Leinster's love affair with Croke Park continued as they blew the Bulls away at GAA HQ to lift silverware for the first time in four seasons.
Leo Cullen's side were desperate to salvage their year after their latest Champions Cup heartbreak and, shrugging off the late withdrawal of Jamison Gibson-Park, they did so with a performance packed with power and panache - particularly in the first half hour.
It was sweet revenge for last year's semi-final loss to the same opponents in Pretoria and the perfect send-off for the 12 Leinster players who are joining Andy Farrell's Lions, while the Bulls were left to lick their wounds after a third final defeat.
After winning their first-ever game on Jones's Road in 2009 - that famous Heineken Cup semi-final victory over Munster - Leinster returned for last year's Champions Cup semi-final defeat of Northampton, then for a packed-out early season URC win over Munster in October and the Champions Cup last 16 dismissal of Harlequins.
This URC final was their fifth visit to the iconic venue - and they claimed yet another triumph on the northside as All Black great Jordie Barrett signed off on his brief but hugely influential time at the province with a scintillating try, underlining again the folly of not selecting him from the start against Northampton in that last four loss in Europe.
That five-pointer was Leinster's second of the afternoon, sandwiched between the opening score by skipper Jack Conan and Josh van der Flier's close-range effort.
Forced to turn to their blitz defence in the final 10 minutes of the opening half as the lethargic Bulls sought a lifeline, Leinster were up to the task - and, with Sam Prendergast finding his kicking boots, and it all added up to a 19-0 lead at the break.
The Bulls eventually managed to hit back through replacement hooker Akker van der Merwe but Sam Prendergast kicked two penalties to keep his team's lead at a comfortable distance before the icing on the cake was academy scrum-half Fintan Gunne's 74th minute try.
As the clock ticked into the red with the 80 minutes up, Barrett claimed the loose ball just outside the Bulls' 22, and it was fed back to Gunne and he delivered the final pass of the contest to James Lowe, who gleefully booted the ball into the Hogan Stand to finish it.
A while later Conan was joined by injured club captain Caelan Doris and by Cian Healy, whose playing career is now at an end, to lift the massive trophy.
It was a big moment for the club after coming so close in both fronts since they last won the PRO14 in 2021.
That was their fourth title in a row in the competition but the arrival of the South African franchises racheted up the level of difficulty and that, allied with Leinster's obsession with lifting the Champions Cup for the fifth time, had left them falling short at the business end of the URC since then.
They looked in danger of doing it again as they struggled to shake off their European hangover. But last week's win against defending champions Glasgow suggested they had rediscovered their form and their display in the decider confirmed it as they won without the injured Doris, Tadhg Furlong, Robbie Henshaw and Hugo Keenan.
Luke McGrath was outstanding in Gibson-Park's absence while Ryan Baird gave a man of the match display for the second time in a week, turning on the physicality with a fearsome effort at the lineout and in defence. Andrew Porter turned around his scrum difficulties midway through the game and was left punching the air as Leinster restored superiority at the set-piece.
Conan led from the front with his seventh minute try, a real poacher's effort after Dan Sheehan was stopped from adding to his prolific strike rate off a lineout maul.
The magnificent Barrett looked human when he threw a forward pass to Tommy O'Brien but then responded by scoring a brilliant try, kicking on McGrath's delicate chip through in midfield before racing in close to the posts.
Then van der Flier pounced in the 24th minute as the lethal Leinster lineout flourished once more, with Prendergast missing the conversion after nailing the earlier two.
The Bulls tried desperately to find a way back into the game in the second quarter but Leinster's blitz defence held up this time - even repelling an 18-phase attack.
Prendergast extended their lead to 22-0 early in the second half before the Bulls finally breached the blue line, with van der Merwe muscling over as his side's maul finally got going.
A missed penalty by Prendergast was the cause of concern but he converted one from a little closer in soon after before Cullen called for Ross Byrne and Gunne as half-back replacements.
The 21-year-old took his chance as he sniped through a massive gap to score a memorable try and Byrne signed off on his Leinster career with a superb conversion - and that effectively ended the Bulls' misery.
