History of rugby union matches between Leinster and Ulster
Leinster versus Ulster is the oldest fixture in Irish rugby, with the first ever interprovincial match taking place between the sides in 1875.[1]
Both provinces combined to provide the squad for the Irish international representative side from the first international match in 1875 until the IRFU was formally founded in 1879, consisting of the formal founding of the Leinster and Ulster branches and the addition of a third provincial side, the Munster branch. Finally a Connacht branch was added in 1885 to complete representation for all four provinces of Ireland.
The Interprovincial Championship did not formally begin until the 1946–47 season. Since then, Leinster and Ulster have played in many high profile games, including League and European Cup finals, with Leinster getting the upper hand on the big occasions thus far.
Overall Summary of Games Since 1946
| Details | Played | Won by Leinster | Won by Ulster | Drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leinster Home | 53 | 39 | 13 | 1 |
| Ulster Home | 48 | 22 | 21 | 5 |
| Neutral Venue | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Overall | 102 | 62 | 34 | 6 |
Statistics
Biggest wins
Leinster: 40–7 (33 points, 5 January 2019), 38–7 (31 points, 2017/18), 9–39 (30 points, 1980/81)
Ulster: 30–6 (24 points, 2015/16), 28-6 (22 points, 2003/04), 14–34 (10 points, 1998/99)
Highest scoring match
Leinster 54 - Ulster 42 (96 points, 20 December 2019)
Lowest scoring match
Leinster 0 - Ulster 0 (0 points, 1947/48)
Most consecutive wins
Leinster: 9 (1975/76 - 1983/84), 7 (2009/10 - 2011/12), 5 (1993/1994 - 1997/98 & 2012/13 - 2014/15)
Ulster: 9 (1984/85 - 1992/93), 5 (1966/67 - 1970/71), 3 (1955/56 - 1957/58)
Highest attendance
81,774 (European Cup Final, Twickenham Stadium, May 2012)
Results
| Season | Home | Away | Winner | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946/47 | Ulster 16 | Leinster 8 | Ulster (1) | |
| 1947/48 | Leinster 0 | Ulster 0 | Draw (1) | |
| 1948/49 | Ulster 0 | Leinster 8 | Leinster (1) | |
| 1949/50 | Leinster 8 | Ulster 0 | Leinster (2) | |
| 1950/51 | Ulster 10 | Leinster 3 | Ulster (2) | |
| 1951/52 | Leinster 14 | Ulster 17 | Ulster (3) | |
| 1952/53 | Ulster 3 | Leinster 5 | Leinster (3) | |
| 1953/54 | Leinster 0 | Ulster 3 | Ulster (4) | |
| 1954/55 | Ulster 3 | Leinster 5 | Leinster (4) | |
| 1955/56 | Leinster 6 | Ulster 21 | Ulster (5) | |
| 1956/57 | Ulster 17 | Leinster 8 | Ulster (6) | |
| 1957/58 | Leinster 13 | Ulster 24 | Ulster (7) | |
| 1958/59 | Ulster 12 | Leinster 16 | Leinster (5) | |
| 1959/60 | Leinster 16 | Ulster 6 | Leinster (6) | |
| 1960/61 | Ulster 9 | Leinster 9 | Draw (2) | |
| 1961/62 | Leinster 8 | Ulster 3 | Leinster (7) | |
| 1962/63 | Ulster 11 | Leinster 8 | Ulster (8) | |
| 1963/64 | Leinster 12 | Ulster 8 | Leinster (8) | |
| 1964/65 | Ulster 8 | Leinster 8 | Draw (3) | |
| 1965/66 | Leinster 8 | Ulster 6 | Leinster (9) | |
| 1966/67 | Ulster 8 | Leinster 6 | Ulster (9) | |
| 1967/68 | Leinster 5 | Ulster 9 | Ulster (10) | |
| 1968/69 | Ulster 14 | Leinster 8 | Ulster (11) | |
| 1969/70 | Leinster 3 | Ulster 8 | Ulster (12) | |
| 1970/71 | Ulster 6 | Leinster 3 | Ulster (13) | |
| 1971/72 | Leinster 12 | Ulster 10 | Leinster (10) | |
| 1972/73 | Ulster 6 | Leinster 11 | Leinster (11) | |
| 1973/74 | Leinster 20 | Ulster 13 | Leinster (12) | |
| 1974/75 | Ulster 22 | Leinster 9 | Ulster (14) | |
| 1975/76 | Leinster 16 | Ulster 9 | Leinster (13) | |
| 1976/77 | Ulster 6 | Leinster 12 | Leinster (14) | |
| 1977/78 | Leinster 29 | Ulster 18 | Leinster (15) | |
| 1978/79 | Ulster 3 | Leinster 9 | Leinster (16) | |
| 1979/80 | Leinster 18 | Ulster 12 | Leinster (17) | |
| 1980/81 | Ulster 9 | Leinster 39 | Leinster (18) | |
| 1981/82 | Leinster 19 | Ulster 6 | Leinster (19) | |
