The Ireland rugby team is considered to be one of the world’s best rugby union sides. Although they’re yet to capture the Rugby World Cup, the team boasts an impressive honours list that includes numerous titles on the international stage, as well as continued high placings in the World Rugby Rankings.
Want to know more about the Ireland rugby squad? Read on to discover Ireland’s Six Nations record, learn about their Rugby World Cup performances and get closer to their current squad.
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The Ireland rugby team is considered to be one of the world’s best rugby union sides. Although they’re yet to capture the Rugby World Cup, the team boasts an impressive honours list that includes numerous titles on the international stage, as well as continued high placings in the World Rugby Rankings.
Want to know more about the Ireland rugby squad? Read on to discover Ireland’s Six Nations record, learn about their Rugby World Cup performances and get closer to their current squad.
The Irish rugby team has competed in every edition of the Six Nations since the inaugural tournament in 1883 (when it was known as the Home Nations Championship). Since then, Ireland have secured a reputation as one of the tournament’s most successful sides. In total, Ireland’s Six Nations squads have claimed 15 outright titles and shared another eight.
In 1894, Ireland won their first Home Nations Championship and claimed their first Triple Crown. In 1948, they secured their first outright Five Nations title and Grand Slam.
To date, Ireland have won four Grand Slams: 1948, 2009, 2018 and 2023. Their three most recent Grand Slam titles were won after 2000, when the tournament was rebranded as the Six Nations.
Arguably, Ireland’s greatest Grand Slam came in 2018. This was a momentous occasion for the Ireland Six Nations squad, as they beat England 24-15 on St Patrick’s Day. Additionally, the match was held at Twickenham, which made Ireland’s Six Nations win all the sweeter.
Ireland have competed in every Rugby World Cup and they have achieved moderate success in the tournament. Although they are a consistent side – they have reached the quarter finals in eight out of 10 tournaments – the Ireland rugby team has never progressed to the semi-finals.
The Irish rugby team were eliminated in the quarter finals in 1987, 1991, 1995, 2003, 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023. The team almost progressed to the semi finals in 1991, when they battled Australia in a hard-fought match. With seven minutes remaining, the Irish squad took the lead but Australia turned the tables and secured a 19-18 win.
Meanwhile, Ireland’s worst Rugby World Cup result came in 2007. The Irish squad was drawn in Pool D (the ‘Group of Death’), alongside Argentina and France. To the disappointment of their fans, the Irish rugby team crashed out of the tournament after losing against both sides.
Andrew Porter Prop 
Caelan Doris Number 8 
Cian Healy Prop 
Cian Prendergast Number 8 
Dan Sheehan Hooker 
Dave Kilcoyne Prop 
Finlay Bealham Prop 
Gavin Coombes Flanker 6 
Iain Henderson Lock 
Jack Conan Number 8 
James Ryan Lock 
Jeremy Loughman Prop 
Joe McCarthy Lock 5 
Josh Van der Flier Flanker 7 
Kieran Treadwell Lock 
Peter O'Mahony Flanker 7 
Rob Herring Hooker 
Ronan Kelleher Hooker 
Ryan Baird Lock 
Tadhg Beirne Lock 
Tadhg Furlong Tighthead Prop 
Tom O'Toole Prop 
Bundee Aki Centre 
Calvin Nash Wing 
Caolin Blade Scrum Half 
Ciaran Frawley Fly half 
Conor Murray Scrum half 
Craig Casey Scrum Half 
Garry Ringrose Centre 
Hugo Keenan Fullback 
Jack Crowley 
Jacob Stockdale Left Wing 
James Lowe Left Wing 
Jamie Osborne Fullback 
Jamison Gibson-Park Scrum Half 
Jimmy O'Brien Centre 
Johnny Sexton Fly Half 
Keith Earls Wing 
Mack Hansen Full Back 
Robbie Henshaw Centre 
Ross Byrne Fly half 
Stuart McCloskey Centre 
Tom Stewart Fullback Although rugby union had its infancy in Ireland during the 1850s, the Irish Football Union wasn’t formed until 1874. The following year, the Ireland rugby team had its first international match: a 7-0 loss against England. In contrast to their prowess of today, Ireland didn’t win a test match until 1881.
By the early 20th century, the Ireland national rugby union team was an established international side. Subsequently, they came close to two Grand Slams in the 1926 and 1927 Five Nations. However, the period between the Second World War and the start of the professional era was mixed in terms of success. Highlights included Five Nations titles in the 50s and 70s and quarter-final finishes in several World Cups.
Fast forward to 2019 and Ireland reached the number one spot in the World Rugby Rankings for the first time. They briefly returned to the top rank in 2021 and they were also the highest-ranked rugby nation in the world during both 2022 and 2023.
Many household names and giants of the sport are former Irish rugby players, including Ireland’s top scorer Johnny Sexton and the team’s most-capped player, Brian O’Driscoll.
Interestingly, Brian O’Driscoll is also revered as Ireland’s greatest Six Nations player. O’Driscoll was a key member of the Ireland Six Nations squads over the years and he holds the record for scoring 26 Championship tries.
The current Ireland rugby squad is teeming with talent. The most prominent Irish rugby players at the moment include props Tadhg Furlong and Andrew Porter, as well as centre Bundee Aki.
Ireland Rugby Team 