RG Snyman
RG Snyman in conversation with our panel after @leinsterrugby's URC Grand Final win
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) June 14, 2025
"It was a tough season and a hard season... this will put us on a good foot going into next season and I'll maybe have a brandy or two tonight!" pic.twitter.com/0pB8suX3Dw
One F's player ratings
Leinster player ratings as the Blues finally come good to beat the Bulls in URC final
Wicklow man lifts a trophy in the Hogan Stand!
After the official trophy presentation, the Leinster players brought the URC trophy up the steps of the Hogan Stand where Jack Conan lifted it again!
Just a Wicklow man lifting a trophy in the Hogan Stand#LEIvBUL #NeverLessThanEverything pic.twitter.com/TwOjoaIq4n
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) June 14, 2025
Leo Cullen speaks to Premier Sports
@ryanwilson89 speaks with James Lowe after a special win for @leinsterrugby
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) June 14, 2025
"The boys put in some shift throughout the year" pic.twitter.com/Jpl1ArjOhr
James Lowe's view
@ryanwilson89 speaks with James Lowe after a special win for @leinsterrugby
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) June 14, 2025
"The boys put in some shift throughout the year" pic.twitter.com/Jpl1ArjOhr
Jordie Barrett would love to return to Leinster
@ryanwilson89 speaks to Jordie Barrett who explains that he would "love to" return to @leinsterrugby at some point in the future
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) June 14, 2025
"I'm going to savour this experience, it has been amazing on and off the field" pic.twitter.com/Ubdgx3HNk2
Tommy O'Brien's thoughts
@ryanwilson89 gets the thoughts of Tommy O'Brien following @leinsterrugby's URC Grand Final victory
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) June 14, 2025
"It's the stuff of dreams"pic.twitter.com/GFDAGW2lbM
Time to celebrate!
Time to celebrate#LEIvBUL #NeverLessThanEverything pic.twitter.com/3qicfeWacc
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) June 14, 2025
White in full flow....
"It's like watching a horror movie and thinking the ending is going to be different," said White.
"A lot of those guys on Monday are assembling to join the British and Irish Lions. You're in a dream world if you think that a club team that had eight non-internationals finishing the game, how do you expect them to beat Ireland?
"Maybe I have to rethink where we are as a group but I can only control the controllables. Pressure is 46,000 people baying for your blood. I'm not less gutted than after previous finals, but nobody is this competition has played a full-strength Leinster team in a final, none of the other 15 teams have gone through what we went through today."
Bulls boss Jake White on Leinster
"You've got to understand, this is not a normal rugby team. It's just a different League altogether. I think that's why Leinster fans were so disappointed, they've been waiting for that 40 minutes all year - and we got it.
"I don't think they get the credit for that team. They are world class, and I can't praise them enough. Since we started in the URC they are the benchmark. Once they get that start we were never going to beat them, I don't remember any team coming back from 19-0 down to beat them."
More on that attendance record from the URC
A record Irish attendance of 46,127 watched today’s BKT United Rugby Championship Grand Final at Croke Park, Dublin.
This figure marks the largest-ever crowd for a league final held in Ireland, surpassing the 46,092 who attended the 2018 PRO14 Final—also involving Leinster Rugby—against Scarlets at Aviva Stadium.
The achievement is particularly impressive given the short lead-in time: tickets were only on sale for six days, compared to nine months of sales ahead of the 2017 and 2018 finals at Aviva Stadium.
A list of the previous league final attendances is below.
