AIB League



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The All-Ireland League, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the AIB League, is the national league system for the 48 senior rugby union clubs in Ireland, covering both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is not, however, the highest level of rugby union in Ireland, as teams representing the four provinces of Ireland play against Scottish and Welsh teams in the Magners League.

The league was inaugurated in the 1990–91 season. It was not sponsored in the initial season, but was sponsored for six years by Insurance Corporation of Ireland and since the beginning of 1998 by Allied Irish Banks. AIB will end their sponsorship of the league at the end of the 2009-2010 season. [1]. A replacement sponsor has not yet been announced.

It has been dominated by teams from Limerick who have won 13 out of 19 Championships.

The IRFU has announced that the current structure of three divisions of sixteen teams should continue for at least the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons.[2]

Contents

Previous Winners

1991 Cork Constitution
1992 Garryowen
1993 Young Munster
1994 Garryowen
1995 Shannon
1996 Shannon
1997 Shannon
1998 Shannon
1999 Cork Constitution
2000 St Mary's College
2001 Dungannon
2002 Shannon
2003 Ballymena
2004 Shannon[a]
2005 Shannon
2006 Shannon[b]
2007 Garryowen
2008 Cork Constitution
2009 Shannon[c]
[d]

NOTES:

[a] Cork Constitution won the most points, they were defeated by Shannon in the final

[b] Garryowen won the most points, they were defeated by Shannon in the semi-final who went on to beat Clontarf in the final

[c] Cork Constitution won the most points, they were defeated by Clontarf in the semi-final who went on to lose to Shannon in the final

[d] Shannon won the final by virtue of scoring the game's first try after the game finished in a 19-19 draw with extra time played

Total wins by club

AIB League Division 1A Season 2009-10

AIB League Division 1B Season 2009-10

AIB League Division 2 Season 2009-10

AIB League Division 3 Season 2009-10

See also: AIB Division Three

Championship deciders

  • In each division the club finishing on top after the League series will receive a Union plaque but is not deemed the champion club of that division. Champions of each division are decided on a play-off of the top four clubs. First plays Fourth & Second plays Third. The winners then meet in a final
  • If a match is tied at the end of 80 minutes the following criteria determine the winner:
    • Extra time of ten minutes each way will be played
    • If still tied, the club that has scored the most tries in the game will be the winner
    • If still tied, the club that finished in the higher position in the league during the season will be the winner

Promotion and relegation

DIVISION ONE A

  • The bottom two clubs will be relegated

DIVISION ONE B

  • The top two clubs will be promoted into Division One A
  • The bottom two clubs will be relegated

DIVISION TWO

  • The top two clubs will be promoted into Division One B
  • The bottom two clubs will be relegated

DIVISION THREE

  • The top two clubs will be promoted into Division Two
  • The club finishing bottom of Division Three will be relegated and replaced by the winner of the Round Robin competition
  • The club finishing second last in the division will play off with the club finishing runner-up in the Round Robin for a place in the third division
  • (The teams competing in the Round Robin competition are the winners of the Connacht, Leinster, Munster & Ulster Provincial Junior Leagues)

External links

Sources

  1. ^ "AIB to end domestic rugby sponsorship". The Irish Times Limited. 5 February 2010. http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/rugby/2010/0205/1224263859150.htmltitle=http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/rugby/2010/0205/1224263859150.html. Retrieved 28 February 2010. 
  2. ^ "No change to AIB League structure". 10 May 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/irish/6645089.stm. Retrieved 13 May 2007. 
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AIB League 2009-10
Division 1
Division 2
Division 3
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Rugby union in Ireland
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