The Dublin Hospitals Rugby Cup is a rugby union competition contested by the teaching hospitals in Dublin since 1881. The competition has a claim to the oldest

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

competition Competition is a rivalry where two or more parties strive for a common goal which cannot be shared: where one's gain is the other's loss (an example of which is a zero-sum game). Competition can arise between entities such as organisms, indivi ...

in the world. The

United Hospitals Cup The United Hospitals Challenge Cup is contested by the six medical schools in London and is most notable for being the oldest rugby cup competition in the world. History In 1874 the United Hospitals RFC instituted a cup competition, the United ...

in London was started 6 years earlier, but 12 years were not played during the periods of World War I and World War II.

History

The competition was inaugurated in 1881 by a group of Dublin surgeons and physicians. Dr Frank Cassidy served as the first president. The trophy was created by

Paul Storr Paul Storr (baptised 28 October 1770 in London – 18 March 1844 in London) was an English goldsmith and silversmith working in the Neoclassical and other styles during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. His works range from ...

in 1812 as a hunting trophy. It was purchased in 1881 for £50. It remains the oldest sporting trophy in Ireland for which there is an annual competition. The participants of the inaugural tournament included Richmond, Jervis Street, Sir Patrick Dun's,

Royal City of Dublin Hospital The Royal City of Dublin Hospital ( ga, Ospidéal Ríoga Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath) was a health facility on Baggot Street, Dublin, Ireland. History The hospital was first established by a group of doctors from the Royal College of Surgeons in ...

, Adelaide,

Mercer's Hospital Mercer's Hospital ( ga, Ospidéal Mercer) was a hospital in Dublin, Ireland. It was converted into a clinical centre and medical library for the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 1991.Dr Steevens' Hospital Dr Steevens' Hospital (also called Dr Steevens's Hospital) ( ga, Ospidéal an Dr Steevens), one of Ireland's most distinguished eighteenth-century medical establishments, was located at Kilmainham in Dublin Ireland. It was founded under the terms ...

, and Meath. The inaugural title was won by the

Meath Hospital The Meath Hospital ( ga, Ospidéal na Mí) was a general hospital in the Earl of Meath's Liberty in Dublin, Ireland. It was absorbed into the Tallaght Hospital in June 1998. History The hospital was opened to serve the sick and poor in the crow ...

who beat

Sir Patrick Dun's Hospital Sir Patrick Dun's Hospital ( ga, Ospidéal Sir Patrick Dun) was a hospital and school for physicians on Grand Canal Street, Dublin, Ireland. History Sir Patrick Dun, a prominent physician in Ireland, died in 1713, leaving income generating prope ...

Lansdowne Road Lansdowne Road Stadium ( ga, Bóthar Lansdún, ) was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) that was primarily used for rugby union and association football matches. The stadium was demolished in 2007 to make way for ...

. Predating the cup, Dublin United Hospitals representative sides played an annual charity match against other Dublin rugby clubs playing as 'County Dublin' in order to raise money for the Hospital Sunday Fund from 1878 until the 1950s. The Dublin Hospitals representative sides have also played annual games against the London United Hospitals. London beat the Dublin hospitals at Lansdowne Road in 1894 inaugural game. The Dublin Hospitals won the matchup in 1910, 1912, 1924, 1928, and 1947. Eligibility to play for hospitals was initially restricted to medical students and interns, this was later expanded to up to 6 graduates per team in 1990.

Current competition

The final, previously played in February at Lansdowne Road, has been played in December at Anglesea Road since the 1960s. In recent years, following the closure and amalgamation of hospitals, five teams compete for the cup: Beaumont Hospital, the Mater Hospital,

St. Vincent's University Hospital St. Vincent's Hospital ( ga, Ospidéal Ollscoile Naomh Uinseann) is a teaching hospital located at Elm Park, south of the city of Dublin, Ireland. It is at the junction of Merrion Road and Nutley Lane opposite the Merrion Centre, Dublin, Merrion ...

, the Federated Hospitals, and the Veterinary Hospital which joined in 2011. The Dental Hospital, which had many memorable victories in the late 1950s and the 1970s, eventually could no longer field a team and joined forces with its Trinity neighbours. The Trinity Federated Hospitals team or Feds represent

Dublin Dental University Hospital Dublin Dental University Hospital ( ga, Ospidéal Déadach Ollscoile Átha Cliath) is a dental health and teaching facility in Lincoln Place, Dublin, Ireland. History The facility was established in a building off St Stephen's Green in 1879. It ...

