Ireland international Ross Byrne to make Gloucester switch

Gloucester Rugby is thrilled to confirm the arrival of Ireland international fly-half Ross Byrne, ahead of 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.

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.”