1998 Ireland rugby union tour of South Africa Trevor Brennan also made their senior international debuts in the same game. A fourth debutant, Justin Bishop, scored a try while Eric Elwood added a conversion and two penalties. 1998 Ireland rugby union tour of South Africa 1998 Ireland rugby union tour of South Africa. The Ireland national rugby union team embarked on their third tour of South Africa, having previously visited in 1961 and 1981. Both Paul Wallace and Keith Wood had previously been on a tour to South Africa with the British and Irish Lions in 1997. Cape Town-born Dion O'Cuinneagain, had captained South Africa at both schoolboy
Rugby union in Samoa Rugby union in Samoa Rugby union in Samoa is the country's most popular sport. The national teams in both the standard 15-man game and rugby sevens are consistently competitive against teams from vastly more populous nations. Rugby union is governed by the Samoa Rugby Union who are also members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance. Samoa were awarded 'second tier' status by the International Rugby Board which entitles them to funding from the IRB. The Samoa Rugby Union was founded in 1924, as the "Apia Rugby Union", and affiliated to the NZRFU in the same year. As the Western Samoa