 | ||||
| Union |  IRFU | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | The Red Army | |||
| Founded | 1879; 146 years ago (1879) | |||
| Location | Limerick andCork, Ireland | |||
| Ground(s) | Thomond Park (Capacity: 25,600)[note 1] Musgrave Park (Capacity: 8,800) | |||
| Chairman | Ger Malone[1] | |||
| CEO | Ian Flanagan[1] | |||
| President | Seán Loftus[2] | |||
| Coach | Clayton McMillan | |||
| Captain | Tadhg Beirne | |||
| Most appearances | Stephen Archer (304) | |||
| Top scorer | Ronan O'Gara (2,625) | |||
| Most tries | Simon Zebo (73) | |||
| League | United Rugby Championship | |||
| 2024–25 | Quarter-finalists (play-offs) 6th (regular season) 2nd, Irish Shield | |||
| ||||
| Official website | ||||
| www | ||||
 Current season | ||||
Munster Rugby (Irish:Rugbaí Mumhan) is one of the professional provincialrugby teams from the island ofIreland. They compete in theUnited Rugby Championship and theEuropean Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents theIRFU's Munster Branch, which is responsible for rugby union throughout the Irish province ofMunster. The team motto is "To the brave and faithful, nothing is impossible." This is derived from the motto of theMacCarthy clan – "Forti et Fideli nihil difficile". Their main home ground isThomond Park,Limerick, though some games are played atMusgrave Park,Cork.
Munster was officially founded in 1879, at the same time asLeinster andUlster, withConnacht being founded ten years later in 1889. The first interprovincial matches between Leinster, Ulster and Munster, however, were held in 1875. The founding of the Munster branch of theIRFU was intended to organise and oversee the game within the province and prevent any club bias by providing neutral selectors for the representative side. In amateur days, the four Irish provinces played against each other in theIRFU Interprovincial Championship and also played touring international sides.
Munster traditionally drew its strength from the clubs ofLimerick, with the game popular in the city and widely played at all levels. Teams such asShannon,Garryowen andYoung Munster built up fierce rivalries with one another, helping push standards in the province higher as a result.[3]
Munster has a great tradition of competitiveness and impassioned displays against touring sides. The first touring side to play Munster were the famousOriginal All Blacks led byDave Gallaher, who lined out against Munster in theMarkets Field,Limerick in November 1905. Munster were defeated that day 33–0. Throughout the years, Munster were to record a number of near-misses and last minute defeats againstSouth Africa,Australia andNew Zealand. The first tangible result against a touring side was to come in 1958, when the Wallabies were held to a 3–3 draw inThomond Park. Munster became the first Irish provincial side to defeat a major touring team when they defeated Australia 11–8 inMusgrave Park, Cork on 25 January 1967. Munster were captained that day byTom Kiernan.[4][5]
Munster first played the All Blacks in 1905, losing 33–0 on the occasion. They have played each other many times since then. Munster drew withNew Zealand 3–3 in 1973 and, in 1978, became, at the time, the only Irish side to have beaten the All Blacks. The 12–0 victory occurred on Tuesday 31 October 1978 atThomond Park, in front of a crowd of 12,000, though many times that number still claim to have been present, such was the occasion.[6] Christy Cantillon scored a try withTony Ward converting. Ward also added a drop-goal in each half. Untilthe national team's victory on 5 November 2016, it was the only time an All Blacks team lost to any Irish side in the men's game and forms part of Munster Rugby mythology. A stage play namedAlone it Stands (by John Breen) and a book entitledStand Up and Fight: When Munster Beat the All Blacks by Alan English were both based on the event. Both have been commercially successful;Alone it Stands has had several sell-out runs in Ireland and abroad andStand Up and Fight was a bestseller in 2005.[7]
The All Blacks returned toThomond Park in November 2008 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the 1978 match and to celebrate the opening of the new stadium. After 76 minutes of the match, Munster were winning 16–13, but a late try fromJoe Rokocoko meant the All Blacks won 18–16.[8]
On 11 November 2016, Munster welcomed theMāori All Blacks to Thomond Park. The Māori players paid tribute toAnthony Foley by placing a jersey with his initials on the halfway line before performing the Haka. Māori captainAsh Dixon then presented the jersey to Foley's sons.[9] Munster went on to win the historic game 27–14.[10]
On 3 February 2024, Munster hosted a world first 'Clash of Champions' against theCrusaders, the 14-time champions ofSuper Rugby, atPáirc Uí Chaoimh inCork. Munster edged out the Crusaders to win 21–19, having led 14–7 at half-time. The Crusaders were coached by Former Munster Head CoachRob Penney.[11][12]
Like the All Blacks, Munster have playedAustralia many times. They first met in 1947, when Australia won 6–5. Munster claimed their first victory over the Wallabies in 1967 when they won 11–8. In 1992, Australia, then-reigning world champions having won the1991 Rugby World Cup, visited Munster as part of a European tour. Munster won 22–19 in a rough encounter in Cork. Ten years later, London newspaperThe Daily Telegraph recounted part of the legend in a feature on Munster propPeter Clohessy: "The then Wallabies coach,Bob Dwyer, who was not a man who readily accepted that opposition sides could legitimately score more points than his team, immediately branded the Munster number 3 a 'disgrace'. It had been a typically rugged, robust and memorable Munster triumph, with leather and fists flying on both sides. Clohessy, who wouldn't generally be known for misconduct, was no more guilty than the next man but world champions are not supposed to lose against a hastily assembled Irish provincial XV. There had to be a reason, an excuse, and Dwyer rounded on Clohessy".[13]
History repeated itself in 2010 when Munster defeated the Wallabies 15–6, with their Australian fly-half,Paul Warwick, kicking all fifteen points (three penalties and 2 drop goals).[14]The match was played in ferocious weather, with Munster playing into a gale-force wind and driving rain in the first-half. Indeed, the conditions made the half time score of 6–6 all the more significant, as Australia could neither cope with the weather nor the Munster pressure in the second-half.[15]
Munster have played South Africa much less frequently than they have Australia and New Zealand. The first fixture between the two sides took place on 11 December 1951 inThomond Park, with the visitors emerging with an 11–6 win after a late try broke the deadlock. South Africa returned to face the province for a second time on 22 December 1960, this time atMusgrave Park. They again secured a narrow win against the province, needing two late scores for a 9–3 win. The third meeting between the sides was less of a close-run thing, with South Africa easing to a 25–9 win in Thomond Park on 11 January 1970.[16][17]
After theGAA Central Council unanimously backed the proposal, Munster confirmed they would face aSouth Africa XV in a friendly held atCork GAA's 45,000-capacityPáirc Uí Chaoimh on 10 November 2022. It was the first time Munster have faced a South African national team in the professional era and the first time a game of rugby was held at the stadium.[18] The match was a 41,400 sell-out atPáirc Uí Chaoimh, making it the largest attendance for a rugby match in the province, and saw Munster secure their first ever win against South Africa in a 28–14 victory. WingerShane Daly opened the scoring in just the 2nd minute, with fly-halfBen Healy converting to give the home side a 7–0 lead. South Africa hit back in the 12th minute through anAphelele Fassi try that was converted byJohan Goosen to level the score, but Munster struck back with tries fromSimon Zebo andDiarmuid Barron, both converted by Healy, to head into half-time with a 21–7. Munster struck early in the second-half, with fullbackMike Haley scoring after just two minutes and Healy's fourth conversion of the night extending their lead to 28–7. South Africa scored their second try in the 62nd minute whenSikhumbuzo Notshe crossed the try-line, converted byGianni Lombard, but the visitors were unable to mount a comeback and Munster hung on to earn a famous win.[19][20]
On 26 August 1995, theInternational Rugby Board declared rugby union an "open" game, removing all restrictions on payments or benefits to those connected with the game. This was done due to a committee conclusion that having an open game was the only way to end the hypocrisy ofshamateurism, and keep control of the sport. The threat to amateur rugby union was mostly prevalent in the Southern hemisphere, particularly in Australia whereSuper League was threatening to entice players torugby league with large salaries.[21] In Ireland, the four provincial teams were the only teams to go professional, while their smaller constituent clubs remained amateur.
