A History of Rugby in Leinster

Leinster  is  one  of  the  most  successful  and  influential Irish sporting teams of all time. The team boasts a dazzling roster of players,  past  and  present,  including  Brian  O’Driscoll,  Johnny Sexton, Jamie Heaslip and current captain James Ryan.

But there is so much more to rugby in Leinster, and, for the first time, this book compiles the rich history of the sport in the province, from its origins in the school and university teams,  through the amateur years, with the growth of clubs throughout the province, to the dawn of the  professional age and the many spectacular championships won by the province in the twenty-first  century, when the national love for rugby kicked up a gear.

Doolin  celebrates  all  the  breathless  victories  enjoyed  by Leinster teams at every level, but  it’s not just about the silverware. He looks at the challenges that rugby faced in surviving  and growing province-wide since it was first played in Dublin in the nineteenth century. He also ruminates on the sport’s relationships with politics and class, which reflect the complexities of politics and identity in Ireland as a whole.

A History of Rugby in Leinster is a vibrant celebration of sport-ing greatness  and  of  Leinster’s  enduring  commitment  to teamwork, integrity and community.