Leinster Rugby
Template:Short description Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox rugby team Leinster Rugby (Template:Langx) is one of the four professional provincial club rugby union teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents the Leinster Branch, one of the four provincial unions that together make up the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), but is not restricted to players from that province.
Leinster play their home games primarily at the 18,500-capacity RDS Arena ('the RDS') in Dublin, although larger games are played in the 51,700-capacity Aviva Stadium when the capacity of the RDS is insufficient, or during 2024 and 2025 to accommodate venue improvements at the RDS, with occasional on-off games been moved to Croke Park, home of the Gaelic Athletic Association and by some distance the largest stadium in Ireland.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Before moving to the RDS in 2005, Leinster's traditional home ground was Donnybrook Stadium, in Dublin 4. The province plays primarily in blue with white or yellow trim and the team crest features a harp within a rugby ball, the harp being an ancient symbol of the province found in and taken from the flag of Leinster, although the traditional colours of Leinster Rugby mean the design more resembles the flag of the president of Ireland or the coat of arms of Ireland.
Leinster turned professional along with its fellow Irish provinces in 1995 and has competed in the United Rugby Championship (formerly known as the Celtic League, Magners League and the Pro12 / Pro14) since it was founded in 2001. Before 1995, the Leinster Branch had previously competed in the annual Irish interprovincial championship.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
During their professional history, Leinster have been the most successful team in Ireland or from the Celtic League and its successors. As of 2025, Leinster have won their domestic title on nine occasions, while topping the regular season table a further five times, and have won as of 2025 all four URC Irish Shields. In Europe, Leinster are second only to Toulouse with four European Champions Cups, one EPRC Challenge Cup and four runners-up placings in the Champions Cup.
Leinster enjoy historical rivalries with all three provincial unions, most notably with Munster, where some games between the teams have been watched by over 80,000 fans in Croke Park. In addition, Leinster have notable rivalries with two French club teams; erstwhile rivals Toulouse with whom they have jockeyed for the title of Europe's most decorated team, and La Rochelle, a frequent opponent in European competition who defeated Leinster in back to back European Champions Cup finals in 2022 and 2023 under the direction of long-time Munster player Ronan O'Gara. In more recent years a rivalry has also developed with the South African Bulls franchise, with the sides meeting twice in three seasons in the semi-final of the United Rugby Championship, before meeting in the final of the 2024-25 championship.
History
Founding (1879–1899)
The Leinster Branch was inaugurated at a meeting on 31 October 1879. The meeting was held at Lawrence's premises at 63 Grafton Street and was largely attended. Although this was the formal founding of Leinster as we know it today, with the amalgamation of the Irish Football Union and the Northern Union, the Leinster provincial team had been active since 1879 – when the first interprovincial derby was played against Ulster. The Leinster and Ulster teams also made up the representative Irish team that competed against England in Ireland's first-ever international in 1875. Upon the founding of the union, Munster were also added to the fray in 1879, when their first provincial team was selected and first Munster players represented Ireland.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
F. Kennedy (Wanderers) was elected first Hon. Secretary of the Branch and C.B. Crocker (Lansdowne) first Hon. Treasurer.
The function of the Branch was to organise the game of rugby football in the province. Every year five representatives would be selected to join the IRFU Committee. They would be known as the "Leinster Five" and would pick the Leinster representative teams.
The first Interprovincial matches between Leinster, Ulster and Munster were held in 1875. At this time the matches were played with 20 players a side. Leinster lost to Ulster by a converted try and beat Munster by one goal to nil. Since then there has been a match between these teams annually, with Connacht joining the fold in 1885.
Leinster Schools Interprovincial matches have been taking place since 1888. Leinster Schools beat the Ulster Schools in Belfast on Saturday 7 April by a dropped goal to a try. Their first match against Munster Schools took place on 18 March 1899, when Leinster won by two tries to one.
Amateur period (1900–1990s)
The early 1920s led to the creation of the Provincial Towns Cup and the Metropolitan Cup, which are still hard-fought competitions in the Leinster Rugby calendar. Much has changed in rugby over the years, but the original idea of Leinster Club Rugby acting as a feeder for the Leinster Interprovincial side, though now professional, still stands true.
All Interprovincial matches were abandoned during the years of the Great War (1914–1918) and the War period (1939–1945), though unofficial matches were played.<ref name="Branch">Template:Cite web</ref>
The first major touring side to play Leinster was a team drawn from the New Zealand Army – the Kiwis, in 1946. Although it was not an official touring side organised by the New Zealand Rugby Union, the quality of the match, which was drawn 10 points each, is still remembered to this day.<ref name="Branch"/>
The first official overseas touring side that came to play Leinster was an Australian touring side in 1957.<ref name="Branch"/> Since then, Leinster has played against every major touring side from Fiji to France.<ref name="Branch"/>
Before the days of professional rugby union, there was further emphasis on Irish club rugby as opposed to the provincial game. During these times the provincial sides were purely representative sides and games were far less frequent than now. Between 1946 and 2002 the sides would meet annually to contest the Irish Interprovincial Championship and on rare occasions would be tested against touring international sides. When rugby union was declared 'open' in 1995, these four teams became the four professional teams run by the Irish Rugby Football Union and therefore much of the history of the side has been made in the modern era.
Leinster Lions (1990s–2005)
Leinster became a professional outfit in the mid-1990s. The "Leinster Lions" name came into existence during the 2001–02 season as the result of a joint marketing initiative between Leinster Rugby and its kit sponsors, the Canterbury Clothing Company. Before the start of the 2004–05 season, the 'Lions' was dropped from the name. It is still used for marketing and branding, in particular, the Cubs Club for Junior members of Leinster Rugby.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Leinster mascot is "Leo the Lion". It was also during this time that the song “Molly Malone” became a match fixture to be sung by the fans.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Leinster's first season in the newly formed Celtic League ended in success as the Lions were crowned the inaugural champions, beating rivals Munster Rugby in the 2001–02 final.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2002–03, they became only the third team in the history of the European Cup to win all their games in pool play. They also went one step further in the playoffs than the previous season by reaching the semi-finals (for the first time since 1995–96), but lost at home against French side Perpignan, which was accompanied by an unsuccessful season in the Celtic League. The 2003–04 season also ended in disappointment as Leinster slumped to their worst ever league performance and failed to qualify from their European Cup group.
Title misses (2004–2007)
Leinster improved during the 2004–05 season, finishing 3rd, just three points behind the eventual winners, the Ospreys.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Leinster also won all of their pool games in that year's European Cup, and were again among the favourites for the title, however they went out at the quarter final stage to Leicester Tigers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The next two seasons of the Celtic League were to end in near misses for Leinster, as they lost out on the 2005–06 and 2006–07 league titles on the final day of the season. These seasons also saw progress in the European Cup. In 2005–06, Leinster progressed to the semi-final but were eliminated by Irish rivals Munster at Lansdowne Road and they reached the quarter-final the following year where they were beaten by eventual winners London Wasps.
European and domestic dominance (2008–2014)
Increasing attendances at Leinster games led to a move across Dublin 4 from Donnybrook Stadium to the redeveloped RDS Arena.
