Irish Rugby Union Players Association
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Irish Rugby Union Players Association
The Rugby Players Ireland is the representative body for professional rugby union, rugby players in Ireland. Founded in October 2001, its aims are to promote and protect the welfare of professional rugby players in Ireland. The Chief Executive Officer is Simon Keogh and Rob Kearney is its current chairman. Its headquarters are in Clonskeagh in Dublin. Objectives The associations objectives are:- *To promote and protect the welfare of its members, both during and after their careers. *To cater for the educational and welfare needs of its members, to ensure that they have sufficient preparation for the life after rugby. *To work in partnership with the IRFU to further the cause of Rugby Union in Ireland. *To be the representative mouthpiece for professional rugby players on issues of importance to the game. Services Rugby Players Ireland provides a Player Development Manager (PDM). The five pillars of Rugby Players Ireland's Player Development Programme are 1) Education, Training ...
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Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the List of islands of the British Isles, second-largest island of the British Isles, the List of European islands by area, third-largest in Europe, and the List of islands by area, twentieth-largest on Earth. Geopolitically, Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Ireland), which covers five-sixths of the island, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. As of 2022, the Irish population analysis, population of the entire island is just over 7 million, with 5.1 million living in the Republic of Ireland and 1.9 million in Northern Ireland, ranking it the List of European islan ...
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Gordon D'Arcy
Gordon William D'Arcy (born 10 February 1980, in Ferns, County Wexford) is a retired Irish rugby player who played most of his career at inside centre. He played for Irish provincial side Leinster for his entire professional career and is second on the record list for most Leinster appearances at 257, behind Devon Toner and is third on the all time Leinster try list with 60. He was registered to club side Lansdowne. D'Arcy retired from rugby in 2015 having won three Heineken Cups, a Challenge Cup and four league titles with Leinster, two Six Nations titles with Ireland, including a Grand Slam in 2009, and travelled on two British & Irish Lions tours. Early life and education D'Arcy enrolled in UCD 1st year arts for the academic year 2007/08. Rugby playing career D'Arcy was a promising fullback for schools side Clongowes Wood in the late 1990s, and on the eve of his Leaving Cert was called into the Irish squad for the tour of South Africa by coach Warren Gatland. However ...
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CJ Stander
Christiaan Johan Stander (born 5 April 1990) is a South African-Irish former rugby union player. Stander's career began in his native South Africa, where he played for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup between 2010 and 2012 and for the Bulls in Super Rugby in 2012. He moved to Irish province Munster in 2012 and, after qualifying via residency in 2015, made his debut for Ireland in 2016, going on to earn 51 caps for his adopted country, as well as 1 cap for the British & Irish Lions in 2017, before retiring in 2021. Early life Stander was born in George, South Africa, where his family own a farm. Prior to focusing on rugby, Stander was a champion discus thrower as a teenager. Stander's native language growing up was Afrikaans. Rugby career Youth rugby Stander went to Blanco Primary School, where he began playing rugby at the age of nine, playing as a fly-half. He then went to Hoër Landbouskool Oakdale ''(Oakdale Agricultural High School)'', where he shifted into the numbe ...
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Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby ( ga, Rugbaí Mumhan) is one of the four professional provincial rugby teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents the IRFU's Munster Branch, which is responsible for rugby union throughout the Irish province of Munster. The team motto is "To the brave and faithful, nothing is impossible." This is derived from the motto of the MacCarthy clan – "Forti et Fideli nihil difficile". Their main home ground is Thomond Park, Limerick, though some games are played at Musgrave Park, Cork. History Foundation and early years Munster was officially founded in 1879, at the same time as Leinster and Ulster, with Connacht being founded ten years later in 1889. The first interprovincial matches between Leinster, Ulster and Munster, however, were held in 1875. The founding of the Munster branch of the IRFU was intended to organise and oversee the game within the province and prevent ...
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Andrew Trimble
Andrew Trimble (born 20 October 1984) is a former Irish rugby union player who played for Ulster and represented Ireland at international level. Club career He attended Coleraine Academical Institution, where he competed in the Ulster Schools Cup. He played at outside centre or on the wing for Ulster Rugby. In April 2006 he signed a new three-year deal with Ulster. Trimble also played club rugby for Ballymena RFC in the AIB League and has represented Ireland Schools and the Ireland U21 team. Due to a pre-season groin injury, however, he required surgery and missed part of the 2007–08 season. He later underwent a hernia operation. On 30 April 2009, Trimble underwent surgery on his right knee to remove a piece of chipped bone. In May 2018, Trimble announced that he would be retiring from rugby at the end of the 2017–18 season. He does however, on occasion, still partake in amateur level competition with his local Coleraine rugby club. International career Trimble, repla ...
