Emerging Ireland

The team was created to offer Tier 1 level opposition for Tier 2 sides in the IRB Tbilisi Cup, held in Tbilisi, Georgia.[1][2] Allen Clarke, Ian Costello and Joey Miles managed the team, with Rhys Ruddock as captain.[3]

In Emerging Ireland's opening match, they faced hosts Georgia. This match was won by the Emerging side 20-15 in their first ever game.[4] In their second match, South Africa President's XV beat Emerging Ireland 19-8,[5] before Emerging Ireland beat Uruguay 42-33 on 16 June 2013 to secure a second-place finish in the tournament.[6]

The squad for the tournament was named on 19 May 2013.[7] The initial squad featured four internationally capped players; Michael Bent, Seán Cronin, Ian Keatley and Rhys Ruddock the captain. However, Cronin was called up to the senior squad on 26 May 2013, thus lowering the international players from four to three. The remaining twenty three players, had, at the time, not played for Ireland internationally or at test level.

On 1 April 2014, it was announced that Emerging Ireland would take part in the 2014 edition of the IRB Nations Cup in Bucharest, Romania. Dan McFarland, Connacht assistant coach, has been appointed as head coach and Ulster backs coach, Neil Doak, will assist him.[8]

In the first game of the cup Emerging Ireland beat Russia by a score of 66-0 at 45 minutes into the game, when it was stopped by the referee, Ian Davies, because of a storm and fears for the players safety. The match included 10 tries,3 of those from Andrew Conway. This was Emerging Ireland's largest ever win in international rugby. Dan McFarland's side beat Uruguay 51-3 in their second game to set up the last game against Romania as a title decider. This game turned out to be the closest of all their games but Emerging Ireland still ran out at 31-10 winners to secure the IRB nations cup with 3 bonus point victories.[9][10]