The 2024–25 All-Ireland League, known as the
Energia All-Ireland League for sponsorship reasons, was the 33rd season of
Irish Rugby's top level domestic competition. The League began on 20 September 2024 and finished with the League final at the
Aviva Stadium
Aviva Stadium, also known as Lansdowne Road (, ) or Dublin Arena (during UEFA competitions), is a List of stadiums in Ireland by capacity, sports stadium located in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, with a capacity for 51,711 spectators ...
,
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
on 27 April 2025.
Cork Constitution
The Cork Constitution (CC) is a rugby union club based in Cork, playing in Division 1A of the All-Ireland League. It was founded by staff of the '' Cork Constitution'' newspaper. Since the paper did not publish on Sundays, the staff were lo ...
were the defending champions having won their 7th title by defeating defending champions
Terenure College
Terenure College is a Carmelite-run secondary school located in the suburb of Terenure, Dublin, Ireland. The school was founded in 1860 and had an associated primary school until 2017. It is one of the "big six" Leinster Schools Rugby-playing ...
in the 2023-24 League Final. They reached the final again but were defeated by
Clontarf who won their fourth A.I.L. title.
Ballyclare
Ballyclare () is a small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 10,850 according to the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census, and is located within the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council area. It is part of, and ...
were competing in the League for the first time ever after gaining promotion to Division 2C by winning the Provincial League Championship final.
Monkstown who lost that final, later gained promotion back to the League after a 21-year absence by winning the Provincial League Championship play-off against
Bangor.
Format
The League consisted of 5 divisions of 10 teams each playing a
double round-robin
A round-robin tournament or all-play-all tournament is a competition format in which each contestant meets every other participant, usually in turn.''Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged'' (1971, G. & ...
competition using the standard
Rugby union bonus points system
Bonus points are group tournament points awarded in rugby union tournaments in addition to the standard points for winning or drawing a match. Bonus points were implemented in order to encourage attacking play throughout a match, to discourage rep ...
. At the completion of the league phase the top 4 teams in Division 1A would qualify for the play-off semi-finals, with the two winners meeting in the final.
The 10th placed teams in Divisions 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B would be relegated to Divisions 1B, 2A, 2B and 2C respectively while the winners of Divisions 1B, 2A, 2B and 2C would be promoted up one division. The 9th placed team in Division 1A along with the 2nd to 4th placed teams in Division 1B would enter a play-off competition with the winner to play in Division 1A for 2025–26. This same play-off competition applied to the other divisions also.
The 10th placed team in Division 2C would be relegated from the A.I.L. to their respective Provincial qualifying league and be replaced by the winner of the All-Ireland Provincial League Championship. The 9th placed team in Division 2C would play the runner-up of the All-Ireland Provincial League Championship with the winner to play in Division 2C for 2025–26.
All-Ireland Provincial League Championship
The All-Ireland Provincial League Championship was contested by the winners of the four provincial qualifying leagues in Connacht,
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
, Munster and Ulster. They were drawn to play in two semi-finals at neutral venues with the winners meeting in the final, also at a neutral venue with the winner playing in Division 2C of the A.I.L. for 2025–26.
The runner-up played away against the 9th place team in Division 2C and the winner of this play-off would also play in Division 2C of the A.I.L. for 2025–26, with the loser returning to their relevant provincial league.
Team changes
The following promotions and relegations occurred at the end of the 2023–24 season:
* via play-offs
Division 1A
Cork Constitution
The Cork Constitution (CC) is a rugby union club based in Cork, playing in Division 1A of the All-Ireland League. It was founded by staff of the '' Cork Constitution'' newspaper. Since the paper did not publish on Sundays, the staff were lo ...
started their 33rd consecutive season in the top division of the All-Ireland League (the only club to be ever present in the top division of the league since its inception in 1990) as defending champions, but by the mid-season break were in mid-table outside the play-off places.
Garryowen made a quick return to Division 1A after being relegated in 2022–23, but with just one win in nine games were bottom at Christmas in danger of returning to 1B. Their relegation to 1B was confirmed after Round 17 despite victory against
Clontarf.
St Mary's College returned to the top flight as Division 1B champions after a six-year absence and took over top spot by the mid-season interval from
Ballynahinch who dropped to fourth after back-to-back defeats in December.
