Most-capped Irish rugby players of all time

Former Irish centre Brian O'Driscoll

Rugby indeed is one of the most popular sports in Ireland.

So, there is no surprise when some of the names really stand out throughout time. This article will help us see which are some of the most-capped rugby players in Ireland and how they managed to represent their country with their amazing abilities and skills. 

The Popularity of Rugby Union

Rugby has become one of the most popular sports in the world. Ireland does have some popular players, but they are not the only ones. New Zealand also boasts itself with amazing Rugby Union players and leagues. This sport has a huge fan base in New Zealand and that is not surprising as rugby union is a national sport in NZ. That being said, you can expect that a lot of fans like placing bets on their favourite players and teams. If you would like to do the same, you can easily find online betting sites and some bonuses to get you started. You can find such commodities as well as Betiton bonus code NZ on reputable websites and give yourself a nice helping hand in Rugby Unition bets. 

Brian O’Driscoll

Regarded as one of the best rugby players ever, Brian O’Driscoll represented Ireland from 1999 to 2014. He is fourth on the list of the most-capped players in rugby union history and first when it comes to Ireland. He has made 133 appearances for Ireland and 8 for the British and Irish Lions. He captained Ireland 83 times. With 46 tries for Ireland and 1 for the Lions, he is the highest Irish scorer of all time as well as the leading scoring centre. Moreover, he is also the 8th-highest scorer of tries in international history. Another record O’Driscoll holds is the most tries scored in Six Nations – 26. For his contributions to the sport, on 17 November 2016, O’Driscoll was introduced into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.

Ronan O’Gara

Number two on Ireland’s most-capped list is Ronan O’Gara. He made 128 appearances for Ireland and 2 for the British and Irish Lions. He played as a fly-half and is Ireland’s highest points scorer of all time, with 1,083. Furthermore, he is the fifth-highest points scorer in test rugby. O’Gara is known for his match-winning drop goals, such as when he scored against Wales in the 78th minute and secured the Grand Slam for Ireland in the 2009 Six Nations Championship.

Paul O’Connell

Paul O’Connell played for Ireland from 2002 to 2015 and during that time made 108 appearances. In 2005, 2009 and 2013, he also played for the British and Irish Lions 7 times. At the time he retired, O’Connell was the country’s third most-capped player. With Ireland, he won the Six Nations Championship three times (in 2009, 2014 and 2015), the Triple Crown four times (2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009) and a Grand Slam once (in 2009).

Johnny Sexton

Another fly-half on the list of most-capped players is Johnny Sexton. This player currently captains the Ireland national rugby union team. He started representing Ireland in 2009 and is still active, racking up 109 appearances so far. Additionally, he also played for the British and Irish Lions 6 times in total, in 2013 and 2017. In his international career, Sexton has scored more than a thousand points. Seeing as how he is still playing, you can watch him live and even make some wagers.

Rory Best

When it comes to retired players, Rory Best sure is one of the best. Born in Northern Ireland, he represented Ireland from 2005 to 2019, captaining from 2016 to 2019. He made a total of 124 appearances. Best also toured with the British and Irish Lions. With Ireland, he won the Six Nations Championship in 2009, 2014, 2015 and 2018, Grand Slam in 2009 and 2018 and the Triple Crown in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2018.

Gordon D’Arcy

While he might not have over a hundred appearances, Gordon D’Arcy is still a beloved rugby player. From 1999 to 2015, he made 82 appearances for Ireland and 1 for the British and Irish Lions. In 2004, D’Arcy was named the Six Nations Player of the Tournament. Moreover, he also won the Six Nations Championship in 2009 and 2014 as well as the Triple Crown in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009. 

Who is your favourite Irish player of all time? Is there someone important that we left out of the list? Do you think any of the current players have a chance of becoming the most-capped ever?