Leinster Rugby

Founded	1879; 147 years ago (1879)
Location	Dublin,Ireland
Ground(s)	RDS Arena (Capacity: 18,500) Aviva Stadium (Capacity: 51,700)
Coach	Leo Cullen
Captain	Caelan Doris
Most appearances	Cian Healy (291)
Top scorer	Johnny Sexton (1,646)
Most tries	Shane Horgan (69)
League	United Rugby Championship
2024–25	League:1st Play-offs:Champions Irish Shield:Champions
1stkit 2ndkit 3rdkit
Official website
www.leinsterrugby.ie
Current season

Leinster Rugby (Irish:Rugbaí Laighean) is one of the four professional provincial clubrugby union teams from the island ofIreland. They compete in theUnited Rugby Championship and theEuropean Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents theLeinster Branch, one of the four provincial unions that together make up theIrish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), but is not restricted to players from that province.

Leinster play their home games primarily at the 18,500-capacityRDS Arena ('the RDS') inDublin, although larger games are played in the 51,700-capacityAviva 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 toCroke Park, home of theGaelic Athletic Association and by some distance thelargest stadium in Ireland.^[1] Before moving to the RDS in 2005, Leinster's traditional home ground wasDonnybrook Stadium, inDublin 4. The province plays primarily in blue with white or yellow trim and the teamcrest features a harp within a rugby ball, the harp being an ancient symbol of the province found in and taken from theflag of Leinster, although the traditional colours of Leinster Rugby mean the design more resembles theflag of the president of Ireland or thecoat of arms of Ireland.

Leinster turned professional along with its fellowIrish provinces in 1995 and has competed in theUnited 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 annualIrish interprovincial championship.^[2]

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 fourURC Irish Shields. InEurope, Leinster are second only toToulouse with fourEuropean Champions Cups, oneEPRC Challenge Cup and four runners-up placings in the Champions Cup.

Leinster enjoy historical rivalries with all three provincial unions, most notably withMunster, 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, andLa 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 playerRonan O'Gara. In more recent years a rivalry has also developed with theSouth AfricanBulls franchise, with the sides meeting twice in three seasons in the semi-final of the United Rugby Championship, before meeting in thefinal of the 2024-25 championship.

The Leinster Branch was inaugurated at a meeting on 31 October 1879. The meeting was held at Lawrence's premises at 63Grafton 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 againstUlster. 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.^[3][4]

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 ofrugby football in the province. Every year five representatives would be selected to join theIRFU Committee. They would be known as the "Leinster Five" and would pick the Leinster representative teams.

The first Interprovincial matches between Leinster,Ulster andMunster 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, withConnacht joining the fold in 1885.

Leinster Schools Interprovincial matches have been taking place since 1888. Leinster Schools beat the Ulster Schools inBelfast 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.

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 theGreat War (1914–1918) and theWar period (1939–1945), though unofficial matches were played.^[5]

The first major touring side to play Leinster was a team drawn from theNew Zealand Army – the Kiwis, in 1946. Although it was not an official touring side organised by theNew Zealand Rugby Union, the quality of the match, which was drawn 10 points each, is still remembered to this day.^[5]

The first official overseas touring side that came to play Leinster was anAustralian touring side in 1957.^[5] Since then, Leinster has played against every major touring side fromFiji toFrance.^[5]

Before the days of professional rugby union, there was further emphasis onIrish 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 theIrish 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 theIrish Rugby Football Union and therefore much of the history of the side has been made in the modern era.

Leinster became a professional outfit in the mid-1990s. The "Leinster Lions" name came into existence during the2001–02 season as the result of a joint marketing initiative between Leinster Rugby and its kit sponsors, theCanterbury Clothing Company. Before the start of the2004–05 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.^[6] 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.^[7]

Leinster's first season in the newly formedCeltic League ended in success as the Lions were crowned the inaugural champions, beating rivalsMunster Rugby in the2001–02 final.^[8] In2002–03, they became only the third team in the history of theEuropean 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 sidePerpignan, which was accompanied by anunsuccessful season in the Celtic League. The2003–04 season also ended in disappointment as Leinster slumped to their worst ever league performance and failed to qualify fromtheir European Cup group.

