Ulster Senior League
Encyclopedia
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
competition for senior clubs in the Irish province of Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
. It has traditionally being ranked second in importance to the Ulster Senior Cup
Ulster Senior Cup
The Ulster Senior Cup is a knock-out competition for senior rugby union teams in the province of Ulster.It is administered by Ulster Rugby.The most successful club is Queen's University with 22 wins...
. It has declined in importance due to the formation of the All-Ireland League
AIB League
The Ulster Bank All-Ireland League is the national league system for the 48 senior rugby union clubs in Ireland, covering both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is not, however, the highest level of rugby union in Ireland, as teams representing the four provinces of Ireland play...
and growth in importance of the Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
.
The Senior League has had a chequered history. Its value was marred in the amateur era by periods when the elite clubs like North, Instonians
Instonians
Instonians is the name of the umbrella organisation that incorporates rugby union, men's and ladies' hockey and cricket sections. There is also a golf society that plays under the Instonians name....
and Collegians withdrew from the league to allow them to fulfil more friendly fixtures - particularly against English and Welsh opposition. This attitude from some of the senior clubs even lead to the scrapping of the league in 1930, and it was not re-established until after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The practice of withdrawing from the league finally died out in the 1970s.
Mostly the league was played in one section on an all-play-all home and away basis. However with the expansion of the number of Senior Clubs in 1980, two sections were formed and the top two teams qualified for semi-finals. This allowed for a showpiece final at the end of the season.
The two section arrangement continued until 1990 when the advent of professionalism and preparation for the All-Ireland League
AIB League
The Ulster Bank All-Ireland League is the national league system for the 48 senior rugby union clubs in Ireland, covering both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is not, however, the highest level of rugby union in Ireland, as teams representing the four provinces of Ireland play...
, saw the league separated into two sections based on playing ability. Promotion and relegation between the two sections was introduced at this time.
1890s
- 1891 Queen's University RFCQueen's University RFCQueen's University Rugby Football Club is the rugby union team of Queen's University Belfast. Founded in 1869, it is the second oldest rugby union club in Northern Ireland . They originally played as Queen's College, Belfast and have won the Ulster Senior Cup a record 21 times...
- 1892 NIFCNorth of Ireland FCNorth of Ireland Football Club is a former Irish rugby union club that was based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was the first rugby club formed in what is now Northern Ireland and only two other clubs - Dublin University and Wanderers - were formed earlier anywhere else in all Ireland . It was...
- 1893 NIFC
- 1894 NIFC
- 1895 NIFC
- 1896 NIFC
- 1897 NIFC
- 1898 NIFC
- 1899 NIFC
1900s
- 1900 Queen's University RFCQueen's University RFCQueen's University Rugby Football Club is the rugby union team of Queen's University Belfast. Founded in 1869, it is the second oldest rugby union club in Northern Ireland . They originally played as Queen's College, Belfast and have won the Ulster Senior Cup a record 21 times...
- 1901 NIFCNorth of Ireland FCNorth of Ireland Football Club is a former Irish rugby union club that was based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was the first rugby club formed in what is now Northern Ireland and only two other clubs - Dublin University and Wanderers - were formed earlier anywhere else in all Ireland . It was...
- 1902 NIFC
- 1903 CollegiansCollegians (Belfast)Collegians is the name of a club for former pupils of Methodist College Belfast. In the 108-year history of the club, it had rugby union, cricket, hockey, basketball and athletics sections...
- 1904 MaloneMalone RFCMalone RFC is a rugby union club based in Belfast, in Northern Ireland. It is currently in the Second Division of the All-Ireland League. The club is affiliated with the Ulster Branch, itself part of the Irish Rugby Football Union...
- 1905 Malone
- 1906 Malone
- 1907 Malone
- 1908 Collegians
- 1909 NIFC
1910s
- 1910
- 1911 Collegians
- 1912 Queen's University RFCQueen's University RFCQueen's University Rugby Football Club is the rugby union team of Queen's University Belfast. Founded in 1869, it is the second oldest rugby union club in Northern Ireland . They originally played as Queen's College, Belfast and have won the Ulster Senior Cup a record 21 times...
- 1913 Collegians
- 1914 Season abandoned due political crisis caused by Home Rule debate.
- 1915-1919 Not played due to World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
1920s
- 1920 Queen's UniversityQueen's University RFCQueen's University Rugby Football Club is the rugby union team of Queen's University Belfast. Founded in 1869, it is the second oldest rugby union club in Northern Ireland . They originally played as Queen's College, Belfast and have won the Ulster Senior Cup a record 21 times...
- 1921 NIFC
- 1922 Queen's University
- 1923 Queen's University
- 1924 Queen's University
- 1925 InstoniansInstoniansInstonians is the name of the umbrella organisation that incorporates rugby union, men's and ladies' hockey and cricket sections. There is also a golf society that plays under the Instonians name....
- 1926 Instonians
- 1927 Instonians/NIFC
- 1928 Instonians
- 1929 Civil Service
1940s
- 1946 NIFC
- 1947 Queen's University RFCQueen's University RFCQueen's University Rugby Football Club is the rugby union team of Queen's University Belfast. Founded in 1869, it is the second oldest rugby union club in Northern Ireland . They originally played as Queen's College, Belfast and have won the Ulster Senior Cup a record 21 times...
