History of rugby union matches between Leinster and Ulster
Leinster versus Ulster is the oldest fixture in Irish rugby, with the first ever interprovincial match taking place between the sides in 1875.[1] As such, a healthy rivalry has developed between the two provincial rivals.[2]
Both provinces combined to provide the squad for the Irish international representative side from the first international match in 1875 until the IRFU was formally founded in 1879, consisting of the formal founding of the Leinster and Ulster branches and the addition of a third provincial side, the Munster branch. Finally a Connacht branch was added in 1885 to complete representation for all four provinces of Ireland.
The Interprovincial Championship did not formally begin until the 1946–47 season. Since then, Leinster and Ulster have played in many high profile games, including League and European Cup finals, with Leinster getting the upper hand on the big occasions thus far.
Overall Summary of Games Since 1946
[edit]| Details | Played | Won by Leinster | Won by Ulster | Drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leinster Home | 59 | 43 | 15 | 1 |
| Ulster Home | 52 | 24 | 23 | 5 |
| Neutral Venue | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Overall | 112 | 68 | 38 | 6 |
Statistics
[edit]Biggest wins
Leinster: 40–7 (33 points, 5 January 2019), 38–7 (31 points, 2017/18), 9–39 (30 points, 1980/81)
Ulster: 30–6 (24 points, 2015/16), 28-6 (22 points, 2003/04), 14–34 (10 points, 1998/99)
Highest scoring match
Leinster 54 - Ulster 42 (96 points, 20 December 2019)
Lowest scoring match
Leinster 0 - Ulster 0 (0 points, 1947/48)
Most consecutive wins
Leinster: 9 (1975/76 - 1983/84), 7 (2009/10 - 2011/12), 6 (2019/2020 - 2021/2022)
Ulster: 9 (1984/85 - 1992/93), 5 (1966/67 - 1970/71), 3 (1955/56 - 1957/58)
Highest attendance
81,774 (European Cup Final, Twickenham Stadium, May 2012)
Results
[edit]| Season | Home | Away | Winner | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946/47 | Ulster 16 | Leinster 8 | Ulster (1) | |
| 1947/48 | Leinster 0 | Ulster 0 | Draw (1) | |
| 1948/49 | Ulster 0 | Leinster 8 | Leinster (1) | |
| 1949/50 | Leinster 8 | Ulster 0 | Leinster (2) | |
| 1950/51 | Ulster 10 | Leinster 3 | Ulster (2) | |
| 1951/52 | Leinster 14 | Ulster 17 | Ulster (3) | |
| 1952/53 | Ulster 3 | Leinster 5 | Leinster (3) | |
| 1953/54 | Leinster 0 | Ulster 3 | Ulster (4) | |
| 1954/55 | Ulster 3 | Leinster 5 | Leinster (4) | |
| 1955/56 | Leinster 6 | Ulster 21 | Ulster (5) | |
| 1956/57 | Ulster 17 | Leinster 8 | Ulster (6) | |
| 1957/58 | Leinster 13 | Ulster 24 | Ulster (7) | |
| 1958/59 | Ulster 12 | Leinster 16 | Leinster (5) | |
| 1959/60 | Leinster 16 | Ulster 6 | Leinster (6) | |
| 1960/61 | Ulster 9 | Leinster 9 | Draw (2) | |
| 1961/62 | Leinster 8 | Ulster 3 | Leinster (7) | |
| 1962/63 | Ulster 11 | Leinster 8 | Ulster (8) | |
| 1963/64 | Leinster 12 | Ulster 8 | Leinster (8) | |
| 1964/65 | Ulster 8 | Leinster 8 | Draw (3) | |
| 1965/66 | Leinster 8 | Ulster 6 | Leinster (9) | |
| 1966/67 | Ulster 8 | Leinster 6 | Ulster (9) | |
| 1967/68 | Leinster 5 | Ulster 9 | Ulster (10) | |
| 1968/69 | Ulster 14 | Leinster 8 | Ulster (11) | |
| 1969/70 | Leinster 3 | Ulster 8 | Ulster (12) | |
| 1970/71 | Ulster 6 | Leinster 3 | Ulster (13) | |
