Ireland use two anthems in rugby because the team represents the whole island – both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland – and one anthem alone doesn’t comfortably cover that mix of identities.

Quick Scoop: The Short Version

  • The official anthem of the Republic of Ireland is Amhrán na bhFiann (“The Soldier’s Song”).
  • Many players and fans come from Northern Ireland , which is part of the UK and not represented by that anthem in the same way.
  • To include everyone, a second, neutral rugby anthem , “Ireland’s Call” , was written in the 1990s to represent the entire island, north and south.
  • At home games in Dublin, they usually sing both : first Amhrán na bhFiann (host nation), then Ireland’s Call (all-island rugby team). At away games, it’s typically just Ireland’s Call.

How It Ended Up This Way

Rugby on the island of Ireland is organised as one all‑island team , not separate teams for North and South. That meant using only the Republic’s symbols (flag and anthem) felt politically loaded for some unionist players and fans from Northern Ireland.

To solve this, the Irish Rugby Football Union commissioned Phil Coulter in the mid‑1990s to write a new anthem that didn’t belong specifically to either state and could be sung by everyone “shoulder to shoulder.” This became Ireland’s Call , which talks about “four proud provinces” rather than any one country.

Home vs away matches

  • In Dublin (home Six Nations / tests):
    • Amhrán na bhFiann is played as the national anthem of the Republic of Ireland.
    • Ireland’s Call follows, representing the all‑island rugby team.
  • Away games / neutral venues:
    • Generally only Ireland’s Call is used, to keep things neutral and inclusive.

Some players from Northern Ireland quietly stand for Amhrán na bhFiann without singing, but join in fully for Ireland’s Call, which is part of why you see different levels of participation during the two anthems.

A Bit of Background and Debate

Amhrán na bhFiann has roots in the Irish independence struggle and was adopted as the state anthem in the 1920s, so its lyrics feel nationalist and military to some unionists. Ireland’s Call, by contrast, was designed to be inclusive, simple to sing, and non‑political , and it’s now used by other all‑island teams too.

Among fans, there’s still debate:

  • Some prefer Amhrán na bhFiann and see it as part of Irish national identity.
  • Others strongly back Ireland’s Call as a symbol of unity across the island.
  • On terraces you’ll often also hear “The Fields of Athenry” , which has become an unofficial crowd song on top of the formal anthems.

So the reason Ireland have two anthems at rugby isn’t a quirk for TV – it’s a compromise born from history, identity, and the effort to keep one united team for the whole island.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.