Leinster improved during the2004–05 season, finishing 3rd, just three points behind the eventual winners, theOspreys.^[9] 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 toLeicester Tigers.^[10]

The next two seasons of the Celtic League were to end in near misses for Leinster, as they lost out on the2005–06 and2006–07 league titles on the final day of the season. These seasons also saw progress in theEuropean Cup. In2005–06, Leinster progressed to the semi-final but were eliminated by Irish rivalsMunster atLansdowne Road and they reached the quarter-final the following year where they were beaten by eventual winnersLondon Wasps.

Increasing attendances at Leinster games led to a move acrossDublin 4 fromDonnybrook Stadium to the redevelopedRDS Arena.

In2007–08, Leinster failed to qualify from their European Cup pool, but did end the season asCeltic League champions, sealing the title with a 41–8 victory over theNewport Gwent Dragons in front of their home fans at the RDS.^[11]

In the2008–09 season, Leinster topped their European Cup pool despite away losses to French side Castres and English side Wasps.^[12] Victory overHarlequins in the quarter-finals followed, despite theBloodgate Scandal. Leinster overcame Munster 25–6 in a semi-final in Dublin'sCroke Park that broke the world record attendance for a club rugby union game with a crowd of over 82,200.^[13] Leinster won the2009 European Cup Final inMurrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, beatingLeicester Tigers 19–16 to claim their first European crown.^[14]

In2009–10 Leinster was eliminated from the European Cup at the semi-final stage by eventual winnersToulouse. Also despite having topped thePro12 league during the regular season, Leinster lost the first-everPlay-off Final 17–12 on their home ground to theOspreys.^[15]

In the2010–11 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, (theFrench Champions).^[16] to go on to regain their title as champions of Europe in the2011 European Cup Final at theMillennium 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.^[17][18]Leinster were also chasing aPro12 &European Cup double, but lost 19–9 to Irish rivals Munster in thePro12 Final.^[19]

In2011–12 Leinster became only the second side ever to retain the title of European Champions. Leinster emerged unbeaten in group play to top their group^[20] and went on to defeat theCardiff Blues 34–3 in the quarterfinals,^[21] followed by a 19–15 semifinal victory overASM Clermont Auvergne.^[22] and defeatedUlster 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.^[23]Once again, Leinster targeted the double, and faced a repeat of the 2010 Pro12 final against theOspreys. 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.^[24]

The2012–13 campaign proved to be another successful season for Leinster Rugby. The club finished in second place during the regular season of the Pro12 and defeatedGlasgow Warriors by a score of 17–15 in their semi-final play-off match on 11 May 2013.^[25] On 17 May, Leinster were crowned champions of theEuropean Challenge Cup after defeatingStade Français 34–13 in the final at their home ground, the RDS Arena.^[26] Leinster successfully completed the double on 25 May, defeating Ulster 24–18 in the Pro12 final to claim their third league championship.^[27][28]

Leinster continued their success in the2013–14 season by becoming the first team ever to defend thePro12 title, topping the league in the regular season and defeatingGlasgow Warriors 34–12 in their fifth consecutive Pro12play-off final and also secured their seventh major title in as many years.^[29]

Following a remarkable run of seven major trophies in seven years, Leinster's title run came to an end following the 2013–14 season. The2014–15 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 formedChampions 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 coachMatt 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 coachStuart 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.

Starting with the 2017–18 season, Leinster won four straight Pro14 championships.^[30] In Europe, they won the2017-18 Heineken Cup, defeatingRacing 92 by a score of 15–12 in thefinal inBilbao.^[31] They were runners-ups four times in2018-19 Heineken Cup,2021-22 Heineken Cup,2022-23 Heineken Cup and the2023-24 Heineken Cup.^[32] 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.

