Leinster rugby
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| Nickname(s) | The Blues, Boys in Blue |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1879 |
| Location | Dublin, Ireland |
| Ground(s) |
RDS Arena (Capacity: 18,500) Aviva Stadium (Capacity: 51,700) |
| CEO | Mick Dawson |
| Coach(es) | Leo Cullen |
| Captain(s) | Isa Nacewa |
| Most caps | Gordon D'Arcy (257) |
| Top scorer | Felipe Contepomi (1,225) |
| Most tries | Shane Horgan (69) |
| League(s) | Pro12 |
| 2015–16 | 1st (Runners-Up) |
| Official website | |
| www |
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Leinster Rugby (Irish: Rugbaí Laighean) is one of the four professional provincial rugby teams from the island of Ireland and the most successful Irish team both domestically and in European competition. They compete in the Pro12 and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) Leinster Branch, which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU and is responsible for rugby union throughout the geographical Irish province of Leinster.
Leinster play their home games primarily at the RDS Arena, although larger games are played in the Aviva Stadium when the capacity of the RDS is insufficient. Before moving to the RDS in 2005, Leinster's traditional home ground was Donnybrook Stadium, in Dublin 4. The province plays primarily in blue and the team crest features a harp within a rugby ball, the harp being taken from the flag of Leinster.
Leinster turned professional along with its fellow Irish provinces in 1995 and has competed in the Pro12 (formerly known as the Celtic League and the Magners League) since it was founded in 2001, having previously competed in the annual Irish interprovincial championship. Leinster "A" competes in the British and Irish Cup. Leinster have four times been Pro12 champions and three times champions of Europe.
The Leinster Branch was inaugurated at a meeting on the 31st of October, 1879. The meeting was held at Lawrence's premises 63 Grafton Street and was largely attended. Although this was the formal founding of Leinster as we know it today, with the amalgamation of the Irish Football Union and the Northern union, the Leinster provincial team had been active since 1875 – when the first interprovincial derby was played against Ulster. The Leinster and Ulster teams also made up the representative Irish team that competed against England in Ireland's first ever international in 1875. Upon the founding of the union, Munster were also added to the fray in 1879, when their first provincial team was selected and first Munster players represented Ireland.
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