Ronan O'Gara
Encyclopedia
Ronan John Ross O'Gara is an Irish
rugby union
player, playing at fly-half for both Munster
and Ireland
. He is the all time highest point scorer for both Munster and Ireland. In addition to his prolific point-scoring, he has captained Munster, Ireland and the British and Irish Lions
. He has started at fly-half in victorious European championship campaigns at both provincial and international level.
and who was also a wing for the UCG club in Connacht
. Ronan was educated at Presentation Brothers College, Cork
and won a Junior Cup
medal in 1992 and a Senior Cup
medal in 1995. He attended UCC and won an All-Ireland Under-20 medal in 1996. He graduated with a B.A.
and Masters Degree in Business Economics in 1999.
in August 1997, scoring 19 points.Current Munster and Ireland teammate David Wallace
also made his debut in this game. His European debut came against Harlequins in September 1997 in the 1997-98 Heineken Cup
.
He started at fly-half for Munster in the 2000 Heineken Cup Final
, which Northampton Saints
won 8-9, and again in the 2002 Heineken Cup Final
, which Leicester Tigers
won 15-9.
O'Gara's last minute conversion against Gloucester
on 18 January 2003 helped Munster to a 27-point victory which took them through to the Heineken Cup quarter final; this match has become etched into Munster Rugby's folklore as the Miracle Match.
He played a key part in Munster's Heineken Cup
winning team of 2006
. On 20 May 2006, O'Gara kicked 13 points in Munster's historic first Heineken Cup Final victory over Biarritz
in Cardiff
.
On 21 October 2006, O'Gara kicked a last minute penalty from inside his own half to hand Munster a 21–19 victory over Leicester Tigers
in the first round of the pool stages at Welford Road
.
He played a key part in Munster's Heineken Cup winning team of 2008
.On 19 January 2008, O'Gara captained Munster to beat Wasps
in their final pool match of the 2008 Heineken Cup, knocking the incumbent champions out and making it through to quarter finals of the cup for the tenth consecutive season. On 24 May 2008, O'Gara won his second Heineken Cup medal as Munster beat French team Toulouse
16–13, scoring 11 points.
O'Gara scored a penalty with three minutes left to beat Montauban
in the first game of the 2008-09 Heineken Cup
and the first Heineken Cup game in the new Thomond Park
. On 13 December 2008, O'Gara became the first and only player to amass over 1,000 points in the Heineken Cup, when he scored a last minute conversion against Clermont
to bring his total points from 999 to 1,001.
O'Gara is noted for his tactical and goal kicking, and distribution ability, and is regarded as one the most reliable fly-halves in the world. He has scored more tries (16) for Ireland than any other outhalf in history, and he is also Munster's all-time leading points scorer (2,296 at present). O'Gara also holds the Heineken Cup record for points (1,221 at present).
On 16 May 2010, O'Gara was awarded the ERC European Player Award, crediting him as the player who had made the greatest contribution to European Rugby during the first 15 years of the Heineken Cup. The selection panel consisted of Sir Ian McGeechan
, Lawrence Dallaglio
, Ieuan Evans
, Fabien Galthié
, Donal Lenihan
, Michael Lynagh
, Stuart Barnes
, Stephen Jones and Jacques Verdier.
O'Gara crossed the 2,000-point mark for Munster against Ospreys in a Celtic League
game on 18 September 2010. In November 2010, he extended his contract with Munster and the IRFU until 2013.
He became the fourth Munster player to win 200 caps in a Celtic League game against Ospreys on 23 April 2011. In May 2011, O'Gara was part of the Munster team that beat arch-rivals, and newly crowned Heineken Cup
champions, Leinster
19-9 in the 2011 Magners League Grand Final at Thomond Park
.
On 12th November 2011, O'Gara scored an 84th minute drop-goal after 41 phases of play to secure victory for Munster in their opening 2011-12 Heineken Cup Pool One game against Northampton Saints
.Exactly a week later, in Munster's second Pool One game away to Castres Olympique
, O'Gara again scored a match-winning drop-goal, this time in the 81st minute.
against Scotland
in February 2000. O'Gara scored all of Ireland's points in their 18–9 win over Australia
at Lansdowne Road in the Autumn Tests of 2002. He was a member of Ireland's 2003 Rugby World Cup
squad.
