Jamie Heaslip facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jamie Heaslip

Heaslip playing for Ireland against Canada during the 2015 Rugby World Cup
Birth name	James Peter Richard Heaslip
Date of birth	(1983-12-15) 15 December 1983 (age 41)
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
Position(s) Number 8 Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) – Dublin University () Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2005–2018 Leinster 229 (190) Correct as of 7 March 2017 National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2004 Ireland U21 11 () 2006 Wolfhounds 6 (5) 2006–2017 Ireland 95 (65) 2009, 2013 British & Irish Lions 5 (0) Correct as of 10 March 2017

James Heaslip, born on December 15, 1983, is a famous former Irish rugby player. He played for teams like Leinster, the Irish national team, and the British & Irish Lions. Jamie was a 'number 8' player, which is a key position in rugby. He played for Ireland 95 times between 2006 and 2017. This makes him one of the players with the most appearances for his country!

Jamie Heaslip's Early Life

Jamie Heaslip was born in Tiberias, Israel. His father, Richard Heaslip, was working there with the UNIFIL. This is a special United Nations group that helps keep peace. Jamie's dad was also one of the first officers of the Army Ranger Wing, a special Irish army group.

Jamie is the youngest of four children. He has two brothers and one sister. When Jamie was young, his family moved back to Ireland. They settled in the town of Naas. He lived there until he was 17, then moved to Dublin. Jamie went to Newbridge College in County Kildare.

In 2004, Jamie played in the U-21 World Cup in Scotland. His Irish team finished second, losing to New Zealand. Because of his great performance, Jamie was nominated for a special award. It was the IRB Under-21 World Player of the Year award.

Jamie Heaslip's Professional Rugby Career

Jamie Heaslip started his senior career with Leinster in March 2005. This was in the Celtic League, a big rugby competition.

He was chosen for the first Celtic League Dream Team in 2007. This team features the best players from the league. Heaslip kept his spot in 2008 and 2009. By 2010, he was the only player to be named in all four teams! Jamie scored Leinster's only try in a Heineken Cup semi-final. However, Leinster lost that game 26–16 to Toulouse.

Jamie Heaslip's International Rugby Career

Jamie Heaslip first played for the Irish national team in 2006. This was during an autumn test match against the Pacific Islands. He had the special honour of being the 1000th player to wear the green jersey for Ireland.

He was part of the winning Irish team that won the 2009 Six Nations Championship. They also achieved a Grand Slam that year, which means winning all their games. Jamie was also nominated for the IRB International Player of the Year in 2009.

Jamie Heaslip playing for Ireland in March 2009.

In June 2010, Jamie Heaslip was sent off during a game against New Zealand. This means he had to leave the field. He was the first Irish player in the professional era to be sent off. He received a five-week ban from the International Rugby Board.

In 2012, Jamie was chosen to be the captain for Ireland. This was for a game against South Africa. Other captains like Brian O'Driscoll and Paul O'Connell were injured.

In January 2013, Declan Kidney named Jamie Heaslip as the new Ireland captain. He led the team for the 2013 Six Nations Championship. He took over from Brian O'Driscoll, who had been captain since 2003.

Jamie Heaslip was nominated for the World Rugby Player of the Year award in 2016. He won the award for Try of the Year for a try he scored against Italy. This amazing try happened on March 12 during the 2016 Six Nations Championship.

On February 26, 2018, Jamie Heaslip announced he was retiring from rugby. He had to stop playing due to an injury. He was supposed to play for Ireland against England in March 2017. But he pulled out during the warm-up due to what seemed like a small injury at the time.

Playing for the British & Irish Lions

Jamie Heaslip was also a member of the British & Irish Lions team. This is a special team made up of the best players from Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales.

He was part of their squad for the 2009 tour to South Africa. He played in all three main test matches on that tour. He was also chosen for the 2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia. The Lions won the series in Australia in 2013.

Jamie Heaslip's Life Outside Rugby

In September 2014, Jamie Heaslip bought a pub called Bellamy's Pub in Ballsbridge. He bought it with his Leinster teammates Rob Kearney, Dave Kearney, and Seán O'Brien. After a lot of work, the pub reopened as The Bridge 1859.

Jamie also opened another new bar called "Lemon and Duke" in Dublin. He did this with some of his teammates too. In 2019, he joined the RTÉ team as a TV analyst for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. In 2021, he was part of the BBC commentary team for the Six Nations Championship.

Jamie Heaslip's Awards and Achievements

Team Honours

Leinster

• Heineken Cup (4 times): 2008–09, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2017-18
• Pro12 (3 times): 2007–08, 2012–13, 2013–14
• European Challenge Cup (1 time): 2012–13

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 tours): 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

Nominations

• World Rugby Player of the Year: 2009, 2016
• EPCR European Player of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015