As Irish rugby clubs kick off their season and the professional players sweat through their pre-season drills, it’s clear the sport has undergone a seismic shift in the last quarter century. Ireland’s rugby landscape, once wary of professionalism, found its wake-up call in a heartbreaking 1999 World Cup loss to Argentina. That defeat in Lens sparked a revolution as Irish rugby chiefs overhauled the game in Ireland and ushered in an era of unprecedented glory. Grand Slams for the men’s and women’s teams, European Cup triumphs for Ulster, Munster, and Leinster, and landmark series wins against rugby’s southern giants followed,…

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