O'Gara scored all of Ireland's points in a 17–12 win over South Africa
at Lansdowne Road
on 13 November 2004. Two weeks later, on 27 November, O'Gara kicked a last-minute drop goal to give Ireland a 21–19 victory over Argentina
. O'Gara won the Man-of-the-Match awards against both South Africa and Argentina. In 2004, he was named RTE Sports Person of the Year
.
In 2006, O'Gara overtook David Humphreys as Ireland's highest points scorer. In the same season, he won the Triple Crown
with Ireland in the 2006 Six Nations Championship
.
On 11 February 2007, O'Gara scored the first Irish international try at Croke Park
in the 2007 Six Nations Championship
loss to France. On 10 March 2007, O'Gara once again scored all of Ireland's points to win the Triple Crown
at Murrayfield
, Edinburgh
, beating Scotland
19–18. On 24 August 2007, in Ireland's final 2007 Rugby World Cup warm-up
against Italy
at Ravenhill
in Belfast
, O'Gara scored and converted a controversial try nine minutes into stoppage time, winning the match 23–20 after Italy had taken the lead with their own stoppage-time try. O'Gara finished the match with 18 points. He was a member of Ireland's 2007 Rugby World Cup
squad.
On 9 February 2008, O'Gara became the eighth player in history to score 800 Test points, reaching the mark in Ireland's loss to France
in the 2008 Six Nations Championship
. On 11 March 2008, O'Gara was named as Ireland team captain for the first time in his career, leading the side in the Six Nations match against England at Twickenham.
On 14 March 2009, O'Gara overtook Johnny Wilkinson to become the top Six Nations point scorer ever. On 20 March 2009, he scored a late drop goal to beat Wales and secure for Ireland their first Grand Slam for 61 years. This was also O'Gara's fourth Triple Crown win.
O'Gara started against Australia in the first match of Ireland's 2009 November Series
, scoring 10 points. He then lost his place in the starting line-up to Jonathan Sexton
and did not play against Fiji or South Africa. O'Gara played poorly during the first 3 months of the 2009/10 season, but rediscovered his form in Munster's game against USA Perpignan
in December. His return to form saw him regain the fly-half spot in Ireland's opening 2010 Six Nations Championship
game against Italy and against France, but he was placed back on the bench for the remaining three games. He had a 100% kicking record for the 2010 Six Nations. O'Gara was selected in Ireland's squad for their 2010 Summer Tour
to New Zealand and Australia. He captained Ireland in the non-cap match against the Barbarians, a game which Ireland lost 23–29 at Thomond Park. He started against New Zealand and converted 3 tries. He did not play against New Zealand Maori and was on the bench for the Australia test.
O'Gara became the third Irishman to win 100 caps when he came off the bench during Ireland's first 2010 Autumn Series
test against South Africa. He started against Samoa and scored 15 points, including a try. He came off the bench against New Zealand and Argentina. He came off the bench against Italy and France in the 2011 Six Nations Championship
, and started against Scotland, winning the Man of the Match award. He started against Wales and became the first Irishman to score over 1,000 points in international matches. He came off the bench against England, and his tactical kicking ensured any chance of an England comeback was stopped.
O'Gara was selected in Ireland's squad for the 2011 World Cup warm-ups in August.He was also selected in Ireland's final 30-man squad to travel to New Zealand for the World Cup. He played in all of Ireland's 2011 Rugby World Cup
Pool C
games, coming of the bench against US Eagles and Australia
, and starting against Russia
. In the Russia game, he became Ireland's highest points scorer in World Cup matches. He was selected ahead of Jonathan Sexton
for Ireland's crunch Pool C game against Italy
, and scored 16 points as Ireland won 36-6. He retained the fly-half jersey for Ireland's quarter final
against Wales
, scoring a penalty and a conversion as Ireland lost 22-10.
In an interview after Ireland's historic 15-6 World Cup victory over Australia on 17th September 2011, O'Gara hinted at his possible retirement from international rugby after the conclusion of Ireland's World Cup, but subsequently said that his words had been misinterpreted.