The 1995–96 season saw thefirst ever Heineken Cup, a new tournament set up for European clubs. The Irish were allocated three places in the competition, with these places going to Leinster, Munster and Ulster. Munster finally reached theHeineken Cup quarter-finals in1998–99 Heineken Cup, after three years of not being able to get out of the group stages.[22]
Munster's first appearance in the Heineken Cup'sfinal was in the1999–2000 Heineken Cup, where they lost by one point toNorthampton atTwickenham.[23] Nevertheless, the season was most memorable with a 31–25 win overToulouse in Bordeaux.[24]
Their good form and bad luck continued in the following season,2000–01, with a semi-final defeat toStade Français, again by one point, where a try from John O'Neill was disallowed by the referee, as he deemed the ball to be out over the dead-ball line.[25] In the2001–02 Heineken Cup, Munster lost the last match of their pool atCastres, but qualified as best runners-up.[26] Munster beat Stade Français 16–14 in Paris, the only try of the game coming fromAnthony Horgan.[27] It was then on toBéziers to meetCastres again for the semi-final. Munster were triumphant and went to the final atMillennium Stadium to meet the reigning champions,Leicester.[28] Munster lost a tight game remembered as 'the hand ofBack' final, as the Leicester flanker used his hand illegally in a scrum when Munster had a last-chance attack.[29] Munster also reached the final of theCeltic League in this season, but lost 24–20 toLeinster atLansdowne Road,Dublin.[30]
In2002–03, Munster reached the quarter-finals after a win againstGloucester, later issued onVHS under the title "The Miracle Match". In this game, Munster needed to win by a margin of at least 27 points and score a minimum of four tries to earn a quarter-final berth. They won 33–6 with four tries in a game that has become part of Munster Rugby folklore.[31][32] They again faced Leicester, this time at the Tigers' home ofWelford Road, and defeated the reigning champions to progress to the semi-finals.[33] They facedToulouse in the semi-finals and lost out on a place in the final after losing by a single point in France.[34] In this season, Munster won the Celtic League for the first time, by beatingNeath-Swansea Ospreys 37–17 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff.[35]
In2003–04 it was more of the same. After an assured performance in the pool stage, Munster defeatedStade Français atThomond Park to set up a semi-final date with English champions,London Wasps.[36] This match has gone down as one of the best Heineken Cup matches of all time. Although leading by 10 points in the second half, and having lostRonan O'Gara to injury early on, they succumbed to two Wasps tries in injury time, resulting in a Wasps v Toulouse final.[37][38] Munster finished in a disappointing seventh position in the 2003–04 season of the Celtic League.[39]
In2004–05, after a shaky performance in the pool stage, Munster qualified as 5th seeds and playedBiarritz away. The match was played atReal Sociedad's ground, theAnoeta Stadium, inSan Sebastián, Spain – the first Heineken Cup game ever played in Spain. Biarritz won 19–10 to avenge a 38–29 defeat at the same stage in 2001.[40] Munster finished second in the 2004–05 Celtic League season but won theCeltic Cup, defeatingLlanelli Scarlets 27–16 in the final.[41]
In2005–06, Munster qualified to the final of the Heineken Cup, having overcome rivalsLeinster 30–6 in the semi-final atLansdowne Road.[42] Thefinal was held at theMillennium Stadium against Biarritz. Munster won 23–19 to become European Champions for the first time.[43] Munster finished one place lower than the previous season in the Celtic League, finishing third overall.[44]
The2006–07 Heineken Cup was a disappointing tournament for Munster, as they lost their previously unbeaten European record atThomond Park, losing toLeicester Tigers in the group stages in January 2007,[45] and later lost their quarter-final toLlanelli Scarlets.[46]Munster's performance in the Celtic League was equally disappointing, finishing sixth overall.[47]
In 2007, Munster signedDoug Howlett, the all-time leading try scorer forNew Zealand.[48] Howlett joined the squad after the2007 Rugby World Cup.[49] That season'sHeineken Cup saw Munster finish top in their group,[50] and they went on to reach the final for the second time in three years, beatingSaracens in the semi-final.[51] Thefinal, again held at theMillennium Stadium, saw Munster defeat Toulouse 16–13 to claim their second Heineken Cup title in 3 years.[52][53] Munster finished third in the Celtic League in the 2007–08 season. In May 2008, Director of CoachingDeclan Kidney left to take up the head coach job withIreland.[54] Munster ensured continuity by promoting AustralianTony McGahan to the position from within the coaching setup.[55]
In the2008–09 Heineken Cup, Munster once again topped their group and hammeredOspreys 43–9 to advance to a semi-final against arch-rivalsLeinster.[56] Many had fancied Munster to become only the second team to win back-to-back Heineken Cups, but a dominant Leinster side gained revenge for their 2006 semi-final defeat against Munster with a 25–6 win inCroke Park, in front of a then-world record 82,208 crowd.[57][58] Munster clinched theCeltic League for the second time in their history, after their closest challengersOspreys beatDragons but failed to claim a bonus point. This handed the title to Munster who could not be overtaken at the top of the table.[59]
The2009–10 season saw Munster finish top of their Heineken Cup pool once again. Victories overNorthampton Saints, FrenchTop 14 championsPerpignan and Italian sideBenetton saw Munster qualify for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals for a record 12th consecutive year.[60] The match took place at Thomond Park, where Munster played Northampton Saints for the third time that season and won 33–19.[61] They lost 18–7 in the semi-finals against Biarritz at the Anoeta.[62] Munster came 4th in the Celtic League, but because this season saw the introduction of a play-off system for the top four teams, Munster met and lost 16–6 to Leinster in the play-off semi-final.[63]
The2010–11 season saw Munster drawn inpool 3 of the Heineken Cup alongsideOspreys,London Irish andToulon. Munster lost 23–17 away to London Irish,[64] before defeating Toulon 45–18 at Thomond Park.[65] Munster defeated Ospreys 22–16,[66] but lost the reverse fixture at Liberty Stadium 19–15.[67] In round 5 Munster went to Toulon, losing 32–16. As a result, Munster failed to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup for the first time in 13 years.[68] Munster won their final pool game, at home to London Irish, 28–14, and qualified for the2010–11 European Challenge Cup quarter-finals.[69] Munster defeated Leinster 24–23 on 2 April 2011 in the Celtic League, ending a run of 5 straight defeats against their provincial rivals.[70] Munster beatBrive 42–37 in their Challenge Cup quarter-final to qualify for the semi-final againstHarlequins on 30 April.[71] Munster lost the semi-final inThomond Park 20–12.[72] Munster finished first in the2010–11 Celtic League. They beat Ospreys 18–11 in their semi-final to set up aGrand Final withLeinster,[73] which Munster won 19–9, securing a thirdCeltic League title.[74][75]
Munster were drawn in pool one for the2011–12 Heineken Cup, alongsideNorthampton Saints,Scarlets andCastres. They beat Northampton 23–21 in the first pool game atThomond Park, after an 83rd minute drop-goal fromRonan O'Gara.[76] In their second pool game, Munster beat Castres 24–27, with O'Gara again scoring an overtime drop-goal to secure victory.[77] Munster won their third pool game, away toScarlets, 17–14.[78] In the return fixture a week later, Munster won 19–13.[79] A 26–10 win over Castres on 14 January 2012 ensured that Munster qualified for the quarter-finals of the 2011–12 Heineken Cup.[80] Munster ended their 2011–12 Heineken Cup pool fixtures with a 51–36 victory against Northampton Saints, securing the top seed in the quarter-finals and winning 6 out of 6 pool matches for the first time.[81] Munster lost their quarter-final against Ulster 22–16, losing just their second match at home in the Heineken Cup.[82] Munster finished third in the2011–12 Pro12, and playedOspreys away in the play-off semi-finals, losing 45–10.[83] It was announced on 22 February 2012 that McGahan would be leaving Munster at the end of the 2011–12 season,[84][85] to take up a role of coaching co-ordinator onAustralia's management team.Rob Penney, coach ofCanterbury andNew Zealand U20, was chosen to succeed McGahan, being unveiled as the next Munster coach on 2 May 2012.[86]
Munster were again drawn in pool one for the2012–13 Heineken Cup, withSaracens,Edinburgh andRacing 92.[87] The campaign opened with a 22–17 away defeat at the hands ofRacing 92.[88] Munster won their second game, at home toEdinburgh, 33–0.[89] The December back-to-back games began with a home fixture againstSaracens, which Munster won 15–9.[90] In the reverse fixture, Munster lost 19–13.[91] In the fifth round of pool fixtures, Munster beatEdinburgh 26–17.[92] Munster had to win their final pool game, againstRacing 92, with a try bonus-point to have a chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals. Munster won the game 29–6, scoring five tries, including a hat-trick fromSimon Zebo.[93]Leicester Tigers' 9–5 victory overToulouse ensured that Munster qualified as a second-best runner-up, and they playedHarlequins in the quarter-finals. Munster won the quarter-final 18–12,[94] advancing to the semi-finals, which they lost 16–10 toClermont on 27 April 2013.[95] Munster finished sixth in the2012–13 Pro12.
Munster were drawn in pool 6 for the2013–14 Heineken Cup, alongsidePerpignan,Edinburgh andGloucester.[96] Edinburgh beat Munster 29–23 in the opening pool fixture on 12 October 2013.[97] In their second pool game on 19 October 2013, Munster beat Gloucester 26–10.[98] Munster beat Perpignan 36–8 in round 3,[99] and, in the round 4 reverse fixture on 14 December 2013, won 18–17 in Perpignan.[100] Munster beatGloucester 20–7 atKingsholm on 11 January 2014, a win that secured quarter-final qualification.[101] Munster beatEdinburgh 38–6 on 19 January 2014 in round 6, a bonus-point win that secured a home quarter-final.[102] On 6 February 2014, it was announced that Penney and backs coachSimon Mannix would be leaving Munster at the end of the 2013–14 season.[103] Former captain and then-forwards coachAnthony Foley was confirmed as the next Munster coach on 19 February 2014.[104] In their quarter-final, Munster beatToulouse 47–23.[105] Munster lost 24–16 toToulon in the semi-final on 27 April 2014.[106] Munster finished third in the2013–14 Pro12,[107] but lost 16–15 toGlasgow Warriors in the semi–final.[108]
Munster were drawn in pool 1 of the2014–15 European Rugby Champions Cup, alongsideSaracens,Clermont andSale Sharks.[109] A late drop-goal fromIan Keatley gave Munster a 27–26 away win againstSale Sharks in round 1 on 18 October 2014.[110] Munster beatsSaracens 14–3 in round 2 on 24 October 2014.[111]Clermont beat Munster 16–9 at Thomond Park in round 3 on 6 December 2014, becoming the first French team to beat Munster at their home stadium.[112] In the reverse fixture on 14 December 2014, Clermont beat Munster 26–19.[113] Saracens beat Munster 33–10 on 17 January 2015 in round 5, a defeat which meant Munster failed to qualify for the knockout stages for only the second time in 17 seasons.[114] In round 6, Munster beat Sale Sharks 65–10, a win that was their 100th in Europe.[115] Munster finished second on the2014–15 Pro12.[116] In the play-off semi-final, Munster beatOspreys 21–18.[117] Munster were beaten 31–13 byGlasgow Warriors in the2015 Pro12 Grand Final on 30 May 2015.[118]
