Gavin Duffy
Encyclopedia
Gavin Duffy is a rugby union
footballer who plays at full back or at centre for Connacht Rugby
.
Educated at Cistercian College, Roscrea
and UCG
he first played for Ireland at Schools level in 1998 and at Under-21 level before he was brought into their senior side during the 2000/01 season.
Duffy also played Gaelic football
for Mayo
in the 1999 All Ireland Minor football final losing to Down
1–14 to 0–14 in a team that included many players who have gone on to become household names in the GAA at senior Inter-county level.
, where he attracted the attention of larger sides. Duffy joined Harlequins from Connacht in the summer of 2003, having refused an offer from Munster
after they had signed Christian Cullen
, and made his league debut in the Zurich Premiership game against Rotherham Titans on 20 September that year. He made 92 full appearances and 18 as replacement during that period scoring 21 tries. He rejoined Connacht in late 2006. He has since become a mainstay of the Connacht and was named as captain for the 2011-12 season.
level, in Dubai
in 2000. In November 2001, he won his first Ireland A
cap against New Zealand at Ravenhill
and his performances for Harlequins in 2003–04 in the Parker Pen Challenge Cup saw him called into the senior Ireland
squad for the first time for the 2004 tour to South Africa
.
He won his first cap on that trip when coming on as a replacement during the second test. In February 2005, he won his second cap when again coming on as a replacement against Scotland
, marking the occasion by scoring his first international try. He was selected to play at outside centre for Ireland in both summer Tests in Japan
in 2005, scoring two tries in the second Test.
Duffy was the only Connacht player included in the Ireland squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup
. Gavin was added to the 2011 Six Nations Championship
squad for the game against Italy
.
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...
footballer who plays at full back or at centre for Connacht Rugby
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...
.
Educated at Cistercian College, Roscrea
Cistercian College, Roscrea
Cistercian College, Roscrea or Roscrea College is a private boarding school in Ireland. It is a Roman Catholic seven-day boarding school for boys and was founded in 1905....
and UCG
National University of Ireland, Galway
The National University of Ireland, Galway is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland...
he first played for Ireland at Schools level in 1998 and at Under-21 level before he was brought into their senior side during the 2000/01 season.
Duffy also played Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
for Mayo
Mayo GAA
The Mayo County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Mayo GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Mayo and the Mayo inter-county teams.-History:...
in the 1999 All Ireland Minor football final losing to Down
Down GAA
The Down County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Down GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Down...
1–14 to 0–14 in a team that included many players who have gone on to become household names in the GAA at senior Inter-county level.
Club Rugby
Gavin first played Magners League rugby with ConnachtConnacht 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...
, where he attracted the attention of larger sides. Duffy joined Harlequins from Connacht in the summer of 2003, having refused an offer from 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...
after they had signed Christian Cullen
Christian Cullen
Christian Mathias Cullen is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer. He played most of his rugby at fullback for New Zealand , for the Hurricanes in the Super 12, and for Manawatu, Wellington and later Munster at first-class level. He was nicknamed the Paekakariki Express...
, and made his league debut in the Zurich Premiership game against Rotherham Titans on 20 September that year. He made 92 full appearances and 18 as replacement during that period scoring 21 tries. He rejoined Connacht in late 2006. He has since become a mainstay of the Connacht and was named as captain for the 2011-12 season.
International Rugby
Gavin has played for Ireland at sevensIreland national rugby union team (sevens)
The Ireland national rugby union sevens team have previously competed in the IRB Sevens World Series and Rugby World Cup Sevens. Although there is no permanent team at present, there may well be in the future.-Results:...
level, in Dubai
Dubai Sevens
The Dubai Sevens is an annual rugby union sevens tournament held in Dubai, UAE. Through the 2007 edition, it was held at the Dubai Exiles Rugby Ground, but in 2008 it moved to The Sevens, a new stadium built to host the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens. The 2009 competition took place between 3-5...
in 2000. In November 2001, he won his first Ireland A
Ireland A national rugby union team
The Ireland Wolfhounds are the second national rugby union team behind the Irish national side. They have previously competed in the Churchill Cup together with the England Saxons and the full national teams of Canada and the United States as well as selection of other nations' 1st, 2nd and 3rd...
cap against New Zealand at Ravenhill
Ravenhill Stadium
Ravenhill Stadium is located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is used by Ulster Rugby. It has a normal capacity of 12,300 and is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union.-History:The grounds were opened in the 1923/24 season...
and his performances for Harlequins in 2003–04 in the Parker Pen Challenge Cup saw him called into the senior Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
squad for the first time for the 2004 tour to South Africa
2004 Ireland rugby union tour of South Africa
Ireland travelled to South Africa in June 2004, having won their first Triple Crown since 1985, and beaten the champions of the 2003 Rugby World Cup, England in their first home game since the final...
.
He won his first cap on that trip when coming on as a replacement during the second test. In February 2005, he won his second cap when again coming on as a replacement against Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
, marking the occasion by scoring his first international try. He was selected to play at outside centre for Ireland in both summer Tests in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 2005, scoring two tries in the second Test.
Duffy was the only Connacht player included in the Ireland squad for 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,...
. Gavin was added to the 2011 Six Nations Championship
2011 Six Nations Championship
The 2011 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2011 RBS 6 Nations due to the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 12th series of the Six Nations Championship. The annual northern hemisphere rugby union championship was contested by England, France, Ireland, Italy,...
squad for the game against Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
.