Young Munster is a Rugby union club based in Limerick, Ireland. It was founded in 1895 and our home games are played at Tom Clifford Park in Rosbrien, Limerick.
Young Munster is the only Limerick club to have won, prior to its revival in 2011, the now defunct Bateman Cup which we won in 1928. The club song, Beautiful Munsters, remembers this victory. Young Munster also won the All Ireland League in 1993 by beating St Mary's College at Lansdowne Road in front of a record attendance for a club game of 20,000.
Club Honours also include 7 wins in the Munster Senior Rugby Cup, in 1928, 1930, 1938, 1980, 1984, 1990 and 2010 and 7 triumphs in the Munster Junior Cup in 1911, 1922, 1927, 1959, 1960, 1984 and 1999.
The Club also was one of the first Irish teams to tour North America extensively when, in 1985, they played 5 games in New York City, Vancouver, Langley (B.C.) , Los Angeles and San Diego.
The current Coach is Director of Rugby, Mike Prendergast.
After a decade in the A.I.L Division 1, the club was relegated to Division 2 in 2002. The club played in Division 2 of the All Ireland League in the 2007-2008 year, but as a result of winning promotion, played in Division 1 in 2008-2009. It maintained Division 1 status with victory on the last day of the 2008-2009 season away to UCD. Due to the new format of the All Ireland League Young Munster played in Division 1B in the 2009-2010 season.
On the 17th April 2010 Young Munster defeated University College Cork RFC in the ODM Munster Senior Cup on a scoreline of 22 - 13 in Musgrave Park Cork. We also earned promotion to Division 1A for the season 2010 - 2011. The Young Munster Senior ladies team won the AIL Shield competition in the 2010 season. The Under 19 team defeated Thomond in the final of the North Munster Cup on a scoreline of 32-0 at Garryowen’s ground in Dooradoyle on Sunday May 1, 2010. This added to the underage section’s Under 13 North Munster win over Shannon earlier in May. The Club was awarded the "Munster Club of the Year” award at a gala function held at Thomond Park to end a great 2010 season.
Young Munster finished the 2010-2011 regular season in third place in Division 1A, thereby earning a place in the All Ireland League semi-finals, away to Cork Constitution F.C.
Young Munster is sometimes referred to by its nickame "The Cookies".
Tom Clifford
Peter Clohessy
John Fitzgerald
Ger Earls
Mike Mullins
Rob Henderson
Paul O'Connell
All the above, except Ger Earls, have played at some level for Ireland, most appearances by Paul O'Connell who currently holds 80 Ireland caps (to 28/09/11) as well as having played 6 Tests for the British & Irish Lions and 3 as captain.
