Jones.
Peter James O'Mahony is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a flanker for United Rugby Championship club Munster and the Ireland national team.
Gerard Conor Murray is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for United Rugby Championship club Munster and the Ireland national team.
Stuart William Hogg is a Scottish former professional rugby union player. He has represented Scotland at international level, having made his test debut against Wales during the 2012 Six Nations Championship. He is Scotland's all time leading try-scorer.
Niamh Briggs is a former Ireland women's rugby union international. She represented Ireland at the 2010 and 2014 Women's Rugby World Cups. She was also a member of the Ireland teams that won the 2013 and 2015 Women's Six Nations Championships. Briggs was a member of the first Ireland teams to defeat France, England and New Zealand. She was captain of the Ireland team when they won the 2015 Six Nations title and was the top points scorer during both the 2013 and 2015 Six Nations championships. Briggs is also an Ireland women's rugby sevens international and has also played senior ladies' Gaelic football for Waterford. Briggs is a Garda Síochána officer based in Limerick.
Emily Beth Scarratt is an English rugby union player. She currently plays centre and fullback for Loughborough Lightning and for England. She is also a qualified teacher.
Fiona Coghlan is a former Ireland women's rugby union international. Coghlan represented Ireland at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 Women's Rugby World Cups. She also captained the Ireland team that won the 2013 Women's Six Nations Championship. In 2013 Coghlan was named The Irish Times / Irish Sports Council Sportswoman of the Year after captaining Ireland to their first ever Six Nations, Grand Slam and Triple Crown titles. Coghlan was a member of the first Ireland teams to defeat France, England and New Zealand. She was the Ireland captain on the latter two occasions. In addition to captaining Ireland, Coghlan also captained her club team, UL Bohemians, her provincial team, Leinster and was captain of the first ever Barbarians women's team.
Laura Guest is an Irish rugby union player. She was a member of the Irish squad to the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup. She also played at the 2006 and 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup. Guest was also part of the team that won the 2013 Women's Six Nations Championship.
Fiona Hayes is an Irish former rugby union player. She was a member of the Ireland teams that won the 2013 and 2015 Women's Six Nations Championships, and that defeated New Zealand at the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup. Hayes has also played association football at intervarsity and intermediate level.
Siobhan Fleming is an Irish rugby union player. She was a member of the Irish squad at the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup. She first played rugby union for Tralee RFC in 2007. She was in Ireland's Grand Slam team that won the 2013 Women's Six Nations Championship.
Marie Louise Reilly is an Irish female rugby union player from Summerhill, County Meath. She played Lock for Ireland at the 2010, 2014, and 2017 Womens World cup. In 2014, Reilly was named to the tournament Dream Team. She retired from international rugby in 2017 after the Womens Rugby World Cup with 54 caps for Ireland.
Andrea Burk is a Canadian rugby footballer. She represented Canada in rugby union at the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup and in rugby league at the 2017 Women's Rugby League World Cup. She made her debut in their 2009 tour of France.
Gregory O'Shea is an Irish rugby union player. He played for the Ireland national rugby sevens team, usually as a fly-half. In July 2019, O'Shea partnered with Amber Gill won the fifth series of Love Island.
