IQ Rugby

{{Short description|Rugby union player pathway}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} {{EngvarB|date=July 2019}} {{Infobox rugby team | teamname = Irish Exiles | image = | union = Irish Rugby Football Union | founded = 1989 | league = IRFU Interprovincial Championship | url = https://iqrugby.com }} '''IQ Rugby''' is a programme within the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) to support rugby union players within the Irish diaspora, especially in Great Britain.<ref name="iq-register"/> It was established in 2017 within the high performance pathway for identifying promising young players, as a successor to the '''Irish Exiles''' programme begun in 1989.<ref name="iq-register"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Irish Rugby TV: David Nucifora And Joe Lydon On IQ Rugby |url=https://www.irishrugby.ie/2017/05/13/irish-rugby-tv-david-nucifora-and-joe-lydon-on-iq-rugby/ |website=Irish Rugby |access-date=2 December 2025 |date=13 May 2017}}</ref> The name ''IQ'' stands for "Irish Qualified", meaning qualified under international rugby union eligibility rules to play for Ireland teams, including the men's, women's, men's sevens, and women's sevens.<ref name="iq-register">{{cite web |title=IQ Rugby Registration |url=https://www.irishrugby.ie/ireland/iqrugby/iq-register/ |website=Irish Rugby |access-date=2 December 2025}}</ref>

In the 1990s, an Irish Exiles representative team played in the IRFU Interprovincial Championship against the four domestic provincial selections (Ulster, Leinster, Munster and Connacht). This ended after professionalisation, when the four domestic provinces became full-time professional teams rather than selections from amateur club sides. Exiles teams at underage level continued to play against the provinces and others into the 2010s;<ref>{{multi ref| {{cite news |title=Sports Round-Up; Rugby; Under 19 Interprovincials |url=https://epaper.irishtimes.com/titles/irishtimes/5088/publications/15501/pages/34 |access-date=2 December 2025 |work=The Irish Times |date=13 September 2010 |page=11 Sports}}| {{cite press release |title=Exiles Announce Age Grade Fixtures |url=https://www.irishrugby.ie/2010/08/19/exiles-announce-age-grade-fixtures-2/ |website=Irish Rugby |access-date=2 December 2025 |date=19 August 2010}}| {{cite press release |title=Exiles Age Grade Update |url=https://www.irishrugby.ie/2012/09/14/exiles-age-grade-update/ |website=Irish Rugby |access-date=2 December 2025 |date=14 September 2012}}| {{cite press release |title=Combined Universities To Face Exiles |url=https://www.irishrugby.ie/2014/02/18/combined-universities-to-face-exiles/ |website=Irish Rugby |access-date=2 December 2025 |date=18 February 2014}}| }}</ref> an under-19 IQ Rugby Team tours Ireland annually playing under-19 provincial teams.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Provincial Tour Provides 'Important Opportunity' For IQ Rugby Squad |url=https://www.irishrugby.ie/2025/07/20/provincial-tour-provides-important-opportunity-for-iq-rugby-squad/ |website=Irish Rugby |access-date=2 December 2025 |date=20 July 2025 }}</ref>

==History== ===Early years=== The Irish Exiles organisation was originally established as an IRFU subcommittee by Tom Kiernan in 1989 following a meeting in London. The aim of the Irish Exiles was to give Irish diaspora players wishing to represent the Ireland national rugby union team the opportunity to play for a representative team. The Irish Exiles subsequently became a formal sub-committee of the Irish Rugby Football Union. Kiernan became the first chairman of the Exiles organisation. His successors included Barry O'Driscoll. The Exiles would eventually become a full branch of the IRFU.<ref name="irishrugby020818"/><ref name="independent210917">{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/gathering-shamrock-on-foreign-fields-how-irfu-have-become-proactive-about-unearthing-irelandqualified-players-36155796.html|title=Gathering shamrock on foreign fields – How IRFU have become proactive about unearthing Ireland-qualified players|work=The Irish Independent|access-date=6 August 2018|date=21 September 2017}}</ref>