In 2007–08, Leinster failed to qualify from their European Cup pool, but did end the season as Celtic League champions, sealing the title with a 41–8 victory over the Newport Gwent Dragons in front of their home fans at the RDS.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the 2008–09 season, Leinster topped their European Cup pool despite away losses to French side Castres and English side Wasps.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Victory over Harlequins in the quarter-finals followed, despite the Bloodgate Scandal. Leinster overcame Munster 25–6 in a semi-final in Dublin's Croke Park that broke the world record attendance for a club rugby union game with a crowd of over 82,200.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Leinster won the 2009 European Cup Final in Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, beating Leicester Tigers 19–16 to claim their first European crown.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2009–10 Leinster was eliminated from the European Cup at the semi-final stage by eventual winners Toulouse. Also despite having topped the Pro12 league during the regular season, Leinster lost the first-ever Play-off Final 17–12 on their home ground to the Ospreys.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the 2010–11 European Cup, Leinster defeated the top English teams (Leicester Tigers, Saracens & Northampton Saints), as well as top French sides, Toulouse (who were the defending European champions), Racing Metro & Clermont Auvergne, (the French Champions).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> to go on to regain their title as champions of Europe in the 2011 European Cup Final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Trailing at half time, Leinster scored 27 unanswered points in the second half to beat Northampton 33–22 and claim their second European crown with the biggest comeback in European Cup final history.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Leinster were also chasing a Pro12 & European Cup double, but lost 19–9 to Irish rivals Munster in the Pro12 Final.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2011–12 Leinster became only the second side ever to retain the title of European Champions. Leinster emerged unbeaten in group play to top their group<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and went on to defeat the Cardiff Blues 34–3 in the quarterfinals,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> followed by a 19–15 semifinal victory over ASM Clermont Auvergne.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and defeated Ulster in the first all-Irish final 42–14, recording the most points scored and the most tries scored in a European Cup final as well as becoming the first unbeaten side to win the European Cup.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Once again, Leinster targeted the double, and faced a repeat of the 2010 Pro12 final against the Ospreys. Leinster's domestic title challenge fell at the final hurdle, conceding a final minute try to slump to a one-point defeat, and unable to complete the double despite topping the table in the regular season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The 2012–13 campaign proved to be another successful season for Leinster Rugby. The club finished in second place during the regular season of the Pro12 and defeated Glasgow Warriors by a score of 17–15 in their semi-final play-off match on 11 May 2013.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 17 May, Leinster were crowned champions of the European Challenge Cup after defeating Stade Français 34–13 in the final at their home ground, the RDS Arena.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Leinster successfully completed the double on 25 May, defeating Ulster 24–18 in the Pro12 final to claim their third league championship.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Leinster continued their success in the 2013–14 season by becoming the first team ever to defend the Pro12 title, topping the league in the regular season and defeating Glasgow Warriors 34–12 in their fifth consecutive Pro12 play-off final and also secured their seventh major title in as many years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Blooding a new generation (2015–2017)
Following a remarkable run of seven major trophies in seven years, Leinster's title run came to an end following the 2013–14 season. The 2014–15 season saw a dip in form, with Leinster finishing in fifth place in the league and failing to make the play-offs. Fortunes in the newly formed Champions Cup were better, with the team reaching the semi-final where they were defeated in extra-time by eventual winners, Toulon. At the end of the season, head coach Matt O'Connor left the club by mutual consent with former club captain, Leo Cullen, being named as his replacement. Cullen then brought in ex-England coach Stuart Lancaster as senior coach at the start of the 2016–17 season, which saw a huge improvement from Leinster as well a big group of young players coming through. Despite playing brilliant rugby all season, Leinster failed to win any silverware, falling short in the Champions Cup semi-final to old rivals Clermont and shocked by the Scarlets in the Pro12 Semi-Final at the RDS. However, there was huge optimism amongst the players and supporters as they believed this was only the start of a new generation and perhaps another era of success.
Present Day (2018–2024)
Starting with the 2017–18 season, Leinster won four straight Pro14 championships.<ref name="4 in a row Pro14">Template:Cite news</ref> In Europe, they won the 2017-18 Heineken Cup, defeating Racing 92 by a score of 15–12 in the final in Bilbao.<ref name="2017-18 H Cup">Template:Cite web</ref> They were runners-ups four times in 2018-19 Heineken Cup, 2021-22 Heineken Cup, 2022-23 Heineken Cup and the 2023-24 Heineken Cup.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Leinster were knocked out of the Heineken cup competition in the quarter-finals in 2019–20, and again at the semi-finals stage in 2020–21.
United Rugby Championship Era (2021–present)
Four South African teams joined the Guinness Pro 14 and the tournament was renamed the United Rugby Championship (URC).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Leinster lost to South African side the Bulls in the inaugural semi-final. In the subsequent two years, Leinster again lost at the URC semi-final stage to Munster, following a late drop goal by Jack Crowley,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Bulls.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Leinster were marginally more successful in the Champions Cup during this period, making the final in three successive seasons, before losing in a semi-final to Northampton Saints in 2024-25.
However, their mentality was routinely questioned during this period given their failure to win trophies despite a relative abundance of resources.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The format of the 2021–22 Champions Cup competition was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Leinster won their first round matchup with Bath. However, the day prior to Leinster's second match, an away fixture to Montpellier, the EPCR announced that the match would not go ahead, and instead awarded a 28–0 win to Montpellier.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This was despite Leinster having a full squad certified to be COVID-free, named, and ready to travel. The following day, the EPCR announced that all other matches involving French and UK teams from the same second round would be postponed to a future date.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Following the EPCR's decision to award Montpellier a 28–0 bonus-point win for their cancelled round two clash, Leinster beat Montpellier by 89–7, with the 82 point margin eclipsing their previous biggest win in Europe set against Bourgoin back in 2004.<ref name="europe record">Template:Cite web</ref>
Previous season summaries
| Domestic League | European Cup | Domestic / 'A' Cup | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Competition | Final Position (Pool) | Points | Play-offs | Competition | Performance | Competition | Performance |
| 1995–96 | No competition | Heineken Cup | Semi-final | Interprovincial Championship | Champions | |||
| 1996–97 | No competition | Heineken Cup | 3rd in pool | Interprovincial Championship | 2nd | |||
| 1997–98 | No competition | Heineken Cup | 3rd in pool | Interprovincial Championship | Champions | |||
| 1998–99 | No competition | Heineken Cup | 4th in pool | Interprovincial Championship | 3rd | |||
| 1999–00 | No competition | Heineken Cup | 2nd in pool | Interprovincial Championship | 3rd | |||
| 2000–01 | No competition | Heineken Cup | 2nd in pool | Interprovincial Championship | 3rd | |||
| 2001–02 | Celtic League | 1st (A) | 21 | Champions | Heineken Cup | Quarter-final | Interprovincial Championship | Champions |
| 2002–03 | Celtic League | 5th (B) | 18 | Did Not qualify | Heineken Cup | Semi-final | No competition | |
| 2003–04 | Celtic League | 8th | 47 | N/A | Heineken Cup | 2nd in pool | Celtic Cup | Quarter-final |
| 2004–05 | Celtic League | 3rd | 57 | N/A | Heineken Cup | Quarter-final | Celtic Cup | Semi-final |
| 2005–06 | Celtic League | 2nd | 74 | N/A | Heineken Cup | Semi-final | No competition | |
