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No Repro Fee Players Keeva Mooney, Kildare, Charlotte Nagle, Wicklow and Noah O'Neill, Wicklow with Mayor of Limerick John Moran at University of Limerick as the countdown to the 2025 Atlantic Youth Touch Cup has begun. University of Limerick is getting ready to host the largest International Touch Rugby Tournament ever held in Ireland from July 31 to August 3. 700 Athletes from Europe, the Americas, Africa and China are expected to participate. Pic. Brian Arthur No Repro Fee Players Keeva Mooney, Kildare, Charlotte Nagle, Wicklow and Noah O'Neill, Wicklow with Mayor of Limerick John Moran at University of Limerick as the countdown to the 2025 Atlantic Youth Touch Cup has begun. University of Limerick is getting ready to host the largest International Touch Rugby Tournament ever held in Ireland from July 31 to August 3. 700 Athletes from Europe, the Americas, Africa and China are expected to participate. Pic. Brian Arthur

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Largest International Touch Rugby Tournament ever held in Ireland comes to University of Limerick

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Players Keeva Mooney, Kildare, Charlotte Nagle, Wicklow and Noah O’Neill, Wicklow at University of Limerick as the countdown to the 2025 Atlantic Youth Touch Cup has begun. Pic. Brian Arthur

700 athletes from Europe, the Americas, Africa, and China are expected to take part in the Atlantic Youth Touch Cup in UL this July 31 to August 3

Players Keeva Mooney, Kildare, Charlotte Nagle, Wicklow and Noah O'Neill, Wicklow with Mayor of Limerick John Moran at University of Limerick as the countdown to the 2025 Atlantic Youth Touch Cup has begun. University of Limerick is getting ready to host the largest International Touch Rugby Tournament ever held in Ireland from July 31 to August 3. 700 Athletes from Europe, the Americas, Africa and China are expected to participate. 
Pic. Brian Arthur
University of Limerick is getting ready to host the largest International Touch Rugby Tournament ever held in Ireland from July 31 to August 3. Pic. Brian Arthur

Limerick will be the centre of the global rugby stage once again this July as the University of Limerick (UL) is set to host the 2025 Atlantic Youth Touch Cup from July 31 to August 3.

The underage Touch Rugby competition will attract more than 30 teams from up to a dozen nations from Europe, the Americas, Africa, and China to the UL’s world-class facilities.

This marks another major coup for Limerick following the city’s successful hosting of the 2023 Tag Rugby World Cup. The event brought thousands of players and supporters to the region and left a lasting legacy for the sport locally. Now, with the Atlantic Youth Touch Cup on the horizon, excitement is building once more.


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The competition, organised by the Federation of International Touch (FIT), will feature national teams competing across seven grades, from Under-15 to Under-20. This will be the largest international Touch Rugby tournament ever held in Ireland, further cementing UL’s reputation as a premier venue for international sports events.

It is expected that “hundreds” of players, coaches, and supporters will attend the event in Limerick which will benefit local businesses throughout the event.

Karen Ronan, Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau explained, “With hundreds of players, coaches, and supporters expected to descend on the city, local businesses will benefit from increased visitor numbers, particularly in the hospitality and tourism sectors. In partnership with Failte Ireland, we’re delighted to support UL with this bid to attract another European championship to the Shannon area.”

700 athletes from Europe, the Americas, Africa, and China are expected to take part in the Atlantic Youth Touch Cup in UL this July 31 to August 3
Players Keeva Mooney, Kildare, Charlotte Nagle, Wicklow and Noah O’Neill, Wicklow with Mayor John Moran. Pic. Brian Arthur

Speaking at the Official Launch, the Mayor of Limerick John Moran, said events such as the Atlantic Youth Touch Cup coming to Limerick “reaffirms our stellar reputation for hosting large-scale International sporting events”.

He said, “Essential to this of course is our collaborative approach, superb facilities and renowned hospitality. I would like to congratulate everyone involved in the successful bid. Hosting large, international sports events produces millions in economic impact for Limerick and will provide a very welcome boost to the hospitality, tourism and retail sectors in the region.”

Michelle Mulcahy, Director of the Ireland Touch Association (ITA), said the group are “absolutely thrilled” to bring the tournament to the city.

She said, “This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our renowned Irish hospitality to visiting teams from Europe, South Africa, and the USA. It’s not only about the sport—we also want to highlight Ireland’s beautiful Wild Atlantic Way and create lasting memories for everyone involved.”

Touch Rugby, a fast-paced, non-contact sport that prioritises skill, speed, and spatial awareness, is growing in popularity across Ireland. The game is widely recognised in Australia and New Zealand for its role in developing young rugby players. Locally, the sport is governed by the ITA, with teams such as Munster Touch Rugby Club, based in Parteen, contributing to its development.

700 Athletes from Europe, the Americas, Africa and China are expected to participate. Pic. Brian Arthur

University of Limerick worked with Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau on the bid to attract the event to the region, with the support of Failte Ireland and Limerick City Council.

David Ward, UL Events, University of Limerick said, “The state-of-the-art sports campus at UL Sport will provide an ideal setting for the competition, offering convenient access to pitches, accommodation, and facilities for players, referees, and supporters. In recent years we’ve hosted World & European Championships for a wide variety of sports including Flag Football, Archery, Lacrosse, Chess and many more. With the addition of the Atlantic Youth Touch Cup, UL is reinforcing its reputation as a go-to destination for major international tournaments.”

Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.