He has scored several significant dropped goals for Ireland, including the match winner in the 78th minute of the Wales vs Ireland match in the 2009 Six Nations Championship
to secure the Grand Slam
, and in the 78th minute of the Italy vs Ireland match in the 2011 Six Nations Championship
which ensured Ireland avoided a first defeat to Italy in the Six Nations.
O'Gara is also the fourth highest points scorer in the history of International Rugby Union.
on their tours to Australia in 2001, and New Zealand in 2005
, but only played one Test against New Zealand on these tours.
On 21 April 2009, O'Gara was named as a member of the British and Irish Lions
for the 2009 tour to South Africa
. On 30 May 2009, O'Gara scored 22 points including a try in the opening match of the 2009 Lions tour to South Africa against the Royal XV
. On 23 June, he captained the midweek side in a draw against the Emerging Springboks
team to become the fourth Irishman to captain the Lions on the 2009 Tour.On 27 June, he came off the bench in the second test match, winning his second Lions cap. He conceded a seventy-ninth minute penalty with the scores level, when he collided with the airborne South African scrum-half Fourie du Preez
, thus interfering with a player in the air. Morne Steyn
scored the penalty, and won the match, which otherwise would have resulted in a draw, and the series for the Springboks.
.
On 11 October 2008, Ronan and wife Jessica had twins, a boy and a girl named Rua and Molly, in Cork University Maternity Hospital.On Wednesday, 30 June 2010, Jessica gave birth to the couple's third child shortly before midnight, their second son, JJ. The couple missed the wedding of Brian O'Driscoll
and Amy Huberman
due to this.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
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, playing at fly-half for both 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...
and 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...
. He is the all time highest point scorer for both Munster and Ireland. In addition to his prolific point-scoring, he has captained Munster, Ireland and the British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
. He has started at fly-half in victorious European championship campaigns at both provincial and international level.
Early life
O'Gara was born in San Diego where his father, Fergal, was working as a professor of microbiologyMicrobiology
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...
and who was also a wing for the UCG club in Connacht
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...
. Ronan was educated at Presentation Brothers College, Cork
Presentation Brothers College, Cork
Presentation Brothers College is a Catholic, boys-only, fee-paying college based in Cork, Ireland.- History :The college was founded by the Presentation Brothers in 1878, in the South Mall. Soon afterwards it moved to the Grand Parade and, in 1887, to the Western Road...
and won a Junior Cup
Munster Schools Junior Cup
The Munster Schools Junior Cup or Munster Junior Cup is the under-age rugby union competition for schools affiliated to the Munster Branch of the IRFU with team members under 15 years of age....
medal in 1992 and a Senior Cup
Munster Schools Senior Cup
The Munster Schools Senior Cup or Munster Senior Cup is the under-age rugby union competition for schools affiliated to the Munster Branch of the IRFU. The competition is currently sponsored by Avonmore....
medal in 1995. He attended UCC and won an All-Ireland Under-20 medal in 1996. He graduated with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and Masters Degree in Business Economics in 1999.
Munster
O'Gara made his Munster debut against 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...
in August 1997, scoring 19 points.Current Munster and Ireland teammate David Wallace
David Wallace (rugby player)
David P. Wallace is an Irish rugby union player for Munster and Ireland. He grew up in Limerick on the Ennis Road. He did not leave Limerick until the age of 17, when he started playing for Munster. He normally plays as an Openside Flanker, but has also played Blindside and Number 8...
also made his debut in this game. His European debut came against Harlequins in September 1997 in the 1997-98 Heineken Cup
1997-98 Heineken Cup
The 1997–98 Heineken Cup was the third edition of the Heineken Cup. Competing teams from France, Ireland, Italy, Wales, England and Scotland, were divided into five pools of four, in which teams played home and away matches against each other. The pool winners automatically qualified for the...
.
He started at fly-half for Munster in the 2000 Heineken Cup Final
2000 Heineken Cup Final
The 2000 Heineken Cup Final was the final match of the 1999–2000 Heineken Cup, the fifth season of Europe's top club rugby union competition. The match was played on 27 May 2000 at Twickenham Stadium in London. The match was contested by the Northampton Saints of England and Munster of Ireland. The...
