The 1899 Ireland rugby union tour of Canada occurred in October 1899, twenty four years after Ireland's first international. It was Ireland's first ever international tour. It was also the first overseas tour undertaken by any of the home countries as a single entity. Seventeen players were selected to make the journey to Canada but no caps were awarded. Three clubs –

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and

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– provided fifteen of these players. Many of those who went on the tour had not played, nor did they subsequently play, for Ireland. Many of those who were part of the 1899 Triple Crown side were not able to afford the time or cost of the trip. Ireland often had to field just fourteen players due to injuries. Among those to be injured was James Myles who broke his leg. Myles, who was later elected as an independent TD of East Donegal, had to remain in Canada until December. The rest of the touring party had returned home in November. Ireland won 10 of the 11 matches they played. Their only defeat came against a Halifax XV in the third game of the tour. They scored 150 points and conceded 51. The trip was financed by Duke Collins, an

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who originally came from

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but had settled in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

.''The Ireland Rugby Miscellany'' (2007): Ciaran Cronin

Matches

''Scores and results list Ireland's points tally first.''

Touring party

*Manager: *Secretary: *Referee: *Captain: James G. Franks

Squad

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1899 Ireland Rugby Union Tour Of Canada Ireland national rugby union team tours Ireland national rugby union team tours of Canada Ireland tour Ireland Rugby Union Tour of Canada, 1899 Canada–Ireland relations Rugby Union Tour

Matches

Touring party

Squad

See also

References