| Full name | Irish Rugby Union Players Association |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2001 |
| Country | Ireland |
| Key people | Niall Woods |
| Office location | Leeson Street, Dublin. |
| Website | www.irupa.ie |
The Irish Rugby Union Players Association (IRUPA) is the representative body for professional rugby players in Ireland. Founded in October 2001, its aims are to promote and protect the welfare of professional rugby players in Ireland.[1][2] The Chief Executive Officer is Niall Woods and Marcus Horan is its current chairman.[3] Its headquarters are on Leeson Street in Dublin.
Contents |
The associations objectives are:-
IRUPA provides a Player Services Advisor. This provides player guidance on all aspects of their career, including education, personal development to prepare them for the transition to life after professional rugby.[2]
The association acts as a negotiator between players and their employer. They are involved with negotiating group contracts in areas such as match and win bonuses and act as a go-between in the event of disputes.[5] This includes bringing industrial action if necessary [6]
In October 2001 Ireland's professional rugby players set up the Irish Rugby Union Players' Association. Over 95% of all players with a contract with the IRFU joined the new body. Liam Toland and Peter McKenna were appointed Chairman and Secretary.[4]
In 2003, the members of the association realised the need for a full time employee and former Ireland International Niall Woods was appointed the first full time Chief Executive Officer.[4]
IRUPA has run the annunal IRUPA Awards dinner from 2002 which gives recognition to rugby players in a number of categories. The awards dinner is run to support the injured players fund.[7] The most prestigious award is the Players' Player of the Year award which is voted for by playing members of IRUPA.
| Year | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Malcolm O'Kelly | Leinster[8] |
| 2004 | Gordon D'Arcy | Leinster[9] |
| 2005 | Johnny O'Connor | London Wasps [10] |
| 2006 | Paul O'Connell | Munster [11] |
| 2007 | Gordon D'Arcy | Leinster [12] |
| 2008 | Tommy Bowe | Ospreys [13] |
| 2009 | Brian O'Driscoll | Leinster[14] |
| 2010 | Tommy Bowe * | Ospreys [13] |
| 2011 | Isa Nacewa | Leinster[15] |
* Tommy Bowe was also awarded the 2010 WRPA Players Player of the Year Award. [16]
Other awards include the Young Player of the Year award, Try of the Year and the Unsung Hero as well as the Hall of Fame.
The IRUPA Hall of Fame includes the following members:
| Year | Inductee(s) |
|---|---|
| 2003 | Mick Galwey, Peter Clohessy |
| 2004 | Keith Wood, Paddy Johns |
| 2005 | Eric Elwood |
| 2006 | Jeremy Davidson |
| 2007 | Victor Costello |
| 2008 | David Humphreys |
| 2009 | Anthony Foley |
| 2010 | Girvan Dempsey |
IRUPA administers the injured players fund which provides support to players who are forced to retire from rugby due to illness or injury. The fund is reliant on individual and corporate donations.[18] The IRUPA annual awards dinner is also a major part of the its fundraising activity.[19] Following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, IRUPA made a donation of €20,000 from the injured players fund to assist with relief efforts through aid agency Concern.[3]