Connacht Rugby

Full name	Irish Rugby Football Union Connacht Branch
Nickname(s)	n/a
Founded	1885
Union	IRFU
Ground	Galway Sportsgrounds
Capacity	5,000-7,000
Chairman	Gerry Kelly
Coach	Michael Bradley
Competitions	European Challenge Cup, Celtic League
Home colours Away colours

The Irish Rugby Football Union Connacht Branch (the professional team of which which is run by Connacht Rugby) is one of four branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish province of Connacht. The branch is also responsible for the Connacht team, which plays in national and international competitions. The team plays its home games at the Galway Sportsgrounds, which can hold 5,000 spectators. (Expandable to 7,000 for important games) Image File history File links Connacthrugby. ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) is the body managing rugby union in Ireland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ireland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ireland. ... There are a number of noted individuals named Michael Bradley: Michael Bradley (basketball) is an American basketball player who currently plays for the Orlando Magic. ... The European Challenge Cup in rugby union, known as the Parker Pen Shield from 2001 to 2003 and Parker Pen Challenge Cup from 2003, is the sister competition to the Heineken Cup. ... The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving regional sides from Ireland, Scotland and Wales, seen by many as the third major league in Europe, after the English Guinness Premiership and the French TOP 14. ... soccer jersey left arm with black shoulders File links The following pages link to this file: Newport County A.F.C. IF Elfsborg Djurgårdens IF Fotboll User:Johan Elisson/football kits Categories: GFDL images | Football kit templates ... Image File history File links soccer jersey with black shoulders File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... soccer jersey right arm with black shoulders File links The following pages link to this file: Newport County A.F.C. IF Elfsborg Djurgårdens IF Fotboll User:Johan Elisson/football kits Categories: GFDL images | Football kit templates ... Image File history File links Kit_shorts. ... socks of kit template File links The following pages link to this file: Arsenal F.C. Ajax Amsterdam AZ Alkmaar A.S. Roma Torino Calcio A.C. Milan ACF Fiorentina Bristol City F.C. Charlton Athletic F.C. Chievo Verona Chelsea F.C. England national football team Wikipedia:WikiProject Football... white soccer jersey left arm with shoulders File links The following pages link to this file: Template talk:Football kit Assyriska IFK Norrköping User:Johan Elisson/football kits Categories: GFDL images | Football kit templates ... Image File history File links Kit_body_greenshoulders. ... white soccer jersey right arm with shoulders File links The following pages link to this file: Template talk:Football kit Assyriska IFK Norrköping User:Johan Elisson/football kits Categories: GFDL images | Football kit templates ... Image File history File links Kit_shorts. ... socks of kit template File links The following pages link to this file: Arsenal F.C. Ajax Amsterdam AZ Alkmaar A.S. Roma Torino Calcio A.C. Milan ACF Fiorentina Bristol City F.C. Charlton Athletic F.C. Chievo Verona Chelsea F.C. England national football team Wikipedia:WikiProject Football... The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) is the body managing rugby union in Ireland. ... Image from a test-match between Ireland and the New Zealand All Blacks. ... During late Gaelic and early historic times Ireland was divided into provinces to replace the earlier system of the tuatha. ... Connaught redirects here. ...

Connacht has a much smaller base of rugby union players to choose from than the other three provinces due in part to its small population and the relative popularity of GAA sports such as hurling and Gaelic football. Connacht has only 7% of the total number of Irish rugby union players. However rugby union in Connacht has expanded and in recent years, with a growing number of players involved and an increasing number of schools now playing the game. Today it rivals soccer as the province's third most popular support. Galwegians and Buccaneers are two Connacht based teams playing in the top division of the Irish league (The AIL, the All Ireland League). GAA redirects here. ... For the Cornish sport of hurling, see Hurling the Silver Ball. ... Gaelic Football action Gaelic football (Irish: peil ghaelach) is a form of football played mainly in Ireland where it is the most popular sport. ... Football is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. ...

With a smaller playing population than the other provinces, a larger proportion of its players are brought in as youngsters (18+) from the rest of Ireland. In recent years however a growing number of young Connacht born players are progressing from the provinces under-age rugby sides via development contracts into the Senior Squad.

The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) has designated Connacht as a development team, which means that it receives half the budget of the other Irish Provincial teams. In recent years it has often been discussed in the media whether they should be closed down as a means of cost saving by the IRFU, as has happened to the Scottish super district Caledonia and the Welsh region Celtic Warriors. The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) is the body managing rugby union in Ireland. ... The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) is the body managing rugby union in Ireland. ... The Celtic Warriors were a regional Rugby Union team from Wales, playing in the Celtic League and European Rugby Cup/European Rugby Shield. ...

History

The Connacht Branch of the IRFU was founded in 1885 and is currently made up of 19 clubs. The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) is the body managing rugby football in Ireland. ...

Connacht was the first ever Irish provincial team to win in France and England in 1997. Connacht were quarterfinalists in the European Challenge Cup in 1997/98. The European Challenge Cup in rugby union, known as the Parker Pen Shield from 2001 to 2003 and Parker Pen Challenge Cup from 2003, is the sister competition to the Heineken Cup. ...

In 2001/02, Connacht made it to the semifinals of the Celtic League, but only reached the quarters in 2002/2003.

The 2003/04 season was the most successful in the province's history. Their efforts in the Parker Pen Challenge Cup took them to within touching distance of the final. Only a try from Harlequins' Will Greenwood 12 minutes from time in the second leg of the semi-final denied them of a place in the final. Harlequins went on to win the Final at Reading's Madjeski Stadium. They also got to the semi final of the Celtic Cup. The Harlequin Football Club (The Harlequins or Quins for short) is an English rugby union team who play in the Zurich Premiership. ... Will Greenwood (born October 20, 1972 in Blackburn, Lancashire) is an English rugby union player. ...

The 2004/05 season saw Connacht continue their form in the European Challenge cup, reaching the semi-finals where they were knocked out again over two legs by the eventual winners, Sale Sharks. Sale Sharks are a professional Rugby Union team who play in England in the Guinness Premiership. ...

Until the 2005-06 season, the IRFU automatically entered Connacht in the European Challenge Cup each year rather than the Heineken Cup, regardless of its result in the Celtic League. Starting with the 2004-05 season, the IRFU agreed to use the Celtic League table as its sole criterion for determining which Irish teams would enter the next season's Heineken Cup. In that season, Connacht finished last among the competition's four Irish sides, which placed them in the 2005-06 European Challenge Cup. 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving regional sides from Ireland, Scotland and Wales, seen by many as the third major league in Europe, after the English Guinness Premiership and the French TOP 14. ... It has been designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) 2004 World Health Day topic was Road Safety (by World Health Organization) Year of the Monkey (by the Chinese calendar) See the world in... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Club honours

• Irish inter-provincial championship

Connacht have won the Inter-provincial Championship twice.

See also

• Celtic League
• Heineken Cup
• European Rugby Shield

The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving regional sides from Ireland, Scotland and Wales, seen by many as the third major league in Europe, after the English Guinness Premiership and the French TOP 14. ... The Heineken Cup sponsored by Heineken (known as the H Cup in France due to alcohol advertising laws) is an annual rugby union competition involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from England, France, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and Italy. ... The European Challenge Cup in rugby union, known as the Parker Pen Shield from 2001 to 2003 and Parker Pen Challenge Cup from 2003, is the sister competition to the Heineken Cup. ...

External links

• Official site
• Official supporters site
• Views on whether Connacht should be wound up