Ollie Campbell facts for kids
| Date of birth | 5 March 1954 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of birth | Dublin, Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Belvedere College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Businessman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Seamus Oliver Campbell, born on March 5, 1954, is a famous Irish former rugby player. He played in a very important position called "flyhalf." Ollie played for the Irish national team from 1976 to 1984.
He is most famous for helping Ireland win the "Triple Crown" in 1982. This was a huge deal because Ireland had not won it in over 30 years! Many people say he was one of Ireland's best flyhalves ever. In 2019, a sports ground in Dublin was even renamed "Ollie Campbell Park" to honor him.
Contents
Youth and Club Rugby
Ollie Campbell went to Belvedere College in Dublin. This school is very well known for its rugby teams. He was part of the teams that won the Leinster Schools Senior Cup twice in a row, in 1971 and 1972.
After school, Ollie played for a club team called Old Belvedere. He also played for Leinster, which is a regional team. Back then, rugby players were not paid professionals. In 1978, while playing for Old Belvedere, he even traveled to the United States to play a game in New York City.
International Career
Ollie Campbell played a total of 22 "caps" for Ireland. A cap means he played in 22 international games for his country. He scored 217 points in these games. Even though he played for Ireland from 1976 to 1984, he mostly played during four full seasons from 1980 to 1984.
Out of his total games, 22 caps and 182 points were scored in the Five Nations tournament. He also went on two tours with the Irish team. One was to Australia in 1979 and the other to South Africa in 1981.
Ollie first played for Ireland when he was 21, against Australia in 1976. But he didn't play another game for Ireland until 1979. This was because he had to compete for the flyhalf position with another great player, Tony Ward. Tony Ward was even named European player of the year in 1978 and 1979.
During the 1979 tour to Australia, Ollie set an Irish record. He scored 60 points on that tour. In one game in Brisbane, he scored 19 points, which was an Irish record for points against Australia.
The 1982 Triple Crown Victory
The most important part of Ollie Campbell's career happened in 1982. He was the main player who helped Ireland win the Triple Crown. This was Ireland's first Triple Crown win since 1949! The Triple Crown is won when one of the "Home Nations" (England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales) beats all the other three in the Five Nations Championship.
Before the 1982 tournament, Ireland had not won any of its last eight games. Ollie started the 1982 Five Nations by scoring eight points in Ireland's 20–12 win against Wales. He also played a big part in all three of Ireland's tries (scores).
In the next game, he scored another eight points in a close 16–15 win against England. Then, in Ireland's third match, Ollie kicked all 21 of Ireland's points against Scotland. This included a career-best six penalties. This win secured the Triple Crown for Ireland! Ollie Campbell was the top scorer in the 1982 Five Nations, with 46 points.
Later International Games
In the 1983 Five Nations Championship, Ollie helped Ireland share the championship title with France. Again, he was the tournament's top scorer with 52 points. He scored 21 points against England in one game, setting a new Irish record for most points against England in a Five Nations match. Ollie played his last game for Ireland in 1984 against Wales.
Ollie Campbell also played seven times for the British and Irish Lions. This is a special team made up of the best players from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. He played three games in the 1980 Lions tour to South Africa. He was the Lions' top scorer in the last two games there. He then played four more games in the 1983 Lions tour to New Zealand, where he was again the Lions' top scorer. In total, he scored 184 points for the Lions.
Retirement
Ollie Campbell stopped playing rugby in 1986. He had been struggling with hamstring injuries for two years.
In 2007, Ollie Campbell received the Newbridge RFC Legend in Rugby Award. The Irish Rugby Squad that won the 1982 Triple Crown also received this award. He was also made an Honorary Life Member of Newbridge RFC. Since retiring from rugby in 1984, Ollie has worked in his family's clothing business.
See also
In Spanish: Ollie Campbell para niños
- Ireland national rugby union team
- 1982 Five Nations Championship
