The New Breed:: Irish Rugby's Professional Era

When the professional era dawned in 1995, Irish rugby was in a rut. Provincial matches attracted crowds of 300, the national team was only capable of one exceptional result a year and there was a general lack of interest from the public. The nation's best players were lured abroad and bitter club rivals were thrown together to battle for provinces that could not attract coaches. No one could have predicted the rapid transformation that would overtake the Irish game. Within a few short years...