In addition to establishing a senior representative team, the Exiles also established under 21 and student teams. During their first two seasons the Exiles played friendlies against Ulster at Ravenhill and a Welsh Exiles XV. The first senior XV coach was Ken Kennedy. An under 21/student team also played the Ireland U21s at the London Irish ground in Sunbury-on-Thames. During the 1992–93 season an Irish Exiles XV also played an away friendly against the Basque Country national rugby union team.<ref name="irishrugby020818"/><ref name="euskadirugby2">{{cite web|url=http://www.euskadirugby.org/ficherosfijos/historial_selecciones.pdf|title=Historial Selecciones Euskadi|publisher=euskadirugby.org|access-date=10 April 2016|archive-date=10 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410041026/http://www.euskadirugby.org/ficherosfijos/historial_selecciones.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===IRFU Interprovincial Championship=== Between 1992 and 1993 and 1995–96 the Irish Exiles entered the IRFU Interprovincial Championship.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.irishrugby.ie/history/css/arch_history_116.htm |publisher=irishrugby.ie |title=Irish Rugby 1874–1999 – A History: Interprovincial Championship Results page 442 |access-date=7 January 2018 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304071622/http://www.irishrugby.ie/history/css/arch_history_116.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.irishrugby.ie/history/css/arch_history_117.htm |publisher=irishrugby.ie |title=Irish Rugby 1874–1999 – A History: Interprovincial Championship Results page 443 |access-date=7 January 2018 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304084006/http://www.irishrugby.ie/history/css/arch_history_117.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.irishrugby.ie/history/css/arch_history_118.htm |publisher=irishrugby.ie |title=Irish Rugby 1874–1999 – A History: Interprovincial Championship Results page 444 |access-date=7 January 2018 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304085534/http://www.irishrugby.ie/history/css/arch_history_118.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Before this Irish diaspora players, including Jim Staples, Simon Geoghegan and John O'Driscoll were usually invited to represent Connacht in the championship.<ref name="ballsie160216">{{cite web|url=https://www.balls.ie/rugby/best-10-connacht-players-ever-play-ireland-244894|title=The 10 Best Connacht Players Ever To Play For Ireland|publisher=balls.ie|access-date=31 January 2018|date=16 February 2016}}</ref> Staples and Geoghegan subsequently represented the Exiles and O'Driscoll coached the team. Other Ireland internationals to represent the Exiles in the championship included David Curtis, Gary Halpin and Rob Saunders. Mat Keenan, a Western Samoa international also played for the Exiles in the competition.<ref name="irishrugby020818">{{cite web|url=http://www.irishrugby.ie/provincial/exiles/history.php |title=A Short History of the Exiles |publisher=IRFU |access-date=6 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128131427/http://www.irishrugby.ie/provincial/exiles/history.php|archive-date=28 January 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Interprovincial Championship Record (1992–1996)== {| class = "wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" |- ! Against ! Played† ! Won ! Drawn ! Lost ! % Won ! For ! Aga ! Diff |- |style="text-align:left;"| {{flagicon|Connacht}} Connacht || 4 || 4 || 0 || 0 || {{#expr:4/4*100 round 2}}% || 121 || 55 || +66 |- |style="text-align:left;"| {{flagicon|Leinster}} Leinster || 4 || 0 || 0 || 4 || {{#expr:0/4*100 round 2}}%|| 66 || 91 || –25 |- |style="text-align:left;"| {{flagicon|Munster}} Munster || 4 || 1 || 0 || 3 || {{#expr:1/4*100 round 2}}%|| 60 || 113 || –53 |- |style="text-align:left;"| {{flagicon|Ulster}} Ulster || 4 || 0 || 0 || 4 || {{#expr:0/4*100 round 2}}%|| 35 || 108 || –73 |- class="sortbottom" ! Total || 16 || 5 || 0 || 11 || {{#expr:5/16*100 round 2}}%|| 282 || 367 || –85 |} ''†Matches were played as part of the Irish Interprovincial Rugby Championship.''<ref group=note>Table based results in the Irish rugby team history archive https://www.irishrugby.ie/irfu/history/archived-team-history/</ref> <br> ''Correct as of 9 February 2021.''