| 1971/72 | Leinster 12 | Ulster 10 | Leinster (10) | |
| 1972/73 | Ulster 6 | Leinster 11 | Leinster (11) | |
| 1973/74 | Leinster 20 | Ulster 13 | Leinster (12) | |
| 1974/75 | Ulster 22 | Leinster 9 | Ulster (14) | |
| 1975/76 | Leinster 16 | Ulster 9 | Leinster (13) | |
| 1976/77 | Ulster 6 | Leinster 12 | Leinster (14) | |
| 1977/78 | Leinster 29 | Ulster 18 | Leinster (15) | |
| 1978/79 | Ulster 3 | Leinster 9 | Leinster (16) | |
| 1979/80 | Leinster 18 | Ulster 12 | Leinster (17) | |
| 1980/81 | Ulster 9 | Leinster 39 | Leinster (18) | |
| 1981/82 | Leinster 19 | Ulster 6 | Leinster (19) | |
| 1982/83 | Ulster 9 | Leinster 15 | Leinster (20) | |
| 1983/84 | Leinster 20 | Ulster 16 | Leinster (21) | |
| 1984/85 | Ulster 16 | Leinster 3 | Ulster (15) | |
| 1985/86 | Leinster 13 | Ulster 19 | Ulster (16) | |
| 1986/87 | Ulster 14 | Leinster 12 | Ulster (17) | |
| 1987/88 | Leinster 22 | Ulster 29 | Ulster (18) | |
| 1988/89 | Ulster 18 | Leinster 17 | Ulster (19) | |
| 1989/90 | Leinster 6 | Ulster 14 | Ulster (20) | |
| 1990/91 | Ulster 13 | Leinster 6 | Ulster (21) | |
| 1991/92 | Leinster 21 | Ulster 22 | Ulster (22) | |
| 1992/93 | Ulster 12 | Leinster 8 | Ulster (23) | |
| 1993/94 | Leinster 25 | Ulster 0 | Leinster (22) | |
| 1994/95 | Ulster 6 | Leinster 12 | Leinster (23) | |
| 1995/96 | Leinster 31 | Ulster 3 | Leinster (24) | |
| 1996/97 | Ulster 25 | Leinster 35 | Leinster (25) | |
| 1997/98 | Leinster 26 | Ulster 25 | Leinster (26) | |
| 1998/99 | Leinster 14 | Ulster 34 | Ulster (24) | |
| 1998/99 | Ulster 11 | Leinster 35 | Leinster (27) | |
| 1999/00 | Leinster 15 | Ulster 26 | Ulster (25) | |
| 1999/00 | Ulster 22 | Leinster 23 | Leinster (28) | |
| 2000/01 | Leinster 19 | Ulster 6 | Leinster (29) | |
| 2000/01 | Ulster 26 | Leinster 13 | Ulster (26) | |
| 2001/02 | Leinster 31 | Ulster 9 | Leinster (30) | |
| 2002/03 | N/A | N/A | N/A | No Fixture |
| 2003/04 | Ulster 23 | Leinster 23 | Draw (4) | |
| 2003/04 | Leinster 32 | Ulster 30 | Leinster (31) | |
| 2003/04 | Ulster 28 | Leinster 6 | Ulster (27) | |
| 2004/05 | Ulster 15 | Leinster 26 | Leinster (32) | |
| 2004/05 | Leinster 9 | Ulster 8 | Leinster (33) | |
| 2005/06 | Leinster 30 | Ulster 23 | Leinster (34) | |
| 2005/06 | Ulster 19 | Leinster 24 | Leinster (35) | |
| 2006/07 | Ulster 6 | Leinster 6 | Draw (5) | |
| 2006/07 | Leinster 20 | Ulster 12 | Leinster (36) | |
| 2007/08 | Ulster 16 | Leinster 16 | Draw (6) | |
| 2007/08 | Leinster 29 | Ulster 0 | Leinster (37) | |
| 2008/09 | Ulster 13 | Leinster 21 | Leinster (38) | |
| 2008/09 | Leinster 32 | Ulster 6 | Leinster (39) | |
| 2009/10 | Ulster 16 | Leinster 14 | Ulster (28) | |
| 2009/10 | Leinster 15 | Ulster 3 | Leinster (40) | |
| 2010/11 | Ulster 13 | Leinster 30 | Leinster (41) | |
| 2010/11 | Leinster 34 | Ulster 26 | Leinster (42) | |
| 2010/11 | Leinster 18 | Ulster 3 | Leinster (43) | |
| 2011/12 | Leinster 42 | Ulster 13 | Leinster (44) | |
| 2011/12 | Ulster 8 | Leinster 16 | Leinster (45) | |
| 2011/12 | Leinster 42 | Ulster 14 | Leinster (46) | European Cup Final
Neutral Venue (Twickenham Stadium) Highest Attendance (81,774) |
| 2012/13 | Ulster 27 | Leinster 19 | Ulster (29) | |
| 2012/13 | Leinster 18 | Ulster 22 | Ulster (30) | |
| 2012/13 | Ulster 18 | Leinster 24 | Leinster (47) | |
