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| Old Belvedere RFC | |
|---|---|
| Teamname | Old Belvedere RFC |
| Fullname | Old Belvedere Football Club |
| Union | Irish Rugby Football Union |
| Founded | 1918 |
| Location | Dublin, Ireland |
| Ground | Anglesea Road |
| Capacity | 3,000 |
| League | All-Ireland League |
Old Belvedere RFC is an Irish rugby union club based in Dublin, founded in 1918 and competing in the All-Ireland League. The club plays home matches at Anglesea Road and has produced international players who have represented Ireland national rugby union team and other representative sides. Old Belvedere RFC has connections with schools, provincial setups, and amateur rugby networks across Leinster and the island of Ireland.
Old Belvedere RFC was established shortly after World War I, during the period of the Easter Rising aftermath and the Irish War of Independence, and developed amid Dublin sporting life alongside clubs such as St. Mary's College RFC, Blackrock College RFC, Clontarf FC, Lansdowne Football Club, and Bective Rangers. Early decades saw fixtures against touring teams from England, Scotland, and Wales, including sides linked to Barbarians, Harlequin F.C., and county selections from Lancashire and Middlesex. The club navigated the transition into organised national competition with the creation of the Leinster Senior Cup, the Ireland national rugby union team tours, and the establishment of the All-Ireland League in the 1990s. Old Belvedere RFC's development intersected with changes in Irish sport governance embodied by the Irish Rugby Football Union and provincial growth led by Leinster Rugby and administrators who worked on competition formats and player pathways.
Anglesea Road, the club's ground in Dublin, sits near landmarks such as Trinity College, Dublin, Aviva Stadium, and the RDS Arena, and provides pitches, clubhouse facilities, and training amenities that host matches across senior, junior, and youth levels. The ground has been upgraded over time with floodlighting, changing rooms, a gym, and function spaces used for club events and community gatherings, similar to investments seen at grounds like Donnybrook Stadium and Malahide Cricket Club Ground. Anglesea Road has hosted inter-club fixtures, friendlies against touring teams such as Wasps RFC and Saracens F.C., and charity matches linked to organisations including Irish Red Cross and local education institutions such as Belvedere College.
The club operates under a committee structure aligned with governance models used by bodies like the Irish Rugby Football Union and provincial administrations such as Leinster Rugby. Officers include a president, chairperson, treasurer, and club captain, and committees manage coaching appointments, fixture scheduling, and youth programs in collaboration with local schools such as Belvedere College SJ and sporting partners like Dublin City Council. Administrative activity interfaces with competition regulators of the All-Ireland League, disciplinary panels of the IRFU Branch, and player welfare initiatives championed by organisations like Sport Ireland and World Rugby.
Old Belvedere RFC has competed in Leinster competitions including the Leinster Senior Cup, the Leinster League, and national competitions such as the All-Ireland League. The club has recorded promotion and relegation campaigns involving rivals like Buccaneers RFC, Shannon RFC, UCD RFC, Garryowen Football Club, and Young Munster FC. Cup runs have brought fixtures against historic clubs including Garland RFC and touring matches versus British and European clubs. The competitive era of the All-Ireland League saw Old Belvedere engage with playoff structures, league restructures, and talent pipelines feeding into provincial squads for Leinster Rugby and representative sides involved in tournaments such as the Heineken Cup.
The club has produced internationals and professionals who have represented Ireland national rugby union team, Leinster Rugby, and overseas clubs. Alumni have moved into coaching and administration within organisations such as Munster Rugby, Connacht Rugby, and club-level appointments across England and France. Notable names associated with Old Belvedere RFC include players who have appeared in competitions like the Six Nations Championship, the Rugby World Cup, and professional leagues such as the United Rugby Championship. Coaches with links to the club have contributed to pathways seen in institutes like the Irish Institute of Sport and coaching programmes run by World Rugby.
Old Belvedere RFC runs mini and youth sections, collaborating with schools including Belvedere College SJ and community bodies like Dublin City Council to promote rugby participation. Development programmes align with IRFU coaching frameworks, provincial youth selection processes, and national initiatives from organisations such as Sport Ireland and Fáilte Ireland for community engagement. The club hosts camps, tag rugby festivals, and coaching clinics, and works with charities and educational partners to support inclusion, player welfare, and talent identification feeding into academies such as the Leinster Rugby Academy.
Old Belvedere RFC's honors include Leinster competition wins, cup runs in the Leinster Senior Cup, and notable league placings in the All-Ireland League, often competing with clubs like Blackrock College RFC, St. Mary's College RFC, Clontarf FC, and Lansdowne Football Club. Club records encompass player appearance milestones, try-scoring tallies, and successful youth-to-senior transitions that have contributed to provincial and national squads competing in tournaments such as the Six Nations Championship and the Rugby World Cup.
Category:Rugby union teams in Ireland Category:Sport in Dublin (city)