Leinster Schools Rugby Senior League

The Leinster Schools Rugby Senior League is a rugby union competition for secondary schools affiliated to the Leinster Branch of the IRFU. It is played before Christmas, after which the Leinster Schools Rugby Senior Cup is played. It is a 12 school competition played by the strongest schools outside of the “big 6”. The so-called "Big 6" of Leinster schools rugby (Blackrock College, Clongowes Wood College, St Mary's College, Dublin, Terenure College, Belvedere College and St Michael's College, Dublin) do not participate in the competition, although St Michael's College, Dublin used to participate in the competition winning it in 1998. Gonzaga have won it 5 times, 3 of them within the last 5 years. Their most recent victory being against Kilkenny college 18-17 at energia park in December of 2021 with only a penalty splitting the two sides. For the most part it is participated in by mostly private schools but 4 public schools participate in it as well. Schools in the league often provide the biggest form of competition to the big six in the Leinster schools senior cup. With Newbridge college, Castleknock college, Gonzaga college, Kilkenny college and presentation college bray having a history of regularly competing in hotly contested games with the “big six”. Most recently Newbridge college(2020 shared with clongowes), Gonzaga college(lost out to St.Michael’s college 28-5 in 2019) and Cistercian College Roscrea(beat Belvedere college 18-11 in 2015, lost 35-7 in 2016)having made finals.