| 2006–07 | Magners League | 3rd | 61 | N/A | Heineken Cup | Quarter-final | No competition | |
| 2007–08 | Magners League | 1st | 61 | N/A | Heineken Cup | 3rd in pool | No competition | |
| 2008–09 | Magners League | 3rd | 52 | N/A | Heineken Cup | Champions | No competition | |
| 2009–10 | Magners League | 1st | 55 | Runner-up | Heineken Cup | Semi-final | British and Irish Cup | 2nd in pool |
| 2010–11 | Magners League | 2nd | 70 | Runner-up | Heineken Cup | Champions | British and Irish Cup | Quarter-final |
| 2011–12 | RaboDirect PRO12 | 1st | 81 | Runner-up | Heineken Cup | Champions | British and Irish Cup | Semi-final |
| 2012–13 | RaboDirect PRO12 | 2nd | 78 | Champions | Challenge Cup* | Champions | British and Irish Cup | Champions |
| 2013–14 | RaboDirect PRO12 | 1st | 82 | Champions | Heineken Cup | Quarter-final | British and Irish Cup | Champions |
| 2014–15 | Guinness PRO12 | 5th | 62 | Did Not qualify | Champions Cup | Semi-final | British and Irish Cup | Semi-final |
| 2015–16 | Guinness PRO12 | 1st | 73 | Runner-up | Champions Cup | 4th in pool | British and Irish Cup | Quarter-final |
| 2016–17 | Guinness PRO12 | 2nd | 85 | Semi-Final | Champions Cup | Semi-final | British and Irish Cup | 2nd in pool |
| 2017–18 | Guinness PRO14 | 1st (B) | 70 | Champions | Champions Cup | Champions | British and Irish Cup | Runner-up |
| 2018–19 | Guinness PRO14 | 1st (B) | 76 | Champions | Champions Cup | Runner-up | Celtic Cup | Champions |
| 2019–20 | Guinness PRO14 | 1st (A) | 69 | Champions | Champions Cup | Quarter-final | Celtic Cup | Champions |
| 2020–21 | Guinness PRO14 | 1st (A) | 71 | Champions | Champions Cup | Semi-final | Rainbow Cup | 4th in pool |
| 2021–22 | United Rugby Championship | 1st | 67 | Semi-final | Champions Cup | Runner-up | URC Irish Shield | Champions |
| 2022–23 | United Rugby Championship | 1st | 79 | Semi-final | Champions Cup | Runner-up | URC Irish Shield | Champions |
| 2023–24 | United Rugby Championship | 3rd | 65 | Semi-final | Champions Cup | Runner-up | URC Irish Shield | Champions |
| 2024–25 | United Rugby Championship | 1st | 76 | Champions | Champions Cup | Semi-final | URC Irish Shield | Champions |
Gold background denotes champions
Silver background denotes runner-up
* After dropping into the competition from the Champions Cup/Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup / Champions Cup
| Season | Pool/Round | Pos | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Bonus | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–96 | Pool C | 1st | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 |
| Semi-final | Leinster 14 – 23 Cardiff | |||||||
| 1996–97 | Pool B | 3rd | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | – | 4 |
| 1997–98 | Pool A | 3rd | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | – | 4 |
| 1998–99 | Pool A | 4th | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | – | 4 |
| 1999–00 | Pool 1 | 2nd | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | – | 8 |
| 2000–01 | Pool 1 | 2nd | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | – | 7 |
| 2001–02 | Pool 6 | 1st | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | – | 10 |
| Quarter-final | Leicester Tigers 29 – 18 Leinster | |||||||
| 2002–03 | Pool 4 | 1st | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 |
| Quarter-final | Leinster 18 – 13 Biarritz Olympique | |||||||
| Semi-final | Leinster 14 – 21 USA Perpignan | |||||||
| 2003–04 | Pool 3 | 2nd | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 18 |
| 2004–05 | Pool 4 | 1st | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 26 |
| Quarter-final | Leinster 13 – 29 Leicester Tigers | |||||||
| 2005–06 | Pool 5 | 2nd | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 22 |
| Quarter-final | Toulouse 35 – 41 Leinster | |||||||
| Semi-final | Leinster 6 – 30 Munster | |||||||
| 2006–07 | Pool 2 | 1st | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 21 |
| Quarter-final | Wasps 35 – 13 Leinster | |||||||
| 2007–08 | Pool 6 | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 |
| 2008–09 | Pool 2 | 1st | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 20 |
| Quarter-final | Harlequins 5 – 6 Leinster | |||||||
| Semi-final | Munster 6 – 25 Leinster | |||||||
| Final | Leinster 19 – 16 Leicester Tigers | |||||||
| 2009–10 | Pool 6 | 1st | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 22 |
| Quarter-final | Leinster 29 – 28 ASM Clermont Auvergne | |||||||
| Semi-final | Toulouse 26 – 16 Leinster | |||||||
| 2010–11 | Pool 2 | 1st | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 24 |
| Quarter-final | Leinster 17 – 10 Leicester Tigers | |||||||
| Semi-final | Leinster 32 – 23 Toulouse | |||||||
| Final | Leinster 33 – 22 Northampton Saints | |||||||
| 2011–12 | Pool 3 | 1st | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 24 |
| Quarter-final | Leinster 34 – 3 Cardiff | |||||||
| Semi-final | ASM Clermont Auvergne 15 – 19 Leinster | |||||||
| Final | Leinster 42 – 14 Ulster | |||||||
| 2012–13 | Pool 5 | 2nd | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 20 |
| 2013–14 | Pool 1 | 1st | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 22 |
| Quarter-final | RC Toulon 29 – 14 Leinster | |||||||
| 2014–15 | Pool 2 | 1st | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 20 |
| Quarter-final | Leinster 18 – 15 Bath | |||||||
| Semi-final | RC Toulon 25 – 20 Leinster (A.E.T.) | |||||||
| 2015–16 | Pool 5 | 4th | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 6 |
| 2016–17 | Pool 4 | 1st | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 23 |
| Quarter-final | Leinster 32 – 17 Wasps | |||||||
| Semi-final | ASM Clermont Auvergne 27 – 22 Leinster | |||||||
| 2017–18 | Pool 3 | 1st | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 27 |
| Quarter-final | Leinster 30 — 19 Saracens | |||||||
| Semi-final | Leinster 38 – 16 Scarlets | |||||||
| Final | Leinster 15 – 12 Racing 92 | |||||||
| 2018–19 | Pool 1 | 1st | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 25 |
| Quarter-final | Leinster 21 – 18 Ulster | |||||||
| Semi-final | Leinster 30 – 12 Toulouse | |||||||
| Final | Saracens 20 – 10 Leinster | |||||||
| 2019–20 | Pool 1 | 1st | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 28 |
| Quarter-final | Leinster 17 – 25 Saracens | |||||||
| 2020–21<ref>Due to scheduling complications arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, only 2 group games were played in a once off revised format of the competition. Therefore, an additional round of 16 knock-out stage was added as a compromise mid-competition.</ref> | Pool A | 1st | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 |
| Round of 16 | Leinster –Cancelled– RC Toulon<ref group=note>Leinster awarded a walkover as Toulon were unable to field a team following positive COVID-19 test results in the squad</ref> | |||||||
| Quarter-final | Exeter Chiefs 22 – 34 Leinster | |||||||
| Semi-final | La Rochelle 32 – 23 Leinster | |||||||
| 2021–22 | Pool A | 4th | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 15 |
| Round of 16 | Connacht 21 – 26 Leinster Leinster 56 – 20 Connacht | |||||||
| Quarter-final | Leicester Tigers 14 – 23 Leinster | |||||||
| Semi-final | Leinster 40 – 17 Stade Toulousain | |||||||
| Final | La Rochelle 24 – 21 Leinster | |||||||
| 2022–23 | Pool A | 1st | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 20 |
| Round of 16 | Leinster 30 – 15 Ulster | |||||||
| Quarter-final | Leinster 55 – 24 Leicester Tigers | |||||||
| Semi-final | Leinster 41 – 22 Stade Toulousain | |||||||
| Final | La Rochelle 27 – 26 Leinster | |||||||
| 2023–24 | Pool D | 1st | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 19 |
| Round of 16 | Leinster 36 – 22 Leicester Tigers | |||||||
| Quarter-final | Leinster 40 – 13 La Rochelle | |||||||
| Semi-final | Leinster 20 – 17 Northampton Saints | |||||||
| Final | Toulouse 31 – 22 Leinster | |||||||
| 2024–25 | Pool 2 | 1st | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18 |
| Round of 16 | Leinster 62 – 0 Harlequins | |||||||
| Quarter-final | Leinster 52 – 0 Glasgow Warriors | |||||||
| Semi-final | Leinster 34 – 37 Northampton Saints | |||||||
Challenge Cup
| Season | Round | Result | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–13 | Quarter-Final | Wasps 28 – 48 Leinster | |||||||
| Semi-final | Leinster 44 – 16 Biarritz Olympique | ||||||||
| Final | Leinster 34 – 13 Stade Français | ||||||||
United Rugby Championship
| Season | Pos | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Bonus | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 1st (Pool A) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | |
| Quarter-Final | Leinster 34 – 22 Newport | |||||||
| Semi-final | Leinster 35 – 13 Glasgow | |||||||
| Final | Leinster 24 – 20 Munster | |||||||
| 2002–03 | 5th (Pool B) | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 18 | |
| 2003–04 | 8th | 22 | 9 | 1 | 12 | 9 | 47 | |
| 2004–05 | 3rd | 20 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 57 | |
| 2005–06 | 2nd | 20 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 74<ref group="n" name="freeweek">11 teams were involved in this season, so one team did not play each week and were awarded 4 points instead. Therefore, each team finished the season with 8 more points than the table would seem to warrant.
