Sean O'Brien (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Sean Kevin O'Brien is an Irish professional rugby union
player from Carlow, Ireland. He plays provincial rugby for Leinster
and club rugby for Clontarf RFC
.
He is known for his barging runs and ball carrying, with the IRB
's Rugby News Service describing him as 'a rampaging ball of destruction'. He is very fast and good at counter rucking and defensive tackling.
in September 2008 in the Celtic League
. He made his Heineken Cup
debut against Castres Olympique
in December 2008. He did not feature for Leinster in the 2009 Heineken Cup Final
, but evidence of O’Brien’s emergence as one of the most exciting young back-row forwards in Europe came in the form of strong interest from France before Christmas of 2010. The Irish Rugby Football Union, keen to ensure they did not lose such a precocious talent, moved quickly and O’Brien agreed a new three-year deal with Leinster the following January. O'Brien was in outstanding form for Leinster during the pool stages of the 2010-11 Heineken Cup, and he was an integral part of the team that beat Northampton Saints
to win the 2011 Heineken Cup Final
.
O'Brien was called up to the Ireland team
for the 2009 November Tests
, and he gained his first cap when he came on as a substitute against Fiji
at the RDS Arena
on 21 November 2009.He also came on as a replacement against South Africa
in a 15–10 win on 28 November 2009.He came off the bench against Italy
in the 2010 Six Nations Championship
, but was dropped afterwards. He was injured during Ireland's 2010 Summer Tests
, but won his first start against Samoa
in the 2010 Autumn Tests
, though he did not feature in any other games. O'Brien started every game for Ireland during the 2011 Six Nations
, winning the Man of the Match award against Italy
. He came third in the 2011 Six Nations Player of the Championship losing out to the winner Andrea Masi
.He was selected in Ireland's final 30-man squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup
in New Zealand. O'Brien started against Australia
, Russia
, Italy
and Wales
during Ireland's World Cup campaign, scoring a try against Russia and winning the Man-of-the-Match award against Italy.
champions.
He was one of five players shortlisted from the 24 Heineken Cup and 20 Amlin Challenge Cup teams that included Leinster teammates Jamie Heaslip
, Isa Nacewa
, as well as, Stade Français' Sergio Parisse
, and Northampton Saints
' Soane Tonga'uiha
.
On August 15th 2011, O'Brien was awarded the Guinness/Rugby Writers of Ireland player of the year and received his award at a function in the Aviva Stadium
, Dublin.
On October 4th 2011, O'Brien was named as the 'Player of Pool C' by the IRB.
O'Brien was also named, at Openside Flanker, on the Sydney Heralds 'Team of the World Cup Pool Stages', along side team mates
Paul O'Connell
and Cian Healy
On October 24, 2011, the official Rugby World Cup website named O'Brien one of the tournament's 'Top Five Star Players.'
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 from Carlow, Ireland. He plays provincial rugby for 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...
and club rugby for Clontarf RFC
Clontarf RFC
Clontarf Football Club. Having played firstly in a field at the bottom of Vernon Avenue, then on a site currently used by Dublin Bus as a Depot., the club moved to its present location in 1896 and celebrated 100 years at Castle Avenue in 1996. The Bull Emblem used in the logo is that of the...
.
He is known for his barging runs and ball carrying, with the IRB
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
's Rugby News Service describing him as 'a rampaging ball of destruction'. He is very fast and good at counter rucking and defensive tackling.
Leinster
O’Brien made his Leinster debut against Cardiff BluesCardiff Blues
Cardiff Blues are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, the team have played at Cardiff City Stadium since the start of the 2009/2010 season and are owned by Cardiff Rugby Football Club....
in September 2008 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....
. He made his 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,...
debut against 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...
in December 2008. He did not feature for Leinster in the 2009 Heineken Cup Final
2009 Heineken Cup Final
The 2009 Heineken Cup Final was the final match of the 2008–09 Heineken Cup, the 14th season of Europe's top club rugby union competition. The match was played on 23 May 2009 at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh; this was the second time that the Heineken Cup final had been held at Murrayfield after...
, but evidence of O’Brien’s emergence as one of the most exciting young back-row forwards in Europe came in the form of strong interest from France before Christmas of 2010. The Irish Rugby Football Union, keen to ensure they did not lose such a precocious talent, moved quickly and O’Brien agreed a new three-year deal with Leinster the following January. O'Brien was in outstanding form for Leinster during the pool stages of the 2010-11 Heineken Cup, and he was an integral part of the team that beat 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....
to win the 2011 Heineken Cup Final
2011 Heineken Cup Final
The 2011 Heineken Cup Final was the final match of the 2010–11 Heineken Cup, the 16th season of Europe's top club rugby union competition. The match was played on 21 May 2011 at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. The match was contested by Northampton Saints of England and Leinster of Ireland,...
.
