Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union or more often just rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. Rugby is simply based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game is played between two teams of 15 players each, using an oval-shaped ball on a rectangular field called a pitch. The field has H-shaped goalposts at both ends.
Melodie Robinson is a New Zealand sports journalist and presenter, and former international rugby union player for the New Zealand women's national rugby union team. She played 18 tests for the New Zealand women's team, the Black Ferns, from 1996 to 2002. Robinson won two world cups in that time, playing blindside or openside flanker. She also represented New Zealand in sevens at the Hong Kong 7s and Japan 7s.
The IRFU Women's Interprovincial Series, previously known as the IWRFU Interprovincial Championship, is the top level women's rugby union competition in Ireland. It is organised by the Irish Rugby Football Union. It is the women's equivalent of the IRFU Interprovincial Championship. The competition takes place every December and features four teams representing Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster. The competition effectively acts as a selection trials process for the Ireland women's national rugby union team that competes in the subsequent Women's Six Nations Championship. Since 2016 the IRFU has also organised a similar under 18s competition.
Andrew Joseph Conway is a former Irish rugby union player who played as a wing or fullback for United Rugby Championship club Munster.
Jordi Murphy is an Irish international rugby player. He plays for provincial and United Rugby Championship side Ulster as a loose forward, and also plays for the Ireland national rugby union team.
Rugby sevens at the 2016 Summer Olympics was held over six days in August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. The 2016 Olympics was the debut for rugby sevens at the Summer Olympics, though rugby union was last played at the 1924 games.
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.
Danielle "Nolli" Waterman is a retired professional English rugby union, rugby sevens player and current rugby commentator. As a member of England's national rugby union team, she became a multiple Six Nations Championship winner and World Champion in 2014. She was selected for the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup squad.
Gaëlle Mignot is a French female rugby union player. She represented France at the 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup, and 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup
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.
Alison Miller is a rugby union player. She was a member of Ireland's 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup squad. She scored a try in their memorable victory over the Black Ferns at the 2014 World Cup.
Larissa Muldoon, from Ballybofey, County Donegal, is a rugby union player for Railway Union, Ulster rugby and the Irish Rugby Football Union.
Jenny Murphy is a female rugby union player for Ireland. She was a member of the Ireland's 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup squad. She also played at the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Moscow, Russia.
Nora Stapleton is a former Ireland women's rugby union international. Stapleton represented Ireland at the 2010, 2014 and 2017 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. Stapleton was a member of the first Ireland teams to defeat both England and New Zealand. Stapleton has also played two other football codes at a senior level. As a women's association football player, she played for UCD in FAI Women's Cup finals and UEFA Women's Cup campaigns. She has also played senior ladies' Gaelic football for Donegal.
Sophie Spence is a former Ireland women's rugby union international. Spence represented Ireland at the 2014 and 2017 Women's Rugby World Cups. Spence was a member of the first Ireland teams to defeat England and New Zealand. She was also a member of the Ireland teams that won the 2013 and 2015 Women's Six Nations Championships. Spence is a British Nigerian who qualified to represent Ireland through her mother, who was originally from Lisburn, County Antrim.
Jillion Paige Potter is an American rugby union player. She was the captain of the 2016 USA Olympic women's rugby sevens team.
Sene Naoupu is an Ireland women's rugby union international. Naoupu was a member of the Ireland team that won the 2015 Women's Six Nations Championship. She also represented Ireland at the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup. She is also an Ireland women's rugby sevens international. Naoupu is a Samoan New Zealander who originally emigrated to Ireland in 2009 with her former husband, George Naoupu, the former Highlanders, Harlequins and Connacht rugby union player. Naoupu is also a lifestyle coach and fitness trainer and operates her own business, Senshaper. In 2016, Naoupu was listed by The Irish Times as one of the thirty most influential women in Ireland.
Liza 'Bird' Burgess is a former Welsh women's rugby union player who was a member of the 2018 World Rugby Hall of Fame class of inductees. Nicknamed Bird, her career spanned three decades, which included participating in the Wales Women's first-ever international in 1987, captaining Wales 62 times, playing in four World Cups, and coaching in two World Cups.
Jeamie Deacon, also referred to as Jamie Deacon, is an Ireland women's rugby union international and an Ireland women's rugby sevens international. Deacon represented Ireland at the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup. Deacon is also a former Ireland women's field hockey international. Between 2007 and 2009 she was named three times as an NFHCA All-American while playing field hockey for Michigan State Spartans. She also won Irish Senior Cup and Women's Irish Hockey League titles with UCD.
Beibhinn Parsons is an Ireland women's rugby union international. She plays wing for Blackrock College RFC, Connacht and the Ireland women's national rugby union team. She made her senior international debut in 2018 aged 16, making her the youngest player, male or female, to play senior rugby for the Irish Rugby Football Union.
