- Donncha O'Callaghan
-
Donncha O'Callaghan 
O'Callaghan playing for Munster. Full name Donncha O'Callaghan Date of birth 24 March 1979 Place of birth Cork, Ireland Height 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Weight 17 st 9 lb (112 kg) School Christians Brothers College, Cork University CIT Rugby union career Playing career Position Lock Amateur clubs Years Club / team Cork Con Professional / senior clubs Years Club / team Caps (points) 1999–present Munster 185 (40) correct as of 20 Nov 2011. National team(s) Years Club / team Caps (points) 2003–present
2005, 2009Ireland
Lions80
4(5)
(0)correct as of 09 Oct 2011. Donncha O'Callaghan (born March 24, 1979) is an Irish rugby union footballer. He plays as a lock for Munster and Ireland.
Contents
Rugby career
Early career
He began his rugby education in Highfield Rugby Club, on the Model Farm Road in Cork. During the 1997/98 season he won a Schools Senior Cup with the Christian Brothers College, Cork, beating St. Munchins College, Limerick (a team including Jerry Flannery and Jeremy Staunton) in the final at Musgrave Park. The same year, he also played for the Irish Schoolboys team. The following year he was part of the U-19 World Championship winning team, along with Brian O'Driscoll and Paddy Wallace.
International career
He made his international debut for Ireland coming on as a replacement against Wales at the Millennium Stadium in March 2003.
He was chosen by Sir Clive Woodward both for the northern-hemisphere side in the IRB Rugby Aid Match at Twickenham and for the 2005 Lions tour of New Zealand. He also played in two of the tests, after the injury to Malcolm O'Kelly, the suspension of Danny Grewcock, and the disappointing game that Ben Kay had in the first test.
He featured in all three November 2005 Tests for Ireland when Paul O'Connell was injured.
He scored his first international try against France in the 43 – 31 loss in Paris in the 2006 Six Nations tournament.
He was part of the Irish Team which won the Grand Slam in the 2009 Six Nations. On 21 April 2009, it was announced that O'Callaghan was to be a member of the British and Irish Lions for the 2009 tour to South Africa, and captained the Lions against the Southern Kings on the 16 June in their final tour match before the first Test against South Africa.[1][2]
O'Callaghan featured in all of Ireland's tests in the 2009 November Tests, the 2010 Six Nations, the 2010 Summer Tests, the 2010 November Tests and the 2011 Six Nations. He was selected in Ireland's training squad for the 2011 World Cup warm-ups in August, and was included in the 30-man squad to go to New Zealand.
O'Callaghan has a reputation as joker among the Munster and Irish Rugby squads,[3] once attempting to participate in a line-out during a match with Cardiff Blues whilst wearing no shorts (the referee eventually insisted O'Callaghan replace his shorts before allowing the line-out to take place).[4]
Munster
He was part of the Munster team that won the Heineken European Cup in 2006, scoring a try in the away win in Castres in their pool game. Munster went on to win the Cup in Cardiff. He scored a try after a 55m run in their first game of their Heineken Cup defence against Leicester at Welford Road. He scored another try against Bourgoin at Thomond Park in their first home game since winning the Heineken cup. O'Callaghan was also a part of the Munster team which won the 2008 Heineken Cup final in Cardiff. On 11 November 2010, O'Callaghan committed his future to the province when he signed a new three-year contract.[5]
He was part of the Munster team that won the Magners League in the 2008/09 season, and again in the 2010/11 season.
Personal life
O'Callahgan attended the Christian Brothers College, Cork. He is the cousin of the former Cork City F.C. footballer George O'Callaghan.
On December 23, 2009, O'Callaghan married his longtime girlfriend, Jennifer Harte, at St. Columba's Church in Douglas, Cork.[6]
In August 2010, O'Callaghan's wife gave birth to their first child, a baby girl called Sophie.
O'Callaghan has been an Ambassador for UNICEF Ireland since July 2009 [7] and has made visits to both South Africa [8] and Haiti,[9] with UNICEF.
References
- ^ "British & Irish Lions tour squad announced". The British and Irish Lions official website. 2009-04-21. http://www.lionsrugby.com/7404.php. Retrieved 2009-04-21.
- ^ Lowe, Alex (2009-06-15). "O'Callaghan captain for final Lions warm-up". The Independent (London). http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/international/ocallaghan-captain-for-final-lions-warmup-1705653.html. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
- ^ "Court jester ready to turn enforcer". The Irish Times. http://www.irishtimes.com/munster-rugby/donncha-o-callaghan/.
- ^ "Donnacha O'Callaghan tries to play with no shorts". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCOx24TsBPI.
- ^ "O'Callaghan signs three-year Munster deal". RTE Sport. 2010-11-11. http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2010/1111/ocallaghan.html. Retrieved 2010-11-11.
- ^ Riegel, Ralph (2009-12-24). "Rugby stars line out for Donncha's big day". Irish Independent. http://www.independent.ie/national-news/rugby-stars-line-out-for-donnchas-big-day-1988272.html. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
- ^ [www.munsterrugby.ie/news/5883.php]
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
External links
- Munster profile
- Ireland profile
- Profile on itsrugby.co.uk
- RBS Six Nations Profile
- ESPNscrum profile
- Lions profile
Munster Rugby squad Forwards Backs Coach British and Irish Lions – 2005 New Zealand tour Forwards Backs Coach Ireland squad – 2007 Rugby World Cup Forwards Backs Coach Ireland squad – 2011 Rugby World Cup Forwards Backs Coach Categories:- 1979 births
- Living people
- Irish rugby union players
- Ireland international rugby union players
- Munster Rugby players
- Cork Constitution players
- Rugby union locks
- British and Irish Lions rugby union players from Ireland
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
