Simon Zebo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Simon Zebo

Zebo playing for Munster in 2017
Date of birth	(1990-03-16) 16 March 1990 (age 35)
Place of birth	Cork, Ireland
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	99 kg (15.6 st; 218 lb)
School	Presentation Brothers College
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing, Fullback Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2007–2012 Cork Constitution () Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2010–2018 Munster 144 (300) 2018–2021 Racing 92 60 (125) 2021–2024 Munster 32 (65) Correct as of 15 June 2024 National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2010 Ireland U20 9 (18) 2012–2014 Ireland Wolfhounds 2 (5) 2012–2017 Ireland 35 (45) Correct as of 17 June 2017

Simon Zebo, born on March 16, 1990, is a famous Irish former rugby union player. He played as a wing or fullback. He was a star player for clubs like Munster and Racing 92. He also proudly played for the Irish national team.

Early Life and Other Sports

Simon Zebo was born in Cork, Ireland. He went to Beaumont Boys School and Presentation Brothers College, Cork. When he was younger, he loved playing other sports too. He played hurling for Blackrock GAA. He also played association football for Avondale United.

Playing for Munster

Simon Zebo spent many years playing for Munster, one of Ireland's top rugby clubs.

Starting with Munster (2010–2013)

Simon played his first game for Munster on April 18, 2010. This was against Connacht. He scored his first try for Munster in April 2011. His first game in the Heineken Cup was in December 2011.

In January 2012, Simon scored three tries in one Heineken Cup game. This was against Northampton Saints. He was named the best player of the match. In January 2013, he signed a new three-year contract with Munster. He was the first player ever to score two Heineken Cup hat-tricks in one year. He did this against Racing 92 in January 2013. He was again named Man-of-the-Match.

Simon got a foot injury in 2013 but came back strong. He helped Munster win against Harlequins in the Heineken Cup quarter-final. He was named Munster Young Player of the Year for the 2012–13 season.

Zebo playing against Harlequins in the 2012–13 Heineken Cup.

Big Wins and Records (2014–2018)

Simon returned to playing in January 2014 after another injury. He scored a try in Munster's big win against Toulouse in the Heineken Cup quarter-final. He also scored a try in the semi-final against Toulon.

In September 2014, Simon scored three tries in one game against Zebre. He was again named Man-of-the-Match. He scored two tries against Sale Sharks in January 2015. This earned him another Man-of-the-Match award. He broke Doug Howlett's record for most league tries for Munster in April 2015. He played in the 2015 Pro12 Grand Final against Glasgow Warriors.

In January 2016, Simon scored his 41st try for Munster. This tied the record held by Anthony Horgan. In February 2016, he signed a new two-year contract. In March 2016, he scored two more tries against Zebre. This made him Munster's all-time leading try-scorer. In April 2016, he played his 100th game for Munster.

In October 2017, it was announced that Simon would leave Munster. His last game for Munster was in May 2018. He equaled Anthony Foley's record of 23 tries in European games.

Playing for Racing 92

In January 2018, French club Racing 92 announced Simon would join them. He played his first game for Racing on August 25, 2018. He scored his first try for Racing in September 2018.

In January 2019, during a game against Ulster, a fan behaved badly towards Simon. The club quickly dealt with the issue and banned the fan.

Simon played in the 2020 European Rugby Champions Cup Final. He scored two tries in the final against Exeter Chiefs. He also remembered his former Munster coach Anthony Foley during the game. Simon's last game for Racing 92 was in June 2021.

Return to Munster

After three seasons in France, Simon Zebo came back to Munster. He signed a one-year contract for the 2021–22 season. He even took a lower salary to return to his home club.

Simon played his first game back for Munster in September 2021. He scored two tries in a big win against the Sharks. In January 2022, he signed a new two-year contract with Munster.

He scored two tries in a Champions Cup game against Wasps in January 2022. This made him Munster's all-time leading try-scorer in the competition. He also became the leading Irish try-scorer in the competition. He passed Brian O'Driscoll for this record.

In February 2022, Simon played his 150th game for Munster. He scored three tries in a game against Edinburgh. In November 2022, he scored a try in Munster's historic win against a South Africa XV. On January 13, 2024, he scored his 26th try for Munster in the European Champions Cup. This extended his record as Munster’s all-time leading try scorer in that competition.

