The Ireland and England Legends squads have been announced for a match in Energia Park on January 31st in aid of rugby charities in Ireland and the UK. Irish greats Shane Byrne, Malcolm O’Kelly, Devin Toner, Rhys Ruddock and more will face off against a star-studded English side including Delon Armitage, Dave Attwood and David Strettle.
Both the Ireland and England Legends have announced their squad news for the occasion. Ireland have named 29 rugby greats, with England traveling to Dublin with 25 of their former rugby players.
Purchase your tickets for the Legends game in Energia Park.
The annual event alternates location between England and Ireland and this year it is set to kick off the Guinness 6 Nations weekend in Energia Park at 7pm on Friday 31st January. The match offers fans a great opportunity to see their rugby heroes back on the field while contributing to the welfare of players and their families.
The Irish Rugby Charities supported by the game are the Rugby Players Ireland Foundation and the IRFU Charitable Trust as well as UK charities the Rugby Players Association and RESTART.
Commenting on this year’s event Byrne said,
“I am delighted to be leading the Ireland Legends once again. It’s a fantastic opportunity to give back to the rugby community and support the vital work being done by the Rugby Players Ireland Foundation and the IRFU Charitable Trust in Ireland, and for leading rugby charities in the UK. I would like to give a huge thanks to all involved and especially to our sponsor, Ark Bermuda.”
England legends captain Lee Dickson noted, “It's always a privilege to play alongside such a talented group of former players, and even more so when we're doing it for such meaningful charities like the Rugby Players Association and RESTART. It's a fantastic opportunity to give back to the rugby family, and I can't wait to share the field with the Irish legends in front of a fantastic crowd."
Tickets are available to purchase at €11.40 for OAPs and under 16s or €22.30 for anybody over the age of 16. You can get your tickets here.
Ireland Legends:
Niyi Adeolokun Paddy Butler Shane Byrne - Captain Fionn Carr Scott Deasy Des Dillon Jimmy Downey Alex Dunlop Denis Fogarty Craig Gilroy Billy Holland Chris Keane Dave Kearney Ian Keatley Luke Marshall Mike McComish Mick McGrath Harry McNulty John Murphy Jordi Murphy Tiernan O’Halloran Malcolm O’Kelly Ronan O’Mahony Rhys Ruddock Michael Swift Liam Toland Devin Toner Duncan Williams
England Legends:
Garath Archer Delon Armitage Dave Attwood Matt Banahan Johnny Barret James Buckland Robb Cook Matt Cornwell Aidan Devane Lee Dickson - Captain Paul Doran-Jones Kai Horstmann Matt Jess Graham Kitchener Tom May Robbie Morris Jon Phillips Ollie Phillips David Rees David Strettle Guy Thompson Tom Varndell Rob Vickerman Ben Woods Kevin Yates