, which Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591....
won 8-9, and again in the 2002 Heineken Cup Final
2002 Heineken Cup Final
The 2002 Heineken Cup Final was the final match of the 2001–02 Heineken Cup, the seventh season of Europe's top club rugby union competition. The match was played on 25 May 2002 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. The match was contested by the Leicester Tigers of England and Munster of Ireland...
, which Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
won 15-9.
O'Gara's last minute conversion against Gloucester
Gloucester RFC
Gloucester Rugby are a professional English rugby union club situated in the west country city of Gloucester. The club plays in the domestic Aviva Premiership...
on 18 January 2003 helped Munster to a 27-point victory which took them through to the Heineken Cup quarter final; this match has become etched into Munster Rugby's folklore as the Miracle Match.
He played a key part in Munster's 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,...
winning team of 2006
2005-06 Heineken Cup
The 2005–06 Heineken Cup was the eleventh edition of the European Heineken Cup rugby union club tournament. 24 teams from 7 different countries took part, with the opening game played on Friday October 21, 2005...
. On 20 May 2006, O'Gara kicked 13 points in Munster's historic first Heineken Cup Final victory over Biarritz
Biarritz Olympique
Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, Aquitaine which competes in the Top 14 and the Heineken Cup...
in Cardiff
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
.
On 21 October 2006, O'Gara kicked a last minute penalty from inside his own half to hand Munster a 21–19 victory over Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
in the first round of the pool stages at Welford Road
Welford Road Stadium
Welford Road is a rugby union stadium in Leicester, England and is the home ground for Leicester Tigers. It is located between Aylestone Road and Welford Road on the edge of the city centre...
.
He played a key part in Munster's Heineken Cup winning team of 2008
2007-08 Heineken Cup
The 2007–08 Heineken Cup was the 13th edition of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby.The start of the tournament was delayed because of the 2007 Rugby World Cup...
.On 19 January 2008, O'Gara captained Munster to beat 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 their final pool match of the 2008 Heineken Cup, knocking the incumbent champions out and making it through to quarter finals of the cup for the tenth consecutive season. On 24 May 2008, O'Gara won his second Heineken Cup medal as Munster beat French team Toulouse
Stade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...
16–13, scoring 11 points.
O'Gara scored a penalty with three minutes left to beat Montauban
Montauban
Montauban is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in southern France. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse....
in the first game of the 2008-09 Heineken Cup
2008-09 Heineken Cup
The 2008–09 Heineken Cup was the fourteenth edition of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby. It started in October 2008 and ended on 23 May 2009 at Murrayfield in Edinburgh...
and the first Heineken Cup game in the new Thomond Park
Thomond Park
Thomond Park is a stadium located in Limerick in the Irish province of Munster. The stadium is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union and count Munster Rugby, Shannon RFC and UL Bohemian RFC as tenants. The capacity of the stadium is 26,500 following its large scale redevelopment in...
. On 13 December 2008, O'Gara became the first and only player to amass over 1,000 points in the Heineken Cup, when he scored a last minute conversion against Clermont
ASM Clermont Auvergne
Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne are a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system, ASMCA are the were the 2010 France Top 14 Champions. It is the rugby section of the multi-sport club...
to bring his total points from 999 to 1,001.
O'Gara is noted for his tactical and goal kicking, and distribution ability, and is regarded as one the most reliable fly-halves in the world. He has scored more tries (16) for Ireland than any other outhalf in history, and he is also Munster's all-time leading points scorer (2,296 at present). O'Gara also holds the Heineken Cup record for points (1,221 at present).
On 16 May 2010, O'Gara was awarded the ERC European Player Award, crediting him as the player who had made the greatest contribution to European Rugby during the first 15 years of the Heineken Cup. The selection panel consisted of Sir Ian McGeechan
Ian McGeechan
Sir Ian Robert McGeechan OBE is a Scottish former rugby union player and coach. His nickname is "Geech".-Playing career:...
, 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...