He retired from playing for Munster at the end of the 2023-2024 season.

Playing for Ireland

Simon Zebo also played for the Irish national team.

First Steps and Six Nations (2012–2015)

Simon was first called up to train with the Irish team in 2012. He made his debut for the Ireland Wolfhounds team in January 2012. He scored a try in that game. His first game for the senior Ireland team was on June 9, 2012.

He scored his first try for Ireland in November 2012 against Argentina. In February 2013, he played his first Six Nations Championship game. He scored a try as Ireland beat Wales. Simon won the Supporters' Player of the Year award in May 2013.

He was part of the Ireland squad for the 2014 Six Nations. He also played for Ireland in their 2014 tour to Argentina. He scored a try in the second game against Argentina.

In November 2014, Simon played in the Guinness Series. He scored a try against Georgia. He also scored the first try in Ireland's win against Australia.

Simon played in the 2015 Six Nations Championship. He started in many games, including against England and Wales. Ireland won the 2015 Six Nations Championship. This was the first time Ireland won back-to-back championships since 1948–49.

He was chosen for the 2015 Rugby World Cup training squad. He scored tries in warm-up games against Wales and Scotland. He was then picked for the final World Cup squad. He played in games against Canada, Romania, and Italy during the World Cup.

Later Years with Ireland (2016–2021)

In January 2016, Simon was named in Ireland's squad for the 2016 Six Nations Championship. In November 2016, he scored a try in Ireland's historic win against New Zealand. This was Ireland's first-ever win against the All Blacks.

Simon played in every game of the 2017 Six Nations Championship. He also played in the 2017 Summer Tour. He scored a try against the United States.

After playing in France for a few years, Simon returned to the Ireland squad in 2021. He was selected for the 2021 Autumn internationals.

British & Irish Lions

Simon Zebo was chosen to join the 2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia squad. This was to cover for an injured teammate. He played in several games during the tour, including against Waratahs and Melbourne Rebels.

Retirement as a Player

Simon Zebo announced on May 21, 2024, that he would be retiring from rugby at the end of the season.

Statistics

International tries

Try	Opposing team	Location	Venue	Competition	Date	Result
1	Argentina	Dublin	Aviva Stadium	2012 November Tests	24 November 2012	Won
2	Wales	Cardiff	Millennium Stadium	2013 Six Nations	2 February 2013	Won
3	Argentina	Tucumán	Estadio Monumental José Fierro	2014 Ireland Tour	14 June 2014	Won
4	Georgia	Dublin	Aviva Stadium	2014 November Tests	16 November 2014	Won
5	Australia	Dublin	Aviva Stadium	2014 November Tests	22 November 2014	Won
6	Wales	Cardiff	Millennium Stadium	2015 RWC warm-up	8 August 2015	Won
7	Scotland	Dublin	Aviva Stadium	2015 RWC warm-up	15 August 2015	Won
8	New Zealand	Chicago	Soldier Field	2016 November Tests	5 November 2016	Won
9	United States	Harrison	Red Bull Arena	2017 Summer Tests	10 June 2017	Won

Honours

Presentation Brothers College

• Munster Schools Rugby Senior Cup:
  • Winner (1): 2007

Cork Constitution

• All-Ireland League:
  • Winner (2): 2007–08, 2009–10
• All-Ireland Cup:
  • Winner (1): 2009–10
• Munster Senior Cup:
  • Winner (1): 2008–09

Munster

• United Rugby Championship
  • Winner (2): 2010-11, 2022–23

Ireland Under-20s

• Six Nations Under 20s Championship:
  • Winner (1): 2010

Ireland

• Six Nations Championship:
  • Winner (1): 2015

Personal Life

Simon Zebo's father, Arthur, was a French athlete from Martinique. His mother, Lynda, is from Cork. Simon's older sister, Jessika, has also represented Ireland as a hurdler.

Simon and his partner, Elvira Fernández, have four children. Their son, Jacob, was born in May 2015. Their daughter, Sofia, was born in August 2016. Their second son, Noah, was born in November 2019. Their second daughter, Isabella, was born in April 2022. Simon and Elvira got married in August 2022.