| |
| 2006–07 | 3rd | 20 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 61 | |
| 2007–08 | 1st | 18 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 61 | |
| 2008–09 | 3rd | 18 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 52 | |
| 2009–10 | 1st | 18 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 55 | |
| Semi-final | Leinster 16 – 6 Munster | |||||||
| Final | Leinster 12 – 17 Ospreys | |||||||
| 2010–11 | 2nd | 22 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 70 | |
| Semi-final | Leinster 18 – 3 Ulster | |||||||
| Final | Munster 19 – 9 Leinster | |||||||
| 2011–12 | 1st | 22 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 81 | |
| Semi-final | Leinster 19 – 15 Glasgow | |||||||
| Final | Leinster 30 – 31 Ospreys | |||||||
| 2012–13 | 2nd | 22 | 17 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 78 | |
| Semi-final | Leinster 17 – 15 Glasgow | |||||||
| Final | Ulster 18 – 24 Leinster | |||||||
| 2013–14 | 1st | 22 | 17 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 82 | |
| Semi-final | Leinster 13 – 9 Ulster | |||||||
| Final | Leinster 34 – 12 Glasgow | |||||||
| 2014–15 | 5th | 22 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 62 | |
| 2015–16 | 1st | 22 | 16 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 73 | |
| Semi-final | Leinster 30 – 18 Ulster | |||||||
| Final | Leinster 10 – 20 Connacht | |||||||
| 2016–17 | 2nd | 22 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 85 | |
| Semi-final | Leinster 15 – 27 Scarlets | |||||||
| 2017-18 | 1st | 21 | 14 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 70 | |
| Semi-final | Leinster 16 – 15 Munster | |||||||
| Final | Leinster 40 – 32 Scarlets | |||||||
| 2018–19 | 1st | 21 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 76 | |
| Semi-final | Leinster 24 – 9 Munster | |||||||
| Final | Leinster 18 – 15 Glasgow | |||||||
| 2019–20 | 1st | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 69 | |
| Semi-final | Leinster 13 — 3 Munster | |||||||
| Final | Leinster 27 — 5 Ulster | |||||||
| 2020–21 | 1st | 16 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 71 | |
| Final | Leinster 16 — 6 Munster | |||||||
| 2021–22 | 1st | 18 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 15 | 67 | |
| Quarter-final | Leinster 76 — 14 Glasgow Warriors | |||||||
| Semi-final | Leinster 26 — 27 Bulls | |||||||
| 2022–23 | 1st | 18 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 79 | |
| Quarter-final | Leinster 35 — 5 Sharks | |||||||
| Semi-final | Leinster 15 — 16 Munster | |||||||
| 2023–24 | 3rd | 18 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 65 | |
| Quarter-final | Leinster 43 — 20 Ulster | |||||||
| Semi-final | Bulls 25 – 20 Leinster | |||||||
| Template:Reflist | ||||||||
| 2024–25 | 1st | 18 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 76 | |
| Quarter-final | Leinster 33–21 Scarlets | |||||||
| Semi-final | Leinster 37–19 Glasgow Warriors | |||||||
| Final | Leinster 32–7 Bulls | |||||||
Current standings
United Rugby Championship
{{#section-h:2024–25 United Rugby Championship|URC league standings}}
Template:2024–25 United Rugby Championship regional pools
European Rugby Champions Cup
Pool D Template:2024–25 European Rugby Champions Cup Pool 2 table
Honours
| Honours | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Competition | Winners | Season(s) | Runners-up | Season(s) | |||
| European | |||||||
| European Rugby Champions Cup<ref group=note>Formerly known as Heineken European Cup</ref> | 4 | 2008–09, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2017–18 | 4 | 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24 | |||
| European Rugby Challenge Cup<ref group=note>Formerly known as European Challenge Cup</ref> | 1 | 2012–13 | - | - | |||
| Domestic | |||||||
| United Rugby Championship<ref group=note>Formerly known as Celtic League / Magners League / Pro12 / Pro14</ref> | 9 | 2001–02, 2007–08, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2024–25 | 5 | 2005–06, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2015–16 | |||
| Provincial | |||||||
| URC Irish Shield<ref group=note>Contested from 2022 to present</ref> | 4 | 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25 | - | - | |||
| Irish Inter-Provincial Championship<ref group=note>Contested from 1946 to 2002 – Bold indicates Grand Slam; * indicates shared title; years shown are season ending years</ref><ref name="The Ireland Rugby Miscellany 2007">The Ireland Rugby Miscellany (2007): Ciaran Cronin</ref> | 22 | 1949, 1950*, 1955*, 1957*, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965*, 1972, 1973*, 1976*, 1978*, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983*, 1984, 1994*, 1996, 1998*, 2002 |
N/A | N/A | |||
| 'A'-Team | |||||||
| Celtic Cup<ref group=note>Contested from 2019 to 2020</ref> | 2 | 2018–19, 2019–20 | - | - | |||
| British & Irish Cup<ref group=note>Contested from 2009 to 2018</ref> | 2 | 2012–13, 2013–14 | 1 | 2017–18 | |||
Colours and crest
The current crest was introduced in 2005 as Leinster Rugby held no copyright on the previous crest. The new, stylised crest, is made specific to Leinster Rugby as it incorporates the harp with a rugby ball.<ref>About Leinster Rugby:Harp Template:Webarchive Leinster Rugby</ref> The Leinster Rugby crest is on all official club merchandise including replica jerseys.
The province's current kit (2018/19) is blue with a pattern of spearheads on the jersey which takes inspiration from the people of Laighean (the ancient Irish name for Leinster), while the alternative kit is green with gold features, the colours seen in the Flag of Leinster, with a pattern of geographical cutouts for its 12 counties. The European kit is 'night navy' with the name of each of the 12 counties visible on the jersey written in the ancient Irish alphabet ogham.
The Leinster jersey also features four stars above the crest, to represent the four European Cup titles won to date.
Stadia
RDS Arena
Leinster's current home ground is the RDS Arena.<ref>RDS Arena, Dublin WorldStadia.com</ref> Games were first played at the RDS during the 2006–07 season, initially just for European Cup games. By the following season, however, all games had been moved to the RDS. The RDS has undergone large scale redevelopment since Leinster moved in. The arena now has a mostly seated capacity of 18,500. As the RDS remains a showjumping venue, the North and South stands are removable. A roof has been constructed to cover the grandstand opposite the pre-existing Anglesea stand.<ref>Grandstand Roof on Course for new season Leinster Rugby, 19 July 2008</ref> The RDS will be Leinster's home until 2027, as a 20-year lease was signed in 2007.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In July 2014, it was announced by the RDS and Leinster rugby that a design competition was being held to develop the arena into a 25,000 capacity world-class stadium, with work expected to commence on the redevelopment in April 2016.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The selling of naming rights to the arena will be a key component in funding the project, with an initial budget of €20,000,000 being proposed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Aviva Stadium
For bigger games where the RDS does not have sufficient capacity, Leinster play their games at the Aviva Stadium, which has an all-seater capacity of 51,700. These are often key home games in the European Cup or United Rugby Championship games against domestic rivals. In 2010 they first played a home league game against Munster, the first time the stadium sold out,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and then against ASM Clermont Auvergne.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Leinster have the last word at old Lansdowne Road Western Mail, 1 January 2007 – at Encyclopedia.com</ref><ref>Munster pack some punch Munster pack some punch, 23 April 2006</ref> Leinster defeated Leicester Tigers at the venue in the 2010–11 European Cup quarter-finals and went on to beat Toulouse in the semi-finals, also held at the Aviva stadium on 30 April 2011, en route to winning their second European Cup.<ref name="Leinster 32 Toulouse 23">Template:Cite web</ref> The following season Leinster hosted Munster, Bath and Cardiff at the Aviva Stadium and remained unbeaten at the ground until December 2012 when they lost 21–28 to ASM Clermont Auvergne.