, Ieuan Evans
Ieuan Evans
Ieuan Evans is a former rugby union footballer who played on the wing for Wales. He is regarded as one of the best Welsh wingers of all time, despite playing through a disappointing era of Welsh rugby. A prolific try scorer at International level, Evans is listed 19th in the world on the all-time...
, Fabien Galthié
Fabien Galthié
Fabien Galthié is a French rugby union coach and former player. His usual position was at scrum-half. He played much of his club rugby for Colomiers, and later on in his career, Stade Français. Galthié won 64 caps for France, including four Rugby World Cup appearances, as well as captaining the...
, Donal Lenihan
Donal Lenihan
Donal Gerard Lenihan is a retired Irish rugby union player with 52 international caps.- Biography:Donal was raised in a sporting background. His father, Gerald Lenihan, was an All-Ireland heavyweight boxing champion and Gaelic footballer of distinction, and played in the same team as Jack Lynch...
, Michael Lynagh
Michael Lynagh
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...
, Stuart Barnes
Stuart Barnes
Stuart Barnes is a former English rugby union footballer, and now rugby commentator for Sky Sports. Barnes played fly-half for Newport RFC, Bristol, Bath; and represented England and the British Lions at international level.-Biography:Born in Essex, Barnes was educated at Rougemont and Bassaleg...
, Stephen Jones and Jacques Verdier.
O'Gara crossed the 2,000-point mark for Munster against Ospreys in a Celtic League
Celtic League (rugby union)
The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
game on 18 September 2010. In November 2010, he extended his contract with Munster and the IRFU until 2013.
He became the fourth Munster player to win 200 caps in a Celtic League game against Ospreys on 23 April 2011. In May 2011, O'Gara was part of the Munster team that beat arch-rivals, and newly crowned 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,...
champions, 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...
19-9 in the 2011 Magners League Grand Final at Thomond Park
Thomond Park
Thomond Park is a stadium located in Limerick in the Irish province of Munster. The stadium is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union and count Munster Rugby, Shannon RFC and UL Bohemian RFC as tenants. The capacity of the stadium is 26,500 following its large scale redevelopment in...
.
On 12th November 2011, O'Gara scored an 84th minute drop-goal after 41 phases of play to secure victory for Munster in their opening 2011-12 Heineken Cup Pool One game against Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591....
.Exactly a week later, in Munster's second Pool One game away to Castres Olympique
Castres Olympique
Castres Olympique is a French rugby union club located in the Midi-Pyrénées city of Castres and currently competing in the top level of the French league system.Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906...
, O'Gara again scored a match-winning drop-goal, this time in the 81st minute.
Ireland
He was selected for his first Irish International cap in the 2000 Six Nations Championship2000 Six Nations Championship
The 2000 Six Nations Championship was the first series of the Six Nations Championship, following the inclusion of Italy into the Five Nations championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-sixth series of the northern hemisphere...
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...
in February 2000. O'Gara scored all of Ireland's points in their 18–9 win over 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...
at Lansdowne Road in the Autumn Tests of 2002. He was a member of Ireland's 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
squad.
O'Gara scored all of Ireland's points in a 17–12 win over South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
at Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...
on 13 November 2004. Two weeks later, on 27 November, O'Gara kicked a last-minute drop goal to give Ireland a 21–19 victory over 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...
. O'Gara won the Man-of-the-Match awards against both South Africa and Argentina. In 2004, he was named RTE Sports Person of the Year
RTÉ Sports Person of the Year
The RTÉ Sports Person of the Year is an important all-sport award in Irish sport. The accolade is given to one sportsman or sportswoman, usually Irish, every year. The winner of the award is decided by a panel of experts who choose a winner from a shortlist of candidates towards the end of the...
.
In 2006, O'Gara overtook David Humphreys as Ireland's highest points scorer. In the same season, he won the Triple Crown
Triple Crown (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship: England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the...
with Ireland in the 2006 Six Nations Championship
2006 Six Nations Championship
The 2006 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the seventh series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy...
.
On 11 February 2007, O'Gara scored the first Irish international try 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 the 2007 Six Nations Championship
2007 Six Nations Championship
The 2007 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the eighth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the 113th series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship...
loss to France. On 10 March 2007, O'Gara once again scored all of Ireland's points to win the Triple Crown
Triple Crown (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship: England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the...
at Murrayfield
Murrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one...
, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, beating 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...
19–18. On 24 August 2007, in Ireland's final 2007 Rugby World Cup warm-up
2007 Rugby World Cup warm-up tests
Throughout August 2007, various teams prepared for the Rugby World Cup in France with a short series of test matches, primarily in the Northern Hemisphere and involving the RBS Six Nations sides. In addition, South Africa will play one test in Scotland following the 2007 Tri Nations and Argentina...
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,...
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...
in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, O'Gara scored and converted a controversial try nine minutes into stoppage time, winning the match 23–20 after Italy had taken the lead with their own stoppage-time try. O'Gara finished the match with 18 points. He was a member of Ireland's 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,...
squad.
On 9 February 2008, O'Gara became the eighth player in history to score 800 Test points, reaching the mark in Ireland's loss to France
France 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...
in the 2008 Six Nations Championship
2008 Six Nations Championship
The 2008 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2008 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the ninth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the 114th...
. On 11 March 2008, O'Gara was named as Ireland team captain for the first time in his career, leading the side in the Six Nations match against England at Twickenham.
On 14 March 2009, O'Gara overtook Johnny Wilkinson to become the top Six Nations point scorer ever. On 20 March 2009, he scored a late drop goal to beat Wales and secure for Ireland their first Grand Slam for 61 years. This was also O'Gara's fourth Triple Crown win.
O'Gara started against Australia in the first match of Ireland's 2009 November Series
2009 end of year rugby tests
The 2009 end of year rugby tests, also known as the Autumn internationals in the Northern Hemisphere, saw Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina, tour the northern hemisphere....
, scoring 10 points. He then lost his place in the starting line-up to Jonathan Sexton
Jonathan Sexton
Jonathan Sexton , is a rugby union player for Leinster Rugby in the Celtic League and Heineken Cup. Sexton is a nephew of former Garryowen, Munster and Ireland rugby player Willie Sexton.Sexton is registered to St...
and did not play against Fiji or South Africa. O'Gara played poorly during the first 3 months of the 2009/10 season, but rediscovered his form in Munster's game against USA Perpignan
USA Perpignan
Union Sportive des Arlequins Perpignanais or Unió eSportiva Arlequins de Perpinyà , generally abbreviated as USAP in both languages, is a French rugby union club that plays in the city of Perpignan in Pyrénées-Orientales. The club currently competes in the Top 14, the top level of the French...
in December. His return to form saw him regain the fly-half spot in Ireland's opening 2010 Six Nations Championship
2010 Six Nations Championship
The 2010 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2010 RBS 6 Nations due to the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 11th series of the Six Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition between the six major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams...
game against Italy and against France, but he was placed back on the bench for the remaining three games. He had a 100% kicking record for the 2010 Six Nations. O'Gara was selected in Ireland's squad for their 2010 Summer Tour
2010 mid-year rugby test series
The 2010 mid-year rugby Test series refers to the rugby union Internationals that were played from late May to late June, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere....
to New Zealand and Australia. He captained Ireland in the non-cap match against the Barbarians, a game which Ireland lost 23–29 at Thomond Park. He started against New Zealand and converted 3 tries. He did not play against New Zealand Maori and was on the bench for the Australia test.
O'Gara became the third Irishman to win 100 caps when he came off the bench during Ireland's first 2010 Autumn Series
2010 end of year rugby tests
The 2010 end of year rugby tests, also known as the Autumn internationals in the northern hemisphere, will see Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and tour the northern hemisphere. Test matches will also be arranged involving the various Pacific island teams and other non-Tier 1...
test against South Africa. He started against Samoa and scored 15 points, including a try. He came off the bench against New Zealand and Argentina. He came off the bench against Italy and France in 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,...
, and started against Scotland, winning the Man of the Match award. He started against Wales and became the first Irishman to score over 1,000 points in international matches. He came off the bench against England, and his tactical kicking ensured any chance of an England comeback was stopped.