Clontarf and
Terenure
Terenure (), originally called ''Roundtown'', is a middle class suburb of Dublin in Ireland. It is located in the city's D6 and D6W postal districts. The population of all electoral divisions labelled as Terenure was 17,972 as of the 2022 ce ...
completed the top four at Christmas. With one round remaining the semi-finalists were decided as Terenure, with 3 defeats in-a-row in March dropped out of the top four as
Lansdowne's 3 victories in March ensured them a place in the play-offs alongside Clontarf, St. Mary's and Cork Con.
Teams
Final Table
Results
Division 1B
After two seasons in Division 1A
Shannon returned to Division 1B along with
Dublin University
The University of Dublin (), corporately named as The Chancellor, Doctors and Masters of the University of Dublin, is a research university located in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. It is the degree-awarding body for Trinity College Dublin, whi ...
who were automatically relegated
and both sides found themselves in the bottom half of the table by Christmas with Shannon just 2 points ahead of bottom side
Highfield. At the other end of the table
Old Belvedere
Old Belvedere R.F.C. is a senior Irish rugby union club based on Anglesea Road in Ballsbridge, Dublin, Ireland. Old Belvedere was originally founded in 1918–19 by former pupils of Belvedere College. Old Belvedere enters senior men's teams in ...
(1st) and
Nenagh Ormond (2nd), playing at this level for the first time in their history, having come up from Division 2A as champions, were well clear of the chasing pack at the mid-season break, and Belvo's bonus point victory over Ormond in Round 15 secured the division title and promotion to the top flight. Despite a bonus point victory on the last day of the season, Shannon found themselves being relegated for the second season in-a-row.
Teams
Final Table
Results
Division 2A
Buccaneers
Buccaneers were a kind of privateer or free sailors, and pirates particular to the Caribbean Sea during the 17th and 18th centuries. First established on northern Hispaniola as early as 1625, their heyday was from the Restoration in 1660 unti ...
returned to Division 2A after two seasons in 1B.
By the mid-season break they looked set to be relegated again having lost all 9 of their matches and a home defeat to
Greystones
Greystones () is a coastal town and seaside resort in County Wicklow, Ireland. It lies on Ireland's east coast, south of Bray and south of Dublin city centre and has a population of 22,009, according to the 2022 census. The town is border ...
in a rescheduled Round 12 fixture on 22 February confirmed their drop to 2B for 2025–26.
Instonians
Instonians is a sports club based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, that incorporates rugby union, men's and ladies' hockey and cricket sections. There is also a golf society that plays under the Instonians name.
Instonians Rugby Football, Cricket ...
play in Division 2A following two successive promotions as champions after their return to the A.I.L. in 2022 and at the halfway point in the season were on course for another repeat as they were clear leaders at the top from second placed
Galway Corinthians who, at the third attempt gained promotion to Division 2A via the play-offs. Instonians subsequently gained promotion after Round 16 with victory over Greystones.
Teams
Final Table
Results
Division 2B
Malone find themselves in Division 2B following two successive relegations, while having survived a relegation play-off the previous season
UL Bohemians failed to do so last season and also made the drop from Division 2A. A.I.L. debutants
Clogher Valley won Division 2C gaining promotion to 2B and by the halfway point in the season were in the promotion play-off places. Promotion play-off winners
Galwegians bounced straight back up after being relegated in 2022–23.
Wanderers led the table at the Christmas break from
Dungannon
Dungannon (, ) is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the second-largest town in the county (after Omagh) and had a population of 16,282 at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2021 Census. The Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Counci ...
while at the other end, just a point separated bottom sides
Sligo
Sligo ( ; , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of 20,608 in 2022, it is the county's largest urban centre (constituting 2 ...
and
Malahide
Malahide ( ; ) is an affluent coastal settlement in Fingal, County Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, situated north of Dublin city. It has a village centre surrounded by suburban housing estates, with a population of 18,608 as per the 2022 ...
and Sligo's victory over Malahide in Round 16 relegated the Lions. In Round 17 Wanderers' victory over Clogher Valley secured the title and promotion.
Teams
Final Table
*
Malone deducted 1 point for a breach of the international player clearance process.
