The All-Ireland League (AIL), known for sponsorship reasons as the Energia All-Ireland League, is the national league system for the 50 senior rugby union clubs in Ireland, covering both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The league was inaugurated in the 1990–91 season.

Cork Constitution F.C are the only club to have constantly retained their status in Division 1 since 1990/91. All other clubs in the league have experienced relegation.

The league is the second highest level of rugby union in Ireland, as professional teams representing the four provinces of Ireland play in the United Rugby Championship.

Division 1 sides may field no more than two professional players in their matchday sides, and only one may be a forward. Division 2 sides may not field professional players. Foreign professional players may not play in the League. Cork Constitution, the inaugural winners, are the only club to have retained top division status since the inception of the league.

Format

The League consists of 5 divisions of 10 teams each playing a double round-robin competition using the standard Rugby union bonus points system. The season runs from mid-September until mid-April, with an approximately four-week break in matches from mid-December to early-January. At the completion of the league phase the top 4 teams in Division 1A qualify for the play-off semi-finals, with the two winners meeting in the final.

The 10th placed teams in Divisions 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B are relegated to Divisions 1B, 2A, 2B and 2C respectively while the winners of Divisions 1B, 2A, 2B and 2C are promoted up one division. The 9th placed team in Division 1A along with the 2nd to 4th placed teams in Division 1B enter a play-off competition with the winner playing in Division 1A the following season. This same play-off competition also applies to the other divisions.

The 10th placed team in Division 2C are relegated from the league to their respective Provincial qualifying league and are replaced by the winner of the All-Ireland Provincial League Championship. The 9th placed team in Division 2C play the runner-up of the All-Ireland Provincial League Championship with the winner playing in Division 2C the following season.

All-Ireland Provincial League Championship

The All-Ireland Provincial League Championship is contested by the winners of the four provincial qualifying leagues in Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster. They are drawn to play in two semi-finals with the winners meeting in the final, where the winner will play in Division 2C of the A.I.L. for the following season. The runner-up plays against the 9th place team in Division 2C and the winner of this play-off will also play in Division 2C of the A.I.L. the following season.

History

Prior to 1990, there was no national league in Ireland. Each of the four provincial unions had its own cup and league tournament. In 1991, after almost five years of discussion and consultation with clubs, the All-Ireland League (AIL) was introduced with two divisions, division 1 with 9 clubs and division 2 with 10 clubs. The AIL was expanded to four divisions in 1993–94, with small variations in the numbers of teams per division in subsequent seasons.

In 2000–01 the league was restructured to three divisions, each with 16 teams. After the 1995 introduction of professionalism in rugby union, the IRFU increased the importance of the provinces, which from 2002 participated in the Celtic League (now the United Rugby Championship) as full-time teams rather than ad hoc selections of club players. Therefore, the best Irish players no longer played in the AIL. In 2004 the IRFU proposed scrapping the All-Ireland League and reintroducing a provincial league system in 2005–06 which would act as qualifiers for a curtailed three division AIL structure in the second half of the season, but this model did not receive the support of clubs or rugby pundits. In 2007 the IRFU agreed that the structure of the All-Ireland League would remain as three divisions with 16 clubs each for seasons 2008–09 and 2009–10. In 2009–10, division 1 was split into 1A and 1B with eight teams in each as a trial and then continued in season 2010–11. In 2011–12 division 1A and 1B had 10 clubs each and divisions 2 and 3 were reformatted as divisions 2A and 2B with 16 clubs in each division.

Previous winners

1990/91-1999/00

SeasonTitleChampionScoreRunner-upVenueAttendanceRef
1990–911st TitleCork Constitution9–3Garryowen†
1991–921st TitleGarryowen15–11Cork Constitution
1992–931st TitleYoung Munster17–14St Mary's College
1993–942nd TitleGarryowen9–3Blackrock College RFC
1994–951st TitleShannon16–13Instonians
1995–962nd TitleShannon37–12Garryowen
1996–973rd TitleShannon28–15Old Crescent RFC
1997–984th TitleShannon15–9Garryowen‡
1998–992nd TitleCork Constitution(after Extra Time)11–6Garryowen
1999–001st TitleSt Mary's College25–22Lansdowne Rugby Club

