Eoin Reddan
Encyclopedia
Eoin Reddan is an Irish
rugby union
player who plays at scrum half. He attended school at Crescent College Comprehensive
where he captained the school side. On leaving school he studied at the University of Limerick
.
Reddan began playing rugby at 13 years of age with Old Crescent
. He earned caps for Munster
at both schools and U19 levels. He played in the AIB League
with both Old Crescent and Young Munster
before signing for Connacht
in 2001. He returned to Munster to sign a full time contract in 2003 and debuted against Leinster
in the Celtic League
in September of that year making 27 league appearances over two seasons. Former Ireland and Connacht coach Warren Gatland
signed Reddan to join London Wasps
in 2005, where he succeeded Matt Dawson
to become first choice scrum half, winning both a Heineken Cup
in 2007 and the 2008 Guinness Premiership
with them as well as captaining the side during the absence of Lawrence Dallaglio
in 2007/08. He joined Leinster
in the summer of 2009 on a three-year contract.
at the Stade de France
. His first start came against Argentina
during the summer tour that year. He displaced Peter Stringer
during the 2007 Rugby World Cup
in the Irish team after Irelands disastrous start to the campaign, playing in their two final group games, losses against Argentina and France. He made his first Six Nations start for Ireland in their 16–11 victory over Italy at Croke Park
in 2008 earning man of the match for his performance. He has since been replaced by Tomás O'Leary
as first choice Ireland scrum half. He was named in the Irish squad for the 2009 summer tour to America.
By the Rugby World Cup 2011 game against Australia, Reddan had replaced O'Leary as the first choice scrum half in the Ireland XV.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player who plays at scrum half. He attended school at Crescent College Comprehensive
Crescent College
Crescent College Comprehensive SJ is a secondary school located on a section of 40 acres of parkland at Dooradoyle, Limerick, Ireland. The college is one of a number of Jesuit schools in Ireland.- History :...
where he captained the school side. On leaving school he studied at the University of Limerick
University of Limerick
The University of Limerick is a university in Ireland near the city of Limerick on the island's west coast. It was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and became a university by statute in 1989 in accordance with the University of Limerick Act 1989...
.
Club/Provincial Career
Old Crescent
Old Crescent is a senior rugby club in Limerick.Old Crescent grew out of the Crescent College Munster School's cup team of 1947. Fr Gerry Guinane, who trained rugby in the College, saw great potential in that winning team and persuaded them to stay and play together. In September 1947 it became a...
. He earned caps for Munster
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
at both schools and U19 levels. He played in the AIB League
AIB League
The Ulster Bank All-Ireland League is the national league system for the 48 senior rugby union clubs in Ireland, covering both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is not, however, the highest level of rugby union in Ireland, as teams representing the four provinces of Ireland play...
with both Old Crescent and Young Munster
Young Munster
Young Munster is a Rugby union club based in Limerick, Ireland. It was founded in 1895 and plays its games at Tom Clifford Park in Rosbrien, Limerick....
before signing for Connacht
Connacht Rugby
Connacht Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Connacht that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 comprising teams from the Celtic nations plus Italy. Normally, it also competes in the second-tier pan-European club competition, the European Challenge Cup...
in 2001. He returned to Munster to sign a full time contract in 2003 and debuted against Leinster
Leinster Rugby
Leinster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Leinster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Dublin, representing the Irish province of Leinster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro 12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...
in the Celtic League
Celtic League (rugby union)
The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
in September of that year making 27 league appearances over two seasons. Former Ireland and Connacht coach Warren Gatland
Warren Gatland
Warren David Gatland is a former New Zealand rugby footballer and the current head coach of the Wales national team.Gatland was born in Hamilton, New Zealand and educated at Hamilton Boys' High School and Waikato University...
signed Reddan to join London Wasps
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
in 2005, where he succeeded Matt Dawson
Matt Dawson
Matthew James Sutherland "Daws" Dawson, MBE is a retired English rugby union player who played scrum half for Wasps and Northampton Saints. During his international career he toured with the British and Irish Lions three times and was part of England's 2003 Rugby World Cup winning side...
to become first choice scrum half, winning both a Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
in 2007 and the 2008 Guinness Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
with them as well as captaining the side during the absence of Lawrence Dallaglio
Lawrence Dallaglio
Lorenzo Bruno Nero "Lawrence" Dallaglio, OBE is a retired English rugby union player and former captain of the English national team. He played as a flanker or number eight for London Wasps and never played for another club, having arrived at Sudbury as a teenager...
in 2007/08. He joined Leinster
Leinster Rugby
Leinster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Leinster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Dublin, representing the Irish province of Leinster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro 12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...
in the summer of 2009 on a three-year contract.
International career
First capped at Schools level, Reddan represented Ireland at U19 and Student levels, making his senior international debut in the 2006 Six Nations as a replacement against FranceFrance national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
at the Stade de France
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
. His first start came against Argentina
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
during the summer tour that year. He displaced Peter Stringer
Peter Stringer
Peter Alexander Stringer is an Irish rugby union player who plays at scrum half for Munster and Ireland. He is one of the most recognisable players in world rugby as Stringer stands only 1.7m tall and weighs in at just over 70 kg .-Career:In February 2000, he made his debut for Ireland...
during the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
in the Irish team after Irelands disastrous start to the campaign, playing in their two final group games, losses against Argentina and France. He made his first Six Nations start for Ireland in their 16–11 victory over Italy at Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
in 2008 earning man of the match for his performance. He has since been replaced by Tomás O'Leary
Tomás O'Leary
Tomás O'Leary is an Irish Rugby Union player, playing in the scrum half position for Munster and Dolphin RFC. The son of Cork hurler, Seánie O'Leary, Tomás played Gaelic football and hurling before committing to Rugby....
as first choice Ireland scrum half. He was named in the Irish squad for the 2009 summer tour to America.
By the Rugby World Cup 2011 game against Australia, Reddan had replaced O'Leary as the first choice scrum half in the Ireland XV.