University College Dublin Rugby Football Club is based in Dublin,

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 ...

, and plays in Division 1A of the All-Ireland League. They play their home games at

UCD Bowl UCD can refer to: Education *University College Dublin, Irish university **University College Dublin A.F.C., the university's association football club **University College Dublin RFC, the university's rugby union club **UCD GAA, the university G ...

. The club was founded in 1910 and they won their first trophy, the

Leinster Junior Challenge Cup {{Unreferenced, date=March 2008 The Leinster Junior Challenge Cup was the forerunner of the Leinster Towns Cup. It was established as a competition for clubs below senior level who were affiliated to the Leinster branch of the Irish Rugby Footb ...

, in 1914. In 1924 they won their first

Leinster Club Senior Cup The Leinster Senior Cup is a major rugby competition in Ireland, involving all senior rugby clubs in Leinster, i.e., clubs from Leinster competing in the All-Ireland League. From 2006 until 2016 it was known as the Leinster Senior League Cup du ...

. Since 1952 they have also played an annual challenge game,

the Colours Match The Colours Match ( ga, Cluiche na nDathanna) is an annual rugby union fixture between the University of Dublin and University College Dublin. Rugby matches between UCD RFC and DUFC predate the inauguration of "The Colours Match". Their first m ...

against their rivals

Dublin University The University of Dublin ( ga, Ollscoil Átha Cliath), corporately designated the Chancellor, Doctors and Masters of the University of Dublin, is a university located in Dublin, Ireland. It is the degree-awarding body for Trinity College Dubl ...

. In 1993 when the

AIB League The All-Ireland League (AIL), known for sponsorship reasons as the Energia All-Ireland League, is the national league system for the 50 senior rugby union clubs in Ireland, covering both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The league w ...

was expanded to four divisions to include 46 senior clubs, UCD and four other university clubs joined the league. In 2001 UCD won the

Division 2 title, gaining promotion to Division 1. They have continued to play in the same division until the 2008–09 season when they finished second from bottom and were relegated. They were the first Irish university rugby club to play in AIB League top division and have now been joined by rivals

Dublin University Football Club Dublin University Football Club (DUFC) is the rugby union club of the University of Dublin and Trinity College, in Dublin, Ireland, which plays in Division 1A of the All-Ireland League. History The first known record of the Club appears unde ...

Notable players

Ireland national rugby union team

In 1920 Andy Courtney became the first UCD player to represent the

Ireland national rugby union team The Ireland national rugby union team is the men's representative national team for the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team represents both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Ireland competes in the annual Six Nations Champi ...

. The following UCD players also represented Ireland at full international level. *

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 ...

Eugene Davy Eugene O'Donnell Davy (26 July 1904 – 11 November 1996) was an Ireland international rugby union fly-half. Davy was born into an affluent family in County Dublin on 26 July 1904.http://sv1.sotic.net/scrum/players.php?player=23770&includeref=dyn ...

* Mick Doyle * Tony Ensor * Tom Grace *

Denis Hickie Denis Anthony Hickie (Irish name: ''Donnacadh Antoin Ó hIceadh''; born 13 February 1976), is a retired professional rugby union player formerly employed by the Irish Rugby Football Union. He played his club rugby for Leinster. His primary pos ...

Rob Kearney Robert Kearney (born 26 March 1986) is an Irish rugby union former player. He played for 15 years for Leinster followed by a 6 month stint in Australia, playing for Perth based side Western Force. He also played over a decade for the Ireland na ...

Dan Leavy Dan Leavy (born 23 May 1994) is an Irish rugby union former player who played for Leinster Rugby. His preferred position was flanker. Playing career Leavy was enrolled in the Leinster Rugby academy. He debuted with the Leinster senior team in Oc ...

Fergus McFadden Fergus McFadden (born Kildare 17 June 1986) is an Irish professional rugby union player for Leinster Rugby, Leinster. He played both as a centre and on the wing. Career Early career McFadden started playing rugby as a boy when he played mini ...