==Academy== The Irish Exiles operates as a scouting and recruitment programme for Irish diaspora players interested in playing for the Ireland national rugby union team, the Ireland women's national rugby union team, the Ireland national rugby sevens team and the Ireland women's national rugby sevens team.<ref name="irishrugby020818"/><ref name="irishrugby080818">{{cite web|url=http://www.irishrugby.ie/provincial/exiles/index.php|title=About the Exiles|publisher=irishrugby.ie|access-date=8 August 2018}}</ref><ref name="sportsfile190815">{{cite web|url=https://www.sportsfile.com/more-images/1508165/|title=Leinster v Irish Exiles – U18 Clubs Interprovincial Photos|publisher=sportsfile.com|access-date=8 August 2018|date=19 August 2015}}</ref><ref name="sportsfile250816">{{cite web|url=https://www.sportsfile.com/more-images/1608158/|title=Leinster v Exiles – U18 Clubs Friendly Photos|publisher=sportsfile.com|access-date=8 August 2018|date=25 August 2016}}</ref> In addition to producing nearly thirty Ireland men's internationals, the Exiles programme has also produced three British and Irish Lions – Simon Easterby, Rob Henderson and Nick Popplewell. A number of Irish Exiles players have "slipped through the net" and have subsequently gone on to play for the England national rugby union team. These include Kieran Brookes, Paul Doran-Jones and Shane Geraghty.<ref name="irishrugby020818"/> <ref name="murraykinsella140613">{{cite web|url=https://murraykinsella.wordpress.com/tag/george-mcguigan/|title=Ireland's Fifth Province|publisher=murraykinsella.wordpress.com|access-date=8 August 2018|date=14 June 2013}}</ref> Recent graduates of the programme include Rhys Ruddock and Kieran Marmion.<ref name="leinsterrugby041016">{{cite web|url=https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/irfu-exiles-screening-day/|title=IRFU Exiles Screening Day|publisher=leinsterrugby.ie|access-date=8 August 2018|date=4 October 2016}}</ref>

==Women's team== The Irish Exiles also field a women's rugby union team. A number of prominent members of the Ireland women's national rugby union team have progressed through the Exiles programme. These include Sophie Spence and Claire Molloy, Kerrie-Ann Craddock, Leigh Dargan<ref name="irishrugby020818"/><ref name="wru">{{cite web|url=http://www.wru.co.uk/m/eng/news/24750.php|title=Ireland announce strong squad|publisher=wru.co.uk|access-date=26 February 2018|date=30 January 2013}}</ref><ref name="sixnationsrugby">{{cite web|url=https://www.sixnationsrugby.com/mobile/en/news/17488.php |title=Correction: Ireland Women's Team to Play England|publisher=sixnationsrugby.com|access-date=26 February 2018|date=8 February 2013}}</ref><ref name="sportsfile231112">{{cite web|url=https://www.sportsfile.com/more-images/1211195/|title=Leinster Women v Exiles – Challenge Match Photos|publisher=sportsfile.com|access-date=8 August 2018|date=23 November 2012}}</ref><ref name="sportsfile221113">{{cite web|url=https://www.sportsfile.com/more-images/1311461/|title=Leinster v Exiles – Women's Interprovincial Rugby Friendly Photos|publisher=sportsfile.com|access-date=8 August 2018|date=22 November 2013}}</ref>