- 1948 Queen's University
- 1949 Queen's University
1950s
- 1950 Queen's University RFCQueen's University RFCQueen's University Rugby Football Club is the rugby union team of Queen's University Belfast. Founded in 1869, it is the second oldest rugby union club in Northern Ireland . They originally played as Queen's College, Belfast and have won the Ulster Senior Cup a record 21 times...
- 1951 Collegians/InstoniansInstoniansInstonians is the name of the umbrella organisation that incorporates rugby union, men's and ladies' hockey and cricket sections. There is also a golf society that plays under the Instonians name....
- 1952 Collegians
- 1953 Instonians/Queen's University
- 1954 Instonians/Queen's University
- 1955 NIFC
- 1956 Collegians
- 1957 Instonians/Queen's University
- 1958 Instonians
- 1959 NIFC
1960s
- 1960 InstoniansInstoniansInstonians is the name of the umbrella organisation that incorporates rugby union, men's and ladies' hockey and cricket sections. There is also a golf society that plays under the Instonians name....
- 1961 Dungannon
- 1962 Collegians
- 1963 C.I.Y.M.S.
- 1964 Queen's UniversityQueen's University RFCQueen's University Rugby Football Club is the rugby union team of Queen's University Belfast. Founded in 1869, it is the second oldest rugby union club in Northern Ireland . They originally played as Queen's College, Belfast and have won the Ulster Senior Cup a record 21 times...
- 1965 Dungannon
- 1966 NIFC
- 1967 Queen's University
- 1968 Dungannon
- 1969 MaloneMalone RFCMalone RFC is a rugby union club based in Belfast, in Northern Ireland. It is currently in the Second Division of the All-Ireland League. The club is affiliated with the Ulster Branch, itself part of the Irish Rugby Football Union...
1970s
- 1970 Civil Service
- 1971 C.I.Y.M.S.
- 1972 C.I.Y.M.S.
- 1973 BallymenaBallymena RFCBallymena Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in the town of Ballymena, Northern Ireland. It is affiliated to the Ulster branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The club fields six adult teams and an under-20 team. In youth rugby there are under-18, under-16 and under-14 teams...
/C.I.Y.M.S. - 1974 C.I.Y.M.S.
- 1975 Bangor
- 1976 Ballymena
- 1977 Bangor
- 1978 Ballymena
- 1979 Ballymena
1980s
- 1980 Queen's UniversityQueen's University RFCQueen's University Rugby Football Club is the rugby union team of Queen's University Belfast. Founded in 1869, it is the second oldest rugby union club in Northern Ireland . They originally played as Queen's College, Belfast and have won the Ulster Senior Cup a record 21 times...
- 1981 Bangor beat Queen's University
- 1982 Bangor beat Collegians
- 1983 Bangor beat Collegians
- 1984 ArdsArds RFCArds RFC is a rugby club based in Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The club currently fields five adult teams and an under-20 team. Three youth teams also play at under-18, under-16 and under-14 levels...
beat InstoniansInstoniansInstonians is the name of the umbrella organisation that incorporates rugby union, men's and ladies' hockey and cricket sections. There is also a golf society that plays under the Instonians name.... - 1985 Instonians beat Ards
- 1986 BallymenaBallymena RFCBallymena Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in the town of Ballymena, Northern Ireland. It is affiliated to the Ulster branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The club fields six adult teams and an under-20 team. In youth rugby there are under-18, under-16 and under-14 teams...
beat Bangor - 1987 Instonians beat Ballymena
- 1988 Bangor beat MaloneMalone RFCMalone RFC is a rugby union club based in Belfast, in Northern Ireland. It is currently in the Second Division of the All-Ireland League. The club is affiliated with the Ulster Branch, itself part of the Irish Rugby Football Union...
- 1989 Ballymena beat Malone
1990s
- 1990 BallymenaBallymena RFCBallymena Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in the town of Ballymena, Northern Ireland. It is affiliated to the Ulster branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The club fields six adult teams and an under-20 team. In youth rugby there are under-18, under-16 and under-14 teams...
beat MaloneMalone RFCMalone RFC is a rugby union club based in Belfast, in Northern Ireland. It is currently in the Second Division of the All-Ireland League. The club is affiliated with the Ulster Branch, itself part of the Irish Rugby Football Union... - 1991 Dungannon beat Ards
- 1992 NIFC beat City of Derry
- 1993 Malone beat NIFC
- 1994
- 1995
- 1996
- 1997 Ballymena
- 1998 Ballymena
- 1999
2000s
- 2000 City of Derry RFC
- 2001 BallymenaBallymena RFCBallymena Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in the town of Ballymena, Northern Ireland. It is affiliated to the Ulster branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The club fields six adult teams and an under-20 team. In youth rugby there are under-18, under-16 and under-14 teams...
- 2002 Ballymena
- 2003 Belfast HarlequinsBelfast HarlequinsBelfast Harlequins is a multi-sports club located off the Malone Road in south Belfast, Northern Ireland. The club name provides the overall umbrella for rugby union, men's and ladies' hockey and squash...
- 2004 Belfast Harlequins
- 2005 Ballymena/Belfast Harlequins
- 2006 Ballymena/DungannonDungannon RFCDungannon RFC is a rugby union club from Dungannon, Northern Ireland. The club first team plays in the AIB League Division One, Ulster Senior League and Ulster Senior Cup.-History:...
- 2007 Belfast Harlequins
- 2008 Belfast Harlequins
- 2009 BallynahinchBallynahinch RFCBallynahinch Rugby Club is an Irish rugby union club based in the County Down town of Ballynahinch in Northern Ireland. Founded in 1954, the club is affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union....