Donnybrook Stadium
Leinster's traditional home over the years has been Donnybrook Stadium in Donnybrook, Dublin 4. Donnybrook consists of a single covered stand and three sides of open terracing. A move across Dublin 4 to the RDS Arena for Leinster was needed to accommodate growing crowds, as the 6,000 capacity stadium had become too small.<ref>Sport goes on scoring Template:Webarchive Marketing – Ireland's Marketing & Media Monthly Magazine</ref> For this reason, Leinster have signed a long-term lease with the Royal Dublin Society to play home games at the RDS Arena. Donnybrook has since, been improved as a venue with the reconstruction of the grandstand in 2008<ref>Directions & Maps: How to Find Us Leinster Rugby</ref> and remains an important venue for rugby union in Dublin.<ref name=Branch/> Due to limited space, it is unlikely that Donnybrook will undergo further redevelopment. Leinster A play their British and Irish Cup games in the stadium and the senior team have continued to hold certain pre-season friendlies in the stadium as well as most Leinster schools cup matches being held at the venue.<ref>Leinster name side to face Queensland Template:Webarchive RTÉ Sport, 29 August 2008</ref><ref>Tickets remaining for London Irish this Friday... Leinster Rugby, 24 August 2009</ref>
Supporters
Before the advent of professionalism in the Irish game, provincial rugby games were generally poorly attended. During most of the 1990s, Leinster matches regularly attracted crowds of about 500 to 2,000.<ref name="Leinster Rugby Comes of Age">Template:Cite web</ref> The decision to structure the game professionally via the provincial network through centralised player contracts and the subsequent on-field success achieved by Leinster and the other provinces resulted in a significant increase in support within a decade.<ref name="Leinster Rugby Comes of Age"/> Leinster had 3,700 season ticket holders in 2006, double the number of the previous season.<ref name="Leinster Rugby Comes of Age"/> The Official Leinster Supporters Club was formally established as a club in 2007.<ref>Official Leinster Supporters Club Leinster Rugby</ref> The last match at the old Lansdowne Road stadium was against Ulster on 31 December 2006 before it was demolished to make way for the new Aviva Stadium, earning the match the moniker of "The Last Stand". Leinster won the match 20–12, with an attendance of 48,000 – a record at the time.<ref>Leinster win The Last Stand at Lansdowne Template:Webarchive BreakingNews.ie, 31 December 2006</ref> A previous attendance record in the Pro12 was also set at Lansdowne Road, for a game between Leinster and Munster which drew a crowd of 30,000.<ref>Miller-less Leinster earn corn The Irish Times – Leinster Rugby</ref> Leinster's supporters were named as 'Player of the Month' for April 2009 following their support in the European Cup Quarter Final against Harlequins at The Stoop.<ref>Leinster Supporters earn Bank of Ireland honour Leinster Rugby, 26 April 2009</ref>
,_EI-RJX,_Avro_RJ85_(36969025474)_(2).jpg){kind=link}
On several occasions Leinster have set the record for the largest Celtic league and Pro12 attendances. On 2 October 2010, Leinster beat Munster 13–9 in the 5th round of the league at the Aviva Stadium. This set a new crowd attendance record for a Pro12 game at 50,645.<ref>Leinster bench changes the attack the Irish Times – Leinster Rugby, 2 October 2010</ref> They subsequently set a new record on 29 March 2014 during a sellout match against Munster in which 51,700 fans were in attendance. This Pro12 record was subsequently surpassed by attendances at the Judgement Day fixtures. During the 2014–15 Pro12 season Leinster had the best support of any club in the PRO12 league with an average attendance of 17,717.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Leinster's European Cup clash against Munster at Croke Park on 2 May 2009 set a world record attendance at the time for a club rugby union game with a crowd of 82,208.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Home attendance
Domestic League {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
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| League | Fixtures | Average Attendance | Highest | Lowest | League | Fixtures | Average Attendance | Highest | Lowest | Total Attendance | Average Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | – | – | – | 1995–96 Heineken Cup | 2 | 5,675 | 7,350 | 4,000 | 11,350 | 5,675 |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1996–97 Heineken Cup | 2 | 3,750 | 4,000 | 3,500 | 7,500 | 3,750 |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1997–98 Heineken Cup | 3 | 6,267 | 7,000 | 5,500 | 18,800 | 6,267 |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1998–99 Heineken Cup | 3 | 5,500 | 8,000 | 4,000 | 16,500 | 5,500 |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1999–00 Heineken Cup | 3 | 4,833 | 6,500 | 3,000 | 14,500 | 4,833 |
| – | – | – | – | – | 2000–01 Heineken Cup | 3 | 8,147 | 12,000 | 3,940 | 24,440 | 8,147 |
| 2001–02 Celtic League | 6• | 8,926 | 30,000 | 3,056 | 2001–02 Heineken Cup | 3 | 7,500 | 7,500 | 7,500 | 76,056 | 8,451 |
| 2002–03 Celtic League | 3 | 5,500 | 6,000 | 4,500 | 2002–03 Heineken Cup | 5 | 21,600 | 45,000 | 6,000 | 124,500 | 15,563 |
| 2003–04 Celtic League Celtic Cup |
12* | 3,173 | 7,000 | 1,068 | 2003–04 Heineken Cup | 3 | 14,963 | 23,463 | 7,200 | 82,965 | 5,531 |
| 2004–05 Celtic League Celtic Cup |
12* | 5,038 | 13,500 | 2,800 | 2004–05 Heineken Cup | 4 | 19,891 | 48,500 | 5,100 | 140,020 | 8,751 |
| 2005–06 Celtic League | 10 | 5,814 | 14,135 | 1,700 | 2005–06 Heineken Cup | 4 | 20,932 | 47,000 | 11,133 | 141,868 | 10,133 |
| 2006–07 Celtic League | 10 | 11,892 | 48,000 | 3,750 | 2006–07 Heineken Cup | 3 | 15,861 | 22,530 | 6,400 | 166,503 | 12,808 |
| 2007–08 Celtic League | 9 | 14,361 | 18,500 | 9,439 | 2007–08 Heineken Cup | 3 | 17,820 | 18,563 | 16,752 | 182,709 | 15,226 |
| 2008–09 Celtic League | 9 | 14,728 | 18,500 | 10,910 | 2008–09 Heineken Cup | 3 | 17,680 | 18,300 | 16,500 | 185,592 | 15,466 |
| 2009–10 Celtic League | 11 | 15,835 | 19,750 | 11,836 | 2009–10 Heineken Cup | 4 | 18,709 | 20,000 | 17,836 | 249,021 | 16,601 |
| 2010–11 Celtic League | 12 | 16,849 | 50,645 | 9,790 | 2010–11 Heineken Cup | 5 | 36,229 | 50,073 | 17,936 | 383,333 | 22,549 |
| 2011–12 Pro12 | 12 | 18,971 | 48,365 | 14,362 | 2011–12 Heineken Cup | 4 | 33,282 | 50,340 | 17,924 | 360,780 | 22,549 |
| 2012–13 Pro12 | 12 | 19,084 | 46,280 | 13,235 | 2012–13 Heineken Cup 2012–13 Challenge Cup |
6† | 22,369 | 48,964 | 9,654 | 363,222 | 20,179 |
| 2013–14 Pro12 | 13 | 19,507 | 51,700 | 14,400 | 2013–14 Heineken Cup | 3 | 28,137 | 47,370 | 18,500 | 338,002 | 21,125 |
| 2014–15 Pro12 | 11 | 17,675 | 43,817 | 11,322 | 2014–15 European Rugby Champions Cup | 3 | 29,509 | 43,958 | 17,558 | 282,952 | 20,211 |
| 2015–16 Pro12 | 12 | 15,118 | 43,108 | 8,612 | 2015–16 European Rugby Champions Cup | 3 | 25,428 | 44,925 | 14,569 | 257,700 | 17,180 |
| 2016–17 Pro12 | 12 | 15,579 | 40,527 | 10,792 | 2016–17 European Rugby Champions Cup | 4 | 30,081 | 50,266 | 13,890 | 307,272 | 19,205 |
| 2017–18 Pro14 | 11 | 16,793 | 46,374 | 10,115 | 2017–18 European Rugby Champions Cup | 5 | 34,432 | 51,700 | 15,947 | 356,883 | 22,305 |
| 2018–19 Pro14 | 12 | 17,242 | 50,120 | 10,057 | 2018–19 European Rugby Champions Cup | 5 | 34,285 | 51,700 | 18,055 | 378,329 | 22,255 |
| 2019–20 Pro14 | 7‡ | 12,919 | 18,300 | 7,967 | 2019–20 European Rugby Champions Cup | 3‡ | 25,086 | 42,041 | 15,080 | 165,691 | 16,569 |
| 2020–21 Pro14 Pro14 Rainbow Cup |
1‡ | 1,200 | 1,200 | 1,200 | 2020–21 European Rugby Champions Cup | 0‡ | – | – | – | 1,200 | 1,200 |
| 2021–22 United Rugby Championship | 11 | 14,138 | 32,411 | 8,559 | 2021–22 European Rugby Champions Cup | 4‡ | 26,134 | 42,067 | 5,000 | 260,046 | 17,336 |
| 2022–23 United Rugby Championship | 11 | 18,773 | 45,436 | 12,441 | 2022–23 European Rugby Champions Cup | 6 | 39,377 | 51,711 | 15,469 | 442,765 | 26,045 |
| 2023–24 United Rugby Championship | 10 | 18,939 | 49,246 | 10,404 | 2023–24 European Rugby Champions Cup | 5 | 46,747 | 82,300 | 18,600 | 423,119 | 28,208 |
| 2024–25 United Rugby Championship | 12 | 26,345 | 80,468 | 12,879 | 2024–25 European Rugby Champions Cup | 5 | 38,923 | 55,627 | 22,400 | 510,754 | 30,044 |
| •Only matches in which there was a reported attendance are included. | |||||||||||
| *Match figures inclusive of both Celtic League and Celtic Cup fixtures. | |||||||||||
| †Match figures inclusive of both Heineken Cup and Challenge Cup fixtures. | |||||||||||
| ‡Match figures include fixtures in which COVID-19 restrictions limited attendance, but exclude fixtures in which no spectators were allowed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | |||||||||||
Up to date at end of the 2024–25 season.<ref name="Attendance history">Template:Cite web</ref>
| Key | |
|---|---|
| Record high | |
| Record low | |
| * | Affected by the COVID-19 pandemic |
Leinster A
Template:Anchor Leinster A is the team that represents Leinster in the British & Irish Cup,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> having won the competition a record two times to date, in the 2012–13 season as well as the 2013–14 season, also becoming the first and only side to ever successfully defend the trophy. Leinster A also compete in the All Ireland Inter-provincial Championship. Pre-professionalism and a formal Celtic league structure, the main Leinster team competed in the AIIPC. Since the advent of professionalism, the provinces have fielded lesser teams to concentrate on the Celtic League. The team is composed of Senior Leinster squad players requiring game time, Development contract & Academy players and, occasionally, AIL players called up from their clubs.