| 2013/14 | Leinster 19 | Ulster 6 | Leinster (48) | |
| 2013/14 | Ulster 20 | Leinster 22 | Leinster (49) | |
| 2013/14 | Leinster 13 | Ulster 9 | Leinster (50) | |
| 2014/15 | Leinster 24 | Ulster 11 | Leinster (51) | |
| 2014/15 | Ulster 26 | Leinster 10 | Ulster (31) | |
| 2015/16 | Leinster 8 | Ulster 3 | Leinster (52) | |
| 2015/16 | Ulster 30 | Leinster 6 | Ulster (32) | |
| 2015/16 | Leinster 30 | Ulster 18 | Leinster (53) | |
| 2016/17 | Leinster 22 | Ulster 7 | Leinster (54) | |
| 2016/17 | Ulster 17 | Leinster 13 | Ulster (33) | |
| 2017/18 | Ulster 10 | Leinster 25 | Leinster (55) | |
| 2017/18 | Leinster 38 | Ulster 7 | Leinster (56) | |
| 2018/19 | Leinster 40 | Ulster 7 | Leinster (57) | |
| 2018/19 | Leinster 21 | Ulster 18 | Leinster (58) | European Cup Quarter-Final |
| 2018/19 | Ulster 14 | Leinster 13 | Ulster (34) | |
| 2019/20 | Leinster 54 | Ulster 42 | Leinster (59) | |
| 2019/20 | Ulster 10 | Leinster 28 | Leinster (60) | Ulster home match played at the Aviva stadium due to COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2019/20 | Leinster 27 | Ulster 5 | Leinster (61) | 2020 Pro14 Grand Final |
| 2020/21 | Leinster 24 | Ulster 12 | Leinster (62) | |
| 2020/21 | Ulster 19 | Leinster 38 | Leinster (63) | |
| 2020/21 | Leinster 21 | Ulster 17 | Leinster (64) | Rainbow Cup fixture |
| 2021/22 | Leinster 10 | Ulster 20 | Ulster (35) | |
| 2021/22 | Ulster 18 | Leinster 13 | Ulster (36) | [3] |
| 2022/23 | Ulster 13 | Leinster 20 | Leinster (65) | [4] |
| 2022/23 | Leinster 38 | Ulster 29 | Leinster (66) | [5] |
| 2022/23 | Leinster 30 | Ulster 15 | Leinster (67) | Champions Cup round of 16[6] |
| 2023/24 | Leinster 21 | Ulster 22 | Ulster (37) | [7] |
| 2023/24 | Ulster 23 | Leinster 21 | Ulster (38) | [8] |
| 2023/24 | Leinster 43 | Ulster 20 | Leinster (68) | United Rugby Championship quarter-final[9] |
See also
[edit]- History of rugby union matches between Connacht and Ulster
- History of rugby union matches between Leinster and Munster
- History of rugby union matches between Leinster and Connacht
- History of rugby union matches between Munster and Ulster
- IRFU Interprovincial Championship
References
[edit]- ^ Archived Team History IRFU
- ^ "Thousands flock to Dublin for Leinster v Ulster clash", BBC, 30 March 2019.
- ^ "Ulster secure double over Leinster to stay on course for home quarter-final". the42. 12 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
- ^ "Leinster ride out the storm to escape from Belfast with a seven-point win". the42. 30 September 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
- ^ "Fourteen-man Leinster storm back in second half to claim bonus-point win over Ulster". the42. 3 December 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
- ^ "Leinster move through the gears to dismiss Ulster and march into last eight". Irish Examiner. April 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
- ^ "Ulster show resilience to claim superb victory over Leinster". Irish Times. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ "John Cooney seals thrilling Ulster win over Leinster to secure URC playoff spot". Irish Times. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ "Leinster power past Ulster to set up Bulls semi-final in Pretoria". Leinster rugby. Retrieved 11 June 2024.