Rugby is one of the major winter sports played at RBAI; Rugby has been played formally since 1872. The Ulster Schools’ Cup was introduced in 1876 – overall RBAI have reached 59 finals, winning the Cup 34 times and sharing it on 4 occasions. The Medallion (Under 15) competition was introduced in 1910 and RBAI have competed in 54 finals, winning 37 times and sharing the trophy on 3 occasions.
Of most recent note was the success of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 1st XV and Medallion Squad who won the Schools’ Cup and Medallion Shield, respectively, in consecutive seasons. Across the 2023-24 season our 1st XV, 2nd XV, 3rd XV and Medallion all had success in winning their respective competitions. In 2014/15 RBAI had the treble success of the 1st XV who won the Schools’ Cup in 2014/15 and retained it for the next two years.
RBAI strives for success in excellence and participation and to enhance the sense of identity in each player. Rugby at RBAI aims to;
“Foster an enthusiasm for Rugby in an environment where continuous improvement enables players to achieve their highest potential, both individually and collectively.”
In addition to promoting sporting excellence, the Rugby Club is also proud of its inclusive approach with close to 300 boys representing teams each Saturday. RBAI has a particularly strong fixture list – playing against local competitors in Ulster as well as schools in Leinster and Munster.
The Rugby Club Development Pathway aims to develop players across 4 main areas:
- Technical (Skillset)
- Tactical
- Physical (Condition)
- Psychological (Mental Skills)
Pupils have also regularly gone on to play for Ulster – recent examples being Michael Lowry and James Hume who left RBAI in 2017. Most notably Inst is Ireland’s leading school in the production of senior International players and British and Irish Lions. To date, RBAI has produced 85 Internationals and 13 Lions, 2 of whom were captains, Sammy Walker in 1938 and Robin Thompson in 1955. In terms of rugby administration, 20 former pupils have been President of the Ulster Branch and 10 have been President of the IRFU.