For the 2019–20 season, the Leinster A team was coached by Noel McNamara.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
| Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | % Won | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British and Irish Cup | 61 | 46 | 2 | 13 | {{#expr:46/61*100 round 2}}% | 2012–13, 2013–14 |
| Celtic Cup | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | 2018–19, 2019–20 |
| Total | 76 | 61 | 2 | 13 | {{#expr:61/76*100 round 2}}% |
Updated as of 12 April 2021.<ref name="Team Stats">Template:Cite web</ref>
Sponsorship
Kit sponsor
From the 1999-2000 season until the 2017-18 season Leinster's kits were supplied by Canterbury of New Zealand having previously been supplied by O'Neills.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For the next five seasons starting with the 2018-19 season Leinster's kits were supplied by Adidas. From the 2023-24 season, the kits are now supplied by Castore.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Main sponsor
Leinster's main shirt sponsor was ACC Bank from 1992 until the year 2000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The recently founded Esat Digifone also featured on the back of the jerseys from 1997.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
From 2001-07 the main sponsor was Bank of Scotland (Ireland).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Since 2007 Bank of Ireland, the country's oldest banking institution are Leinster's primary sponsors appearing in the front of their shirt, their sleeves, the top back of their shirt and the front right of their shorts. The Bank of Ireland symbol appeared on Leinster's front right and front left collars. On occasion, the team will wear a shirt adorned with the logo of another sponsor due to a promotion run annually by the bank offering up the sponsorship space to an Irish business by way of a competition to win the right to become a sponsor for a day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During the 2013–14 season the contest was won by Dublin-based meat wholesaler Gahan Meats<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and for 2014–15 the shirt sponsorship winners were accounting software provider Big Red Cloud.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The sponsorship prize package is valued at €50,000 and attracts hundreds of companies keen to be shortlisted each year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The left of Leinster's back shorts had Bank of Ireland between 2009 and 2013 where it was replaced by Bank of Ireland's Twitter address right up until 2015 where it was replaced by Laya Healthcare.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For about a decade, the team's "official airline"' was Ireland's CityJet.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Management and coaches
| Position | Name | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Head coach | Leo Cullen | Template:Flagu |
| Senior Coach | Jacques Nienaber | Template:Flagu |
| Assistant coach | Robin McBryde | Template:Flagu |
| Backs Coach | Tyler Bleyendaal | Template:Flagu |
| Contact Skills Coach | Sean O'Brien | Template:Flagu |
| Kicking Coach & Head Analyst | Emmet Farrell | Template:Flagu |
Current squad
Academy squad
| Leinster Rugby Academy squadTemplate:Efn | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Props
Hookers
Locks
|
Back row
Scrum-halves
Fly-halves |
Centres
Wings
Fullbacks
|
| (c) denotes the team captain, Bold denotes internationally capped players. * denotes players qualified to play for Ireland on residency or dual nationality. Players and their allocated positions from the Leinster Rugby website.<ref name="Leinster Rugby Academy for 2021/22 Confirmed">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
Results versus representative sides
- Scores and results list Leinster's points tally first.
Records against European Cup and URC opponents in the professional era (1995–present)
| Against | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | % Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Flagicon Agen | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Template:Flagicon Aironi | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Template:Flagicon Benetton | 29 | 25 | 2 | 2 | {{#expr:25/29*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Bath | 14 | 12 | 0 | 2 | {{#expr:12/14*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Biarritz | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 66.67% |
| Template:Flagicon Bordeaux | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.00% |
| Template:Flagicon Border Reivers | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 70.00% |
| Template:Flagicon Bourgoin | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 75.00% |
| Template:Flagicon Bridgend | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Template:Flagicon Bristol | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Template:Flagicon Brive | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Template:Flagicon Bulls | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | {{#expr:3/7*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Cardiff Blues | 38 | 30 | 2 | 6 | {{#expr:30/38*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Cardiff RFC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | {{#expr:1/1*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Castres | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 75.00% |
| Template:Flagicon Celtic Warriors | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00% |
| Template:Rut | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | {{#expr:3/4*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Clermont Auvergne | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | {{#expr:6/10*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Connacht* | 47 | 38 | 0 | 9 | {{#expr:38/47*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Dragons | 40 | 31 | 0 | 9 | {{#expr:31/40*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Ebbw Vale RFC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Template:Flagicon Edinburgh | 44 | 29 | 1 | 14 | {{#expr:29/44*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Exeter Chiefs | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Template:Flagicon Glasgow Warriors | 58 | 40 | 2 | 16 | {{#expr:40/58*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Gloucester | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | {{#expr:3/4*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Harlequins | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | {{#expr:3/4*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon La Rochelle | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 50.00% |
| Template:Flagicon Lions | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | {{#expr:3/4*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Leicester Tigers | 15 | 10 | 0 | 5 | {{#expr:10/15*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Llanelli RFC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | {{#expr:1/1*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon London Irish | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00% |
| Template:Flagicon Lyon | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Template:Flagicon Montpellier† | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | {{#expr:6/8*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Munster* | 57 | 37 | 1 | 19 | {{#expr:37/57*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Milan | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 66.67% |
| Template:Flagicon Newcastle Falcons | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Template:Flagicon Newport RFC | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Template:Flagicon Northampton Saints | 12 | 10 | 0 | 2 | {{#expr:10/12*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Ospreys | 43 | 27 | 3 | 13 | {{#expr:27/43*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Pau | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Template:Flagicon Perpignan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00% |
| Template:Flagicon Pontypridd RFC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Template:Flagicon Racing 92 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Template:Flagicon Sale Sharks | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 66.67% |
| Template:Flagicon Saracens | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 60.00% |
| Template:Flagicon Scarlets | 45 | 30 | 2 | 13 | {{#expr:30/45*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Sharks | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | {{#expr:5/6*100 round 2}}%% |
| Template:Flagicon Southern Kings | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Template:Flagicon Stade Français | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 50.00% |
| Template:Flagicon Stormers | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | {{#expr:1/5*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Swansea RFC | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Template:Flagicon Toulon | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.00% |
| Template:Flagicon Toulouse | 15 | 8 | 0 | 7 | {{#expr:8/15*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Ulster* | 57 | 42 | 3 | 12 | {{#expr:42/57*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Wasps | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | {{#expr:6/11*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Zebre | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 | {{#expr:20/20*100 round 2}}% |
| Total | 702 | 505 | 21 | 176 | {{#expr:505/702*100 round 2}}% |
| *Matches played as part of the Irish Interprovincial Rugby Championship, separate from Celtic League fixtures, are not included in this table. | |||||
| †Results do not include the cancelled Montpellier vs Leinster 2021-22 Heineken Cup fixture in which Montpellier were awarded a 28–0 victory due to positive Covid tests in the Leinster squad. | |||||
Correct as of 19 October 2025.<ref name="Champions Cup Head to Head">Template:Cite web</ref>
Since the inception of the Celtic league, Leinster have dominated their Irish provincial rivals Ulster, with a 42–12 win–loss record. Similarly, Leinster enjoy a 37–9 win–loss ratio against western province Connacht. Leinster also hold a 37–19 head-to-head advantage against arch-rivals Munster, in one of the most intense derbies in world rugby. Of the United Rugby Championship sides, Munster have the most competitive record against Leinster; all of the league's other sides, excluding South African clubs, have substantial losing records against Leinster. The Welsh side, Celtic Warriors competed in the Celtic league during the first couple of seasons and have a winning record against Leinster of two wins and zero defeats.
Among European teams, of those who have played at least three games against Leinster, only RC Toulon enjoys a winning record. They have a commanding 4–0 head-to-head lead.
Records against Irish Provinces (1946–present)
| Against | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | % Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Flagicon Connacht | 107 | 84 | 4 | 19 | {{#expr:84/107*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Munster | 115 | 64 | 5 | 46 | {{#expr:64/115*100 round 2}}% |
| Template:Flagicon Ulster | 114 | 70 | 6 | 38 | {{#expr:70/114*100 round 2}}% |
| Total | 334 | 216 | 15 | 168 | {{#expr:216/333*100 round 2}}% |
Correct as of 19 October 2025.
