By Duncan Mackay

Louis Magee has been elected as the 127th President of the Irish Rugby Football Union ©IRFUThe Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) have elected Louis Magee as its new President to replace Pat Fitzgerald, who has completed his year's term.


Magee, a retired teacher, comes steeped in Irish - and international - sporting history.

He is the grandson of the famous Louis Magee, who captained Ireland to win the Triple Crown in 1899 and whose brothers also scaled the sporting heights.

Jim accompanied him on the British Lions tour of South Africa in 1896,while Joe was twice capped for Ireland at rugby but who was more associated with athletics.

As one of two Irish delegates, he attended the first meeting of the International Olympic Committee in Paris in 1894, under Baron de Coubertin.

Magee, the 127th President of the IRFU, is also the fifth member of Bective Rangers FC, one of Ireland's oldest clubs having been founded in Dublin in 1881, to be elected to the post. 

An former second row forward, who played 17 times for Leinster between 1973 and 1979 and who was chosen for a final Irish trial in 1979, Magee played for Bective Rangers first team between 1968 and 1986.

He was elected club captain on three occasions, including in the club's centenary season in 1981-1982.

Following retirement in 1987, he coached at various levels at the club, becoming director of rugby from 1991 until 1994, and being elected President in 1997-98.

Joining the Leinster Branch Executive in 1996, he became Branch President in 2003-2004, the same season he was elected to the IRFU.

Since then he has held a variety of key roles in IRFU, including chairman of the Performance Committee from 2009 to the present day.

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