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Jack McGrath (rugby union)

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Jack McGrath
Birth nameJack McGrath
Date of birth (1989-10-11) 11 October 1989 (age 35)
Place of birthDublin, Ireland
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight118 kg (18 st 8 lb)
SchoolSt Mary's College
Rugby union career
Position(s) Loosehead Prop
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
– St Mary's College ()
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2010–2019 Leinster 145 (60)
2019–2022 Ulster 25 (0)
Correct as of 20 April 2022[1]
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2009 Ireland U20 13 (0)
2013 Emerging Ireland 3 (0)
2014–2015 Ireland Wolfhounds 2 (0)
2013–2019 Ireland 56 (10)
2017 British & Irish Lions 3 (0)
Correct as of 25 April 2020

Jack McGrath (born 11 October 1989) is a former Irish rugby union player who played loosehead prop. He played professionally for Leinster and Ulster and has also played international rugby for Ireland and the British and Irish Lions.

McGrath made his senior debut for Leinster in April 2010 against Glasgow Warriors,[2] and became a regular member of the team in the 2011-12 season.[3] He went on to make 142 appearances for the province, scoring 12 tries. During his time there, Leinster won the European Rugby Champions Cup twice, the European Rugby Challenge Cup once, the Pro12 twice, and the Pro14 once.[2] He trained with the Ireland team ahead of the 2012 Six Nations Championship.[3] He was named in the 34-man Ireland squad for the 2013 end-of-year rugby union tests, and was praised by Ireland captain Rory Best for his hard work in the scrum.[4] He started in the first of the tests against Samoa on 9 November 2013,[5][6] and was named "Man of the match" for his performance.[7] He went on to earn 56 caps for his country.[2]

In 2016 he helped launch the Irish Rugby Union Players Association's "Tackle Your Feelings" mental health campaign.[8]

He was selected for the 2017 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand,[9] played 186 minutes on the tour, and appeared off the bench in all three tests, impressing with his tackling and scrummaging.[10] He sustained a hip injury during the tour, and underwent minor surgery on his return.[11]

Once seen as the natural successor to Cian Healy, he lost his place in the Leinster and Ireland teams after Healy recovered from a hand injury.[12] He moved to Ulster ahead of the 2019–20 season.[2] He was named in the Ireland squad for the 2020 Six Nations Championship.[13] By November 2020, after 20 appearances for Ulster, he suffered a recurrence of his hip injury which left him unable to carry out daily activities. He became only the third sportsman, after Seán O'Brien and Andy Murray, to undergo hip resurfacing surgery,[11] and did not return to the Ulster team until December 2021.[14] He signed a contract extension with Ulster in January 2022,[15] but was released at the end of the 2021–22 season.[16]

On the 16 February 2023, he announced his retirement from professional rugby.[17][18]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Playing stats at ItsRugby.co.uk
  2. ^ a b c d Marcus Ó Buachalla, "Jack McGrath to join Ulster Rugby", Leinster Rugby, 2 April 2019
  3. ^ a b ESPN profile
  4. ^ Nick Purewall, "Best: Jack McGrath deserves his Samoan shot", Irish Independent, 8 November 2013
  5. ^ "Schmidt names three fresh faces in squad". ESPN. 23 August 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  6. ^ "Schmidt leaves three Lions out for Samoa as O'Connell confirmed as captain". Irish Independent. 7 November 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  7. ^ Ireland 49-9 Samoa, Autumn Internationals, 9 November 2013
  8. ^ Vivienne Clark, "Ireland’s Jack McGrath urges people to tackle their feelings", The Irish Times, 21 March 2016
  9. ^ Josh Raisey, "The remarkable progress 2017 Lions prop Jack McGrath is enjoying just two days after hip surgery", Rugby Pass, 27 April 2021
  10. ^ "2017 Lions player retrospective: Jack McGrath", Lions Rugby, 12 July 2017
  11. ^ a b Adam McKendry, "Jack McGrath keen to make up for lost time with Ulster after hip resurfacing surgery", Belfast Telegraph, 26 December 2021
  12. ^ Ciarán Kennedy, "The 2017 Test Lion that selectors went cold on: what happened to Jack McGrath?", Rugby Pass, 11 May 2020
  13. ^ "Jack McGrath commits to Ulster Rugby for two more years", Ulster Rugby, 11 March 2020
  14. ^ "Jack McGrath returns to Ulster squad after injury lay-off as Gilroy gets set for 200th cap", The42, 3 December 2021
  15. ^ "URC: Jack McGrath one of four players to sign Ulster contract extensions", Planet Rugby, 28 January 2022
  16. ^ Neil Treacy, "McGrath and Reidy among five Ulster departures", RTÉ Sport, 26 May 2022
  17. ^ "'The last few years have been extremely testing' - former Ireland prop Jack McGrath retires after injury battle", Irish Independent, 16 Feb 2023
  18. ^ "Ex-Ireland and Lions prop Jack McGrath announces retirement at 33". The 42. 16 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
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