Nigel Carr

For the American football player, see Nigel Carr (American football).

Nigel Carr

Birth name	Nigel John Carr
Date of birth	(1959-07-27) 27 July 1959
Place of birth	Belfast, Northern Ireland
School	Regent House Grammar School
University	Queen's University
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) Queen's University Ards RFC () Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) Ulster () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1985-1987 1986 Ireland British Lions 11 (0)

Nigel Carr (born 27 July 1959) is a former Ireland rugby union international whose successful career was dramatically cut short due to injuries sustained in an IRA bomb explosion. His lifetime’s service as a player, elite selector, successful broadcaster, and charity volunteer was recognised by the award of an MBE for his contribution to sport and community relations in Northern Ireland.

Early life

Nigel John Carr was born in Belfast on 27 July 1959. He won Irish U-23 and 'B' caps in 1979 plus further 'B' appearances in 1980, 1982 and 1984, before winning his first senior cap in 1985.

Senior rugby career

Carr frequently transformed the teams he joined, bringing previously rare or unforeseen success, often as one half of an extremely effective back-row duo along with Phillip Matthews. They played together at Regent House Grammar School, Queen's University, Ards RFC, Ulster and Ireland in the late 1970s and into the 1980s.

Carr’s two year absence from Ulster ended weeks after a third knee operation, when he was widely praised for an immense contribution to the defeat of the 1984 Grand Slam Australian team.

Carr made his senior international debut against Scotland at Murrayfield on 2 February 1985 and was part of the Triple Crown winning side of that year, his performances having a profound influence on Ireland’s success. He was injured on the subsequent 1985 Japan tour, with a first comeback game (for Ards 5^th XV) in January 1986 ahead of an international return v Wales on 15 Feb 1986. Despite his country’s 5 Nations Championship defeats, Carr was the clear choice for the 1986 Lions as openside flanker, even though the English and Scottish contenders (Winterbottom and Calder) are considered those countries greatest ever in that position and the Welsh challenger (Pickering) one of their greatest. Although Carr never toured with the Lions, he was considered the pick of the Lions pack when playing for them against a powerful Rest of the World team (including 6 World Rugby Hall of Fame opponents) in a one-off Test match in Cardiff.

He won his 12th and final cap in 1987 against Wales at Cardiff Arms Park. Carr, the Rugby World & Post Feb 1987’s No.1 openside flanker, missed out on the inaugural 1987 Rugby World Cup because he was forced to prematurely end his career through injuries due to an IRA car-bomb. On 25 April 1987, Carr, David Irwin and Philip Rainey had set off for a training session in Dublin before the World Cup. On that day the IRA had targeted Lord Justice Sir Maurice Gibson - Northern Ireland's second most senior judge - who was travelling back from holiday with his wife, Lady Cecily Gibson, and a 500 lb land mine was detonated at Killean, on the border, killing them both. The three Ireland internationals were on the same stretch of road when the bomb exploded and although miraculously, they all escaped serious injury, the explosion ended Carr's rugby career at just 27. This incident is widely accepted (even beyond Ireland) as the critical impetus to the creation of “Ireland’s Call” as a new and additional / alternative sporting anthem, subsequently adopted beyond rugby by other sports.

Carr has been described as one of the best players to have pulled on the Irish jersey, also playing for the Barbarians.

Carr was selected on the Greatest Ever Ulster Team (the openside flanker choice of Ireland’s Greatest Ever Player, Jack Kyle and Greatest Ever Coach, Syd Millar). He has also been nominated on Ireland’s Greatest Rugby Team of the TV Age.

Career and personal life

Dr Nigel Carr previously managed innovation, research & technology support from Invest NI in Belfast and also produced and presented a UTV sports programme, 'Sport on Sunday'.