ATTENDANCES – DESTINATION FINALS
2019: Celtic Park, Glasgow – 47,128 (record)
2018: Aviva Stadium, Dublin – 46,092 (record)
2017: Aviva Stadium, Dublin – 45,556 (record)
2016: BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh – 34,500 (record)
2015: Kingspan Stadium, Belfast – 17,500 (sell out)
ATTENDANCES – MERIT-BASED FINALS
2014: RDS Arena, Dublin (Leinster) – 19,200 (sell out)
2013: RDS Arena, Dublin (Ulster) – 19,200 (sell out)
Please note: Ulster’s home stadium not available for this fixture
2012: RDS Arena, Dublin (Leinster) – 18,500 (sell out)
2011: Thomond Park, Limerick (Munster) – 26,100 (sell out)
2010: RDS Arena, Dublin (Leinster) – 19,500 (sell out)
FINALS HELD DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
2021: RDS Arena, Dublin (Leinster) – No fans permitted
2020: Aviva Stadium, Dublin (Leinster) – No fans permitted
BKT URC ERA GRAND FINALS (Merit based and sold in one or two week windows)
2025: Aviva Stadium, Dublin (Leinster) – 46,127
2024: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria (Vodacom Bulls) – 50,388
2023: DHL Stadium, Cape Town (DHL Stormers) – 56,344 (record)
2022: DHL Stadium, Cape Town (DHL Stormers) – 31,000 (sell out based on available capacity)
HIGHEST-ATTENDED FINALS IN UK & IRELAND
47,128: Celtic Park, Glasgow – 2019
46,092: Aviva Stadium, Dublin – 2018
45,556: Aviva Stadium, Dublin – 2017
Note:These were destination finals with sales windows of nine months
Skipper Jack Conan's thoughts
Jack Conan shares how he's feeling after captaining @leinsterrugby to a URC Grand Final win
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) June 14, 2025
"I'm glad we showed up, performed and silenced a few critics" pic.twitter.com/Ih4qT4l3tz
Lifting the trophy!
The trophy is held aloft at Croke Park!
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) June 14, 2025
A special way to end the URC season for everyone associated with @leinsterrugby pic.twitter.com/3JGNZycm6w
Leinster champions!
@URCOfficial Champions 24/25! #LEIvBUL #NeverLessThanEverything pic.twitter.com/7FIScij1r7
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) June 14, 2025
Fintan Gunne's moment of magic!
That should do it for @leinsterrugby!
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) June 14, 2025
A special moment for Fintan Gunne who all but secures a URC Grand Final victory pic.twitter.com/xSlhGprpJ0
The scenes at full-time
The full-time scenes at Croke Park!@leinsterrugby defeat the Vodacom Bulls and can now celebrate into the night pic.twitter.com/fXhlLtVPmJ
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) June 14, 2025
Ryan Baird's post-match comments
"It's been a long time coming," said Ryan Baird, who thanked the crowd for being part of the occasion and for sticking with the team through the last few trophy-less years.
"Last year was tough, going away to these boys (the Bulls) and losing. I found it toughest this week, I felt the pressure, but every time I saw someone else make a tackle it gave me energy to make one myself. I'm so proud of everyone on the team."
Trophy presentation
Leinster will receive the URC trophy on the Croker pitch in a few minutes.
It's over!
Gunne feeds it back to James Lowe and he boots the ball into the Hogan Stand, and that's it, Leinster are URC champions!
The province won out 32-7 over the Bulls.
Man of the match
Ryan Baird gets the award for the second time in a week, and deservedly so. He's been immense for Leinster.
Leinster penalty
Another scrum penalty win for the boys in blue. Big turnaround in that department. Byrne kicks to just inside the Bulls' 22
Byrne converts
The replacement out-half points to the crowd in celebration as he nails the tough two-pointer.
Leinster lead 32-7 and they're home and hosed now with just over five minutes remaining.
Try Leinster!
What a moment for young Fintan Gunne, who darts away from the scrum after spotting a gap and he manages to dot down despite being tackled just short of the try line.
Leinster lead 30-7
Great day at Croker
4⃣6⃣,1⃣2⃣7⃣ at today's @URCOfficial Grand Final
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) June 14, 2025
A new record for an Irish final beating our 2018 decider against Scarlets at Aviva Stadium. #LEIvBUL #NeverLessThanEverything pic.twitter.com/lxXbJL3lQV
Flash of anger
Wille le Roux has had a tough afternoon and lashes the ball away after uncharacteristically knocking on a pass. Leinster have a scrum just outside the Bulls' 22 and they have been much better in the setpiece in the last 10 minutes.
Ross Byrne and Fintan Gunne are on
Leinster change their half-backs and Luke McGrath gives Prendergast a handshake as they leave the pitch. Ross Byrne is on for his last game for the province before his move to Gloucester, while academy scrum-half Fintan Gunne gets his chance with 12 minutes remaining.
Prendergast points
No mistake this time from the No.10 and Leinster's lead is 25-7 in the 68th minute.
Penalty Leinster
Marco van Staden's no-arm tackle earns Leinster a penalty and Prendergast points to the posts again.
Johan Goosen is about to leave the fray for the Bulls, with Keagan Johannes coming on.