Four South African teams joined the Guinness Pro 14 and the tournament was renamed the United Rugby Championship (URC).^[33]

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,^[34] and the Bulls.^[35]

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.^[36][37][38]

The format of the 2021–22 Champions Cup competition was affected by theCOVID-19 pandemic. Leinster won their first round matchup with Bath. However, the day prior to Leinster's second match, an away fixture toMontpellier, the EPCR announced that the match would not go ahead, and instead awarded a 28–0 win to Montpellier.^[39] 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.^[40] 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.^[41]

Gold background denotes champions
Silver background denotes runner-up

* After dropping into the competition from theChampions Cup/Heineken Cup

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TB	LB	Pts	Qualification
1	Glasgow Warriors	11	9	0	2	310	155	+155	44	21	7	1	44	Qualifies for home URC quarter-final; Qualification for the2026–27 Champions Cup
2	Leinster	11	8	0	3	301	234	+67	44	31	7	1	40
3	Stormers	10	8	0	2	274	161	+113	34	20	4	0	36
4	Ulster	10	7	0	3	302	208	+94	42	28	6	2	36
5	Cardiff	11	7	0	4	232	203	+29	34	28	5	3	36	Qualifies for URC quarter-final; Qualification for the2026–27 Champions Cup
6	Munster	11	7	0	4	227	218	+9	33	29	5	2	35
7	Bulls	10	5	0	5	263	258	+5	38	37	4	1	25
8	Ospreys	11	4	2	5	239	263	−24	36	40	4	1	25
9	Sharks	10	4	1	5	222	258	−36	33	32	5	1	24	Qualification for the2026–27 Challenge Cup
10	Lions	10	4	1	5	267	310	−43	36	46	4	2	24
11	Benetton	11	4	1	6	201	266	−65	22	36	2	1	21
12	Connacht	10	3	0	7	243	269	−26	32	37	5	4	21
13	Edinburgh	10	3	0	7	195	194	+1	30	30	2	4	18
14	Dragons	11	2	2	7	212	271	−59	27	40	2	4	18
15	Scarlets	10	3	1	6	173	239	−66	22	32	0	1	15
16	Zebre Parma	11	2	0	9	190	344	−154	25	48	2	2	12

2025–26 United Rugby Championship Regional Shield tables view ·watch ·edit ·discuss
Irish Shield
	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts	Pos overall
1	Leinster	5	4	0	1	137	99	+38	19	12	3	0	19	2
2	Ulster	3	2	0	1	77	51	+26	10	7	1	1	10	4
3	Munster	4	2	0	2	59	70	–11	8	9	1	1	10	6
4	Connacht	4	0	0	4	79	132	–53	10	19	0	2	2	12
Italian x Scottish Shield
	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts	Pos overall
1	Glasgow Warriors(S)	5	4	0	1	132	62	+70	20	8	3	1	20	1
2	Benetton	5	3	0	2	88	110	-22	9	14	1	1	14	11
3	Edinburgh	5	2	0	3	101	90	+11	15	13	2	1	11	13
4	Zebre Parma	5	1	0	4	100	159	-59	13	21	1	2	7	16
South African Shield
	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts	Pos overall
1	Sharks	4	3	0	1	109	78	+31	16	8	3	1	16	9
2	Lions	4	2	0	2	110	141	-31	14	21	1	1	10	10
3	Stormers	4	2	0	2	90	101	-11	11	13	1	0	9	3
4	Bulls	4	1	0	3	105	94	+11	14	13	2	1	7	7
Welsh Shield
	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	Pts	Pos overall
1	Ospreys	4	3	1	0	99	73	+26	15	11	2	0	16	8
2	Cardiff	4	2	0	2	85	90	-5	13	13	2	1	11	5
3	Dragons	5	1	1	3	94	89	+5	13	14	1	3	10	14
4	Scarlets	3	1	0	2	45	69	-24	7	10	0	1	5	15
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:[44] number of matches won the difference between points for and points against the number of tries scored the most points scored the difference between tries for and tries against the fewest red cards received the fewest yellow cards received
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

Pool C

European Rugby Champions Cup Pool 3

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TB	LB	Pts	Qualification
1	Leinster(3)	4	4	0	0	115	80	+35	16	10	2	0	18	HomeChampions Cup round of 16.
2	Harlequins(6)	4	3	0	1	184	86	+98	26	14	3	0	15
3	Stormers(9)	4	3	0	1	117	125	−8	15	19	2	0	14	AwayChampions Cup round of 16.
4	Leicester Tigers(16)	4	1	0	3	118	115	+3	17	15	2	0	6
5	La Rochelle(11CC)	4	1	0	3	101	114	−13	15	15	1	1	6	AwayChallenge Cup round of 16.
6	Bayonne	4	0	0	4	58	173	−115	8	24	0	0	0

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.^[47] 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 forLeinster), while the alternative kit is green with gold features, the colours seen in theFlag 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 alphabetogham.

