Irish Universities Football Union

The IUFU was originally formed in 1970–71 as the Universities and Colleges Football Union under the leadership of Dr. Tony O'Neill, the club secretary/manager of University College Dublin A.F.C. and an FAI general secretary. In 1972 a separate association, the CFAI, was established for college teams. The IUFU initially took over the organization of the Collingwood Cup before introducing new competitions such as the Collingwood Plate, the North–South University League, the Harding Cup for freshman and first year students and the Crowley Cup for reserve team players. In 2006–07 the IUFU, in conjunction with the CFAI, established the Umbro sponsored Colleges and Universities Football League.{{cite web|url=http://www.thirdlevelfootball.ie/iufu/about/|title=Irish Third Level Football - Irish Universities Football Union - About IUFU|work=thirdlevelfootball.ie}}{{cite web|url=http://www.thirdlevelfootball.ie/iufu/about/history/|title=Irish Third Level Football - Irish Universities Football Union - About IUFU - History|work=thirdlevelfootball.ie}}[https://books.google.com/books?id=e2usAgAAQBAJ&dq=%22Irish+Universities+Football+Union%22&pg=PA69 edited by Hallgeir Gammels Ter et al: The Organisation and Governance of Top Football Across Europe (2011) ][http://collingwood2014.wix.com/collingwood2014#!the-history-continues/c1c2s Collingwood 2014 Part II]

In 2015 the IUFU became involved in an internal dispute involving Ulster University and their campus football teams. On Sunday, 22 February 2015, UU Jordanstown were due to play UCD in the first round of the Collingwood Cup. However, on Friday, 19 February, just two days earlier, the IUFU barred them from the competition. UUJ were banned because they planned to field players from Magee College in the team. Ulster University wanted to enter a single team featuring players from three campuses – Coleraine, Jordanstown and Magee. However football officials at Coleraine opposed this idea and entered the Collingwood Cup under their own name. Meanwhile, UU decided to enter the tournament as Jordanstown, while Magee opted not to enter the competition. With the Magee club not involved, UU decided to enter a joint team that included players from both Jordanstown and Magee. However, they were informed by IUFU that it was against Collingwood Cup rules to select players from more than one campus. As UU refused to comply with the IUFU requests and enter a team that only consisted of players from the Jordanstown campus, the IUFU opted to expel them from the competition. Meanwhile, the team representing Coleraine competed in the tournament, however according to club officials, they did not receive any funding from their Ulster University, who do not recognise them as an official university team.

The IUFU selects teams to play against teams representing the CFAI and Irish Defence Forces.{{cite web|url=http://www.thirdlevelfootball.ie/iufu/about/representative-football/|title=Irish Third Level Football - Irish Universities Football Union - About IUFU - Representative Football|work=thirdlevelfootball.ie}}

The IUFU also chooses a team to represent Ireland at the Summer Universiade.{{cite web|url=http://www.thirdlevelfootball.ie/about/world-university-games/|title=Irish Third Level Football - About - World University Games|work=thirdlevelfootball.ie|access-date=2015-11-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101229152003/http://www.thirdlevelfootball.ie/about/world-university-games/|archive-date=2010-12-29|url-status=dead}}

• Collingwood Cup – senior first team competition
• Farquhar Cup – defeated Collingwood Cup quarter finalists
• Spillane Cup – teams knocked out in Collingwood Cup first round
• Duggan Cup – teams knocked out in Collingwood Cup first round
• Crowley Cup – features the reserve university teams
• Harding Cup – teams are made up first year students

[http://quis.qub.ac.uk/iufu/rules.htm Eligibility Rules]

• College & Universities Football League {{cite web|url=http://www.thirdlevelfootball.ie/cufl/league/premier-division/18/south/1/|title=Irish Third Level Football - Cufl.php - League.php|work=thirdlevelfootball.ie}}
• Women's Soccer Colleges Association of Ireland League {{cite web|url=http://www.thirdlevelfootball.ie/wscai/leagues/|title=Irish Third Level Football - Women's Soccer Colleges Association of Ireland - Leagues|work=thirdlevelfootball.ie}}

Several clubs affiliated to the IUFU play in leagues and divisions within the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland football league systems.

[http://collingwood2014.wix.com/collingwood2014#!untitled/c1nhz Collingwood 2014 Part I]

[http://quis.qub.ac.uk/iufu/contacts.htm List of affiliated clubs]

• Irish Universities Rugby Union
• Higher Education GAA
• Munster Football Association
• Leinster Football Association
• Women's Football Association of Ireland
• Galway Football Association
• Connacht Football Association

{{Reflist|2}}

{{Football in Republic of Ireland}}

Universities

Universities

Category:All-island sports governing bodies in Ireland

Category:1970s establishments in Ireland