Notable players
See also Template:Cat.
Club captains
Professional era only
| Captain | Season(s) | Championships/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kurt McQuilkin | 1997–98 | Interprovincial Championship: 1 (1998) |
| Gabriel Fulcher | 1998–99 | — |
| Liam Toland | 1999–00 – 2000–01 | — |
| Reggie Corrigan | 2001–02 – 2004–05 | United Rugby Championship: 1 (2002) Interprovincial Championship: 1 (2002) |
| Brian O'Driscoll | 2005–06 – 2007–08 | United Rugby Championship: 1 (2008) |
| Leo Cullen | 2008–09 – 2013–14 | European Cup: 3 (2009, 2011, 2012) Challenge Cup: 1 (2013) United Rugby Championship: 2 (2013, 2014) |
| Jamie Heaslip | 2014–15 | — |
| Kevin McLaughlin | 2015 | Retired mid-season due to injury |
| Isa Nacewa | 2015–16 – 2017–18 | European Cup: 1 (2018) United Rugby Championship: 1 (2018) |
| Johnny Sexton | 2018–19 – 2022–23 | United Rugby Championship: 3 (2019, 2020, 2021) Irish Shield: 2 (2022, 2023) |
| James Ryan Garry Ringrose |
2023–24 | Irish Shield: 1 (2024) |
| Caelan Doris | 2024–25 – | United Rugby Championship: 1 (2025) Irish Shield: 1 (2025) |
British & Irish Lions
The following Leinster players have also represented the British & Irish Lions.<ref name="The Ireland Rugby Miscellany 2007"/> Bold indicates tour captain.
Notable overseas players
The following is a list of non-Irish qualified representative Leinster players:
| Nation | Player | Season(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Template:Flagicon Argentina | Felipe Contepomi | 2003/04 – 2008/09 |
| Mariano Galarza | 2010 | |
| Juan Gomez | 2007/08 – 2008/09 | |
| Template:Flagicon Australia | Shaun Berne | 2009/10 – 2010/11 |
| Adam Byrnes | 2005/06 | |
| Kane Douglas | 2014/15 | |
| Rocky Elsom | 2008/09 | |
| Scott Fardy | 2017/18 – 2020/21 | |
| Owen Finegan* | 2006/07 | |
| Joe Tomane | 2018/19 – 2019/20 | |
| Chris Whitaker* | 2006/07 – 2008/09 | |
| Template:Flagicon Cook Islands | Stan Wright | 2006/07 – 2010/11 |
| Template:Flagicon England | Will Green | 2005/06 – 2006/07 |
| Template:Flagicon Fiji | Isa Nacewa | 2008/09 – 2012/13; 2015/16 – 2017/18 |
| Template:Flagicon France | Rabah Slimani | 2024/25 – Present |
| Template:Flagicon Georgia | Vakh Abdaladze | 2017/18 – 2022/23 |
| Template:Flagicon New Zealand | Jordie Barrett | 2025/26 |
| Matt Berquist | 2011/12 | |
| Jimmy Gopperth | 2013/14 – 2014/15 | |
| David Holwell | 2005, 2008 | |
| Charlie Ngatai | 2022/23 – 2023/24 | |
| Ben Te'o† | 2014/15 – 2015/16 | |
| Brad Thorn* | 2012 | |
| Template:Flagicon Russia | Vasily Artemiev | 2006/07 |
| Adam Byrnes | 2005/06 | |
| Template:Flagicon Samoa | Michael Alaalatoa | 2021/22 – 2023/24 |
| Fosi Pala'amo | 2006/07 | |
| Template:Flagicon Scotland | Nathan Hines | 2009/10 – 2010/11 |
| Template:Flagicon South Africa | Jason Jenkins | 2022/23 – 2023/24 |
| Zane Kirchner | 2013/14 – 2016/17 | |
| Ollie Le Roux | 2007/08 | |
| RG Snyman* | 2024/25 - Present | |
| CJ van der Linde* | 2008/09 – 2009/10 | |
| Heinke van der Merwe* | 2010/11 – 2012/13 | |
| * indicates World Cup winners | ||
| † Ben Te'o subsequently represented England at international level | ||
Head coaches (professional era)
- Template:As of<ref group=note>Original research sourced from http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/team/results/index.php</ref>
| Coach | Season(s) | GP* | W | D | L | Win % | Loss % | Championships / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Flagicon Jim Glennon†<ref name="Glennon tenure"/> | 1995/96 – 1996/97 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 5 | {{#expr:9/14*100 round 2}}% | {{#expr:5/14*100 round 2}}% | Interprovincial Championship (1996) |
| Template:Flagicon Template:Sortname<ref name="Ruddock tenure">Template:Cite web</ref> | 1997/98 – 1999/00 | 34 | 16 | 0 | 18 | {{#expr:16/34*100 round 2}}% | {{#expr:18/34*100 round 2}}% | Interprovincial Championship (1998) |
| Template:Flagicon Template:Sortname<ref name="M Williams tenure">Template:Cite news</ref> | 2000/01 – 2002/03 | 46 | 31 | 3 | 12 | {{#expr:31/46*100 round 2}}% | {{#expr:12/46*100 round 2}}% | United Rugby Championship (2002) Interprovincial Championship (2002) |
| Template:Flagicon Template:Sortname<ref name="Ella tenure">Template:Cite web</ref> | 2003/04 | 30 | 14 | 2 | 14 | 46.7% | 46.7% | |
| Template:Flagicon Template:Sortname<ref name="Kidney tenure">Template:Cite news</ref> | 2004/05 | 26 | 17 | 1 | 8 | {{#expr:17/26*100 round 2}}% | {{#expr:8/26*100 round 2}}% | |
| Template:Flagicon Template:Sortname<ref name="Murphy tenure">Template:Cite web</ref> | 2004/05 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | {{#expr:2/3*100 round 2}}% | {{#expr:1/3*100 round 2}}% | Interim Coach |
| Template:Flagicon Template:Sortname<ref name="Cheika tenure">Template:Cite web</ref> | 2005/06 – 2009/10 | 134 | 88 | 4 | 42 | {{#expr:88/134*100 round 2}}% | {{#expr:42/134*100 round 2}}% | European Cup (2009) United Rugby Championship (2008) |
| Template:Flagicon Template:Sortname<ref name="Schmidt tenure">Template:Cite news</ref> | 2010/11 – 2012/13 | 99 | 77 | 3 | 19 | {{#expr:77/99*100 round 2}}% | {{#expr:19/99*100 round 2}}% | European Cup (2011, 2012) European Challenge Cup (2013) United Rugby Championship (2013) |
| Template:Flagicon Template:Sortname<ref name="O'Connor tenure">Template:Cite web</ref> | 2013/14 – 2014/15 | 61 | 40 | 5 | 16 | {{#expr:40/61*100 round 2}}% | {{#expr:16/61*100 round 2}}% | United Rugby Championship (2014) |
| Template:Flagicon Template:Sortname | 2015/16 – Present | 294 | 230 | 4 | 60 | {{#expr:230/294*100 round 2}}% | {{#expr:60/294*100 round 2}}% | European Cup (2018) United Rugby Championship (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2025) United Rugby Championship Coach of the year (2018, 2022) Irish Shield (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025) |
| Total | 1995 – Present | 740 | 523 | 22 | 195 | {{#expr:523/740*100 round 2}}% | {{#expr:195/740*100 round 2}}% | |
| *Games played are inclusive of matches played against touring international sides, but do not include friendlies against club opposition. | ||||||||
| †Glennon was the Leinster head coach for two separate spells between 1992 and 1998, but only matches during the professional era are included in this table.<ref name="Glennon tenure">Template:Cite web</ref> | ||||||||
Personnel honours and records
(correct as of 25 October 2025)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Bold indicates active player
Template:Col-begin Template:Col-break
| Most tries | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Player | Tries | |||||
| 1 | Shane Horgan | 69 | |||||
| 2 | James Lowe | 67 | |||||
| 3 | Brian O'Driscoll | 61 | |||||
| 4 | Gordon D'Arcy | 60 | |||||
| 5 | Denis Hickie | 56 | |||||
| 6 | Dave Kearney | 55 | |||||
| Luke McGrath | |||||||
| 8 | Isa Nacewa | 47 | |||||
| Jordan Larmour | |||||||
| 10 | Seán Cronin | 45 | |||||
| Dan Sheehan | |||||||
| Most appearances | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Player | Template:Tooltip | |||||
| 1 | Cian Healy | 291 | |||||
| 2 | Devin Toner | 280 | |||||
| 3 | Gordon D'Arcy | 257 | |||||
| 4 | Luke McGrath | 238 | |||||
| 5 | Jamie Heaslip | 229 | |||||
| Rhys Ruddock | |||||||
| 7 | Leo Cullen | 219 | |||||
| Rob Kearney | |||||||
| 9 | Seán Cronin | 206 | |||||
| 10 | Shane Jennings | 205 | |||||
| Most points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Player | Points | |||||
| 1 | Johnny Sexton | 1,646 | |||||
| 2 | Felipe Contepomi | 1,225 | |||||
| 3 | Ross Byrne | 1,196 | |||||
| 4 | Ian Madigan | 827 | |||||
| 5 | Isa Nacewa | 706 | |||||
| 6 | Brian O'Meara | 553 | |||||
| 7 | Fergus McFadden | 444 | |||||
| 8 | Alan McGowan | 372 | |||||
| 9 | Jimmy Gopperth | 352 | |||||
| 10 | Shane Horgan | 348 | |||||
Inaugurated 2001
| Season | Nominated | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Brian O'Driscoll | — |
| 2002 | Brian O'Driscoll (2) | — |
| 2004 | Gordon D'Arcy | — |
| 2007 | Felipe Contepomi | — |
| 2009 | Jamie Heaslip, Brian O'Driscoll (3) | — |
| 2014 | Johnny Sexton | — |
| 2016 | Jamie Heaslip (2) | — |
| 2018 | Johnny Sexton (2) | Johnny Sexton |
| 2022 | Johnny Sexton (3), Josh van der Flier<ref name="2022 WR POY nominees">Template:Cite web</ref> | Josh van der Flier<ref name="WR POY 2022">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2024 | Caelan Doris | — |
World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year
Inaugurated 2015
Nominated (3 nominees per year)
| Season | Nominated | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Jordan Larmour | — |
| 2022<ref name="2022 WR POY nominees"/> | Dan Sheehan | — |
World Rugby Junior Player of the Year
Inaugurated 2008 - awarded to World Rugby Under 20 Championship player of the tournament
| Season | Nominated | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Garry Ringrose | — |
| 2016 | Max Deegan | Max Deegan |
Europe
All players listed below are Irish unless otherwise noted.
