Nevin Spence facts for kids
| Date of birth | 26 April 1990 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Annahilt, Northern Ireland, UK | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 15 September 2012 (aged 22) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Hillsborough, Northern Ireland, UK | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 95 kg (14 st 13 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Wallace High School, Lisburn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nevin Spence (born April 26, 1990 – died September 15, 2012) was a talented Irish rugby union player. He played for Ulster in the Pro12 league. Nevin was mainly a centre, but he could also play as a wing.
He first learned about rugby at Dromore High School. Later, he went to Wallace High School. Nevin also played club rugby for Ballynahinch. Besides rugby, he was a good footballer. He even played for the Northern Ireland Under-16 team.
Playing for Clubs
Nevin became well-known while playing for Ballynahinch. This was during their very successful 2009/10 season. His club won several important titles that year. They won the Ulster Senior League and the Ulster Cup. They also won the AIL Division 2 and the All-Ireland Cup. All these wins happened in just one season!
Nevin was also part of the Ulster Rugby Academy. This is a special program for young, promising players. He played his first professional rugby game in April 2010. This match was against a team called the Ospreys.
He played for Ulster for a little over two seasons. During this time, he played in 42 games. He also scored five tries. Nevin achieved all this even though he had some shoulder injuries.
Playing for Ireland
Nevin played 11 games for the Ireland national under-20 rugby union team. He scored four tries for the team. He also played twice in the IRB Junior World Championships.
After playing very well for Ulster, he got a chance to play for the Ireland Wolfhounds. The Wolfhounds are a team for players who are close to joining the main national team. He played two games for them.
Because of his strong performances, Nevin was asked to join Ireland's senior training squad. This was for the 2011 Six Nations Championship. In 2011, other professional players recognized his skill. They voted him the Young Player of the Year. This award was given at the IRUPA Players' Awards.
In May 2012, Nevin played for Ireland against the Barbarians. This was a special game that did not count as a full international match. It was played at Gloucester's Kingsholm Stadium.
Nevin's Passing
Sadly, Nevin Spence passed away on September 15, 2012. He died in an accident at his family's farm in Hillsborough, County Down. His brother Graham and father Noel also died in the same accident. Nevin's sister was also involved but survived after receiving hospital treatment.
A joint funeral was held for Nevin, Graham, and Noel. They were buried in Inch cemetery. Many rugby games in Britain and Ireland held a minute of silence. This was done to show respect for Nevin. A special memorial service was also held for him. It took place at Ravenhill Stadium, which is Ulster Rugby's home ground. This service was held on Sunday, September 23, 2012.