The Leinster jersey also features four stars above the crest, to represent the fourEuropean Cup titles won to date.

Leinster's current home ground is theRDS Arena.^[48] Games were first played at the RDS during the2006–07 season, initially just forEuropean 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.^[49] The RDS will be Leinster's home until 2027, as a 20-year lease was signed in 2007.^[50]

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.^[51] 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.^[52]

Inside the RDS Arena prior to a Leinster Game

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 theEuropean Cup orUnited Rugby Championship games against domestic rivals. In 2010 they first played a home league game againstMunster, the first time the stadium sold out,^[53] and then againstASM Clermont Auvergne.^[54][55][56] Leinster defeatedLeicester Tigers at the venue in the2010–11 European Cup quarter-finals and went on to beatToulouse in the semi-finals, also held at the Aviva stadium on 30 April 2011, en route to winning their second European Cup.^[57] 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 toASM Clermont Auvergne.

Leinster's traditional home over the years has beenDonnybrook Stadium inDonnybrook,Dublin 4. Donnybrook consists of a single covered stand and three sides of open terracing. A move acrossDublin 4 to theRDS Arena for Leinster was needed to accommodate growing crowds, as the 6,000 capacity stadium had become too small.^[58] For this reason, Leinster have signed a long-term lease with theRoyal Dublin Society to play home games at theRDS Arena. Donnybrook has since, been improved as a venue with the reconstruction of the grandstand in 2008^[59] and remains an important venue forrugby union in Dublin.^[5] Due to limited space, it is unlikely that Donnybrook will undergo further redevelopment. Leinster A play theirBritish 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.^[60][61]

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.^[62] 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.^[62] Leinster had 3,700 season ticket holders in 2006, double the number of the previous season.^[62] The Official Leinster Supporters Club was formally established as a club in 2007.^[63] The last match at the oldLansdowne Road stadium was againstUlster on 31 December 2006 before it was demolished to make way for the newAviva 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.^[64] A previous attendance record in the Pro12 was also set at Lansdowne Road, for a game between Leinster andMunster which drew a crowd of 30,000.^[65] Leinster's supporters were named as 'Player of the Month' for April 2009 following their support in theEuropean Cup Quarter Final againstHarlequins atThe Stoop.^[66]

On several occasions Leinster have set the record for the largest Celtic league and Pro12 attendances. On 2 October 2010, Leinster beatMunster 13–9 in the5th round of the league at theAviva Stadium. This set a new crowd attendance record for a Pro12 game at 50,645.^[67] 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 theJudgement Day fixtures. During the2014–15 Pro12 season Leinster had the best support of any club in the PRO12 league with an average attendance of 17,717.^[68]

Leinster'sEuropean Cup clash against Munster atCroke 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.^[69]

Up to date at end of the 2024–25 season.^[70]

Leinster A is the team that represents Leinster in theBritish & Irish Cup,^[71] having won the competition a record two times to date, in the2012–13 season as well as the2013–14 season, also becoming the first and only side to ever successfully defend the trophy. Leinster A also compete in theAll 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 theCeltic 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.^[72]

Updated as of 12 April 2021.^[73]

From the 1999–2000 season until the 2017–18 season Leinster's kits were supplied byCanterbury of New Zealand having previously been supplied byO'Neills.^[74] For the next five seasons starting with the 2018–19 season Leinster's kits were supplied byAdidas. From the 2023–24 season, the kits are now supplied byCastore.^[75]