2000/01-2008/09

SeasonTitleChampionScoreRunner-upVenueAttendanceRef
2000–011st TitleDungannon46–12Cork Constitution
2001–025th TitleShannon21–17Cork Constitution
2002–031st TitleBallymena28–18Clontarf
2003–046th TitleShannon22–16Cork Constitution
2004–057th TitleShannon25–20Belfast Harlequins
2005–068th TitleShannon30–3Clontarf
2006–073rd TitleGarryowen16–15Cork Constitution
2007–083rd TitleCork Constitution18–8Garryowen
2008–099th TitleShannon (after Extra Time)19–19Clontarf
2009–104th TitleCork Constitution (after Extra Time)17–10St Mary's College

2010/11-2019/20

SeasonTitleChampionScoreRunner-upVenueAttendanceRef
2010–111st TitleOld Belvedere25–19St Mary's College
2011–122nd TitleSt Mary's College23–19Young Munster
2012–131st TitleLansdowne32–25Clontarf
2013–141st TitleClontarf27–13Ballynahinch RFC§
2014–152nd TitleLansdowne18–17Clontarf
2015–162nd TitleClontarf28–25Cork Constitution
2016–175th TitleCork Constitution25–21Clontarf
2017–183rd TitleLansdowne19–17Cork Constitution
2018–196th TitleCork Constitution28–13Clontarf
2019–20Postponed due to COVID-19

2020/21-2029/30

SeasonTitleChampionScoreRunner-upVenueAttendanceRef
2020–21Postponed due to COVID-19
2021–223rd TitleClontarf29–23Terenure College
2022–231st TitleTerenure College50–24Clontarf
2023–247th TitleCork Constitution33–22Terenure College
2024–254th TitleClontarf22–21Cork Constitution

† From season 1990–91 through to 1996–97, the team placing top of Division 1 was crowned AIL League Champion ‡ From season 1997–98, playoffs were introduced which was contested by the top four teams in Division 1 for the title of AIL League Champion; in the semi-finals the top placed team played the 4th placed team and the 2nd placed team the 3rd placed team § The title in 2013–14 was decided on final league position; there were no play-offs.

Club statistics

The All-Ireland League has been historically dominated by teams from Limerick (Shannon, Garryowen, and Young Munster) who have won 13 out of 32 titles although no team from Limerick has won since 2009. Teams from Munster have won 20 out of 33.

TeamWinsRunners upFinalsWinning seasonsRunners upLast win
Shannon9091994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09—2008–09
Cork Constitution78151990–91, 1998–99, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2016–17, 2018–19, 2023–241991–92, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2024–252023–24
Clontarf48122013–14, 2015–16, 2021–22, 2024–252002–03, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2018–19, 2022–232024–25
Garryowen3581991–92, 1993–94, 2006–071990–91, 1995–96, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2007–082006–07
Lansdowne3142012–13, 2014–15, 2017–181999–002017–18
St Mary's College2351999–2000, 2011–121992–93, 2009–10, 2010–112011–12
Terenure1232022–232021–22, 2023–242022–23
Old Belvedere1012010–11—2010–11
Young Munster1121992–932011–121992–93
Ballymena1012002–03—2002–03
Dungannon1012000–01—2000–01
Belfast Harlequins011—2004–05
Blackrock011—1993–94
Instonians011—1994–95
Ballynahinch RFC011—2013–14

Teams (2025–26)

Division 1A

DublinBallynahinchCork ConstitutionNenagh OrmondYoung MunsterDublin teams Clontarf Lansdowne Old Belvedere St Mary's College Terenure College UCDLocation of teams in the 2025–26 All-Ireland League Division 1AClontarfLansdowneOld BelvedereSt Mary's CollegeTerenure CollegeUCDLocation of Dublin teams in the 2025–26 All-Ireland League Division 1A
TeamLocationStadiumCapacity
BallynahinchBallynahinchBallymacarn Park1,000
ClontarfDublin (Clontarf)Castle Avenue3,200
Cork ConstitutionCork (Ballintemple)Temple Hill5,000
LansdowneDublin (Ballsbridge)Aviva Stadium (Back Pitch)1,000
Nenagh OrmondNenaghNew Ormond Park1,000
Old BelvedereDublin (Ballsbridge)Ollie Campbell Park1,000
St Mary's CollegeDublin (Templeogue)Templeville Road4,000
Terenure CollegeDublin (Terenure)Lakelands Park3,000
UCDDublin (Belfield)UCD Bowl3,000
Young MunsterLimerick (Rosbrien)Tom Clifford Park1,000