O'Gara was selected in Ireland's squad for the 2011 World Cup warm-ups in August.He was also selected in Ireland's final 30-man squad to travel to New Zealand for the World Cup. He played in all of Ireland's 2011 Rugby World Cup
2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
Pool C
2011 Rugby World Cup Pool C
Pool C of the 2011 Rugby World Cup began on 11 September 2011 and was completed on 2 October. The pool was composed of Australia, Ireland, Italy, Russia and the United States....
games, coming of the bench against US Eagles and 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...
, and starting against Russia
Russia national rugby union team
The Russian National Rugby Union Team, is the national team representing Russia at the sport of rugby union.Rugby union in Russia is administered by the Rugby Union of Russia . The RUR is the official successor union of the Soviet Union and the combined CIS team which played in the early 1990s...
. In the Russia game, he became Ireland's highest points scorer in World Cup matches. He was selected ahead of Jonathan Sexton
Jonathan Sexton
Jonathan Sexton , is a rugby union player for Leinster Rugby in the Celtic League and Heineken Cup. Sexton is a nephew of former Garryowen, Munster and Ireland rugby player Willie Sexton.Sexton is registered to St...
for Ireland's crunch Pool C 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,...
, and scored 16 points as Ireland won 36-6. He retained the fly-half jersey for Ireland's quarter final
2011 Rugby World Cup knockout stage
The knockout stage of the 2011 Rugby World Cup began on 8 October with a quarter-final between Ireland and Wales and concluded on 23 October with the final at Eden Park in Auckland....
against Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
, scoring a penalty and a conversion as Ireland lost 22-10.
In an interview after Ireland's historic 15-6 World Cup victory over Australia on 17th September 2011, O'Gara hinted at his possible retirement from international rugby after the conclusion of Ireland's World Cup, but subsequently said that his words had been misinterpreted.
He has scored several significant dropped goals for Ireland, including the match winner in the 78th minute of the Wales vs Ireland match in the 2009 Six Nations Championship
2009 Six Nations Championship
The 2009 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2009 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the tenth Six Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition contested by the six major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams...
to secure the 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...
, and in the 78th minute of the Italy vs Ireland match in 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,...
which ensured Ireland avoided a first defeat to Italy in the Six Nations.
O'Gara is also the fourth highest points scorer in the history of International Rugby Union.
British and Irish Lions
He toured with the LionsBritish and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
on their tours to Australia in 2001, and New Zealand in 2005
2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
In 2005 the British and Irish Lions rugby union team toured New Zealand for the first time since 1993, playing 7 tour matches against first and second division clubs from the National Provincial Championship series, 1 tour match against the national New Zealand all Māori club, and 3 official test...
, but only played one Test against New Zealand on these tours.
On 21 April 2009, O'Gara was named as a member of the British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
for the 2009 tour to South Africa
2009 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa
The 2009 British and Irish Lions Tour to South Africa was an international rugby union tour which took place in South Africa from May to July 2009....
. On 30 May 2009, O'Gara scored 22 points including a try in the opening match of the 2009 Lions tour to South Africa against the Royal XV
Highveld XV
The Highveld XV, also known for sponsorship reasons as the Royal Bafokeng Nation Highveld XV or simply the Royal XV, are a composite provincial rugby union team from South Africa....
. On 23 June, he captained the midweek side in a draw against the Emerging Springboks
Emerging Springboks
The Emerging Springboks are the second national rugby union team in South africa after the national side. They compete every year in the Nations Cup alongside the full national teams of Namibia, Romania and Georgia as well as Argentina Jaguars and Italy A. Now and again they also play touring sides...
team to become the fourth Irishman to captain the Lions on the 2009 Tour.On 27 June, he came off the bench in the second test match, winning his second Lions cap. He conceded a seventy-ninth minute penalty with the scores level, when he collided with the airborne South African scrum-half Fourie du Preez
Fourie du Preez
Petrus Fourie du Preez is a rugby union player. His position of choice is scrum half. Du Preez plays for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup competition in South Africa and the Bulls in the international Super 14 competition...
, thus interfering with a player in the air. Morne Steyn
Morne Steyn
Morné Steyn is a South African rugby union player who plays at the Flyhalf position.He plays at number 10 for the Springboks internationally, as well as for the Bulls in the Super 14 and for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup...
scored the penalty, and won the match, which otherwise would have resulted in a draw, and the series for the Springboks.
