Fixtures have been confirmed for the All-Ireland League for the 2021/22 season.
The full list of fixtures is available to view on https://www.irishrugby.ie/energiaail
The action gets underway with a full round of the Women’s All-Ireland League on Saturday September 25th. They’ll be joined on October 2nd by the return of all 50 teams in the Men’s All-Ireland League.
The default kick-off times for men’s games will be 2:30pm on Saturdays and 5pm on Saturdays for women’s games but can be adjusted based on the agreed preference of participating teams.
A nine-game regular women’s season will conclude on December 11th with a one-off modified format beginning on January 15th. A top-four Round-Robin will lead into semi-finals and a final to determine the Women’s All-Ireland League Champions.
Teams who place 5-10 in the regular season will switch to a six-team round-robin followed by play-offs for a one-off trophy. The ring-fencing of all 10 participating teams will be retained as planned for the next two seasons as the IRFU continue to support the development and long-term sustainability of participating teams. The Women’s All-Ireland Cup will also return this season with details to be announced in due course.
"The fixture list is balanced to meet the needs of clubs across the full season and it will be preceded by localised matches in September to whet the appetite for the All-Ireland action to come. Clubs can also plan for a festive atmosphere at games in early December before a winter break for a full month until January 15th.
"By the time we get to our Energia All-Ireland League finals in May 2022, it will have been three years since those prestigious trophies were last lifted. It’s building up to be a very special season indeed.”
Two New Women’s Teams
Both debutants in the Women’s All-Ireland League will have home advantage in their first-ever games at this level - Ballincollig will welcome Suttonians to Tanner Park in Round 1, while Wicklow will be at home to Old Belvedere. The last Women’s AIL final to be played was in April 2019. Defending Champions Railway Union will meet 2019 runners up UL Bohemian on October 23rd.
A nine-game regular women’s season will conclude on December 11th with a one-off modified format beginning on January 15th. A top-four Round-Robin will lead into semi-finals and a final to determine the Women’s All-Ireland League Champions.
Teams who place 5-10 in the regular season will switch to a six-team round-robin followed by play-offs for a one-off trophy. The ring-fencing of all 10 participating teams will be retained as planned for the next two seasons as the IRFU continue to support the development and long-term sustainability of participating teams. The Women’s All-Ireland Cup will also return this season with details to be announced in due course.
Men’s Tournament Structure
Cork Constitution are the last winners of the Men’s AIL and kick off the defence of their 2018/19 title away to Garryowen. With the majority of clubs stating a preference for a return to the previous format, an 18-game regular season will run until April 9th 2022. The men’s final is set for Sunday, May 1st 2022. Dates for the Women’s All-Ireland League playoffs are subject to confirmation to avoid any clashes with the as-yet-to-be announced fixtures for the 2022 Women’s Six Nations Championship fixtures. Speaking about the release of fixtures, IRFU Competitions Manager Kevin Beggs said: “We are delighted to announce firm fixtures for all 60 participating teams in the Energia All-Ireland League for the 2021/22 season. For clubs and their supporters, it means a lot to have dates to put in the diary and the chance to get back pitchside and enjoy the very best that club rugby has to offer.
"The fixture list is balanced to meet the needs of clubs across the full season and it will be preceded by localised matches in September to whet the appetite for the All-Ireland action to come. Clubs can also plan for a festive atmosphere at games in early December before a winter break for a full month until January 15th.
"By the time we get to our Energia All-Ireland League finals in May 2022, it will have been three years since those prestigious trophies were last lifted. It’s building up to be a very special season indeed.”