Luke McGrath Luke McGrath (born 3 February 1993) is an Irish rugby union player for Leinster Rugby. His preferred position is scrum-half. He made his senior debut in May 2012 against the Newport Gwent Dragons and represented Ireland at underage grades. In M ...

Kevin McLaughlin Kevin McLaughlin (born 20 September 1984) is a retired professional rugby union player from Ireland. He attended the primary school Kildare Place National School and was educated at secondary level at Gonzaga College. He played provincial rug ...

Ray McLoughlin Raymond John McLoughlin (21 August 1939 – 20 November 2021) was an Ireland rugby union international who was capped 40 times at prop, an Irish record at the time. He began at tight head, moving to the open side on his return to the Ireland te ...

* Seán O'Brien *

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 ...

Kevin O'Flanagan Kevin Patrick O'Flanagan (10 June 1919 – 26 May 2006) was an Irish sportsman, physician and sports administrator. An outstanding all-rounder, he represented his country at both soccer and rugby union. He was also a noted sprinter and long jum ...

Darragh O'Mahony Darragh O'Mahony (born 18 August 1972) is an Irish former rugby union player who played on the wing for Moseley, Bedford Blues, Saracens and Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atla ...

Garry Ringrose Garry Ringrose (born 26 January 1995) is an Irish rugby union player for Leinster and the Ireland national rugby union team. He usually plays at Centre. Leinster Following Ringrose's performances for the Ireland under-20s, Leinster coach Leo C ...

Rhys Ruddock Rhys Ruddock (born 13 November 1990) is a professional rugby union player. He currently plays for St Mary's College RFC and Leinster Rugby, Leinster. He plays in the backrow, at 6 or 8. In the 2009/2010 season, he captained the Irish U20s to winn ...

Ciaran Scally Ciaran Scally is a retired Irish rugby union scrum-half. He played for Blackrock College, UCD, Leinster and also won four caps for Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-w ...

Fergus Slattery John Fergus Slattery (born 12 February 1949 in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland) is a former rugby union player who represented Ireland. He played schools rugby for Blackrock College and then moved on to play senior rugby for UCD, before earning a call ...

* James Tracy *

Josh van der Flier Josh van der Flier () (born 25 April 1993) is an Irish rugby union player for Leinster and Ireland. His preferred position is flanker, but plays at other positions if needed. Van der Flier is of Dutch descent through his paternal grandparents, ...

Paddy Wallace Patrick Wallace (born 27 August 1979) is an Ireland rugby union player who played for Ireland's national team and played for Ulster. A native of Belfast, he attended Rockport School and Campbell College. He was a member of the Ireland U19 side ...

British & Irish Lions

1959 Events January * January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...

Niall Brophy and Bill Mulcahy become the first UCD players to represent the

British & Irish Lions The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The Lions are a test side and most often select players who have already played for their national ...

. Since then several UCD players have also played for the Lions.''The Ireland Rugby Miscellany'' (2007): Ciaran Cronin

Ireland national rugby sevens team

Harry McNulty Harry McNulty (born 5 March 1993) is an Irish rugby union player who currently plays for the LA Giltinis of Major League Rugby (MLR). He also plays as a forward for the Ireland national rugby sevens team. Early life McNulty was born in Bahra ...

Billy Dardis Billy Dardis (born 31 January 1995) is an Irish rugby union player. He is the captain of the Ireland national rugby sevens team, and also plays for University College Dublin R.F.C., UCD in Division 1A of the All-Ireland League (rugby union), All ...

Hugo Keenan Hugo Keenan (born 18 June 1996) is an Irish professional rugby union player who plays as a fullback for United Rugby Championship club Leinster and the Ireland national team. Early life Keenan attended secondary school at Blackrock College. ...

Other internationals

The following UCD players have also played at international level. ''See also ''

Honours

* All-Ireland Cup **1937–38 * Leinster Senior Cup **1923–24, 1937–38, 1947–48, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1969–70, 1976–77, 2010–11, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2019–20: 11 *

**1914: 1

References

{{University College Dublin

Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

Belfield, Dublin

Rugby union clubs in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown Senior Irish rugby clubs (Leinster)