Munster were drawn in pool 4 of the2015–16 European Rugby Champions Cup, alongsideStade Français,Leicester Tigers andBenetton.[119] On 14 November 2015, Munster beat Treviso 32–7 in their opening pool game.[120] Munster's second pool game, against Stade Français, was postponed following theNovember 2015 Paris attacks. The match was scheduled to be played at theStade Jean-Bouin inParis.[121] Munster lost 31–19 to Leicester Tigers in round 3 on 12 December 2015.[122] In the return fixture on 20 December 2015, Leicester beat Munster 17–6.[123] On 9 January 2016, Munster lost 27–7 to Stade Français in the re-arranged second pool game. A week later, Munster beat Stade Français 26–13.[124] In their final pool game on 24 January 2016, Munster beat Treviso 28–5.[125] In April 2016, it was confirmed that former SpringbokRassie Erasmus would be joining Munster as the director of rugby on a three-year contract, beginning on 1 July 2016.[126] Munster finished 6th in the2015–16 Pro12.[127]
Munster were drawn in pool 1 of the2016–17 European Rugby Champions Cup, alongsideRacing 92,Leicester Tigers andGlasgow Warriors.[128] In October 2016, Munster's head coach and former captainAnthony Foley died while the team were in Paris for the first pool game against Racing 92. Due to the sad and sudden passing of Foley, the fixture was rescheduled.[129][130] On 22 October 2016, in the first game since Foley's death, Munster beat Glasgow 38–17 at a sold-out Thomond Park. Tributes were paid to Foley before, during and after the game and the number 8 jersey was retired for the game, withCJ Stander wearing the number 24 for the occasion.[131] On 10 December 2016, Munster beat Leicester 38–0 in round 3 of the Champions Cup.[132] On 17 December 2016, Leicester won the reverse fixture inWelford Road 18–16 after a last-minute penalty fromOwen Williams.[133] On 7 January 2017, in the rescheduled round 1 fixture, Munster beat Racing 92 32–7 away from home.Simon Zebo's opening try was Munster's 400th in European competition.[134] On 14 January 2017, Munster beat Glasgow 14–12 away from home to secure qualification for the quarter-finals.[135] On 21 January 2017, in front of 26,200 spectators in Thomond Park, Munster beat Racing 92 22–10 in round 6 of the pool stage, securing a home quarter-final[136] On 1 April 2017, in the quarter-final, Munster beatToulouse 41–16 to progress to the semi-finals.[137] On 22 April 2017, Munster were beaten 26–10 by defending championsSaracens in the Champions Cup semi-final, which was held in theAviva Stadium,Dublin.[138] Munster finished 1st after the 22-round regular season of the2016–17 Pro12, with a record total of 86 points.[139][140] On 20 May 2017, in their play-off semi-final, Munster beatOspreys 23–3 inThomond Park.[141] 7 days later, in the2017 Pro12 Grand Final, Munster lost 46–22 toScarlets.[142]
When the draw for the2017–18 European Rugby Champions Cup was made, Munster were drawn in pool 4 alongsideLeicester Tigers,Racing 92 andCastres. It marked the third season in a row in which Munster faced Leicester and the second season in a row in which they will play Racing 92.[143] On 30 June 2017, it was confirmed after weeks of speculation that director of rugbyRassie Erasmus and defence coachJacques Nienaber would leave the province in December of that year.[144]
In August 2017, Celtic Rugby Limited and theSouth African Rugby Union confirmed that the two South African teams that had been cut from the southern hemisphereSuper Rugby competition,Cheetahs andSouthern Kings, would be joining an expandedPro14 league ahead of the2017–18 season. Due to the addition of two new teams, the league format was changed to feature two conferences, A and B, with Munster being placed in conference A alongsideCardiff Blues,Ospreys,Glasgow Warriors,Connacht,Cheetahs andZebre Parma.[145]
In October 2017, Munster confirmed that then-South Africa forwards coachJohann van Graan would join the province in November as their new head coach.[146] In the same month, it was announced that Munster's all-time leading try scorer,Simon Zebo, would leave the province at the end of the season.[147] In rounds 1 and 2 of the2017–18 European Rugby Champions Cup in October 2017, Munster drew 17–17 away toCastres before earning a 14–7 win at home toRacing 92.[148][149] Erasmus and Nienaber left Munster in early November 2017, with the province confirming their departure on 13 November 2017.[150] Johann van Graan's first official game as Munster's new head coach was a 36–19 win away againstZebre Parma in the Pro14 on 26 November 2017.[151][152]Lions defence coachJP Ferreira joined Munster in December 2017.[153] In the December Champions Cup double-header againstLeicester Tigers, Munster won 33–10 at home before winning 25–16 away, their first win atWelford Road for 11 years.[154][155] In doing so, Munster became the first team to defeat Leicester in both games of the double-header since they were introduced in 1999, while the home victory also saw Munster surpass 4,000 points in the competition.[156] In rounds 5 and 6 of the Champions Cup, Munster lost 34–30 away toRacing 92 before beatingCastres 48–3 at home, securing a record 17th quarter-final.[157][158] Munster beat 3-time tournament championsToulon 20–19 in the quarter-final after a lateAndrew Conway try and conversion fromIan Keatley.[159] In the semi-final, Munster were beaten 27–22 by their French pool 4 opponents Racing 92.[160]
Munster finished 2nd in conference A of the2017–18 Pro14 season on 69 points. In their semi-final qualifier againstEdinburgh on 5 May 2018, Munster won 20–16 to progress to a semi-final away from home.[161] In the semi-final against recently crownedChampions Cup winners and arch-rivalsLeinster on 19 May 2018, Munster lost 16–15, bringing to an end their 2017–18 season.[162]
Munster played two pre-season fixtures ahead of the 2018–19 campaign, the first againstLondon Irish, whose directory of rugby was former Munster and Ireland head coachDeclan Kidney, and the second againstExeter Chiefs, which was the first meeting between the two clubs.[163] Munster beat London Irish 32–28, but lost 12–0 against Exeter Chiefs.[164][165]
Drawn alongside FrenchTop 14 championsCastres and English sidesExeter Chiefs andGloucester, Munster competed in pool 2 of the2018–19 European Rugby Champions Cup.[166] Munster opened their2018–19 Pro14 season with a six-try 38–0 victory against South African sideCheetahs inThomond Park on 1 September 2018.Rory Scannell,Dave Kilcoyne,Tommy O'Donnell,JJ Hanrahan,Dave O'Callaghan andMan-of-the-MatchDarren Sweetnam scored the tries, with Hanrahan adding four conversions, in a match that sawArno Botha,Mike Haley,Joey Carbery and academy playersShane Daly andGavin Coombes make their competitive debuts for the province, whilstNeil Cronin also made his first appearance for Munster since March 2015.[167]
Tadhg Beirne made his debut for Munster in the provinces 25–10 defeat away toGlasgow Warriors on 7 September 2018.[168] Munster's 64–7 win againstUlster on 29 September 2018 was a record win for the province in thePro14; Munster's previous record win being 47–0 againstZebre Parma in 2016.[169] In round one of the2018–19 Champions Cup on 13 October 2018, a try from Stander and five points from the boot ofJoey Carbery secured a 10–10 draw inSandy Park againstExeter Chiefs, in a match in whichDan Goggin andNeil Cronin made their competitive European debuts, whilstTadhg Beirne, who wasMan-of-the-Match,Mike Haley and Joey Carbery made their European debuts for Munster.[170] One week later, tries fromMike Haley,Rhys Marshall,Joey Carbery, who also kicked four conversions and one penalty in a Man-of-the-Match performance,Sammy Arnold andAndrew Conway helped Munster to a 36–22 bonus-point victory at home againstGloucester.[171]
In the December 2018 back-to-back Champions Cup fixtures againstCastres, Munster won 30–5 in round 3 on 9 December, with tries fromRory Scannell, Stander andJJ Hanrahan, who also scored 15 points off the kicking tee. In the return leg away to Castres on 15 December, the French side won 13–12, with Joey Carbery scoring all of Munster's points from penalties.[172][173] In round 5 of the Champions Cup, Munster beatGloucester 41–15 away from home on 11 January 2019, with the tries coming fromJoey Carbery (2),Rory Scannell,Keith Earls andAndrew Conway and 16 points of the kicking tee from Carbery.[174] In round 6, Munster beatExeter Chiefs 9–7 inThomond Park on 19 January 2019 to advance to a record 18th Champions Cup quarter-final. Joey Carbery scored all of Munster's points from penalties in a closely fought, physical game.[175] Munster defeatedEdinburgh 17–13 in their quarter-final inMurrayfield Stadium on 30 March 2019 to advance to a 14th Champions Cup semi-final,[176] which Munster lost 32–16 toSaracens in theRicoh Arena on 20 April 2019.[177]
Munster finished second in conference A in the2018–19 Pro14 season, with 21 wins and 5 defeats,[178] and beat Italian sideBenetton 15–13 in their quarter-final on 4 May 2019, to secure a semi-final against provincial rivalsLeinster in theRDS on 18 May 2019.[179] which Leinster won 24–9, bringing to an end Munster's 2018–19 season.[180]
Backs coachFelix Jones and forwards coachJerry Flannery left the province when their contracts expired in June 2019.[181]Graham Rowntree joined the province as their new forwards coach after the completion of his duties withGeorgia at the2019 Rugby World Cup.[182]Stephen Larkham, attack coach for theAustralian national team, also joined the province as a senior coach ahead of the 2019–20 season.[183]
Club legend and head of commercial and marketing,Doug Howlett, also left the province to return toNew Zealand in the summer of 2019, ending his 11-year association with Munster.[184] Munster'sCEOGarrett Fitzgerald retired upon reaching retirement age in June 2019. Fitzgerald was Munster's first CEO and had been in the post since 1999, making him the longest serving provincial chief executive in Irish rugby at the time.[185] Ian Flanagan, who was born inCork and previously worked atLeicester City F.C, was appointed to replace Fitzgerald.[1]
In a change from the previous two seasons, Munster were in conference B for the2019–20 Pro14 season, alongsideBenetton,Cardiff Blues,Connacht,Edinburgh,Scarlets andSouthern Kings. This will also be the case for the 2020–21 season, and the change was made based on the points total each club achieved after the completion of the regular2018–19 season.[186]
Munster were seeded in tier 2 when the draw for the 2019–20 European Rugby Champions Cup was made inLausanne,Switzerland on Wednesday 19 June 2019,[187] and were drawn in pool 4 alongside defending championsSaracens,Racing 92, who count former Munster playersDonnacha Ryan andSimon Zebo amongst their squad, and fellowPro14 sideOspreys.[188]
Munster opened their 2019–20 Pro14 season with a 39–9 home victory against Welsh sideDragons on 28 September 2019, with the tries coming fromArno Botha,Jack O'Donoghue,Man-of-the-MatchShane Daly,Tyler Bleyendaal and academy memberDiarmuid Barron, and fly-halfJJ Hanrahan contributing 14 points off the kicking tee. New signingNick McCarthy and academy membersKeynan Knox andJack O'Sullivan all made their senior competitive debuts for the province, and hookerKevin O'Byrne won his 50th cap.[189] Short-term signingJed Holloway made his debut for the province in their 31–20 away win against South African sideSouthern Kings on 5 October 2019.[190]
In the opening two rounds of the2019–20 Champions Cup, Munster beat WelshPro14 rivalsOspreys 32–13 away from home on 16 November 2019, with tries fromJeremy Loughman,Keith Earls,Andrew Conway andJames Cronin and twelve points off the kicking tee fromTyler Bleyendaal,[191] before drawing 21–21 at home against French sideRacing 92 on 23 November 2019; Munster's tries came fromKeith Earls andAndrew Conway, andJJ Hanrahan contributed eleven points with the boot. The draw was Munster's first at home in the Champions Cup, against a Racing side that included former Munster playersDonnacha Ryan andSimon Zebo in their starting XV.[192]
PropStephen Archer won his 200th cap for Munster in their2019–20 Pro14 round 7 fixture againstEdinburgh on 29 November 2019, becoming the eleventh player to achieve the accolade for the province. Academy fly-halfBen Healy made his debut for Munster during the same game, scoring 11 points in the 18–16 defeat to the Scottish side.[193]
