Jamie Heaslip facts for kids
Heaslip playing for Ireland against Canada during the 2015 Rugby World Cup
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth name | James Peter Richard Heaslip | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 15 December 1983 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Tiberias, Israel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 110 kg (17 st 5 lb; 243 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Newbridge College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Dublin City University Trinity College Dublin |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
James Heaslip, born on December 15, 1983, is a former Irish rugby union player. He played as a 'number 8' for teams like Leinster, Ireland, and the British & Irish Lions. He played for Ireland 95 times between 2006 and 2017. This makes him one of Ireland's most experienced players.
Contents
Early Life and Rugby Beginnings
Jamie Heaslip was born in Tiberias, Israel. His father, Richard Heaslip, was working there with the UN. His father was also a founding officer of the Army Ranger Wing, Ireland's special forces.
Jamie is the youngest of four children. He has two brothers and one sister. His family moved back to Ireland when he was young. They settled in Naas, where he lived until he was 17. He then moved to Dublin. Heaslip went to Newbridge College in County Kildare.
In 2004, Heaslip played in the U-21 World Cup in Scotland. Ireland finished second to New Zealand. After this, Heaslip was nominated for the IRB Under-21 World Player of the Year award.
Professional Rugby Career
Heaslip started his senior career with Leinster in March 2005. This was in the Celtic League. He was chosen for the first Celtic League Dream Team in 2007. He kept his spot in 2008, 2009, and 2010. This made him the only player to be named in all four teams.
Heaslip scored Leinster's only try in a Heineken Cup semi-final. Leinster lost that game 26–16 to Toulouse, who went on to win the cup.
Playing for Ireland
Heaslip played his first game for Ireland in 2006. This was against the Pacific Islands. He was the 1000th player to wear the green jersey for Ireland.
He was part of the Ireland team that won the 2009 Six Nations Championship and the Grand Slam. He was also nominated for the IRB International Player of the Year in 2009.
.jpg)
On June 12, 2010, Heaslip was sent off during a game against New Zealand. He was the first Irish player in the professional era to be sent off. This happened because he hit an opposing player, Richie McCaw, with his knee. He was suspended for five weeks after this.
In 2012, Heaslip was chosen to captain Ireland against South Africa. This was during the Autumn Tests. He became captain because other players like Brian O'Driscoll were injured.
In January 2013, Declan Kidney named Heaslip as the new Ireland captain. He took over from Brian O'Driscoll for the 2013 Six Nations Championship.
Heaslip was nominated for World Rugby Player of the Year in 2016. He won the award for Try of the Year for his try against Italy. This try was scored on March 12 during the 2016 Six Nations Championship.
Jamie Heaslip announced his retirement from rugby on February 26, 2018. He retired due to an injury. He had been set to play for Ireland against England in the 2017 Six Nations Championship. However, he pulled out during the warm-up due to an injury.
Playing for the Lions
Heaslip was part of the British & Irish Lions team in 2009. They toured South Africa, and he started all three test matches. He was also chosen for the Lions tour to Australia in 2013.
Life After Rugby
In September 2014, Heaslip bought Bellamy's Pub in Ballsbridge. He bought it with his Leinster teammates Rob Kearney, Dave Kearney, and Seán O'Brien. The pub was renovated and reopened as The Bridge 1859. Heaslip also opened another bar called "Lemon and Duke" in Dublin with some teammates.
After retiring, Heaslip joined the RTÉ team as a TV analyst for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. In 2021, he also joined the BBC commentary team for the Six Nations Championship.
Achievements and Awards
Team Honours
- Leinster
- Heineken Cup (4 times): 2009, 2011, 2012, 2018
- Pro12 (3 times): 2008, 2013, 2014
- European Challenge Cup (1 time): 2013
- Ireland
- Six Nations Championship (3 times): 2009, 2014, 2015
- Triple Crown (2 times): 2007, 2009
- Grand Slam (1 time): 2009
- World Rugby Try of the Year: 2016
- World Rugby Men's 15s Try of the Decade: 2010–19
- British & Irish Lions
- British & Irish Lions tours (2 times): 2009, 2013
- Series Winner (1 time): 2013
Individual Awards
- IRUPA Supporters player of the year: 2010
- Celtic League Dream Team: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
- IRP Special Merit Award: 2019
- IRP Men’s 15s Try of the Decade: 2020