| 1982/83 | Ulster 9 | Leinster 15 | Leinster (20) | |
| 1983/84 | Leinster 20 | Ulster 16 | Leinster (21) | |
| 1984/85 | Ulster 16 | Leinster 3 | Ulster (15) | |
| 1985/86 | Leinster 13 | Ulster 19 | Ulster (16) | |
| 1986/87 | Ulster 14 | Leinster 12 | Ulster (17) | |
| 1987/88 | Leinster 22 | Ulster 29 | Ulster (18) | |
| 1988/89 | Ulster 18 | Leinster 17 | Ulster (19) | |
| 1989/90 | Leinster 6 | Ulster 14 | Ulster (20) | |
| 1990/91 | Ulster 13 | Leinster 6 | Ulster (21) | |
| 1991/92 | Leinster 21 | Ulster 22 | Ulster (22) | |
| 1992/93 | Ulster 12 | Leinster 8 | Ulster (23) | |
| 1993/94 | Leinster 25 | Ulster 0 | Leinster (22) | |
| 1994/95 | Ulster 6 | Leinster 12 | Leinster (23) | |
| 1995/96 | Leinster 31 | Ulster 3 | Leinster (24) | |
| 1996/97 | Ulster 25 | Leinster 35 | Leinster (25) | |
| 1997/98 | Leinster 26 | Ulster 25 | Leinster (26) | |
| 1998/99 | Leinster 14 | Ulster 34 | Ulster (24) | |
| 1998/99 | Ulster 11 | Leinster 35 | Leinster (27) | |
| 1999/00 | Leinster 15 | Ulster 26 | Ulster (25) | |
| 1999/00 | Ulster 22 | Leinster 23 | Leinster (28) | |
| 2000/01 | Leinster 19 | Ulster 6 | Leinster (29) | |
| 2000/01 | Ulster 26 | Leinster 13 | Ulster (26) | |
| 2001/02 | Leinster 31 | Ulster 9 | Leinster (30) | |
| 2002/03 | N/A | N/A | N/A | No Fixture |
| 2003/04 | Ulster 23 | Leinster 23 | Draw (4) | |
| 2003/04 | Leinster 32 | Ulster 30 | Leinster (31) | |
| 2003/04 | Ulster 28 | Leinster 6 | Ulster (27) | |
| 2004/05 | Ulster 15 | Leinster 26 | Leinster (32) | |
| 2004/05 | Leinster 9 | Ulster 8 | Leinster (33) | |
| 2005/06 | Leinster 30 | Ulster 23 | Leinster (34) | |
| 2005/06 | Ulster 19 | Leinster 24 | Leinster (35) | |
| 2006/07 | Ulster 6 | Leinster 6 | Draw (5) | |
| 2006/07 | Leinster 20 | Ulster 12 | Leinster (36) | |
| 2007/08 | Ulster 16 | Leinster 16 | Draw (6) | |
| 2007/08 | Leinster 29 | Ulster 0 | Leinster (37) | |
| 2008/09 | Ulster 13 | Leinster 21 | Leinster (38) | |
| 2008/09 | Leinster 32 | Ulster 6 | Leinster (39) | |
| 2009/10 | Ulster 16 | Leinster 14 | Ulster (28) | |
| 2009/10 | Leinster 15 | Ulster 3 | Leinster (40) | |
| 2010/11 | Ulster 13 | Leinster 30 | Leinster (41) | |
| 2010/11 | Leinster 34 | Ulster 26 | Leinster (42) | |
| 2010/11 | Leinster 18 | Ulster 3 | Leinster (43) | |
| 2011/12 | Leinster 42 | Ulster 13 | Leinster (44) | |
| 2011/12 | Ulster 8 | Leinster 16 | Leinster (45) | |
| 2011/12 | Leinster 42 | Ulster 14 | Leinster (46) | European Cup Final
Neutral Venue (Twickenham Stadium) Highest Attendance (81,774) |
| 2012/13 | Ulster 27 | Leinster 19 | Ulster (29) | |
| 2012/13 | Leinster 18 | Ulster 22 | Ulster (30) | |
| 2012/13 | Ulster 18 | Leinster 24 | Leinster (47) | |
| 2013/14 | Leinster 19 | Ulster 6 | Leinster (48) | |
| 2013/14 | Ulster 20 | Leinster 22 | Leinster (49) | |
| 2013/14 | Leinster 13 | Ulster 9 | Leinster (50) | |
| 2014/15 | Leinster 24 | Ulster 11 | Leinster (51) | |
| 2014/15 | Ulster 26 | Leinster 10 | Ulster (31) | |
| 2015/16 | Leinster 8 | Ulster 3 | Leinster (52) | |
| 2015/16 | Ulster 30 | Leinster 6 | Ulster (32) | |
| 2015/16 | Leinster 30 | Ulster 18 | Leinster (53) | |
| 2016/17 | Leinster 22 | Ulster 7 | Leinster (54) | |
| 2016/17 | Ulster 17 | Leinster 13 | Ulster (33) | |
| 2017/18 | Ulster 10 | Leinster 25 | Leinster (55) | |
| 2017/18 | Leinster 38 | Ulster 7 | Leinster (56) | |
| 2018/19 | Leinster 40 | Ulster 7 | Leinster (57) | |
| 2018/19 | Leinster 21 | Ulster 18 | Leinster (58) | |
| 2018/19 | Ulster 14 | Leinster 13 | Ulster (34) | |
| 2019/20 | Leinster 54 | Ulster 42 | Leinster (59) | |
| 2019/20 | Ulster 10 | Leinster 28 | Leinster (60) | Ulster home match played at the Aviva stadium due to COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2019/20 | Leinster 27 | Ulster 5 | Leinster (61) | 2020 Pro14 Grand Final |
| 2020/21 | Leinster 24 | Ulster 12 | Leinster (62) |