Prior to the launch of Rugby’s Heineken Cup in 1995 most of the domestic focus was on the All-Ireland League and clubs like Cork Con, Young Munster, Shannon, Lansdowne and Blackrock, with very little interest in the inter-provincial championships, except for maybe an odd visit from the Big Five selectors, who were tasked with picking our international team.
Thirty one years ago, former Irish international Tom Kiernan was a leading rugby administrator and he knew that Irish clubs could not be able to compete with the big clubs from France and England and came up with the idea that our provinces should represent us in the new Heineken Cup. It was an idea that has certainly worked.
Ulster were the first Irish province to win the trophy, beating French club Colomiers at Lansdowne Road in 1999. Then Munster took over and at that time the southern province had many supporters in Leinster; those fans were known as “Lunsters.”The team in red qualified for the finals in 2000 and 2002, but lost both. However, Munster’s big day came in 2006 when they beat Biarritz in the final in Cardiff and two years later they beat Toulouse to win the trophy again at the same venue. That was Munster’s last European final appearance and the following year Leinster, who had been knocking on the door for a few seasons, eventually got to a final and beat Leinster Tigers at Murrayfield to win the Cup for the first time.
Leinster now have four stars on their jerseys, having won the Cup again in 2011, 2012 and 2018. But in recent years it has been frustrating for the team in blue and their supporters, losing the finals of: 2022, 2023 and 2024 as they went in search of their fifth win. On Saturday they will try again for that elusive fifth win in the competition which is now officially called the Investec Cup, when they play Bordeaux-Begles in the final in the San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao. The French club won the cup for the first time last year and they will probably start as favorites on Saturday to retain the trophy. Leinster has a team of internationals, but naturally at this stage of the season they have injury worries. However, Jordan Larmour and Tommy O’Brien are both back training with the province. Following their semi-final win over Toulon Leinster coach Leo Cullen suggested the media love when Leinster struggle, saying ‘‘You guys just want to kick the book into us, don’t you?” I don’t think that’s true, as most reporters want Irish teams to win.
ULSTER PLAY IN
BILBAO FRIDAY
Meanwhile Ulster’s have injury worries about their Irish internationals Jacob Stockdale and Stuart McCloskey ahead of second tier European Challenge Cup final against Montpellier in Bilbao on Friday night. Captain Iain Henderson is definitely out after the Ireland international got a three-game ban for his recent red card against the Stormers. Ulster will be chasing their first piece of silverware in 20 years; their last success was winning the Celtic League in 2006.
