Season Plan Confirmed for 2025/26 Men’s Energia AIL Competitions

13th June 2025 By The Editor

©INPHO

The season structure for the Men’s Energia All-Ireland League has been confirmed for the 2025/26 season.

With ongoing consultation with the All-Ireland League (AIL) clubs and provincial representatives, the IRFU are delighted to announce the men’s Energia AIL competition season plan for the 2025/26 season.

As with any season plan the November internationals, Six Nations clashes and stadia availability all had to be taken into account when finalising the competitions dates for the season.

The wider season plan was also agreed at the most recent meeting of the IRFU Rugby Committee following the series of engagements and consultations with participating Clubs.

Consultation on the season plan for the Women’s Energia All-Ireland League is ongoing, in line with the work being carried out by Lynne Cantwell on the overall strategy for the women’s game. An update will be communicated in the coming weeks.

The Men’s Divisions of Energia AIL will start a week later than last season and will feature two ‘No Rugby Weekends’. These weekends are separate to reserve weekends in the calendar to allow players, coaches and volunteers to manage their time away from rugby. The first No Rugby Weekend will coincide with the men’s final Autumn Nations Series game, against South Africa on 22, November.

Provision has also been made for the successful Club International Series, for the Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Division players, to continue this season with the intention to play the fixture in March 2026.

The Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Division will kick off on the weekend of 27, September, with 18 rounds of the competition ahead of the semi-final and playoff promotion/relegation rounds on the weekend of 18, April and the Energia AIL Final is set for the following weekend on the weekend of 25, April, in Aviva Stadium.

The semi-finals of the Energia Bateman Cup will be played on Sunday 9, November, with the final scheduled for the 3, January.

IRFU Competitions Manager Kevin Beggs said:

“Working with the provinces and clubs we were able to map out the men’s domestic season for the coming 12 months . What Clubs want is consistency and that’s what we’re working towards. We are delighted with the engagement and consultations with our AIL Clubs and provincial committees during this process, which is such an important part to develop the season plan, and it’s great to have the clubs involved in the process”

2025/26 Men’s Energia AIL Competition Fixtures

Energia Bateman Cup

Semi-Finals: Sunday 9, November 2025
Final: Saturday January 3, 2026

Energia All-Ireland Men’s Junior Cup

Round One: Saturday October 25, 2025
Quarter-Finals: Saturday November 15, 2025
Semi-Finals: Saturday December 13, 2025
Final: Saturday January 24, 2026

Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Promotion Playoffs

Semi-Finals: Saturday April 18, 2026
Final: Weekend of April 25, 2026

IRFU Men’s Junior Interprovincial Series

Round 1: Saturday October 25, 2025
Round 2: Saturday November, 15, 2025
Round 3: Saturday December 13, 2025
Final: Saturday January 24, 2026

IRFU Fraser McMullen Cup

Quarter-Finals: Weekend of March 28, 2026
Semi-Finals: Weekend of April 4, 2026
Final: Weekend of April 11, 2026

Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Divisions

Round 1: Weekend of Saturday September 27, 2025
Round 2: Weekend of Saturday October 4, 2025
Round 3: Weekend of Saturday October 11, 2025

Round 4: Weekend of Saturday October 25, 2025
Round 5: Weekend of Saturday November 1, 2025

Round 6: Weekend of Saturday November 15, 2025

NO RUGBY WEEKEND – Weekend of November 22, 2025

Round 7: Weekend of Saturday November 29, 2025
Round 8: Weekend of Saturday December 6, 2025
Round 9: Weekend of Saturday December 13, 2025