Leinster's main shirt sponsor wasACC Bank from 1992 until the year 2000.^[76] The recently foundedEsat Digifone also featured on the back of the jerseys from 1997.^[77][78]

From 2001 to 2007 the main sponsor wasBank of Scotland (Ireland).^[79]

Since 2007Bank 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.^[80] During the 2013–14 season the contest was won by Dublin-based meat wholesaler Gahan Meats^[81] and for 2014–15 the shirt sponsorship winners were accounting software provider Big Red Cloud.^[82] The sponsorship prize package is valued at €50,000 and attracts hundreds of companies keen to be shortlisted each year.^[83] 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 byLaya Healthcare.^[84] For about a decade, the team's "official airline"' was Ireland'sCityJet.^[85][86]

Position	Name	Nationality
Head coach	Leo Cullen	Ireland
Senior Coach	Jacques Nienaber	South Africa
Assistant coach	Robin McBryde	Wales
Backs Coach	Tyler Bleyendaal	New Zealand
Contact Skills Coach	Sean O'Brien	Ireland
Kicking Coach & Head Analyst	Emmet Farrell	Ireland

Scores and results list Leinster's points tally first.

Date	Opponent	Location	Result	Score	Notes
17 December 1902	Canada	Dublin	Won	13–6	Match Report[91]
17 November 1945	New Zealand Kiwis[note 9]	Lansdowne Road,Dublin	Drew	10–10	Details of Tour
27 November 1957	Australia	Lansdowne Road,Dublin	Lost	8–10	Match Programme Match Ticket
1 February 1961	South Africa	Lansdowne Road,Dublin	Lost	5–12	Match Programme Match Report
22 January 1964	New Zealand	Lansdowne Road,Dublin	Lost	8–11	Match Programme Match Report
7 December 1966	Australia	Lansdowne Road,Dublin	Lost	3–9	Match Programme
15 November 1972	New Zealand	Lansdowne Road,Dublin	Lost	9–17	Match Programme
15 September 1973	Fiji	Lansdowne Road,Dublin	Won	30–9	Match Programme
13 November 1974	New Zealand	Lansdowne Road,Dublin	Lost	3–8	Match Programme Match Highlights
21 October 1978	Argentina	Lansdowne Road,Dublin	Lost	13–24	Match Report
30 December 1979	Italy	Donnybrook,Dublin	Won	26–10	100 year anniversary
8 October 1980	Romania	Donnybrook,Dublin	Won	24–10	Match Programme Match Report
8 November 1989	New Zealand	Lansdowne Road,Dublin	Lost	9–36	Match Programme Match Report
17 October 1992	Australia	Lansdowne Road,Dublin	Lost	11–38	Match Programme Match Report
12 November 1994	United States	Donnybrook,Dublin	Won	9–6	Match Programme
24 August 1999	Argentina	Donnybrook,Dublin	Lost	22–51	Match Report
24 August 2019	Canada	Tim Hortons Field,Hamilton	Won	38–35	Match ReportArchived 1 June 2020 at theWayback Machine
18 November 2022	Chile	Donnybrook Stadium,Dublin	Won	40–3	Match Report