Division 1B

DublinCity of ArmaghGarryowenHighfieldInstoniansNaasQueen'sUCCDublin teams Blackrock College Dublin University Old WesleyLocation of teams in the 2025–26 All-Ireland League Division 1BBlackrock CollegeDublin UniversityOld WesleyLocation of Dublin teams in the 2025–26 All-Ireland League Division 1B
TeamLocationStadiumCapacity
Blackrock CollegeDublin (Blackrock)Stradbrook Road4,000
City of ArmaghArmaghPalace Grounds1,000
Dublin UniversityDublinCollege Park200
GarryowenLimerick (Dooradoyle)Dooradoyle1,500
HighfieldCork (Bishopstown)Woodleigh Park4,000
InstoniansBelfastShawsbridge Sports Complex1,000
NaasNaasForenaughts3,000
Old WesleyDublin (Donnybrook)Donnybrook Stadium7,000
Queen's UniversityBelfastDub Lane1,000
UCCCork (Mardyke)Mardyke Arena5,000

Division 2A

BallymenaBanbridgeCashelDungannonGalway CorinthiansGreystonesMU BarnhallOld CrescentShannonWanderersLocation of teams in the 2025–26 All-Ireland League Division 2A
TeamLocationStadiumCapacity
BallymenaAntrimEaton Park1,000
BanbridgeBanbridgeRifle Park1,000
CashelCashelSpafield2,500
DungannonDungannonStevenson Park2,500
Galway CorinthiansGalway (Castlegar)Corinthian Park1,000
GreystonesGreystonesDr Hickey Park1,000
MU BarnhallLeixlipParsonstown1,000
Old CrescentLimerick (Rosbrien)Rosbrien4,000
ShannonLimerickThomond Park25,100
WanderersDublin (Ballsbridge)Merrion Road1,000

Division 2B

BuccaneersClogher ValleyEnniscorthyGalwegiansMaloneNavanRaineySkerriesSligoUL BohemiansLocation of teams in the 2025–26 All-Ireland League Division 2B
TeamLocationStadiumCapacity
BuccaneersAthloneDubarry Park10,000
Clogher ValleyFivemiletownThe Cran1,000
EnniscorthyEnniscorthyAlcast Park1,000
GalwegiansGalway (Renmore)Crowley Park2,000
MaloneBelfastGibson Park1,000
NavanNavanBalreask Old4,000
RaineyMagherafeltHatrick Park1,000
SkerriesSkerriesHolmpatrick1,000
SligoStrandhillHamilton Park1,000
UL BohemiansLimerick (UL)UL4G1,000

Division 2C

DublinBallyclareBelfast HarlequinsBruffClonmelDolphinMidletonThomondDublin teams Bective Rangers Malahide MonkstownLocation of teams in the 2025–26 All-Ireland League Division 2CBective RangersMalahideMonkstownLocation of Dublin teams in the 2025–26 All-Ireland League Division 2C
TeamLocationStadiumCapacity
BallyclareBallyclareThe Cloughan1,000
Bective RangersDublin (Donnybrook)Donnybrook Stadium6,000
Belfast HarlequinsBelfastDeramore Park1,000
BruffBruffKilballyowen Park2,000
ClonmelClonmelArd Gaoithe4,000
DolphinCork (Ballyphehane)Musgrave Park8,008
MalahideMalahideEstuary Road1,000
MidletonMidletonTowns Park400
MonkstownDublin (Sandymount)Sydney Parade1,000
ThomondLimerick (Moyross)Liam Fitzgerald Park1,000

Sponsorship

The All-Ireland League was not sponsored in the initial season, but was sponsored for six years by Insurance Corporation of Ireland. The League was sponsored by Allied Irish Banks from 1998 to 2010, Ulster Bank from 2010 to 2019, 2018/19 season was not sponsored and Energia since the 2019–20 season.

SeasonSponsor
1990–1991No Sponsor
1991–1998Insurance Corporation of Ireland
1998–2010Allied Irish Banks
2010–2019Ulster Bank
2018–2019No Sponsor
2019–PresentEnergia

See also

External links