Tallaght University Hospital The Tallaght University Hospital ( ga, Ospidéal Ollscoile Thamhlachta) is a teaching hospital in County Dublin, Ireland. Its academic partner is the Trinity College Dublin. It is managed by Dublin Midlands Hospital Group. History The hospital ...

, and St. James's Hospital. Richmond and Jervis amalgamated in 1973 to form an RCSI rugby club, which would win 8 championships during their 14 years in the competition. The side was succeeded by Beaumont in 1987 following the closure of both hospitals.

International Rugby

Many medical students and newly qualified doctors who have played in the Hospitals Cup have gone on to represent

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 (Grea ...

or other countries at test level. This occurred more frequently during the early years of international rugby. Of the first 200 players capped for Ireland, 44 had trained in Dublin hospitals. Over 90 players have also been capped for Ireland. This list below includes some of those players: ; Internationals *Aidan Brady *

Barry Bresnihan Finbarr Patrick Kieran Bresnihan (13 March 1944 – 18 July 2010) was an Irish rheumatologist and international rugby union player. Bresnihan was born in Waterford in 1944 and educated at Gonzaga College, Dublin before qualifying as a doctor ...

(Mater) *

Lawrence Bulger Lawrence 'Larry' Quinlivan Bulger (5 February 1870 – 17 March 1928) was an Irish rugby union player, athlete and doctor. Bulger played international rugby for Ireland and in 1896 was chosen to represent a British Isles XV in their tour of Sou ...

(Richmond) *

Michael Joseph Bulger Michael Joseph Bulger (15 May 1867 – 20 July 1938) was an Irish rugby player, athlete and medical doctor. Along with his brothers, Daniel Delany Bulger, Daniel and Lawrence Bulger, Lawrence, he was prominent in the Irish sporting world in the ...

(Richmond) *

Emmet Byrne Emmet Francis Byrne (December 6, 1896 – September 25, 1974) was an American politician. He was a U.S. Representative from the third district of Illinois. He served one term, 1957–59, as a Republican before being defeated in the 1958 e ...

(Beaumont) *Frank Byrne *

Andrew Clinch Andrew Daniel Clinch MD JP (28 November 1867 – 1 February 1937),Andrew Clinch player profile

*Jamie Clinch (United Dublin Hospitals Rugby Union) *
Morgan Crowe Morgan Patrick Crowe (5 March 1907 – 8 April 1993) was a rugby union centre who played thirteen times for between 1929–34. He played his club rugby for Leicester Tigers and Lansdowne. Crowe made his international debut for on 9 ...
(Richmond Hospital) *
Thomas Crean Major Dr. Thomas Joseph Crean, (19 April 1873 – 25 March 1923) was an Irish rugby union player, British Army soldier and physician, doctor. During the Second Boer War, while serving with the Imperial Light Horse, he was awarded the Victoria ...
(St. Vincent's) * Denis Cussen *Fergus Dunlea *Con Feighery *Tom Feighery *E. G. Forrest *Don Hingerty *
Niall Hogan Niall Andrew Hogan (born 20 April 1971) is an Irish orthopaedic surgeon and a former Irish rugby union international player who played as a scrum-half. He played for the Ireland team from 1995 to 1997, winning 13 caps. He was a member of the ...
(Beaumont) *
Paddy Johns Patrick Stephen Johns, known as Paddy Johns (born 19 February 1968, in Portadown) was an Irish rugby union player from 1990 to 2000. He played mainly as a lock and occasionally in the back-row. He won 59 caps, scoring 4 tries and 20 points. He ...
(Dental, Feds) *
Louis Magee Aloysius Mary "Louis" Magee (1 May 1874 – 4 April 1945) was an Irish rugby union halfback. Magee played club rugby for Bective Rangers and London Irish and played international rugby for Ireland and was part of the British Isles team in their ...
*Jack Maloney *
Terence Millin Terence John Millin FRCSI FRCS LRCP (9 January 1903 - 1980) was a British-born Irish urology, urological surgeon, who in 1945, introduced a surgical treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy, benign large prostates using the retropubic prostatec ...
(Dun's) *Al Moroney *
Bill Mulcahy William Albert Mulcahy (born 7 January 1935 in Rathkeale, County Limerick, Ireland) is a retired Irish rugby union player. He represented UL Bohemians R.F.C. University College Dublin R.F.C., Bective Rangers, Skerries RFC, Leinster, Ireland and ...
(St. Vincent's) *
Karl Mullen Dr Karl Daniel Mullen (26 November 1926 – 27 April 2009) was an Irish rugby union player and consultant gynaecologist who captained the Irish rugby team and captained the British Lions on their 1950 tour to Australia and New Zealand. Mulle ...
(Dun's) *John Murray *Paul Murray (Richmond Hospital) * Kevin Quinn *Hubie O'Connor (Dun's) *James Murphy O'Connor *Frank O'Driscoll *Charles Rooke *Gerry Tormey ; Internationals *Jon Raphael ; Internationals * Mihai Vioreanu (Mater) ; Internationals *Nicolaas Jan Valkenburg van Druten (Meath) ; Internationals *Dick Cooke