Against	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	% Won
Agen	2	2	0	0	100.00%
Aironi	4	4	0	0	100.00%
Benetton	29	25	2	2	86.21%
Bath	14	12	0	2	85.71%
Bayonne	1	1	0	0	100%
Biarritz	6	4	0	2	66.67%
Bordeaux	2	1	0	1	50.00%
Border Reivers	10	7	0	3	70.00%
Bourgoin	4	3	0	1	75.00%
Bridgend	2	2	0	0	100.00%
Bristol	3	3	0	0	100.00%
Brive	2	2	0	0	100.00%
Bulls	7	3	0	4	42.86%
Cardiff Blues	38	30	2	6	78.95%
Cardiff RFC	1	1	0	0	100%
Castres	8	6	1	1	75.00%
Celtic Warriors	2	0	0	2	0.00%
Cheetahs	4	3	0	1	75%
Clermont Auvergne	10	6	0	4	60%
Connacht*	49	40	0	9	81.63%
Dragons	41	32	0	9	78.05%
Ebbw Vale RFC	1	1	0	0	100.00%
Edinburgh	45	30	1	14	66.67%
Exeter Chiefs	5	5	0	0	100.00%
Glasgow Warriors	58	40	2	16	68.97%
Gloucester	4	3	0	1	75%
Harlequins	5	4	0	1	80%
La Rochelle	7	4	0	3	57.14%
Lions	4	3	0	1	75%
Leicester Tigers	16	11	0	5	68.75%
Llanelli RFC	1	1	0	0	100%
London Irish	2	0	1	1	0.00%
Lyon	2	2	0	0	100.00%
Montpellier†	8	6	1	1	75%
Munster*	57	37	1	19	64.91%
Milan	3	2	0	1	66.67%
Newcastle Falcons	2	2	0	0	100.00%
Newport RFC	4	4	0	0	100.00%
Northampton Saints	12	10	0	2	83.33%
Ospreys	43	27	3	13	62.79%
Pau	1	1	0	0	100.00%
Perpignan	1	0	0	1	0.00%
Pontypridd RFC	2	2	0	0	100%
Racing 92	5	5	0	0	100.00%
Sale Sharks	3	2	0	1	66.67%
Saracens	5	3	0	2	60.00%
Scarlets	45	30	2	13	66.67%
Sharks	6	5	0	1	83.33%%
Southern Kings	3	3	0	0	100.00%
Stade Français	6	3	0	3	50.00%
Stormers	5	1	1	3	20%
Swansea RFC	3	3	0	0	100.00%
Toulon	4	0	0	4	0.00%
Toulouse	15	8	0	7	53.33%
Ulster*	58	43	3	12	74.14%
Wasps	11	6	1	4	54.55%
Zebre	21	21	0	0	100%
Total	712	515	21	176	72.33%
*Matches played as part of theIrish 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 2 February 2026.^[92]

Since the inception of the Celtic league, Leinster have dominated their Irish provincial rivalsUlster, with a 43–12 win–loss record. Similarly, Leinster enjoy a 40–9 win–loss ratio against western provinceConnacht. Leinster also hold a 37–19 head-to-head advantage against arch-rivalsMunster, 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, onlyRC Toulon enjoys a winning record. They have a commanding 4–0 head-to-head lead.

Against	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	% Won
Connacht	109	86	4	19	78.9%
Munster	115	64	5	46	55.65%
Ulster	115	71	6	38	61.74%
Total	339	221	15	103	65.19%

Correct as of 24 January 2026.

See alsoCategory:Leinster Rugby players.

Professional era only

The following Leinster players have also represented theBritish & Irish Lions.^[46]Bold indicates tour captain.

