Queen's University RFC

Queen's University
Full nameQueen's University Belfast Rugby Football Club
UnionIreland IRFU
BranchUlster
Founded1869; 155 years ago (1869)
RegionBelfast
Ground(s)Upper Malone
Belfast[1] (Capacity: 1000)
PresidentIan McAvoy
Coach(es)Derek Suffern, David Creighton, Ben Thompson (video)
Captain(s)David Whitten
League(s)All-Ireland Div. 1B
2023–249th.[2]
Team kit

Queen's University Belfast Rugby Football Club is the rugby union team of Queen's University Belfast, currently playing in Division 1B of the All-Ireland League. Founded in 1869, it is the most successful and oldest continuous rugby union club in Northern Ireland.[3] They originally played as Queen's College, Belfast and have won the Ulster Senior Cup a record 23 times.

In 1993, when the AIB League was expanded to four divisions with forty-six senior clubs, five university clubs, including Queen's, joined the league. Queen's entered Division Four. Since then they played regularly in Division Three and Division Four.

In 2000, they were relegated to the Ulster Senior League but returned to the AIB League two years later.

Their senior team will play in Division 1 of the SONI Ulster Rugby Premiership.

Notable players

See also Category:Queen's University R.F.C. players

Ireland

The following Queen's players have represented Ireland at full international level.[4]

British & Irish Lions

The following Queen's players have also represented the British & Irish Lions.[3]

Honours

  • All-Ireland League
    • 1923-24, 1931–32, 1936–37
  • Ulster Senior Cup: 24
    • 1885–86, 1886–87, 1889–90, 1890–91, 1891–92, 1899–1900, 1902–03, 1908–09, 1911–12, 1920–21, 1923–24, 1924–25, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1946–47, 1950–51, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1980–81, 2009–10, 2013–14, 2021–22
  • Ulster Senior League: 17 (3 shared)
    • 1890–91, 1899–1900, 1911–12, 1919–20, 1921–22, 1922–23, 1923–24, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1952–53 (shared), 1953–54 (shared), 1956–57 (shared), 1963–64, 1966–67, 1979–80
  • Ulster Junior Cup: 15
    • †1888-89, †1889-90, †1920-21, †1932-33, †1933-34, †1937-38, †1946-47, †1947-48, †1948-49, †1950-51, †1951-52, †1958-59, †1963-64, †1968-69, †1969–70
  • Irish Universities Dudley Cup
    • Winners: 2013, 2015
  • SONI Ulster Rugby Premiership Division 2
    • 2017–18

† Won by 2nd XV † Won by Freshers

Teams

  • 1st XV
  • 2nd XV
  • 3rd XV (Pirates)
  • 4th XV (Raiders)
  • Ladies 1st XV

References

  1. ^ www.irishrugby.ie[permanent dead link‍]
  2. ^ League Tables 2023–24 at irishrugby.ie
  3. ^ a b The Ireland Rugby Miscellany (2007): Ciaran Cronin
  4. ^ news.bbc.co.uk