ERC European Dream Team
The following Leinster players were selected in the ERC European Dream Team, an all-time dream team of Heineken Cup players over the first 15 years of professional European rugby. (1995–2010). Both O'Driscoll and Elsom were part of the 2008–09 Heineken Cup winning team.
| Season(s) | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2008–2009 | Template:Flagicon Rocky Elsom* | Flanker |
| 1999–2014 | Brian O'Driscoll | Centre |
* Elsom had the fewest Heineken Cup appearances in the team and was the only member born outside of Europe
European Player of the Year
Awarded annually since 2010-11
European Cup Team of the Year
The following Leinster players were selected on the European Cup team of the year.
All players listed below are Irish unless otherwise noted. Inaugurated 2020-21.
| Season | Irish players | Foreign players |
|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | Rónan Kelleher, Josh van der Flier | — |
| 2021–22 | Rónan Kelleher (2), Tadhg Furlong, Ross Molony, Josh van der Flier (2), Johnny Sexton, James Lowe, Garry Ringrose, Hugo Keenan<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | — |
| 2023–24 | Joe McCarthy, Caelan Doris, James Lowe (2)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | — |
Rugby Champions Cup player records
Template:Col-begin Template:Col-break
| Most tries | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Player | Tries | |||||
| 1 | Brian O'Driscoll | 33 | |||||
| 2 | James Lowe | 31 | |||||
| 3 | Shane Horgan | 27 | |||||
| 4 | Gordon D'Arcy | 26 | |||||
| 5 | Denis Hickie | 19 | |||||
| Most appearances | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Player | Template:Tooltip | |||||
| 1 | Cian Healy | 114 | |||||
| 2 | Gordon D'Arcy | 104 | |||||
| 3 | Brian O'Driscoll | 87 | |||||
| Shane Horgan | 87 | ||||||
| 5 | Jamie Heaslip | 85 | |||||
| Most points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Player | Points | |||||
| 1 | Johnny Sexton | 728 | |||||
| 2 | Ross Byrne | 376 | |||||
| 3 | Felipe Contepomi | 352 | |||||
| 4 | Alan McGowan | 225 | |||||
| 5 | Brian O'Meara | 192 | |||||
Template:Col-end Statistics do not include European Rugby Challenge Cup matches. Updated as of 29 May 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Rugby Champions Cup Individual Season Records Template:Col-begin Template:Col-break
| Top Try Scorer | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Player | Tries | |||||
| 2004–05 | Shane Horgan | 8 | |||||
| 2008–09 | Brian O'Driscoll | 5 | |||||
| 2016–17 | Isa Nacewa | 7 | |||||
| 2018–19 | Seán Cronin | 6 | |||||
| 2021–22 | James Lowe | 10 | |||||
| 2022–23 | Josh van der Flier | 6 | |||||
| 2023–24 | James Lowe | 6 | |||||
| Top Point Scorer | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Player | Points | |||||
| 2005–06 | Felipe Contepomi | 129 | |||||
| 2010–11 | Johnny Sexton | 138 | |||||
| 2011–12 | Johnny Sexton (2) | 103 | |||||
| 2014–15 | Ian Madigan | 113 | |||||
| 2021–22 | Johnny Sexton (3) | 83 | |||||
Template:Col-end The players listed above were the top try-scorers and points-scorers for the European Rugby Champions Cup in a given season.<ref name="Heineken Cup season records">Template:Cite web</ref>
United Rugby Championship
All players listed below are Irish unless otherwise noted. Inaugurated 2006-07.
United Rugby Championship Team of the Year
The following Leinster players were selected on the Pro 14/URC team of the year.
United Rugby Championship Player Records
| Category | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Tries | Dave Kearney | 48 |
| Appearances | Devin Toner | 191 |
| Points | Johnny Sexton | 887 |
| Successful Conversions & Penalties | Ross Byrne | 343 |
Updated 14 June 2025<ref name="League Player Records">Template:Cite web</ref>
United Rugby Championship Golden Boot
The Golden Boot is awarded to the kicker who has successfully converted the highest percentage of place kicks during the 22-week regular Pro12 season. To be eligible, the player must have taken at least 20 kicks at goal. The prize has been awarded annually since 2012.
(Percentage success rate in brackets)
| Season | Winner | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 2011-12 | Johnny Sexton | 90% |
| 2012-13 | Ian Madigan | 87% |
| 2014-15 | Ian Madigan | 87% |
United Rugby Championship Individual Awards
| Category | Player | Season | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top Try Scorer | Shane Horgan, Girvan Dempsey (Joint) | 2001–02 | 7 |
| Jamie Heaslip (Joint) | 2006–07 | 7 | |
| Barry Daly | 2017–18 | 12 | |
| Scott Penny (Joint) | 2020–21 | 9 | |
| Top Point Scorer | Felipe Contepomi | 2005-06 | 287 |
| Felipe Contepomi (2) (Joint) | 2008-09 | 161 | |
| Ian Madigan | 2012–13 | 186 | |
| Players' Players of the Year | Dan Sheehan | 2022-23 | N/A |
| RG Snyman | 2024-25<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | N/A | |
| Young Player of the Year | Joey Carbery | 2016–17 | N/A |
| Jordan Larmour | 2017–18 | N/A | |
| Caelan Doris | 2019–20 | N/A | |
| Scott Penny | 2020–21 | N/A | |
| Coach of the Year | Leo Cullen | 2017–18 | N/A |
| Leo Cullen (2) | 2021–22<ref name="2022 coach of the year">Template:Cite web</ref> | N/A |
United Rugby Championship Team Awards
- 2010–11: Fairplay Award
- 2011–12: Fairplay Award
End-of-season club awards
See also
- Rugby union in Ireland
- History of rugby union matches between Leinster and Connacht
- History of rugby union matches between Leinster and Munster
- History of rugby union matches between Leinster and Ulster
Notes
References
External links
- Template:Official website
- Leinster Supporters Site and Forum
- Leinster Rugby feature on The Irish Times
- Unofficial Leinster Calendar & Results
Template:Leinster Rugby Template:Leinster Rugby squad Template:United Rugby Championship Template:Rugby union in Ireland Template:European Rugby Champions Cup Template:European Rugby Champions Cup winners Template:British and Irish Cup