Kyran Bracken facts for kids
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| Birth name | Kyran Paul Patrick Bracken | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 22 November 1971 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Dublin, Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 82 kg (12 st 13 lb; 181 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Stonyhurst College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University of Bristol | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Brother, John, and two sisters | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Kyran Paul Patrick Bracken, born on November 22, 1971, is a famous former rugby player from England. He played as a scrum-half for top clubs like Saracens and Bristol. Kyran is well-known for being part of the England team that won the Rugby World Cup in 2003. He played for England 51 times and even captained the team three times before he stopped playing international rugby in 2004.
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Early Life and School
Kyran Bracken was born in Dublin, Ireland. His family moved to England when he was four years old. He grew up in Liverpool.
He went to St. Edward's College and later Stonyhurst College in Lancashire. At Stonyhurst, he was coached by Brian Ashton, who later became the head coach for the England Rugby Union team. Kyran was also good at football and even tried out for Liverpool FC. He scored three goals during his trial! He also thought about playing rugby league for St. Helens.
After school, Kyran studied law at the University of Bristol. He played rugby for the university team. Even though the Ireland national rugby team didn't think he was good enough, the Bristol rugby club signed him.
Kyran's Rugby Career
Kyran Bracken played his first game for England in November 1993 against the All Blacks (New Zealand). He had a serious ankle injury during that game, which kept him off the field for three months. This injury left his ankle with a permanent weakness.
He played in the 1994 Five Nations tournament. However, he was later replaced by another player. He couldn't go on a summer tour to South Africa because he was studying for his law exams. He did play in the 1995 Five Nations but missed the 1995 World Cup due to another injury.
In 1996, Kyran joined Saracens. He helped the team win the Tetley's Bitter Cup in 1998. He was not chosen for the 1997 British Lions tour to South Africa at first. But he was called up later as a replacement due to another player's injury.
Kyran often competed with Matt Dawson for the scrum-half position in the England team. Kyran also had a serious back injury that kept him out for most of the 1999–2000 season. This meant he missed the 1999 World Cup.
In 2003, Kyran played for England in a summer tour where they beat Australia and New Zealand. He played four times for England during the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He usually came on as a substitute or a temporary replacement. England won the trophy, making Kyran a world-cup winner! He played his 50th game for England against Wales in the quarter-final. His last game for England was in the semi-final against France.
Kyran also appeared in an episode of the famous TV show Friends, where the characters were watching him get tackled in a rugby game.
Dancing on Ice Champion
In 2007, Kyran Bracken took part in Dancing on Ice, a popular TV show where celebrities learn to ice dance. He won the competition with his partner, Melanie Lambert!
In the semi-final, he scored 29.5 out of 30, which was the highest score in the show's history at that time. He then made it to the final and won on March 17, 2007. His final performance included a special "flying" element and the famous Bolero routine.
A week later, on March 24, 2007, he also won a special "Champion of Champions" edition of Dancing on Ice. He repeated his record-breaking score of 29.5 points.
After the show, Kyran toured with Holiday on Ice. He also created his own "Ice Party" show, which featured other famous skaters. In 2014, he returned for the "all stars" series of Dancing on Ice and finished in 5th place.
Media Work
In 2020, Kyran started a new podcast called Ruck It!. He hosts it with another former England rugby player, Nick Easter.
Personal Life
Kyran Bracken is married to Victoria, and they have three sons: Charlie, Jack, and Lochlan. They live in Hadley Wood.
Charitable Work
Kyran Bracken is involved with several charities. He is an Honorary President of the Wooden Spoon rugby charity. This charity helps improve the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in Britain and Ireland.
He is also an Ambassador for the Royal National Children's Foundation. This foundation supports vulnerable young people in schools across the UK.
