Michael Lynagh
Encyclopedia
Michael Lynagh is a former Australian rugby union
footballer who played as a Fly-half.
Lynagh represented Australia from 1984 to 1995, playing at both inside centre and fly half. Lynagh was capped
72 times for Australia, and was captain from 1993 to 1995. He was the world points scoring record holder when he retired, with 911 points. Lynagh was a member of the 1984 Grand Slam
winning team and was vice-captain when Australia won the 1991 Rugby World Cup. Until he handed the kicking duties over to Marty Roebuck
, he scored in every test he played in, including a try against Wales in 1984 when he was temporarily relieved of kicking responsibilities.
He retired from International Rugby after Australia's loss to England in the Quarter Final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
Lynagh attended St. Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace
in Brisbane
and played fly-half in the school's First XV from Year 10 to Year 12 (1979–1981). Terrace won the GPS premiership 5 years straight from 1977 to 1981 with Lynagh playing the in the final 3 years and was captain in his last year. After school he played first grade for University and represented Queensland
from 1982–1995. Lynagh was a member of Queensland's
Super 6 and Super 10 winning sides.
Lynagh made his debut for Australia against Fiji
on 9 June 1984 in Suva
at the age of 20. Early in his career he played at inside centre as Mark Ella
was the current fly-half. When Ella retired after the 1984 Grand Slam, Lynagh took over as the Australian fly-half.
Lynagh joined Saracens
of England at the advent of professionalism in 1996 after retiring from a glittering 12-year international career with Australia
as the world record points scorer with 911 and a World Cup winner (1991).
Lynagh's arrival at the club was the first major signing after Nigel Wray took control of the club and he acted as a beacon to attract other players and fans alike. Lynagh helped Saracens to have their most successful season to date.
In the 1997/98 season Saracens battled it out with Newcastle Falcons
for almost the whole season for top spot in the league
and when the two sides met in front of a crowd of nearly 20,000 Lynagh slotted a match winning drop goal in the dying minutes to send Vicarage Road into raptures. A month later he was on hand to steer Saracens to their famous Tetley’s Bitter Cup 48–18 victory over Wasps
at Twickenham
, bringing the curtain down on a season to remember.
He is now a director of Adstream, as well as working as a TV analyst for Sky Sports UK
.
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 played as a Fly-half.
Lynagh represented Australia from 1984 to 1995, playing at both inside centre and fly half. Lynagh was capped
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
72 times for Australia, and was captain from 1993 to 1995. He was the world points scoring record holder when he retired, with 911 points. Lynagh was a member of the 1984 Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
winning team and was vice-captain when Australia won the 1991 Rugby World Cup. Until he handed the kicking duties over to Marty Roebuck
Marty Roebuck
Marty Roebuck is a former Australian rugby union footballer who represented New South Wales and the Wallabies as a fullback....
, he scored in every test he played in, including a try against Wales in 1984 when he was temporarily relieved of kicking responsibilities.
He retired from International Rugby after Australia's loss to England in the Quarter Final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
Lynagh attended St. Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace
St. Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace
St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace is a Greater Public Schools private, Roman Catholic, day school for boys only, located in Spring Hill, an inner suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...
in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and played fly-half in the school's First XV from Year 10 to Year 12 (1979–1981). Terrace won the GPS premiership 5 years straight from 1977 to 1981 with Lynagh playing the in the final 3 years and was captain in his last year. After school he played first grade for University and represented Queensland
Queensland Rugby Union
The Queensland Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in Queensland. It is a member and founding union of the Australian Rugby Union.-See also:*Queensland Reds*Australian Rugby Union*The Wallabies*Rugby union in Queensland...
from 1982–1995. Lynagh was a member of Queensland's
Queensland Reds
The Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland...
Super 6 and Super 10 winning sides.
Lynagh made his debut for Australia against Fiji
Fiji national rugby union team
The Fiji national rugby union team is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance formerly along with Samoa and Tonga. In 2009, Samoa announced their departure from the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, leaving just Fiji and Tonga. Fiji are ranked sixteenth in the world by the IRB as of 26...
on 9 June 1984 in Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
at the age of 20. Early in his career he played at inside centre as Mark Ella
Mark Ella
Mark Gordon Ella is an Indigenous Australian former rugby union player, often considered as one of his country's all-time greats in that sport. In a relatively short career , Mark Ella established himself as one of the all-time greats in world rugby union...
was the current fly-half. When Ella retired after the 1984 Grand Slam, Lynagh took over as the Australian fly-half.
Lynagh joined Saracens
Saracens F.C.
Saracens are a professional rugby union team based in St. Albans, England – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in Watford. They are currently members of the Aviva Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England...
of England at the advent of professionalism in 1996 after retiring from a glittering 12-year international career with Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
as the world record points scorer with 911 and a World Cup winner (1991).
Lynagh's arrival at the club was the first major signing after Nigel Wray took control of the club and he acted as a beacon to attract other players and fans alike. Lynagh helped Saracens to have their most successful season to date.
In the 1997/98 season Saracens battled it out with Newcastle Falcons
Newcastle Falcons
The Newcastle Falcons is an English rugby union team currently playing in the Aviva Premiership. The club was established in 1877 and played under the name of Gosforth Football Club until 1990. The name was then changed to Newcastle Gosforth and the club began to play at Kingston Park stadium in...
for almost the whole season for top spot in the league
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...
and when the two sides met in front of a crowd of nearly 20,000 Lynagh slotted a match winning drop goal in the dying minutes to send Vicarage Road into raptures. A month later he was on hand to steer Saracens to their famous Tetley’s Bitter Cup 48–18 victory over 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...
at Twickenham
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
, bringing the curtain down on a season to remember.
He is now a director of Adstream, as well as working as a TV analyst for Sky Sports UK
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
.