Gloucester confirm signing of Ireland fly half Ross Byrne

Monday, 24 February 2025 at 10:45

byRugby Rucker

Gloucester Rugby have confirm the arrival of Ireland international fly-half Ross Byrne, for the 2025/26 season. The 29-year-old Dubliner is a product of the famous St. Michaels College and Leinster Academy. After graduating from the academy, Byrne has gone on to become a stalwart in the Leinster squad over the last decade.

Find your local Greene King and settle in for the 2025 Six Nations!

In his 177 games for the province, he’s played a vital role in their domination of the United Rugby Championship, winning four titles and being named in the Team of the Season twice. In Europe, Byrne has one Champions Cup medal to his name and has finished runner up a further four times.

The fly-half has accumulated 1,156 points in his ten years at Leinster, the third highest tally of any player.

Unsurprisingly, Byrne’s integral influence at Leinster was followed by further success with the Irish national team, after making his debut against Italy in 2018.

Despite facing stiff competition for the Ireland number 10 jersey, Byrne has notched up 56 points in his 22 caps, winning two Triple Crowns, one Six Nations Championship and one Six Nations Grand Slam. Byrne also represented Ireland at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Director of Rugby, George Skivington, commented: “Leinster is quite rightly recognised as a breeding ground for lots of quality players, and Ross is one of the best players they’ve produced over the last decade.

“It’s rare to come across someone with so much domestic and international pedigree, and when they do become available, inevitably there’s a lot of interest in them, so it’s a real coup for us.

“Ross’s signing is a real statement of ambition, and we can’t wait for him to get started.”

Byrne added: “I’m delighted to have signed with Gloucester Rugby for next season. The Club’s exciting ambitions made it an opportunity I just couldn’t pass up

“The team are producing a really great brand of rugby already, and that’s certainly something that drew me to Kingsholm. I’m hoping I can add to that and help the team grow further in the future.

“Having experienced the incredible atmosphere at Kingsholm before, I’m looking forward to getting out there in Cherry & White and challenging myself in one of the most competitive leagues in world rugby.”

QUIZ: Can You Name the England XV that Won the 2020 Six Nations?

England last won the Six Nations in 2020, in what was a crowning achievement during the Eddie Jones era. Coming off the back of the 2019 Rugby World Cup Final heartbreak, England bounced back to win their seventh Six Nations title since the competition's Italian expansion in 2000.

England secured the trophy with a win in Rome, as they handed Italy a one-sided 34-5 bonus point defeat. We are challenging you to remember who started for England that day, as the match was played in front of an empty stadium during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

You have five minutes to provide your answers, good luck!