Results
Division 2C
After two successive relegations
Dolphin
A dolphin is an aquatic mammal in the cetacean clade Odontoceti (toothed whale). Dolphins belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontopori ...
find themselves in Division 2C along with
Belfast Harlequins
Belfast Harlequins is a multi-sports club located off the Malone Road in south Belfast, Northern Ireland. The club name provides the overall umbrella for rugby union, men's and ladies' field hockey, hockey, and Squash (sport), squash. The club i ...
who also make the drop from 2B. However at the halfway stage of the season both were in joint 2nd place behind clear leaders
Midleton
Midleton (; , meaning "monastery at the weir") is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies approximately 16 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare. A satelli ...
. Joining the division from the junior ranks are Ballyclare, who are making their debut season in the A.I.L.,
and
Monkstown, returning after a 21-year absence
and both were in mid-table at the Christmas break. With just 1 win each both
Omagh Academicals and
Tullamore
Tullamore (; ) is the county town of County Offaly in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is on the Grand Canal (Ireland), Grand Canal, in the middle of the county, and is the fourth most populous town in the Midland Region, Ireland, Midlands Reg ...
were propping up the table at the mid-season break. A bonus point win away to Belfast Harlequins on the last day of the season saw
Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy () is the second-largest town in County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is located on the picturesque River Slaney and in close proximity to the Blackstairs Mountains and Ireland's longest beach, Curracloe.
The Plac ...
pip long time leaders Midleton for the title and automatic promotion to 2B, while a final day defeat for season strugglers Tullamore saw them relegated from the league.
Teams
Final Table
Results
Play-offs
Division 1A Play-offs
Semi-finals
All-Ireland League Final
''See
below
Below may refer to:
*Earth
*Ground (disambiguation)
*Soil
*Floor
* Bottom (disambiguation)
*Less than
*Temperatures below freezing
*Hell or underworld
People with the surname
* Ernst von Below (1863–1955), German World War I general
* Fred Belo ...
.''
Division 1B Play-offs
Semi-finals
* ''City of Armagh relegated from Division 1A''
Play-off Final
* ''Nenagh Ormond promoted to Division 1A''
Division 2A Play-offs
Semi-finals
Play-off Final
* ''Dublin University retain Division 1B status''
Division 2B Play-offs
Semi-finals
Play-off Final
* ''Dungannon promoted to Division 2A, Navan relegated to Division 2B''
Division 2C Play-offs
Semi-finals
Play-off Final
* ''Skerries retain Division 2B status''
Provincial League Championship
Semi-finals
Final
* ''Bective Rangers promoted to A.I.L.''
Play-off
* ''Thomond promoted to A.I.L., Omagh Academicals relegated from A.I.L.''
Final
The All-Ireland League final took place on Sunday, 27 April 2025, at the
Aviva Stadium
Aviva Stadium, also known as Lansdowne Road (, ) or Dublin Arena (during UEFA competitions), is a List of stadiums in Ireland by capacity, sports stadium located in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, with a capacity for 51,711 spectators ...
,
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
. The match was broadcast live on
TG4
TG4 (; , ) is an Irish free-to-air public service television channel. It launched on 31 October 1996 and is available online and through its on-demand service TG4 Player in Ireland and beyond.
TG4 was initially known as (TnaG), before bein ...
television. Defending champions
Cork Constitution
The Cork Constitution (CC) is a rugby union club based in Cork, playing in Division 1A of the All-Ireland League. It was founded by staff of the '' Cork Constitution'' newspaper. Since the paper did not publish on Sundays, the staff were lo ...
played
Clontarf, the 4th time the sides met in the Final, with Con having two victories to 'Tarf's one. Clontarf were victorious winning by a single point to claim their fourth League title.
All-Ireland League Final
Source:
Player of the match:
Hugh Cooney (Clontarf)
See also
*
Bateman Cup
*
Connacht Senior Cup
*
Leinster Senior Cup
*
Munster Senior Cup
*
Ulster Senior Cup
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:All-Ireland League
2024-25
A coxless four, abbreviated as a 4- and also called a straight four, is a racing shell used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four persons who propel the boat with sweep oars, without a coxswain.
The crew consists of four ...
2024–25 rugby union tournaments for clubs
2024–25 in Irish rugby union