==Notable Current & former players== ;{{flagicon|British and Irish Lions}} British and Irish Lions {| |- style="vertical-align:top" || * Finlay Bealham * Tom Court * Simon Easterby * Mack Hansen * Rob Henderson * Andy Mulligan * Nick Popplewell || |} ;{{ru|Ireland}} internationals {| |- style="vertical-align:top" || * Finlay Bealham * Michael Bent * Justin Bishop * Shayne Bolton * Isaac Boss * Paul Burke * Billy Burns * Kieran Campbell * Tom Court * David Curtis * Guy Easterby * Simon Easterby * David Erskine * Declan Fitzpatrick || * Justin Fitzpatrick * Simon Geoghegan * Mike Haley * Gary Halpin * Mack Hansen * Rob Henderson * Rob Herring * Kevin Maggs * Kieran Marmion * Simon Mason * Sean McCahill * Mike McCarthy * Matt Mostyn || * Andy Mulligan * Mike Mullins * Ross Nesdale * Dion O'Cuinneagain * Dylan O'Grady * Nick Popplewell * Sean Reidy * Rhys Ruddock * Rob Saunders * Chris Saverimutto * Jim Staples * Kieran Treadwell * Dan Tuohy |} ; {{flagicon|Ireland|rugby union}} Ireland A / XV / Wolfhounds internationals * Sam Crean * Adrian Flavin * Antoine Frisch * Sean Jansen * Dan Kelly * Andi Kyriacou * Liam Mooney * Ed O'Donoghue * Byron Ralston ; {{flagicon|Ireland|rugby union}} Emerging Ireland internationals * Chay Mullins ;{{ruu|20|IRE}} U20s Internationals * Rynard Gordon * Wilhelm de Klerk * Lorcan McLoughlin * Josh Neill * Paddy Woods ;{{ru7|IRE}} sevens internationals * Richard Briggs * Mark Bruce * Kieran Campbell * Harry McNulty * Bryan Mollen * Chay Mullins * Aaron O'Sullivan * Jon Skurr ;{{ruw|Ireland}} women internationals {| |- style="vertical-align:top" || * Lynne Cantwell * Hannah Casey * Kerrie-Ann Craddock * Leigh Dargan * Lauren Day * Sarah Mimnagh || * Claire Molloy * Larissa Muldoon * Jackie Shiels * Sophie Spence * Megan Williams |} ;{{ru7w|IRE}} women sevens internationals * Sophie Spence ;{{ru|England}} internationals {| |- style="vertical-align:top" || * Kieran Brookes * Paul Doran-Jones * Shane Geraghty ; {{flagicon|England}} England Saxons * Declan Danaher * George McGuigan |} ;{{ru|France}} international {| |- style="vertical-align:top" || * Antoine Frisch |} ;{{ru|Samoa|name=Western Samoa}} international {| |- style="vertical-align:top" || * Mat Keenan |}

{{small|'''Source''':<ref name="irishrugby020818"/><ref name="wru">{{cite web|url=http://www.wru.co.uk/m/eng/news/24750.php|title=Ireland announce strong squad|publisher=wru.co.uk|access-date=26 February 2018|date=30 January 2013}}</ref><ref name="sixnationsrugby">{{cite web|url=https://www.sixnationsrugby.com/mobile/en/news/17488.php |title=Correction: Ireland Women's Team to Play England|publisher=sixnationsrugby.com|access-date=26 February 2018|date=8 February 2013}}</ref><ref name="sportsfile231112">{{cite web|url=https://www.sportsfile.com/more-images/1211195/|title=Leinster Women v Exiles – Challenge Match Photos|publisher=sportsfile.com|access-date=8 August 2018|date=23 November 2012}}</ref><ref name="sportsfile221113">{{cite web|url=https://www.sportsfile.com/more-images/1311461/|title=Leinster v Exiles – Women's Interprovincial Rugby Friendly Photos|publisher=sportsfile.com|access-date=8 August 2018|date=22 November 2013}}</ref> }}

==Notable former coaches== * Ken Kennedy * John O'Driscoll

==Similar teams== * London Irish: rugby union club founded by members of the Irish diaspora. This club is sometimes referred to as ''The Exiles'' or ''The Irish Exiles''. * Scottish Exiles (rugby union): a rugby union representative team featuring Scottish diaspora players.

==External links== * [https://www.facebook.com/groups/320983514170/about/ Irish Exiles on Facebook] * [https://twitter.com/irfuexilesrugby?lang=en Irish Exiles on Twitter]

==Notes== {{Reflist|group=note}}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * irishrugby.ie (IRFU): ** [https://www.irishrugby.ie/ireland/iqrugby/ IQ Rugby] ** [https://www.irishrugby.ie/category/exiles/ Category:Exiles]

Category:Irish Exiles (rugby union team) Category:Rugby union teams in Ireland Category:Rugby union teams in England Category:1989 establishments in England Category:Irish diaspora sports clubs in the United Kingdom Category:Rugby clubs established in 1989 Category:Youth rugby football