In the Champions Cup back-to-backs against defending championsSaracens, Munster won 10–3 at home on 7 December 2019, with the English side picking up a losing bonus point.[194] In the return fixture one week later, Munster were beaten 15–6, with two tries in the final quarter securing the win for Saracens and denying Munster a losing bonus point.[195]
Following an incident that triggered a large brawl in Munster's second fixture against Saracens in December 2019 and a complaint to theEPCR from Saracens, in which Munster team doctor Jamie Kearns was accused of verbally abusing Saracens hookerJamie George, an independent panel upheld the complaint and found that Kearns had breached the EPCR's disciplinary rules, handing Kearns a three-week ban, suspended for 12 months, and a fine of €2,000 to be paid immediately.[196]
Munster went into their round 5 Champions Cup clash away toRacing 92 on 12 January 2020 knowing that they had to win to keep alive their hopes of progressing to the quarter-finals of the tournament, but despite leading the French club with ten minutes to go, late tries from Racing secured a 39–22 win for the home side.[197] Munster needed results elsewhere to go their way if they were to stand any chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals as the final round of pool matches took place, butGlasgow Warriors 45–7 win againstSale Sharks ended those hopes before Munster's final game againstOspreys had even taken place.[198] In the event, Munster won 33–6 against Ospreys, withCraig Casey, who made his European debut for the province in the defeat to Racing, scoring his first try for Munster, andCalvin Nash,Jack O'Sullivan andBen Healy making their European debuts for the province.[199]
Munster's 68–3 win against South African sideSouthern Kings in round 11 of the Pro14 on 14 February 2020 was a record margin of victory for the province in the competition, and the ten tries scored also set a new record for the province. Academy memberJohn Hodnett made his debut for Munster in the fixture, scoring a try and earning theMan-of-the-Match award.[200] The match had an added poignancy for Munster, as their long-serving former CEO,Garrett Fitzgerald, who had only retired in June 2019, died following a battle with illness earlier that day.[201]
The2019–20 Pro14 was suspended indefinitely by tournament organisers on 12 March 2020 in response to the ongoingcoronavirus pandemic.[202] Munster's round 14 and 15 fixtures against Italian sideBenetton had already been postponed.[203]Tyler Bleyendaal was forced to retire from playing rugby with immediate effect in May 2020 due to a persistent neck injury.[204] In the same month, propBrian Scott was also forced to retire with immediate effect due to injury.[205] The regular season resumed on 22 August 2020, with the number of rounds reduced from 21 to 15 and any games postponed prior to the indefinite suspension of the season being deemed as 0–0 draws and both teams awarded two points. Rounds 14 and 15 took place as derbies in each territory, with the top two teams in each conference progressing to a semi-final stage.[206]
Munster resumed their season on 22 August 2020 with a fixture againstLeinster in theAviva Stadium, which Leinster won 27–25. Munster handed debuts to new signingsDamian de Allende andRG Snyman, though Snyman's first appearance for the province lasted only 7 minutes after he was injured during a lineout.Andrew Conway scored tries either side ofKeith Earls' try, withJJ Hanrahan kicking 10 points off the tee, andChris Farrell won theMan-of-the-Match award.[207]
Munster completed their reduced 15 round Pro14 regular season with a seven try 49–12 win againstConnacht, a victory that secured a semi-final against defending champions and provincial rivals Leinster on 4 September 2020. The tries came fromChris Cloete,Jeremy Loughman,Tadhg Beirne,James Cronin, two fromAndrew Conway and apenalty try, withJJ Hanrahan kicking all five of his conversions andRory Scannell converting the final try. As well as getting on the scoresheet, Tadhg Beirne also won the Man-of-the-Match award on his first game back after fracturing an ankle against Saracens in December 2019.[208] Leinster won the semi-final 13–3, knocking Munster out at the semi-final stage of the Pro14 for the third season in a row.[209]
Munster opened their2020–21 Pro14 season with a 30–27 away win againstScarlets on 3 October 2020. Despite nine penalties from Scarlets fullbackLeigh Halfpenny and a red card for captainPeter O'Mahony, tries fromJack O'Donoghue andChris Farrell kept Munster within touching distance of the hosts, and a try from replacement hookerKevin O'Byrne, converted byBen Healy, levelled the score going into the final minutes of the game, before academy fly-half Healy scored a 50-metre penalty in the 81st minute to earn what had previously looked like an unlikely win for the province.[210]
Munster's2020–21 Champions Cup campaign commenced with a 21–7 home win against Harlequins on 13 December 2020, in whichGavin Coombes,Damian de Allende andJosh Wycherley made their tournament debuts. Coombes scored one try, with the other being a penalty try, withJJ Hanrahan andBen Healy adding nine points of the kicking tee between them.[211] Munster travelled away to Clermont for round two on 19 December 2020 and, despite trailing 28–9 to the home side at one point, fought back to earn a stunning 39–31 win at theStade Marcel-Michelin. The tries for Munster came fromMike Haley,star-of-the-matchCJ Stander andKevin O'Byrne, with JJ Hanrahan scoring a perfect nine from nine off the kicking tee for the other 24 points.[212]
In early January 2021, theEPCR took the decision to temporarily suspend rounds 3 and 4 of the 2020–21 Champions Cup, following a directive from authorities in France that French clubs should not participate in the scheduled matches in response to health risks posed by theCOVID-19 pandemic.[213]
Munster's 20–17 win againstConnacht in round 14 of the 2020–21 Pro14 on 5 March 2021 saw them become the first team to qualify for2021 Pro14 Grand Final, as the victory gave them an unassailable 12 point lead at the top of conference B with two rounds remaining.[214] Munster were beaten 16–6 by arch-rivalsLeinster in the2021 Pro14 Grand Final on 27 March 2021.[215]
The Champions Cup resumed on the weekend of 2/3/4 April 2021 with the top eight teams from each pool at the time of suspension progressing to the round of 16, where Munster had home advantage thanks to their wins in the opening games against Harlequins and Clermont.[216] Munster were drawn againstToulouse.[217]
In an enthralling encounter atThomond Park, Munster led 16–9 at half-time thanks to two tries fromKeith Earls and two penalties fromJoey Carbery, but Toulouse pulled level thanks to a converted try fromMatthis Lebel.Gavin Coombes scored from close-range to give Munster the lead again, before Toulouse captainJulien Marchand responded with a try to level the scores again at 23–23. Substitute fly-halfJJ Hanrahan scored a penalty to give Munster a 26–23 lead heading into the final 15 minutes of the match, but Toulouse's talismanic scrum-halfAntoine Dupont scored two tries in 9 minutes to help the French club pull away on the scoreboard. A late consolation try from Gavin Coombes, his second of the match, in overtime meant the final score was 40–33 to Toulouse, who became just the second French club to win a European match at Thomond Park and advanced to an away quarter-final against Munster's pool opponentsClermont.[218]
Munster opened their2021–22 United Rugby Championship campaign with a bonus-point 42–17 win against theSharks, one of the four new South African teams, on 25 September 2021.Simon Zebo, making his return for the province, scored two tries, extending his club record to 62, withGavin Coombes continuing his try-scoring exploits from the previous season with two tries of his own.Chris Cloete andplayer of the matchCraig Casey also crossed the try line. Fly-halfJoey Carbery scored seven points off the kicking tee, with his replacementBen Healy contributing five points off the tee in the second-half.RG Snyman made his eagerly-awaited return from long-term injury as a second-half replacement, and scrum-halfRowan Osborne made his competitive debut for the province, in a match that saw fans return toThomond Park for the first time since February 2020.[219]
Munster were inSouth Africa for rounds 6 and 7 of the United Rugby Championship, in which they were due to play theBulls and theLions, however, the emergence of theomicron variant ofCOVID-19 led to travel restrictions being implemented byUK andEU authorities, meaning the fixtures had to be postponed.[220] 34 players and staff arrived back in Ireland on 1 December 2021 and immediately entered 10 days of mandatory self-isolation. 14 players and staff who had tested positive for COVID-19 had to remain in South Africa.[221]
In the wake of this disruption for Munster and other clubs, and with Munster's opening Champions Cup fixture away toWasps falling on 12 December, theEPCR extended the deadline for registering players for the tournament to 8 December, meaning Munster could look to supplement their squad with short-term signings,[222][223] and 22 players were subsequently registered with the province's Champions Cup squad.[224]
A depleted Munster squad made up of internationals who'd been away with Ireland during the Autumn tests, academy players and members of the national and provincial talent squads travelled over to England to face Wasps on their opening Champions Cup fixture on 12 December 2021. The team, which featured 12 debutantes, pulled off one of the great Munster away victories, defeating their opponents 35–14 in a thrilling contest in front of a large contingent of Munster fans who had made the journey to Coventry.[225]
Munster made it back-to-back wins in the Champions Cup with a gritty 19–13 win at home against French club Castres on 18 December 2021, with a 58th minute try from number 8Jack O'Donoghue and 14 points off the tee from fly-halfBen Healy being enough for the province to see off their opposition.[226]
In the reverse fixture againstCastres in round 3 of the Champions Cup on 14 January 2022, Munster earned a 16–13 away win thanks to a 77th minute try fromGavin Coombes, converted by rookie fly-halfJack Crowley, who was faultless off the kicking tee in his first European start for the province. The win secured a place in the knockout stage of the tournament for Munster.[227] Nine days later, Munster followed up their away win against Castres with a 45–7 home win againstWasps, with the tries coming fromJeremy Loughman,Conor Murray,Jack O'Donoghue, who was player of the match on the occasion of his 150th cap for Munster,Rory Scannell andSimon Zebo, who scored a brace to become Munster's all-time leading try-scorer in the Champions Cup and the leading Irish try-scorer in the competition overall. Fly-halfBen Healy and his replacement on the day,Jack Crowley, were both 100% from the kicking tee, with Healy scoring four conversions and a penalty, and Crowley adding two late conversions. The win secured home advantage for Munster in the second leg of the round of 16.[228]
Munster faced English clubExeter Chiefs in the round of 16,[229] and lost the first leg of the tie 13–8 away to the Premiership club on 9 April 2022. Exeter took a 10–0 lead in to half-time after tries fromStuart Hogg andJacques Vermeulen, before Munster fly-halfBen Healy hit back with a penalty to reduce the home sides lead. Hogg responded for Exeter with a drop-goal, but a 66th minute try fromShane Daly brought Munster back within touching distance on the scoreboard, and Exeter had to withstand some intense offensive play from Munster going into the final ten minutes, with replacement scrum-halfCraig Casey almost drawing the scores level, before the hosts themselves assaulted the Munster try-line in the last minutes of the match in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to extend their lead.[230]
