IRFU
| Cumann Rugbaí na hÉireann | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Sport | Rugby union |
| Founded | 1879 |
| WR affiliation | 1886 (founder) |
| Rugby Europe affiliation | 1999 |
| President | Stephen Hilditch |
| Men's coach | Joe Schmidt (2013–) |
| Women's coach | Tom Tierney |
| Sevens coach | Anthony Eddy |
| Website | www |
The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) (Irish: Cumann Rugbaí na hÉireann) is the body managing rugby union in the island of Ireland (both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland). The IRFU has its head office at 10/12 Lansdowne Road and home ground at Aviva Stadium, where adult men's Irish rugby union international matches are played. In addition, the Union also owns Ravenhill in Belfast, Thomond Park in Limerick and a number of grounds in provincial areas that have been rented to clubs.
Initially, there were two unions both founded in 1874 – the Irish Football Union had jurisdiction over clubs in Leinster, Munster and parts of Ulster; the Northern Football Union of Ireland controlled the Belfast area. The IRFU was formed in 1879 as an amalgamation of these two organisations and branches of the new IRFU were formed in Leinster, Munster and Ulster. The Connacht Branch was formed in 1900.
The IRFU was a founding member of the International Rugby Football Board, now known as World Rugby, in 1886 with Scotland and Wales. (England refused to join until 1890.)
Following the political partition of Ireland into separate national states, Ireland (originally the Irish Free State then Éire) and Northern Ireland (a political division of the United Kingdom), the then Committee of the Irish Rugby Football Union decided that it would continue to administer its affairs on the basis of the full 32 Irish counties and the traditional four provinces of Ireland: Leinster (12 counties), Ulster (9 counties), Munster (6 counties), and Connacht (5 counties).
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