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Ulster Rugby
Ulster Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents the IRFU Ulster Branch, which is one of the four primary branches of the IRFU and is responsible for rugby union throughout the geographical Irish province of Ulster, comprising Northern Ireland ( Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone) and three counties in the Republic of Ireland which are Donegal, Monaghan and Cavan. History Foundation (1868–1879) A number of clubs were operating in Ulster prior to the foundation of the Irish Rugby Football Union and the Ulster branch. The Belfast-based Northern Ireland F.C., founded in 1868, was the earliest club to operate in the province. Clubs from this era still in existence include Dungannon and Queen's University. The first Irish inter-provincial game took place in 1875 between Ulster and Leinster, with Ulster b ...
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Nick Williams (rugby Union)
Nick Williams (born 2 December 1983) is a retired rugby union player. A number 8, Williams played for North Harbour and the Blues in his native New Zealand, before moving to Europe and playing for Munster, Aironi, Ulster and Cardiff Blues before retiring in 2020. Career Williams initially played rugby league, changing to rugby union in his late teens. He then progressed to play for North Harbour as well as representing New Zealand in Under 21's. He then went on to play for the Blues in the Super 14, and was selected for the Junior All Blacks. Williams played for Munster in the Celtic League and Heineken Cup for two seasons. He made 19 appearances for Munster and scored four tries, including a hat-trick against the Newport Gwent Dragons. He joined Aironi on a one-year deal for the 2010/11 season. On 22 June 2012, Williams signed for Ulster on a two-year deal after leaving Aironi. On the signing, David Humphreys the Ulster Director of Rugby, said Williams would add a great ...
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Isa Nacewa
Isakeli "Isa" Nacewa (born 22 July 1982) is a former rugby union player and coach. Born in New Zealand of Fijian descent, he represented the Fiji national team, winning one cap in 2003. Nacewa was a utility back who played for the Blues in the Super Rugby competition and Auckland in the Air New Zealand Cup. Nacewa moved to Leinster in 2008, and over two spells won four European Cups, and captained the team to European Champions Cup and Pro14 titles in his final season. He retired from playing at the end of the 2017–2018 season. He took a two-year break from playing from 2013 to 2015, when he returned to New Zealand and had a coaching role with the Blues. Career New Zealand Nacewa was one of the stand-out players for Auckland in their 2005 NPC-winning season, Nacewa is a speedy and versatile player who can play as an outside back or centre. He also proved that he can play as a first five-eighth when he covered successfully for the injured Luke McAlister during the 200 ...
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Ospreys (rugby Union)
The Ospreys ( cy, Y Gweilch), formerly the Neath-Swansea Ospreys
''www.walesonline.co.uk'', accessed 22 October 2020
is one of the four professional teams from . They compete in the and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The tea ...
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Brian O'Driscoll
Brian Gerard O'Driscoll (born 21 January 1979) 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. O'Driscoll is the fourth most-capped player in rugby union history, having played 141 test matches: 133 for Ireland (83 as captain), and 8 for the Lions.Irish Rugby: Ireland – Profile: Brian O'Driscoll
; retrieved 21 March 2011

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Ulster Rugby
Ulster Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents the IRFU Ulster Branch, which is one of the four primary branches of the IRFU and is responsible for rugby union throughout the geographical Irish province of Ulster, comprising Northern Ireland ( Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone) and three counties in the Republic of Ireland which are Donegal, Monaghan and Cavan. History Foundation (1868–1879) A number of clubs were operating in Ulster prior to the foundation of the Irish Rugby Football Union and the Ulster branch. The Belfast-based Northern Ireland F.C., founded in 1868, was the earliest club to operate in the province. Clubs from this era still in existence include Dungannon and Queen's University. The first Irish inter-provincial game took place in 1875 between Ulster and Leinster, with Ulster b ...
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Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby ( ga, Rugbaí Mumhan) is one of the four professional provincial rugby teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents the IRFU's Munster Branch, which is responsible for rugby union throughout the Irish province of Munster. The team motto is "To the brave and faithful, nothing is impossible." This is derived from the motto of the MacCarthy clan – "Forti et Fideli nihil difficile". Their main home ground is Thomond Park, Limerick, though some games are played at Musgrave Park, Cork. History Foundation and early years Munster was officially founded in 1879, at the same time as Leinster and Ulster, with Connacht being founded ten years later in 1889. The first interprovincial matches between Leinster, Ulster and Munster, however, were held in 1875. The founding of the Munster branch of the IRFU was intended to organise and oversee the game within the province and prevent ...
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