Needing to overturn a five-point deficit to advance in the competition, Munster welcomed Exeter to Thomond Park for the second leg of their last 16 tie one week later. Fly-halfJoey Carbery, returning from injury, opened the scoring for the hosts with a penalty, but the visitors responded with their first try of the game to take an early 5–3 lead, before Carbery struck back for Munster with a try of his own, to which he added a second penalty to give Munster a 13–5 half-time lead. Exeter struck first in the second-half with a try in the 47th minute, but Carbery kept Munster in front with two further penalties, before centreDamian de Allende scored a 74th minute try to secure a 26–10 home win for Munster and a 34–23 victory on aggregate, ensuring Munster progressed to a record 19th Champions Cup quarter-final.[231]
Facing defending championsToulouse, who knocked the province out of the previous season's tournament, in the quarter-final,[232] Munster began strongly with an 11th minuteAlex Kendellen try, converted byJoey Carbery to lead 7–0, butRomain Ntamack hit back for Toulouse two minutes later with a try of his own, converted byThomas Ramos, to level the scores. The visitors were dominating the scrum and scored their second try in the 25th minute whenMatthis Lebel touched down, with Ramos again converting to give Toulouse a 14–7 lead. However, Munster struck back with aKeith Earls try just before half-time which Carbery converted to leave the scores level heading into the break. The home side came out firing in the second-half, withMike Haley scoring a 43rd minute try, again converted by Carbery, to give Munster a 21–14 lead, which Carbery extended with a penalty in the 56th minute, but Toulouse responded with Lebel's second try in the 66th minute which, when converted by Ramos, reduced the margin to just three points heading into the final ten minutes. A 75th-minute penalty from Ramos levelled the scores at 24–24, and that remained the score at full-time afterBen Healy missed with a 56-metre penalty attempt in the final minute of normal time.[233]
With the scores level at full-time and as both teams scored three tries,extra time ensued, played over two ten-minute halves, but even after that the two teams could not be separated after three missed drop goals between the two, and the game went to a penalty shootout. Munster went first andConor Murray scored his penalty.Antoine Dupont responded successfully for Toulouse, but Ben Healy missed his first attempt, and when Thomas Ramos scored his penalty, it was advantage Toulouse. Carbery scored his penalty, but Romain Ntamack scored his own to restore Toulouse's lead. Murray missed with his second attempt, whilst Dupont was successful with his own to give Toulouse a 4–2 lead, meaning Healy had to score with his second attempt to give Munster any hope, but he was unable to do so, and Toulouse advanced to the semi-finals, knocking Munster out of the competition for the second season in a row.[233]
A 35–25 defeat away toLeinster in round 18 of the2021–22 United Rugby Championship meant that Munster finished sixth in the league overall, and third in the Irish Shield,[234] and the province headed north to faceUlster in the quarter-finals on 3 June 2022, but Munster lost 36–17 to bring the curtain down on their 2021–22 season, as well asJohann van Graan's tenure as head coach.[235]
Head coachJohann van Graan, who joined Munster in November 2017, confirmed in December 2021 that he would be leaving the province at the end of the 2021–22 season to join English clubBath. In addition to this, senior coachStephen Larkham also left the province to return home to Australia to become head coach of theBrumbies, and defence coachJP Ferreira followed van Graan to join Bath. However, forwards coachGraham Rowntree extended his stay with the province by a further two years,[236] and the province confirmed in April 2022 that Rowntree would be promoted to head coach from the 2022–23 season.[237]Mike Prendergast, a former scrum-half for the province, joined Rowntree's coaching setup as the attack coach on a three-year contract, having most recently fulfilled a similar role for French clubRacing 92.[238]Andi Kyriacou, who had joined the province in April 2021 as an elite player development officer with the academy, was promoted to forwards coach with the senior squad on a two-year contract,[239] and former Munster playerDenis Leamy returned to the province as defence coach on a three-year contract.[240]
After a poor start to the season, Munster won the2022–23 United Rugby Championship after beating defending champions theStormers 19–14 away from home in thefinal on 27 May 2023. In doing so, Munster ended a trophy drought that had lasted since their previous league title during the2010–11 season, and secured the first silverware of Graham Rowntree's reign as head coach.[241]
| 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 | 2nd in pool | Interprovincial Championship | 3rd | |||
| 1996–97 | No competition | Heineken Cup | 4th in pool | Interprovincial Championship | Champions | |||
| 1997–98 | No competition | Heineken Cup | 4th in pool | Interprovincial Championship | 2nd | |||
| 1998–99 | No competition | Heineken Cup | Quarter-final | Interprovincial Championship | Champions | |||
| 1999–2000 | No competition | Heineken Cup | Runner-up | Interprovincial Championship | Champions | |||
| 2000–01 | No competition | Heineken Cup | Semi-final | Interprovincial Championship | Champions | |||
| 2001–02 | Celtic League | 1st (B) | 15 | Runner-up | Heineken Cup | Runner-up | Interprovincial Championship | 3rd |
| 2002–03 | Celtic League | 1st (A) | 28 | Champions | Heineken Cup | Semi-final | No competition | |
| 2003–04 | Celtic League | 7th | 51 | N/A | Heineken Cup | Semi-final | Celtic Cup | Quarter-final |
| 2004–05 | Celtic League | 2nd | 69 | N/A | Heineken Cup | Quarter-final | Celtic Cup | Champions |
| 2005–06 | Celtic League | 3rd | 66 | N/A | Heineken Cup | Champions | No competition | |
| 2006–07 | Magners League | 6th | 54 | N/A | Heineken Cup | Quarter-final | No competition | |
| 2007–08 | Magners League | 3rd | 48 | N/A | Heineken Cup | Champions | No competition | |
| 2008–09 | Magners League | 1st | 63 | N/A | Heineken Cup | Semi-final | No competition | |
| 2009–10 | Magners League | 4th | 45 | Semi-final | Heineken Cup | Semi-final | British and Irish Cup | Runner-up |
| 2010–11 | Magners League | 1st | 83 | Champions | Challenge Cup* | Semi-final | British and Irish Cup | 3rd in pool |
| 2011–12 | RaboDirect PRO12 | 3rd | 67 | Semi-final | Heineken Cup | Quarter-final | British and Irish Cup | Champions |
| 2012–13 | RaboDirect PRO12 | 6th | 54 | Did not qualify | Heineken Cup | Semi-final | British and Irish Cup | Semi-final |
| 2013–14 | RaboDirect PRO12 | 3rd | 74 | Semi-final | Heineken Cup | Semi-final | British and Irish Cup | Quarter-final |
| 2014–15 | Guinness PRO12 | 2nd | 75 | Runner-up | Champions Cup | 3rd in pool | British and Irish Cup | Quarter-final |
| 2015–16 | Guinness PRO12 | 6th | 63 | Did not qualify | Champions Cup | 3rd in pool | British and Irish Cup | 3rd in pool |
| 2016–17 | Guinness PRO12 | 1st | 86 | Runner-up | Champions Cup | Semi-final | British and Irish Cup | Champions |
| 2017–18 | Guinness PRO14 | 2nd (A) | 69 | Semi-final | Champions Cup | Semi-final | British and Irish Cup | Quarter-final |
| 2018–19 | Guinness PRO14 | 2nd (A) | 77 | Semi-final | Champions Cup | Semi-final | Celtic Cup | 2nd in pool |
| 2019–20 | Guinness PRO14 | 2nd (B) | 51 | Semi-final | Champions Cup | 3rd in pool | Celtic Cup | 6th in pool |
| 2020–21 | Guinness PRO14 | 1st (B) | 64 | Runner-up | Champions Cup | Last 16 | Rainbow Cup | 2nd in pool |
| 2021–22 | URC | 6th | 56 | Quarter-final | Champions Cup | Quarter-final | URC Irish Shield | 3rd |
| 2022–23 | URC | 5th | 55 | Champions | Champions Cup | Last 16 | URC Irish Shield | 3rd |
| 2023–24 | URC | 1st | 68 | Semi-final | Champions Cup | Last 16 | URC Irish Shield | 3rd |
| 2024–25 | URC | 6th | 51 | Quarter-final | Champions Cup | Quarter-final | URC Irish Shield | 2nd |
Gold background denotes champions
Silver background denotes runner-up
* After dropping into the competition from theHeineken Cup
| Season | Pos | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Bonus | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 1st (Pool B) | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | |
| Quarter-final | Munster 13 – 6Llanelli | |||||||
| Semi-final | Munster 15 – 9Ulster | |||||||
| Final | Leinster 24 – 20 Munster | |||||||
| 2002–03 | 1st (Pool A) | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 28 | |
| Quarter-final | Munster 33 – 3Connacht | |||||||
| Semi-final | Munster 42 – 10Ulster | |||||||
| Final | Neath 17 – 37Munster | |||||||
| 2003–04 | 7th | 22 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 11 | 51 | |
| 2004–05 | 2nd | 20 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 69 | |
| 2005–06 | 3rd | 20 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 10 | 66[n 1] | |
| 2006–07 | 6th | 20 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 54 | |
| 2007–08 | 3rd | 18 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 48 | |
| 2008–09 | 1st | 18 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 63 | |
| 2009–10 | 4th | 18 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 45 | |
| Semi-final | Leinster 16 – 6 Munster | |||||||
| 2010–11 | 1st | 22 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 83 | |
| Semi-final | Munster 18 – 11Ospreys | |||||||
| Final | Munster 19 – 9Leinster | |||||||
| 2011–12 | 3rd | 22 | 14 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 67 | |
| Semi-final | Ospreys 45 – 10 Munster | |||||||
| 2012–13 | 6th | 22 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 54 | |
| 2013–14 | 3rd | 22 | 16 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 74 | |
| Semi-final | Glasgow 16 – 15 Munster | |||||||
| 2014–15 | 2nd | 22 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 75 | |
| Semi-final | Munster 21 – 18Ospreys | |||||||
| Final | Munster 13 – 31Glasgow | |||||||
| 2015–16 | 6th | 22 | 13 | 0 | 9 | 11 | 63 | |
| 2016–17 | 1st | 22 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 86 | |
| Semi-final | Munster 23 – 3Ospreys | |||||||
| Final | Munster 22 – 46Scarlets | |||||||
| 2017–18 | 2nd (Conf. A) | 21 | 13 | 1 | 7 | 15 | 69 | |
| Quarter-final | Munster 20 – 16Edinburgh | |||||||
| Semi-final | Leinster 16 – 15 Munster | |||||||
| 2018–19 | 2nd (Conf. A) | 21 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 77 | |
| Quarter-final | Munster 15 – 13Benetton | |||||||
| Semi-final | Leinster 24 – 9 Munster | |||||||
| 2019–20 | 2nd (Conf. B) | 15 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 51[n 2] | |
| Semi-final | Leinster 13 – 3 Munster | |||||||
| 2020–21 | 1st (Conf. B) | 16 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 64[n 3] | |
| Final | Leinster 16 – 6 Munster | |||||||
| 2021–22 | 6th | 18 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 56 | |
| Quarter-final | Ulster 36 – 17 Munster | |||||||
| 2022–23 | 5th | 18 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 13 | 55 | |
| Quarter-final | Glasgow Warriors 5 – 14Munster | |||||||
| Semi-final | Leinster 15 – 16Munster | |||||||
| Final | Stormers 14 – 19Munster | |||||||
| 2023–24 | 1st | 18 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 68 | |
| Quarter-final | Munster 23 – 7Ospreys | |||||||
| Semi-final | Munster 10 – 17Glasgow Warriors | |||||||
| 2024–25 | 6th | 18 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 15 | 51 | |
| Quarter-final | Munster 24 – 24Sharks(A.E.T.)[n 4] | |||||||
| ||||||||
| Season | Pool/Round | Pos | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Bonus | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–96 | Pool 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | – | 2 |
| 1996–97 | Pool 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | – | 4 |
| 1997–98 | Pool 4 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | – | 4 |
| 1998–99 | Pool 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | – | 9 |
| Quarter-final | Colomiers 23 – 9 Munster | |||||||
| 1999–00 | Pool 4 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | – | 10 |
| Quarter-final | Munster 27 – 10Stade Français | |||||||
| Semi-final | Toulouse 25 – 31Munster | |||||||
| Final | Northampton 9 – 8 Munster | |||||||
| 2000–01 | Pool 4 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | – | 10 |
