While penalty shootouts are common occurrences in football, they are incredibly rare in rugby even in tight knockout matches.
Whenever they do occur, it steals the spotlight and almost instantly goes viral on social media and rightly so.
Remarkably, Munster have been involved in two in recent seasons, falling short on both occasions.
But they are not the only club to feature in these kicking competitions.
We take a look back at other matches that had to be decided by the kickers after extra-time.
Sharks v Munster (United Rugby Championship) – 2025
Let’s start with the most recent occurrence, the 2025 United Rugby Championship quarter-final between the Sharks and Munster in Durban.
In a closely contested fixture, Munster took just a 7-0 lead into half-time courtesy of a Calvin Nash try with the Sharks only hitting back in the second 40 through Ethan Hooker.
The Irish province looked semi-final bound when Diarmund Kilgallen crossed in the 60th minute, extending their lead to 21-10, with his try coming shortly after Josh Wyscherley’s.
However, the Sharks fought back in stunning fashion as Aphelele Fassi and Fez Mbatha crossed for tries to send the game into extra time after Conor Murray’s clutch penalty in the 76th minute. The two sides failed to score in the two 10-minute halves of extra-time, sending the game into a penalty shootout.
Jaden Hendrikse and his brother Jordan both slotted their two shots at goal with replacement scrum-half Bradley Davids also bisecting the posts with his first attempt.
While Munster fly-half Jack Crowley converted his side’s first attempt, Rory Scannell failed with his shot at goal. Murray would land his first before Crowley notched over his second and Scannell succeeded with his second attempt which left Davids with a shot to win it. The 22-year-old Sharks half-back rose to the occasion to seal the victory in dramatic which did not come without its controversy, with Jaden Hendrikse accused of feigning an injury before Crowley’s second shot.
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Munster v Toulouse (Champions Cup) – 2022
As mentioned above, this is not the first time that Munster have fallen victim to a penalty shootout as the Irish province lost to Toulouse in this fashion back in 2022 during the Champions Cup quarter-finals.
A tense battle at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin finished 24 points apiece after 80 minutes with Alex Kendellen, Keith Earls and Mike Haley grabbing tries for Munster while Romain Ntamack and Matthis Lebel (2) scored for the Top 14 outfit.
Much like the most recent penalty shootout, both teams failed to score in extra time forcing the semi-finalist to be decided in the kicking competition.
Toulouse were flawless with Antoine Dupont (2), Thomas Ramos and Ntamack all nailing their attempts while Ben Healy missed both of his with Murray succeeding with his first but missing his second and Joey Carbery slotting his only shot.
Biarritz v Bayonne (Top 14 Access Match) – 2021
As far as French rivalries go, the Basque derby is right up there with the most feverish and stakes were at their highest when Biarritz and Bayonne collided to determine who would be in the Top 14 for the 2021/22 season.
The Top 14 Access Match is perhaps the closest thing rugby has to football’s famed Championship play-off final and in 2021, it really lived up to the hype and some.
The remarkably tight encounter finished 3-3 after 80 minutes and 6-6 after 100 meaning that the 14th club for France’s top division would be decided by a penalty shootout.
If that wasn’t dramatic in itself, the teams couldn’t be split in the kicking competition either.
Both sides were flawless with their first five attempts meaning that it became a straight shootout from there. Bayonne’s Aymeric Luc was the first to miss and the winner came from perhaps the most unlikeliest of sources as former England flanker Steffon Armitage stepped up to send the ball sailing through the sticks to secure promotion for Biarritz and relegation for Bayonne.
Cardiff v Leicester Tigers (Heineken Cup) – 2009
Perhaps the most famous penalty shootouts in rugby’s history occurred back in 2009 in the Heineken Cup – now Champions Cup – semi-final.
It was the first time that a kicking competition had to decide a high-profile professional match as the Welsh club and Premiership outfit could not be separated after 100 minutes of action, sitting level at 26 points apiece.
Both teams successfully navigated the first three attempts before Leicester were the first to blink as back Johne Murphy scoffed his wide.
Cardiff winger Tom James then had the opportunity to win it for his side but failed to convert while Scott Hamilton was successful and pushed the penalty shootout into sudden death.
Richie Rees and Tom Shanklin converted their shots for Cardiff as did Aaron Mauger and Craig Newby for Leicester.
Cardiff legend Martyn Williams then hooked his effort wide giving Leicester back-rower Jordan Crane the chance to win it and he kept his cool to bisect the posts and fire the Tigers into the final.
Wales v Argentina (U20 World Championship) – 2010
Those are the four penalty shootouts at a professional level with the other examples we have been able to find taking place at youth level.
Tournament hosts Argentina faced off against Wales in the fifth-place play-off with the two sides drawing the match 19-all after a golden point extra-time during which time both sides missed drop goal attempts.
It was another kicking competition that was incredibly tight with Rhys Downes missing his penalty with the scores at 8-8, giving Argentina the opportunity to win and they took it.
Ireland v Georgia and Georgia v Italy (FIRA-AER U-18 European Championship) – 2015
Ireland and Georgia faced off in a kicking competition during the 2015 FIRA-AER U-18 European Championship semi-final.
Unlike the above examples, there was no extra time in this tournament meaning that the penalty shootout took place straight after the full-time whistle with the scores level at 8-8.
Georgia ultimately beat Ireland 3-1 and did the same to Italy in the final after a 6-6 stalemate, winning that kicking competition 5-4 on penalties.
Shimlas v Tuks (U-21 Varsity Cup) – 2014
The 2014 Varsity Cup Young Guns Final between Shimlas (University of the Free State) and Tuks (University of Pretoria) was deadlocked at 17-all after extra time.
This too led to a penalty shootout with Shimlas emerging 3-1 victors.
With the Varsity Cup final looming, let’s head back in time to 2014 and relive the historic penalty shootout between Shimlas and Tuks in the Young Guns final, with the score tied at 17-17 after extra time.
READ MORE: John Plumtree makes candid revelation about Sharks’ penalty shootout triumph over Munster
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/rugbys-rare-occurrence-8-matches-decided-by-a-penalty-shootout-and-irelands-poor-record-in-kicking-competitions
