Saint Patrick's Day Test

The Saint Patrick's Day Test also known as the Donnybrook Cup was an international rugby league football match played between the United States and Ireland from 1995 to 2012. The game was usually held on or around March 17 to coincide with Saint Patrick's Day. There have been eight matches, with five won by the USA and three won by Ireland. Ireland competed as a full test side for the first two matches, winning both. In 2020 the first two fixtures were regarded to full international status as the Ireland A teams for those two games were upgraded to senior national status, due to the similarity of the squads involved in those games.[1] In 2021 USARL and RLI were in talks to re-establish back the fixture in 2023.[2]

Saint Patrick's Day Rugby League Test match
SportRugby league
Instituted1995
Number of teams2
RegionInternational (RLIF)
Most titles United States (5 titles)
Related competitionColonial Cup

Matches edit

Date Home Score Away Venue Attendance
16 March 1995   United States 22–24   Ireland   RFK Stadium, Washington D.C.
16 March 1996   United States 12–14   Ireland   RFK Stadium, Washington D.C.
18 March 2000   United States 19–6   Ireland A
16 March 2002   United States 24–22   Ireland A
15 March 2003   United States 20–16   Ireland A
24 March 2004   United States 41–10   Ireland A Memorial Stadium, Savannah, Georgia [3]
22 March 2011   United States 8–26   Ireland A   Garthwaite Stadium, Philadelphia 1,000[4][5]
18 March 2012   United States 38–20   Ireland A   Widener University, Philadelphia c. 2000[6]

References edit

  1. ^ Tomahawks To Host Ireland | We Are Rugby Archived July 18, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "USA Ireland discuss re-establishing St Paddy's Day match: AGM". Rugby League Planet. 21 December 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  3. ^ "United States of America vs. Ireland A". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  4. ^ "United States of America vs. Ireland A". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  5. ^ Report
  6. ^ "Tomahawks Win Back the Donnybrook Cup". Rugby League International Scores. Retrieved 21 August 2022.