| Quarter-final | Munster 38 – 29Biarritz | |||||||
| Semi-final | Stade Français 16 – 15 Munster | |||||||
| 2001–02 | Pool 4 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | – | 10 |
| Quarter-final | Stade Français 14 – 16Munster | |||||||
| Semi-final | Castres 17 – 25Munster | |||||||
| Final | Leicester 15 – 9 Munster | |||||||
| 2002–03 | Pool 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | – | 8 |
| Quarter-final | Leicester 7 – 20Munster | |||||||
| Semi-final | Toulouse 13 – 12 Munster | |||||||
| 2003–04 | Pool 5 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 24 |
| Quarter-final | Munster 37 – 32Stade Français | |||||||
| Semi-final | Munster 32 – 37Wasps | |||||||
| 2004–05 | Pool 4 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 22 |
| Quarter-final | Biarritz 19 – 10 Munster | |||||||
| 2005–06 | Pool 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 23 |
| Quarter-final | Munster 19 – 10Perpignan | |||||||
| Semi-final | Leinster 6 – 30Munster | |||||||
| Final | Biarritz 19 – 23Munster | |||||||
| 2006–07 | Pool 4 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 23 |
| Quarter-final | Scarlets 24 – 15 Munster | |||||||
| 2007–08 | Pool 5 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 19 |
| Quarter-final | Gloucester 3 – 16Munster | |||||||
| Semi-final | Saracens 16 – 18Munster | |||||||
| Final | Toulouse 13 – 16Munster | |||||||
| 2008–09 | Pool 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 23 |
| Quarter-final | Munster 43 – 9Ospreys | |||||||
| Semi-final | Munster 6 – 25Leinster | |||||||
| 2009–10 | Pool 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 24 |
| Quarter-final | Munster 33 – 19Northampton | |||||||
| Semi-final | Biarritz 18 – 7 Munster | |||||||
| 2010–11 | Pool 3 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 16 |
| 2011–12 | Pool 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 25 |
| Quarter-final | Munster 16 – 22Ulster | |||||||
| 2012–13 | Pool 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 20 |
| Quarter-final | Harlequins 12 – 18Munster | |||||||
| Semi-final | Clermont 16 – 10 Munster | |||||||
| 2013–14 | Pool 6 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 23 |
| Quarter-final | Munster 47 – 23Toulouse | |||||||
| Semi-final | Toulon 24 – 16 Munster | |||||||
| 2014–15 | Pool 1 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 15 |
| 2015–16 | Pool 4 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 15 |
| 2016–17 | Pool 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 24 |
| Quarter-final | Munster 41 – 16Toulouse | |||||||
| Semi-final | Munster 10 – 26Saracens | |||||||
| 2017–18 | Pool 4 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 21 |
| Quarter-final | Munster 20 – 19Toulon | |||||||
| Semi-final | Racing 92 27 – 22 Munster | |||||||
| 2018–19 | Pool 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 21 |
| Quarter-final | Edinburgh 13 – 17Munster | |||||||
| Semi-final | Saracens 32 – 16 Munster | |||||||
| 2019–20 | Pool 4 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 16 |
| 2020–21 | Pool B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8[n 1] |
| Last 16 | Munster 33 – 40Toulouse | |||||||
| 2021–22 | Pool B | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18 |
| Last 16 (1st leg) | Exeter Chiefs 13 – 8 Munster | |||||||
| Last 16 (2nd leg) | Munster 26 – 10 Exeter Chiefs[n 2] | |||||||
| Quarter-final | Munster 24 – 24Toulouse(A.E.T.)[n 3] | |||||||
| 2022–23 | Pool B | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Last 16 | Sharks 50 – 35 Munster | |||||||
| 2023–24 | Pool C | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
| Last 16 | Northampton Saints 24 – 14 Munster | |||||||
| 2024–25 | Pool 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 12 |
| Last 16 | Stade Rochelais 24 – 25Munster | |||||||
| Quarter-final | Union Bordeaux Bègles 47 – 29 Munster | |||||||
| Season | Round | Result | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–11 | Quarter-final | Brive 37 – 42Munster | ||||||
| Semi-final | Munster 12 – 20Harlequins | |||||||
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leinster(C) | 18 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 542 | 256 | +286 | 79 | 35 | 11 | 1 | 76 | Qualifies for home URC quarter-final; Qualification for the2025–26 Champions Cup |
| 2 |  Bulls(RU) | 18 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 542 | 361 | +181 | 71 | 44 | 9 | 3 | 68 | |
| 3 | Sharks(SF) | 18 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 436 | 402 | +34 | 55 | 59 | 7 | 3 | 62 | |
| 4 |  Glasgow Warriors(SF) | 18 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 468 | 327 | +141 | 70 | 40 | 10 | 5 | 59 | |
| 5 | Stormers(Q) | 18 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 507 | 418 | +89 | 66 | 57 | 11 | 4 | 55 | Qualifies for URC quarter-final; Qualification for the2025–26 Champions Cup |
| 6 | Munster(Q) | 18 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 444 | 429 | +15 | 67 | 59 | 11 | 4 | 51 | |
| 7 | Edinburgh(Q) | 18 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 471 | 407 | +64 | 66 | 57 | 9 | 6 | 49 | |
| 8 |  Scarlets(Q) | 18 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 427 | 382 | +45 | 50 | 52 | 6 | 4 | 48 | |
| 9 | Cardiff(E) | 18 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 409 | 477 | −68 | 63 | 65 | 10 | 3 | 47 | Qualification for the2025–26 Challenge Cup |
| 10 |  Benetton(E) | 18 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 393 | 478 | −85 | 50 | 65 | 7 | 1 | 46 | |
| 11 | Lions(E) | 18 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 402 | 440 | −38 | 53 | 60 | 5 | 3 | 40 | |
| 12 | Ospreys(E) | 18 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 437 | 454 | −17 | 60 | 63 | 6 | 4 | 40 | |
| 13 | Connacht(E) | 18 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 420 | 472 | −52 | 64 | 62 | 9 | 6 | 39 | |
| 14 | Ulster(E) | 18 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 414 | 506 | −92 | 59 | 72 | 5 | 5 | 38 | |
| 15 | Zebre Parma(E) | 18 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 302 | 503 | −201 | 38 | 72 | 3 | 4 | 29 | |
| 16 | Dragons(E) | 18 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 335 | 637 | −302 | 43 | 92 | 1 | 4 | 9 |
| |||||||||||||||||
| Irish Shield | |||||||||||||||||
| Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TBP | LBP | Pts | Pos overall | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leinster(S) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 175 | 80 | +95 | 26 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 29 | 1 | |||
| 2 | Munster | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 144 | 150 | –6 | 22 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 20 | 6 | |||
| 3 | Ulster | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 125 | 162 | –37 | 16 | 26 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 14 | |||
| 4 | Connacht | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 115 | 167 | –52 | 18 | 23 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 13 | |||
| Italian x Scottish Shield | |||||||||||||||||
| Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TBP | LBP | Pts | Pos overall | ||||
| 1 | Glasgow Warriors (S) | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 136 | 76 | +60 | 20 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 20 | 4 | |||
| 2 | Benetton | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 132 | 139 | –7 | 19 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 10 | |||
| 3 | Edinburgh | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 134 | 141 | –7 | 18 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 7 | |||
| 4 | Zebre Parma | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 88 | 124 | –46 | 9 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 15 | |||
| South African Shield | |||||||||||||||||
| Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TBP | LBP | Pts | Pos overall | ||||
| 1 | Sharks(S) | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 129 | 135 | −6 | 17 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 3 | |||
| 2 | Stormers | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 142 | 130 | +12 | 19 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 5 | |||
| 3 | Bulls | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 151 | 141 | +10 | 19 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 2 | |||
| 4 | Lions | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 141 | 157 | −16 | 19 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 11 | |||
| Welsh Shield | |||||||||||||||||
| Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TBP | LBP | Pts | Pos overall | ||||
| 1 | Cardiff(S) | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 147 | 117 | +30 | 23 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 23 | 9 | |||
| 2 | Scarlets | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 163 | 126 | +37 | 20 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 20 | 7 | |||
| 3 | Ospreys | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 155 | 156 | –1 | 21 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 12 | |||
| 4 | Dragons | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 130 | 196 | –66 | 15 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 16 | |||
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:[243]
| |||||||||||||||||
| Green background indicates teams currently leading the regional shield. Upon the conclusion of the regular season, these teams win their respective regional shields. (S) : URC Shield champion | |||||||||||||||||
| 2023–24 European Rugby Champions Cup Pool C | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | PF | PA | Diff | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts | |
 Northampton Saints(3) | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 137 | 75 | +62 | 18 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| Exeter Chiefs(8) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 87 | 99 | –12 | 13 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 13 |
| Glasgow Warriors(12) | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 77 | 63 | +14 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| Munster(14) | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 93 | 93 | 0 | 13 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 9 |
 Bayonne(9CC) | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 82 | 107 | –25 | 11 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| Toulon | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 60 | 99 | –39 | 7 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Green background (rows 1 to 2) indicates qualification places for a homeChampions Cup round of 16. Blue background (rows 3 to 4) indicates other teams qualified for theChampions Cup round of 16. Yellow background (row 5) indicates qualification place for theChallenge Cup round of 16. Plain background (row 6) indicates elimination from 2023–24 European competition. Starting table — source:European Professional Club Rugby | ||||||||||||
| Honours | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Competition | Winners | Season(s) | Runners-up | Season(s) | |||
| European Rugby Champions Cup[note 2] | 2 | 2005–06,2007–08 | 2 | 1999–2000,2001–02 | |||
| United Rugby Championship[note 3] | 4 | 2002–03,2008–09,2010–11,2022–23 | 5 | 2001–02,2004–05,2014–15,2016–17,2020–21 | |||
| British & Irish Cup[note 4] | 2 | 2011–12,2016–17 | 1 | 2009–10 | |||
| Celtic Cup[note 5] | 1 | 2004–05 | —— | —— | |||
| IRFU Interprovincial Championship[note 6][244] | 22 | 1947–48, 1952–53, 1954–55,1957–58,1959–60,1962–63,1965–66, 1966–67*,1968–69, 1972–73*, 1973–74, 1975–76*, 1977–78*,1978–79, 1982–83*, 1987–88*, 1993–94*,1994–95,1996–97, 1998–99,1999–2000, 2000–01 | N/A | N/A | |||
| Setanta Challenge Cup[note 7] | 2 | 2007,[245] 2008[246] | —— | —— | |||
The 'three crowns' flag of Munster Rugby derives from the historiccoat of arms of Munster, which reputedly alludes to the three constituent historic kingdoms of Munster;Thomond in the north,Desmond in the south, andOrmond in the east.