Munster
- Heineken CupHeineken CupThe 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,...
:- Winner (2): 2005–062005-06 Heineken CupThe 2005–06 Heineken Cup was the eleventh edition of the European Heineken Cup rugby union club tournament. 24 teams from 7 different countries took part, with the opening game played on Friday October 21, 2005...
, 2007–082007-08 Heineken CupThe 2007–08 Heineken Cup was the 13th edition of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby.The start of the tournament was delayed because of the 2007 Rugby World Cup...
- Winner (2): 2005–06
- Celtic LeagueCeltic League (rugby union)The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
:- Winner (3): 2002-032002–03 Celtic LeagueThe 2002-03 Celtic League was the second season of the Celtic League involving teams from Ireland, Scotland and Wales.-Teams:-Pool A:-Pool B:-Week 1:-Week 2:-Week 3:-Week 4:...
, 2008-09, 2010-112010–11 Magners League-Round 2:-Round 3:-Round 4:-Round 5:-Round 6:-Round 7:-Round 8:-Round 9:-Round 10:-Round 11:-Round 12:-Round 13:...
- Winner (3): 2002-03
- Celtic CupCeltic League (rugby union)The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
:- Winner (1): 2004-052004-05 Celtic League-Week 4:-Week 5:-Week 6:-Week 7:-Week 8:-Week 9:-Week 10:-Week 11:-Week 12:-Week 13:-Week 14:-Week 15:-Week 16:...
- Winner (1): 2004-05
Ireland
- Six Nations ChampionshipSix Nations ChampionshipThe Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
:- Winner (1): 20092009 Six Nations ChampionshipThe 2009 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2009 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the tenth Six Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition contested by the six major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams...
- Winner (1): 2009
- Grand SlamGrand 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...
:- Winner (1): 20092009 Six Nations ChampionshipThe 2009 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2009 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the tenth Six Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition contested by the six major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams...
- Winner (1): 2009
- Triple CrownTriple Crown (Rugby Union)In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship: England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the...
:- Winner (4): 20042004 Six Nations ChampionshipThe 2004 Six Nations Championship was the fifth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-tenth series of the northern...
, 20062006 Six Nations ChampionshipThe 2006 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the seventh series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy...
, 20072007 Six Nations ChampionshipThe 2007 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the eighth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the 113th series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship...
, 20092009 Six Nations ChampionshipThe 2009 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2009 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the tenth Six Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition contested by the six major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams...
- Winner (4): 2004
British and Irish Lions
- British and Irish Lions tours:
- Tourist (3): 2001, 20052005 British and Irish Lions tour to New ZealandIn 2005 the British and Irish Lions rugby union team toured New Zealand for the first time since 1993, playing 7 tour matches against first and second division clubs from the National Provincial Championship series, 1 tour match against the national New Zealand all Māori club, and 3 official test...
, 20092009 British and Irish Lions tour to South AfricaThe 2009 British and Irish Lions Tour to South Africa was an international rugby union tour which took place in South Africa from May to July 2009....
- Tourist (3): 2001, 2005
Personal life
On 6 July 2006, O'Gara married his longtime girlfriend Jessica Daly. On 9 October 2008, he published Ronan O'Gara: My Autobiography. It was co-written by Denis Walsh, chief sports-writer with the Irish edition of The Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
.
On 11 October 2008, Ronan and wife Jessica had twins, a boy and a girl named Rua and Molly, in Cork University Maternity Hospital.On Wednesday, 30 June 2010, Jessica gave birth to the couple's third child shortly before midnight, their second son, JJ. The couple missed the wedding of Brian O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll is an Irish professional rugby union player. He is the current captain of the Ireland Rugby team and captained Leinster Rugby until the start of 2008 season. He also captained the British and Irish Lions for their 2005 tour of New Zealand...
and Amy Huberman
Amy Huberman
Amy O'Driscoll, professionally known as Amy Huberman, is an Irish actress and writer who has starred in numerous productions since beginning her career in 2002 on RTÉ's On Homeground.-Early life:...
due to this.