Ireland
In 2007. he was a member of the Ireland Under-20 Grand Slam winning squad.O'Brien was called up to the Ireland team
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...
for the 2009 November Tests
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....
, and he gained his first cap when he came on as a substitute 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...
at the RDS Arena
RDS Arena
RDS Arena is a multi-purpose sports stadium, owned by the Royal Dublin Society and located in the Dublin suburb of Ballsbridge, Ireland.The arena was originally developed to host equestrian events, including the annual Dublin Horse Show, which was first held there in 1868. The site was acquired in...
on 21 November 2009.He also came on as a replacement against 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...
in a 15–10 win on 28 November 2009.He came off the bench 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,...
in the 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...
, but was dropped afterwards. He was injured during Ireland's 2010 Summer Tests
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....
, but won his first start against Samoa
Samoa national rugby union team
The Manu Samoa is the men's representative side of the Samoa Rugby Union in both the 15's and the 7's for international competitions. The Samoa Rugby Union is owned by the affiliated rugby unions of Samoa. In Samoa, Manu Samoa is in honour of a famous Samoan warrior. From 1924 to 1997 Samoa was...
in the 2010 Autumn Tests
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...
, though he did not feature in any other games. O'Brien started every game for Ireland during the 2011 Six Nations
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,...
, winning the Man of the Match award against Italy
Italy national rugby team
Italy national rugby team may refer to national teams in the different varieties of rugby:* Italy national rugby union team, often nicknamed the Azzurri, administered by the Federazione Italiana Rugby....
. He came third in the 2011 Six Nations Player of the Championship losing out to the winner Andrea Masi
Andrea Masi
Andrea Masi is an Italian rugby union footballer. His usual position is in the centres but he has also played at fly-half and at full-back. He currently plays for the Italian franchise in the RaboDirect Pro12, Aironi...
.He was selected in Ireland's final 30-man squad for the 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...
in New Zealand. O'Brien started against 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...
, 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...
, 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 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...
during Ireland's World Cup campaign, scoring a try against Russia and winning the Man-of-the-Match award against Italy.
Awards
On May 25th 2011, O'Brien was named ERC European Player of the Year following a season where Leinster were Heineken Cup2011 Heineken Cup Final
The 2011 Heineken Cup Final was the final match of the 2010–11 Heineken Cup, the 16th season of Europe's top club rugby union competition. The match was played on 21 May 2011 at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. The match was contested by Northampton Saints of England and Leinster of Ireland,...
champions.
He was one of five players shortlisted from the 24 Heineken Cup and 20 Amlin Challenge Cup teams that included Leinster teammates Jamie Heaslip
Jamie Heaslip
James Peter Richard "Jamie" Heaslip is a Leinster & Irish rugby union player.- Early life :Heaslip was born in Tiberias, Israel, while his father, retired Brigadier General Richard Heaslip, was there on duty with UNIFIL. He attended Newbridge College before starring at the 2004 U-21 World Cup in...
, Isa Nacewa
Isa Nacewa
Isakeli Nacewa is a New Zealand-born rugby union footballer of Fijian descent. He is a utility back and represents Leinster Rugby in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup competitions. He previously represented the Blues in the Super Rugby competition and Auckland in the Air New Zealand Cup...
, as well as, Stade Français' Sergio Parisse
Sergio Parisse
Sergio Parisse is an Italian Argentine rugby union rugby player. He was the first Italian rugby union player to be nominated for the IRB International player of the year...
, and 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....
' Soane Tonga'uiha
Soane Tonga'uiha
Soane Tonga'uiha is a Tongan-born, New Zealand-educated, rugby union player. He plays for Northampton Saints and internationally for Tonga. His position of choice is at loose-head prop and sometimes tight-head prop...
.
On August 15th 2011, O'Brien was awarded the Guinness/Rugby Writers of Ireland player of the year and received his award at a function in the Aviva Stadium
Aviva Stadium
The Aviva Stadium is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 50,000 spectators. The stadium is built on the site of the old Lansdowne Road venue, which was demolished in 2007, and replaces that stadium as home to its chief tenants: the Irish rugby union team and the...
, Dublin.
On October 4th 2011, O'Brien was named as the 'Player of Pool C' by the IRB.
O'Brien was also named, at Openside Flanker, on the Sydney Heralds 'Team of the World Cup Pool Stages', along side team mates
Paul O'Connell
Paul O'Connell
Paul O'Connell is an Irish rugby union player who plays lock for Munster and Ireland. He also captained the British and Irish Lions on their 2009 tour to South Africa.-Early life:...
and Cian Healy
Cian Healy
Cian Healy born 7 October 1987 in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland, is an Irish rugby union footballer. He plays for Leinster and for the Ireland national team. He is registered to Clontarf RFC who play in AIB League Division 1...
On October 24, 2011, the official Rugby World Cup website named O'Brien one of the tournament's 'Top Five Star Players.'