A revamped logo was introduced for the 2003–04 season which included the addition of a stag with the three crowns.[247] The new crest was designed by the Limerick graphic design and branding agencyDesigner's Ink, who received a Gold Award in the Irish Design Effectiveness Awards for the branding and implementation of Munster Rugby.[248] The crest was designed to maintain the three crowns and the new red stag symbolises strength and competitiveness.[247] The decision for change was a product of two years of planning of research and design.[247]
Munster's kit is made byAdidas, who replacedCanterbury in 2007 in a deal initially covering kit supply for three seasons. Between 2004 and 2013,Toyota was Munster's primary sponsor, appearing on the front of their jersey. On 23 May 2013, it was announced on thatBank of Ireland would be replacingToyota as Munster's sponsor.[249] In April 2017, the deal with Bank of Ireland was extended until the end of the 2022–23 season.[250] In August 2017, Munster announced thatShannon Airport had become its 'official airport partner' in a three-year deal, which would see the Shannon Airport logo appear on the players' shorts from the 2017–18 season onwards.[251] The deals with kit manufacturer Adidas and retail partner LifeStyle Sports were extended in July 2019 until the end of the 2025–26 season.[252]
Munster have two main stadia where they play their home matches –Thomond Park inLimerick andMusgrave Park inCork. Thomond Park is the bigger of the two, with a capacity of 25,600, which can be expanded up to 26,267 with temporary seating, while Musgrave Park holds 8,800.[253] As well as Munster,Shannon andUL Bohemians play at the grounds of Thomond Park. Thomond Park is famous for its atmosphere and unique history[254] – its noise during play and complete silence when a player (home or away) is kicking at goal. It was also famous for Munster's intimidating record that it held for over a decade – having never been beaten at home during the Heineken Cup. However, the record was broken during the2006–07 season when they were defeated by Leicester Tigers.[255] Munster train in theUniversity of Limerick.
Thomond Park went through a major renovation in 1999 and in 2006, Munster announced plans to upgrade it. In autumn 2008, the new 25,600 capacity stadium was opened. Two sweeping arches are one of the defining features of the stadium, as well as the concourse outside of the new East Stand. The new stadium design was well received and won the Public Choice Award for 2009 from the Irish Architecture Foundation. A long discussion and consultation on the new name concluded with the decision that the name would remainThomond Park.[256]
The Munster Rugby Supporters Club was founded in 1999 and has branches inBrussels,Dublin,London and theUnited States.[257] The strength of Munster's support was demonstrated during Munster's2006 and2008 Heineken Cup final wins. News reports detailed the lengths that fans were willing to go to secure tickets to the game, with some Munster fans travelling to Biarritz to buy up the French allocation of tickets. On the day of the game theMillennium Stadium inCardiff was filled with a capacity crowd of 74,500. Of those numbers it is estimated that somewhere between 55,000 and 65,000 were Munster fans with the remainder being neutrals andBiarritz supporters. The Millennium Stadium was intended to be a neutral venue but commentators on the day remarked that it could hardly be counted as such.
Munster played in the most attended semi-final match of the Heineken Cup. 82,208 spectators attended their2008–09 Heineken Cup semi-final against Irish rivalsLeinster, which was played inCroke Park, Dublin. This was also, at the time, the largest crowd ever at a club rugby union match. The record was broken in a league game between English sidesSaracens andHarlequins in 2012.
Munster's appearance in the2002 final of the Heineken Cup againstLeicester Tigers at theMillennium Stadium, which drew 74,600, was the record attendance for a final in the competition[258] until the2007 Heineken Cup final between Leicester andLondon Wasps at the newly expandedTwickenham. Munster's 2005 quarter-final againstBiarritz Olympique inEstadio Anoeta, played across the border in Spain inSan Sebastián set the record for the biggest rugby match ever played in Spain with an attendance of 32,000.[259] Their October 2006 Celtic League game against Leinster at Lansdowne Road beat the record for that competition with an attendance of 27,252.[260] This record lasted just two months however, with theLeinster andUlster match on 31 December 2006 filling Lansdowne Road (over 48,000 in attendance) for the last match at the stadium before redevelopment.[261]
On 2 October 2010, Munster playedLeinster in the round 5 of theCeltic League at theAviva Stadium, this set a new crowd attendance record for a Celtic League game at 50,645.[262] On 26 December 2017, a new attendance record for Thomond Park in the Pro14 was set when 26,267 were at the Munster v Leinster fixture.[156]
Munster fans are known for their silence when a kick is being taken, but also for their noise. Fans repeatedly chant "MUNSTER" or sing "The Fields of Athenry" (anIrish famine song from Galway, Connacht) and "Stand Up and Fight" (from the Broadway musicalCarmen Jones).[263] They sang "The Black Velvet Band" to theOspreys' Irish wingerTommy Bowe during their 2009 Heineken Cup quarter-final encounter. Tommy Bowe sang this song at the official reception for the2009 Grand Slam winning Ireland rugby team. Munster Rugby has given the word "Garryowen" to the rugby lexicon. The Limerick club ofGarryowen introduced the "Garryowen kick", a high up-and-under which puts defending players under pressure. Shortly after the 2018 death ofDolores O'Riordan, lead singer ofThe Cranberries (a band formed in Limerick), Munster fans adopted the band's song "Zombie" as an unofficial anthem.[264] The song's status was further cemented during the 2021–22 season, with the hit single featuring prominently in Munster's defeat againstToulouse in May 2022 and in their win against aSouth Africa XV inPáirc Uí Chaoimh in November 2022.[265][266][267]
Munster A is the team that represents Munster in theCeltic Cup and in theIRFU Interprovincial Championship. Pre-professionalism and a formal league structure, the main Munster team competed in the IRFU Interprovincial Championship. Since the advent of professionalism, the provinces have fielded lesser teams in order to concentrate on theleague. The team is composed of senior Munster squad players requiring gametime, academy players andAll-Ireland League players called up from their club.[268]
Having been beaten finalists in the2009–10 British and Irish Cup, losing 23–14 toCornish Pirates,[269] Munster A secured success in theBritish and Irish Cup on 27 April 2012, beatingCross Keys 31–12 in the final of the2011–12 tournament at Musgrave Park.[270] On 21 April 2017, Munster A won their second British and Irish Cup, beating EnglishRFU Championship sideJersey Reds 29–28 in the2016–17 final, which was held in Musgrave Park. At one point during the first half, Munster A had been losing 18–0, but fought back to secure victory.[271]
With 2017–18 being the last season in which theBritish and Irish Cup was held, theWelsh Rugby Union andIrish Rugby Football Union formed a new tournament, theCeltic Cup, which features development squads from the four Irish provinces and four Welsh regions, split into two pools of four. The first tournament ran over seven consecutive weeks between 7 September 2018 and 21 October 2018.[272]
| Position | Name | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Head coach | Clayton McMillan |  New Zealand |
| Attack coach | Mike Prendergast | Ireland |
| Forwards coach | Alex Codling | England |
| Defence coach | Denis Leamy | Ireland |
| Skills coach | Mossy Lawler | Ireland |
| Performance analyst and technical coach | George Murray | Ireland |
| Team manager | Martyn Vercoe | New Zealand |
| Head of rugby operations | Ian Costello | Ireland |
| Head of athletic performance | Brad Mayo | New Zealand |
| Strength and conditioning coach | Adam Sheehan | Ireland |
| Munster Rugby senior squad | ||
|---|---|---|
Props
Hookers Locks | Back row Scrum-halves Fly-halves | Centres Back three |
| (c) denotes the team captain,Bold denotes internationally capped players. * denotes players qualified to play for Ireland on residency or dual nationality. ST denotes a short-term signing. L denotes a player on loan at the club. Players and their allocated positions from the Munster Rugby website.[273] |
| Position | Name | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Academy and pathway manager | Gearóid Prendergast | Ireland |
| Elite player development officer | Brendan O'Connor | Ireland |
| Elite player development officer | Tommy O'Donnell | Ireland |
| Pathway development coach | Matt Brown | Ireland |
| National talent coach | Mark Butler | Ireland |
| Strength and conditioning coach | Danielle Cunningham | Ireland |
| Munster Rugby academy squad | ||
|---|---|---|
Props
Hookers
Locks
| Back row
Scrum-halves
Fly-halves
| Centres
Back three
|
| Bold denotes internationally capped players, number in brackets indicates players stage in the three-year academy cycle. * denotes players qualified to play for Ireland on residency or dual nationality. Players and their allocated positions from the Munster Rugby website.[274] |
| Date | Country | Location | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1905 | New Zealand | Markets Field | 0–33 | Lost |
| 1947 |  Australia | The Mardkye | 5–6 | Lost |
| 1951 |  South Africa | Thomond Park | 6–11 | Lost |
| 1954 | New Zealand | The Mardyke | 3–6 | Lost |
| 1958 | Australia | Thomond Park | 3–3 | Draw |
| 1960 | South Africa | Musgrave Park | 3–9 | Lost |
| 1962 |  Canada | Musgrave Park | 11–8 | Won |
| 1963 | New Zealand | Thomond Park | 3–6 | Lost |
| 1967 | Australia | Musgrave Park | 11–8 | Won |
| 1970 | South Africa | Thomond Park | 9–25 | Lost |
| 1973 | New Zealand | Musgrave Park | 3–3 | Drew |
| 1973 |  Argentina | Thomond Park | 12–12 | Drew |
| 1974 | New Zealand | Thomond Park | 4–14 | Lost |
| 1976 | Australia | Musgrave Park | 13–15 | Lost |
| 1978 | New Zealand | Thomond Park | 12–0 | Won |
| 1980 |  Romania | Thomond Park | 9–32 | Lost |
| 1981 | Australia | Musgrave Park | 15–6 | Won |
| 1984 | Australia | Thomond Park | 19–31 | Lost |
| 1989 | New Zealand | Musgrave Park | 9–31 | Lost |
| 1990 |  USSR | Clonmel | 15–19 | Lost |
| 1992 | Australia | Musgrave Park | 22–19 | Won |
| 1996 |  Samoa | Musgrave Park | 25–35 | Lost |
| 1996 | Australia | Thomond Park | 19–55 | Lost |
| 1998 |  Morocco | Thomond Park | 49–17 | Won |
| 2008 | New Zealand | Thomond Park | 16–18 | Lost |
| 2010 | Australia | Thomond Park | 15–6 | Won |