Year	Tour	Series Result	Players
1888	New Zealand Australia	No Test	—
1891	South Africa	3–0	—
1896	South Africa	3–1	Thomas Crean Robert Johnston
1899	Australia	3–1	—
1903	South Africa	0–1–0	—
1904	Australia New Zealand	3–0 0–1	—
1908	New Zealand Australia	0–2–1 No Test	—
1910	South Africa	1–2	—
1910	Argentina	1–0	—
1924	South Africa	0–3–1	—
1927	Argentina	4–0	—
1930	New Zealand Australia	1–3 0–1	—
1936	Argentina	1–0	—
1938	South Africa	1–2	George J. Morgan
1950	New Zealand Australia	0–3–1 2–0	Karl Mullen
1955	South Africa	2–2	Tony O'Reilly Robin Roe
1959	Australia New Zealand	2–0 1–3	Niall Brophy Ronnie Dawson Bill Mulcahy Tony O'Reilly (2)
1962	South Africa	0–3–1	Niall Brophy (2) Bill Mulcahy (2)
1966	Australia New Zealand	2–0 0–4	—
1968	South Africa	0–3–1	Ronnie Dawson (2)
1971	New Zealand	2–1–1	Mike Hipwell Sean Lynch Fergus Slattery
1974	South Africa	3–0–1	Tom Grace John Moloney Fergus Slattery (2)
1977	New Zealand	1–3	Willie Duggan Philip Orr
1980	South Africa	1–3	Ollie Campbell Rodney O'Donnell Philip Orr (2) John Robbie Tony Ward
1983	New Zealand	0–4	Ollie Campbell (2) Hugo MacNeill
1989	Australia	2–1	Paul Dean Brendan Mullin
1993	New Zealand	1–2	Vince Cunningham Nick Popplewell
1997	South Africa	2–1	Eric Miller
2001	Australia	1–2	Brian O'Driscoll Malcolm O'Kelly
2005	New Zealand	0–3	Shane Byrne Gordon D'Arcy Denis Hickie Shane Horgan Brian O'Driscoll (2) Malcolm O'Kelly (2)
2009	South Africa	1–2	Gordon D'Arcy (2) Luke Fitzgerald Jamie Heaslip Rob Kearney Brian O'Driscoll (3)
2013	Australia	2–1	Cian Healy Jamie Heaslip (2) Rob Kearney (2) Seán O'Brien Brian O'Driscoll (4) Johnny Sexton
2017	New Zealand	1–1–1	Tadhg Furlong Robbie Henshaw Jack McGrath Seán O'Brien (2) Johnny Sexton (2)
2021	South Africa	1–2	Jack Conan Tadhg Furlong (2) Robbie Henshaw (2) Ronan Kelleher Andrew Porter
2025	Australia		Tom Clarkson Jack Conan (2) Tadhg Furlong (3) Jamison Gibson-Park Hugo Keenan Ronan Kelleher (2) James Lowe Joe McCarthy Jamie Osborne Andrew Porter (2) Garry Ringrose James Ryan Dan Sheehan Josh van der Flier

The following is a list of non-Irish qualified representative Leinster players:

Nation	Player	Season(s)
Argentina	Felipe Contepomi	2003/04 – 2008/09
	Mariano Galarza	2010
	Juan Gomez	2007/08 – 2008/09
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
Cook Islands	Stan Wright	2006/07 – 2010/11
England	Will Green	2005/06 – 2006/07
Fiji	Isa Nacewa	2008/09 – 2012/13; 2015/16 – 2017/18
France	Rabah Slimani	2024/25 – present
Georgia	Vakh Abdaladze	2017/18 – 2022/23
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
Russia	Vasily Artemiev	2006/07
	Adam Byrnes	2005/06
Samoa	Michael Alaalatoa	2021/22 – 2023/24
	Fosi Pala'amo	2006/07
Scotland	Nathan Hines	2009/10 – 2010/11
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

As of 2 February 2026^{[update][note 10]}

Coach	Season(s)	GP*	W	D	L	Win %	Loss %	Championships / Notes
Jim Glennon†[93]	1995/96 – 1996/97	14	9	0	5	64.29%	35.71%	Interprovincial Championship (1996)
Mike Ruddock[94]	1997/98 – 1999/00	34	16	0	18	47.06%	52.94%	Interprovincial Championship (1998)
Matt Willams[95]	2000/01 – 2002/03	46	31	3	12	67.39%	26.09%	United Rugby Championship (2002) Interprovincial Championship (2002)
Gary Ella[96]	2003/04	30	14	2	14	46.7%	46.7%
Declan Kidney[97]	2004/05	26	17	1	8	65.38%	30.77%
Gerry Murphy[98]	2004/05	3	2	0	1	66.67%	33.33%	Interim Coach
Michael Cheika[99]	2005/06 – 2009/10	134	88	4	42	65.67%	31.34%	European Cup (2009) United Rugby Championship (2008)
Joe Schmidt[100]	2010/11 – 2012/13	99	77	3	19	77.78%	19.19%	European Cup (2011,2012) European Challenge Cup (2013) United Rugby Championship (2013)
Matt O'Connor[101]	2013/14 – 2014/15	61	40	5	16	65.57%	26.23%	United Rugby Championship (2014)
Leo Cullen	2015/16 – present	303	239	4	60	78.88%	19.8%	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	749	532	22	195	71.03%	26.03%
*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.[93]

(correct as of 2 February 2026)^[102]

Bold indicates active player

Inaugurated 2001

Inaugurated 2015

Nominated (3 nominees per year)