'Ireland's Call: 150 Years of Irish Rugby' special exhibition launched at the World Rugby Museum at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.
The World Rugby Museum presents a new special exhibition 'Ireland's Call' that aims to celebrate 150 years of Irish rugby.
The exhibition examines the complex and changing identities that have comprised Irish teams, their flags and anthems. It considers how a single team, forged by 19th Century administrators, was able to withstand the political evolution of the 20th Century and remain a symbol of pride for people in all corners of the island of Ireland.
It celebrates Ireland's greatest teams and individuals, including the Triple Crown winners of the 1890s, the golden age of Jackie Kyle's 1948-1951 period; and the flair and guile that marked Irish teams in the 1970s and 1980s.
It examines how Ireland Women began their journey in 1993 and progressed to a Grand Slam and Rugby World Cup semi-final in 2014.
Finally it celebrates how Irish rugby has adapted to the professional age, leading to an extraordinary period of success that culminated in Ireland standing alone as the world's number one side.
Curator Phil McGowan writes,
'Irish rugby was described as being full of 'fire and adaptability' as early as the 1940s and it has remained faithful to that description in the intervening years. This special exhibition will include material from as far back as the 19th Century- match tickets, dinner menus, cigarette cards, trophies; and match worn jerseys belonging to Harold Sugars, Noel Henderson, Mike Gibson, Lynne Cantwell and Jamie Heaslip. Finally the exhibition demonstrates how sport, and rugby in particular, has the power to bring people together'.
Ireland's Call was launched on 15 October 2025 and will run for approximately 12 months. Entry is included with World Rugby Museum and Allianz Stadium Tour tickets.
