Where are they now? The last Leinster team to win a Champions Cup title

Leinster’s latest Champions Cup final defeat to Toulouse means that they have lost the last three attempts at adding a fifth star.

The last time the Irish province clinched an EPCR title was back in 2018 when they defeated Racing 92 in Bilbao claiming a narrow 15–12.

Following their recent disappointment, we take a look at where those Leinster stars are now.

15 Rob Kearney

Decorated Ireland and Lions fullback Rob Kearney left Leinster in 2020, heading to Australia and played a season for the Western Force in Super Rugby before retiring from international rugby in 2021.

During his career, he played 95 times for Ireland, winning four Six Nations titles, including two Grand Slams in 2009 and 2018. He also represented the British and Irish Lions on two tours.

With Leinster he won six Pro14 titles as well as four European Champions Cups and one European Challenge Cup trophy.

He now works part-time for a Financial Services company and works as a pundit on Virgin Media and was part of the Founders Group that started MLR club The Chicago Hounds.

14 Jordan Larmour

The exciting outside back continues to be a regular starter for Leinster at wing and fullback. He has been in and out of the Ireland team in recent years and still has a long career ahead of him.

13 Garry Ringrose

Garry Ringrose missed the 2023/24 Champions Cup final through injury but did start the 2021 final. When fit, he is a regular starter for club and country.

12 Robbie Henshaw

Now a three-time British and Irish Lions’ centre, Robbie Henshaw continues to be a standout performer for Leinster and Ireland in the centres. Off the rugby pitch, Henshaw has co-founded a Business Consulting and Services company.

11 Isa Nacewa

2018 proved to be a fitting send-off for the Leinster legend who captained the Irish province in the final against Racing 92, even slotting two penalties in the win.

That proved to be Isa Nacewa’s final rugby match, and he returned to New Zealand, where he has worked as a rugby TV pundit.

Nacewa was the CEO of a Financial Services and is now the Performance Team Leader for High Performance Sport New Zealand.

Toulouse were man-to-man better than Leinster according to Champions Cup stats XV

10 Johnny Sexton

Johnny Sexton brought the curtain down on his illustrious career following Ireland’s Rugby World Cup 2023 quarter-final defeat to New Zealand.

The ex-Ireland and Leinster captain has now moved into the business world and is the Chief of Staff for Ardagh Glass, a Packaging and Containers Manufacturing company.

Sexton played 118 times for Ireland scoring 1,108 points winning four Six Nations titles including two Grand Slams. He also earned selection for two British and Irish Lions tours and was named World Rugby Player of the Year in 2018.

With Leinster, he won four Champions Cup trophies, one Challenge Cup and six URC titles.

9 Luke McGrath

Luke McGrath has continued to be a key cog in the Leinster team, often captaining the Irish province in the URC and Champions Cup.

Now into his 30s, McGrath has played over 200 matches for Leinster.

8 Jordi Murphy

Following the Champions Cup success in 2018, Jordi Murphy signed a deal to join Ulster ahead of the 2018/19 season.

The back-rower had his fair share of injuries before announcing his retirement in 2023. He was capped 30 times for Ireland and made over 100 appearances for Leinster.

Murphy has remained in sport since his retirement, working as a player agent for Navy Blue Sports.

7 Dan Leavy

Highly rated back-rower Dan Leavy was tipped for a long career with Ireland and Leinster but struggled with injuries that ultimately forced him into retirement at the age of 27 in 2022.

The ex-flanker has kept himself busy since and is an Investor and Ambassador for Output Sports and co-founded Ogham Whiskey and is finally a Sales and Financial analyst at Haven Green Investment Management.

6 Scott Fardy

The former Wallabies forward hung up his boots in 2021 but remained in the game, moving into the coach’s box.

Following his retirement, Scott Fardy returned to Australia to gain coaching experience and had a stint in Japan.

However, he returned to Ireland linking up with Connacht as the side’s new defence coach.

5 James Ryan

James Ryan was tipped for high honours from early on in his career, and so far, he has delivered, becoming a key player for club and country.

He is now Leinster’s co-captain and has skippered his country.

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4 Devin Toner

A fan favourite of Leinster, Devin Toner hung up his boots in 2022 having played 280 games for the Province and 70 times for Ireland.

The giant second rower is another player who has moved into the business world, working for Fairstone Ireland, a Wealth Management Solutions company, and recently invested in a craft brewing company.

3 Tadhg Furlong

Widely regarded as one of the best tighthead props in the game, Tadhg Furlong continues to shine for club and country.

He has played over 70 times for Ireland and been on two British and Irish Lions’ tours.

2 Sean Cronin

A regular presence in the Leinster, Sean Cronin announced his retirement from rugby in 2022 after 14 years as a professional.

He played 72 times for Ireland, featuring in three Rugby World Cups and won the Six Nations twice – including one Grand Slam.

Cronin started his career with Munster before joining Leinster from Connacht in 2011 and played over 200 times for Leinster.

He has since returned to Limerick where he earned a Applied Sports Coaching MsC, Physical Education and Sport Sciences (PESS) degree at the University of Limerick.

He now works as a Provincial Talent Coach for Munster Rugby and the IRFU.

1 Cian Healy

Leinster and Ireland prop Cian Healy.

Still performing for Leinster and Ireland at the age of 37, at the time of writing, Cian Healy has become the most capped player in the Champions Cup.

He has also played over 100 times for Ireland and over 200 times for Leinster.

16 James Tracy

James Tracy announced his retirement from rugby in 2022 due to a troublesome neck injury.

He earned six caps for Ireland during his playing days and over 140 times for Leinster.

The ex-front rower now works as a pundit for multiple Irish outlets and is
Managing Director for BAJR Capital.

17 Jack McGrath

A British and Irish Lions in 2017, the loosehead prop announced his retirement in 2022 after a stint with Ulster Rugby, having played over 140 times for Leinster.

Before his retirement, he has opened a Wellness and Fitness Services company, Collective Fitness.

18 Andrew Porter

Andrew Porter came off the bench at tighthead for Leinster against Racing 92 but has since successfully traded sides of the scrum to become a world-class loosehead prop for province and country.

Outside of rugby, Porter is an Ambassador for the Irish Cancer Society.

19 Rhys Ruddock

Rhys Ruddock joined Leinster in 2009, and following the defeat to Toulouse in the Investec Champions Cup, the Leinster legend has announced his retirement, bringing down the curtain on his career following the conclusion of the 2023/24 season.

20 Jack Conan

The Ireland and Leinster back-rower Jack Conan has since gone on to represent the British and Irish Lions and continues to be a regular member of both squads.

21 Jamison Gibson-Park

Now regarded as one of the finest scrum-halves in the game, Jamison Gibson-Park qualified for Ireland in 2020 and went on to represent the side at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

22 Joey Carbery

The highly-rated back, Joey Carbery, left Leinster following the victory over Racing 92, linking up with Munster, who he would go on to win the URC with in 2023. The Ireland international will join French club Bordeaux ahead of the 2024/25 season.

23 Rory O’Loughlin

After playing nearly 100 matches for Leinster, Rory O’Loughlin headed to England to join Premiership club Exeter Chiefs.

The one-cap Ireland international played 24 times for Exeter before a shoulder injury forced him into retirement at the end of the 2023/24 season.

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