Winners
*1881 Meath *1882 Meath *1883 Meath *1884 Dun's *1885 Dun's *1886 Dun's *1887 Dun's *1888 Dun's *1889 Dun's *1890 Meath *1891 Meath *1892 Meath *1893 Dun's *1894 Dun's *1895 Dun's *1896
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...
*1897 Mater *1898 Dun's *1899 Mater *1900 Dun's *1901 Dun's *1902 Meath *1903 Dun's *1904 Dun's *1905 Dun's *1906
Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
*1907 Adelaide *1908 Adelaide *1909 Adelaide *1910 Adelaide *1911 Richmond *1912 Dun's *1913 St. Vincent's *1914 St. Vincent's *1915―19 ''Suspended'' *1920 *1921 Meath *1922 Dun's *1923 Dental *1924 Richmond *1925 Richmond *1926 Richmond *1927 Dun's *1928 St. Vincent's *1929 Richmond *1930 Dun's *1931 Richmond *1932 Adelaide *1933 St. Vincent's *1934 Dun's *1935 Richmond *1936 St. Vincent's *1937 Mater *1938 Mater *1939 St. Vincent's *1940 Mater *1941 St. Vincent's *1942 Mater *1943 Richmond *1944 Richmond *1945 Mater *1946 Mater *1947 Jervis *1948 Jervis *1949 Jervis *1950 Adelaide *1951 Adelaide *1952 *1953 Mater *1954 St. Vincent's *1955 Mater *1956 St. Vincent's *1957 Dun's *1958 Dun's *1959 Dental *1960 Dental *1961 St. Vincent's *1962 St. Vincent's *1963 Mater *1964 Mater *1965 St. Vincent's *1966 St. Vincent's *1967 Mater *1968 St. Vincent's *1969 St. Vincent's *1970 St. Vincent's *1971 Dental *1972 St. Vincent's *1973 Dental *1974 St. Vincent's *1975 St. Vincent's *1976 Richmond-Jervis *1977 Richmond-Jervis *1978 Dental *1979 Richmond-Jervis *1980 Dental *1981 Richmond-Jervis *1982 Richmond-Jervis *1983 Richmond-Jervis *1984 Richmond-Jervis *1985 Richmond-Jervis *1986 Federated *1987 Beaumont *1988 Beaumont *1989 Beaumont *1990 Beaumont *1991 Federated *1992 St. Vincent's *1993 St. Vincent's *1994 Beaumont *1995 St. Vincent's *1996 Mater *1997 St. Vincent's *1998 Mater *1999 St. Vincent's *2000 Mater *2001 Mater *2002 Mater *2003 Mater *2004 Mater *2005 Mater *2006 Mater *2007 Beaumont *2008 Beaumont *2009 St. Vincent's *2010 St. Vincent's *2011 St. Vincent's *2012 St. Vincent's *2013 St. Vincent's *2014 St. Vincent's *2015 Mater *2016 Mater *2017 Beaumont *2018 Mater *2019 Mater *2020 ''Cancelled'' *2021 Mater *2022 Mater

Roll of honour

See also
*
List of oldest rugby union competitions The following article lists the oldest known rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby footbal ...
*
United Hospitals Cup The United Hospitals Challenge Cup is contested by the six medical schools in London and is most notable for being the oldest rugby cup competition in the world. History In 1874 the United Hospitals RFC instituted a cup competition, the United ...

References
{{Rugby union in Ireland Rugby union in Ireland Rugby union competitions Rugby union competitions in Leinster Rugby union trophies and awards 1881 establishments in Ireland