| 2016 | Māori All Blacks | Thomond Park | 27–14 | Won |
| 2022 | South Africa XV | Páirc Uí Chaoimh | 28–14 | Won |
| 2023 | Barbarians | Thomond Park | 47–35 | Won |
| 2024 | All Blacks XV | Thomond Park | 24–38 | Lost |
| 2025 | Argentina XV | Thomond Park | 31-28 | Won |
| Against | Played† | Won | Drawn | Lost | % Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aironi | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 75.00% |
| Bath | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.00% |
| Bayonne | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Benetton | 29 | 25 | 1 | 3 | 86.21% |
| Biarritz | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 50.00% |
| Border Reivers | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Bourgoin | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 83.33% |
| Bridgend | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Brive | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Bulls | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 50.00% |
| Caerphilly | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Castres | 19 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 68.42% |
| Cardiff | 47 | 29 | 0 | 18 | 61.7% |
| Celtic Warriors | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.00% |
| Cheetahs | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 80.00% |
| Clermont | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 37.50% |
| Colomiers | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 66.67% |
| Connacht | 47 | 37 | 1 | 9 | 78.72% |
| Dragons | 38 | 29 | 0 | 9 | 76.32% |
| Ebbw Vale | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Edinburgh | 45 | 35 | 0 | 10 | 77.78% |
| Exeter Chiefs | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 40.00% |
| Glasgow Warriors | 43 | 25 | 1 | 17 | 58.14% |
| Gloucester | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 77.77% |
| Harlequins | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 77.77% |
| Llanelli | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Leicester Tigers | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 50.00% |
| Leinster | 57 | 19 | 1 | 37 | 33.33% |
| Lions | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 75.00% |
| London Irish | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.00% |
| Milan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Montauban | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Neath | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 60.00% |
| Newport | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Northampton Saints | 11 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 54.55% |
| Ospreys | 50 | 32 | 1 | 17 | 64% |
| Perpignan | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 71.43% |
| Petrarca | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Pontypridd | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.00% |
| Racing 92 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 44.44% |
| Sale Sharks | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 83.33% |
| Saracens | 12 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 58.33% |
| Scarlets | 47 | 32 | 2 | 13 | 68.09% |
| Sharks | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 33.33% |
| Southern Kings | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Stade Français | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 71.43% |
| Stade Rochelais | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Stormers | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 80.00% |
| Swansea | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Toulon | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 60.00% |
| Toulouse | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 40.00% |
| Ulster | 48 | 25 | 2 | 21 | 52.08% |
| Viadana | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Wasps | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 66.66% |
| Zebre Parma | 21 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 95.24% |
| Total | 695 | 458 | 16 | 221 | 65.9% |
†Matches played as part of the Irish Inter-provincial Rugby Championship, separate from league fixtures, are not included in this table.
Correct as of 19 October 2025
| Against | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | % Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Connacht | 105 | 89 | 3 | 13 | 84.76% |
 Leinster | 115 | 46 | 5 | 64 | 40% |
 Ulster | 108 | 43 | 10 | 55 | 39.81% |
| Total | 327 | 178 | 18 | 131 | 54.43% |
Correct as of 19 October 2025.
| Coach | Season(s) | Games | Won | Drew | Lost | Win % | Loss % | Honours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jerry Holland | 1994/95 – 1996/97 | 19 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 63% | 37% | IRFU Interprovincial Championship: 1994–95, 1996–97 |
| John Bevan | 1997/98 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 44% | 56% | |
| Declan Kidney | 1998/99 – 2002/03 | 80 | 60 | 3 | 17 | 75% | 21% | IRFU Interprovincial Championship: 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01 Celtic League (2002–03) |
| Alan Gaffney | 2003/04 – 2004/05 | 61 | 40 | 0 | 21 | 66% | 34% | Celtic Cup (2005) |
| Declan Kidney | 2005/06 – 2007/08 | 84 | 54 | 1 | 29 | 64% | 35% | European Cup (2006),(2008) |
| Tony McGahan | 2008/09 – 2011/12 | 115 | 79 | 1 | 35 | 69% | 30% | Magners League (2009),(2011) |
| Rob Penney | 2012/13 – 2013/14 | 61 | 38 | 1 | 22 | 62% | 36% | 2013–14 Pro12 Coach of the Season[275] |
| Anthony Foley | 2014/15 – 2016/17[n 1] | 64 | 39 | 2 | 23 | 61% | 36% | |
| Rassie Erasmus | 2016/17 – 2017/18 | 43 | 33 | 1 | 9 | 77% | 21% | 2016–17 Pro12 Coach of the Season[276] |
| Johann van Graan[277] | 2017/18 – 2021/22 | 125 | 84 | 3 | 38 | 67% | 30% | |
| Graham Rowntree[237][278] | 2022/23 – 2024/25 (midseason) | 55 | 32 | 3 | 20 | 58% | 36% | URC (2022–23) |
| Ian Costello[279] | 2024/25 (midseason) | 18 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 56% | 44% | |
| Clayton McMillan[280] | 2025/2026– | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 0% | |
| ||||||||
The following Munster players have represented theBritish & Irish Lions.[244]Bold indicates tour captain.
The following table shows the players who won at least 200 caps for Munster. All players are Irish, unless otherwise noted.
(Correct as of 19 October 2025)
| Player | Caps | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Stephen Archer | 304 | 2009–2025 |
| Donncha O'Callaghan | 268 | 1998–2015 |
| Billy Holland | 247 | 2007–2021 |
| John Ryan | 245 | 2011– |
| Ronan O'Gara | 240 | 1997–2013 |
| Peter Stringer | 232 | 1998–2013 |
| Marcus Horan | 225 | 1999–2013 |
| Dave Kilcoyne | 220 | 2011–2024 |
| John Hayes | 217 | 1998–2011 |
| Alan Quinlan | 212 | 1996–2011 |
| Mick O'Driscoll | 207 | 1998–2003, 2005–2012 |
| Conor Murray | 206 | 2010–2025 |
| David Wallace | 203 | 1997–2012 |
| Keith Earls | 202 | 2007–2023 |
| Anthony Foley | 201 | 1994–2008 |
| Rory Scannell | 200 | 2014–2025 |
The following is a list of non-Irish qualified Munster players. Note: flags indicate national union as has been defined under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.
(Correct as of 16 June 2025)[300]Bold indicates highest overall record. All players are Irish unless otherwise indicated.
(Correct as of 16 June 2025)
| Category | Player | Totals | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearances | Stephen Archer | 304 | 2009–2025 |
| Points | Ronan O'Gara | 2,625 | 1997–2013 |
| Tries | Simon Zebo | 73 | 2010–2018, 2021–2024 |
(Correct as of 1 June 2024)
| Category | Player | Totals | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearances | Ronan O'Gara | 110 | 1997–2013 |
| Points | Ronan O'Gara | 1,365 | 1997–2013 |
| Tries | Simon Zebo | 26 | 2011–2018, 2021–2024 |
(Correct as of 14 June 2025)[301]
| Category | Player | Totals | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearances | Stephen Archer | 237 | 2009–2025 |
| Points | Ronan O'Gara | 942 | 2011–2019 |
| Tries | Simon Zebo | 46 | 2010–2018, 2021–2024 |
The ERC issued awards to teams that had played at least 50 matches in European competitions.
Correct as of 12 October 2025[302]
| Team | Matches played |
|---|---|
| Munster Rugby | 206 |
All players are Irish unless otherwise noted.
This award recognised the best European player in the Heineken Cup from 1995 to 2010.[303]
| Player | Position | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Ronan O'Gara | Fly-half | 1997–2013 |
In 2010, the following Munster players were selected in theERC European Dream Team, an all–time dream team ofHeineken Cup players.[304]
| Player | Position | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Anthony Foley | Number 8 | 1995–2008 |
| Ronan O'Gara | Fly-half | 1997–2013 |
| David Wallace | Flanker | 1997–2012 |
The ERC issued awards to players who had scored at least 500 and 1,000 points in European competitions.
| Players | Points |
|---|---|
| Ronan O'Gara | 1,365 |
| Competition | Irish players | Overseas players |
|---|---|---|
| 2006–07[305] | —— | —— |
| 2007–08[306] | —— | Lifeimi Mafi |
| 2008–09[307] | Ronan O'Gara, Jerry Flannery, Paul O'Connell | Lifeimi Mafi (2) |
| 2009–10[308] | Tomás O'Leary | —— |
| 2010–11[309] | Ronan O'Gara (2) | —— |
| 2011–12[310] | —— | BJ Botha |
| 2012–13[311] | —— | —— |
| 2013–14[312] | Dave Kilcoyne | Casey Laulala |
| 2014–15[313] | Tommy O'Donnell | CJ Stander |
| 2015–16[314] | CJ Stander (2)[n 1] | —— |
| 2016–17[315] | Rory Scannell, Billy Holland, Dave Kilcoyne (2), John Ryan | Jaco Taute,Tyler Bleyendaal |
| 2017–18[316] | —— | —— |
| 2018–19[317] | Tadhg Beirne (2),[n 2] Peter O'Mahony | —— |
| 2019–20[318] | —— | —— |
| 2020–21[319] | Billy Holland (2), Kevin O'Byrne | Damian de Allende |
| 2021–22[320] | Craig Casey Jean Kleyn | —— |
| 2022–23[321] | Gavin Coombes | —— |
| 2023–24[322] | Tadhg Beirne (3),Jack Crowley | Alex Nankivell |
| 2024–25[323] | Tadhg Beirne (4),Craig Casey (2),Tom Farrell | —— |
The United Rugby Championship Golden Boot is awarded to the kicker who has successfully converted the highest percentage of place kicks during the 18-week regular URC season. The prize has been awarded annually since 2012.
| Competition | Player | Success rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2013–14[324] | JJ Hanrahan | 88.71% |
| 2019–20[325] | JJ Hanrahan | 90.91% |
The Playmaker award was first introduced in 2025 and is awarded to the player with the most points based upon their total number of try assists (3 points), offloads (2 points) and defenders beaten (1 point).[326]
| Competition | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 2024–25[326][327] | Tom Farrell | 158 points comes from five try assists (15 points), 41 offloads (82 points), and 61 defenders beaten (61 points) |
|
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
