Trevor Ringland facts for kids

Trevor Maxwell Ringland MBE (born 13 November 1959) is a well-known person from Northern Ireland who has had an amazing career as a solicitor (a type of lawyer), a famous rugby union player, and a politician.

After going to Larne Grammar School, he studied law at Queen's University Belfast. He is also a spokesperson for a group called Uniting UK, which supports Northern Ireland remaining part of the United Kingdom. From 2013 to 2014, he was a leader of the NI Conservatives.

Star on the Rugby Field

Trevor Ringland was a talented rugby player. He played for the Ireland national team 31 times and scored nine tries. He played in many big games, including the Five Nations Championship and the 1987 Rugby World Cup.

He also played for his home province, Ulster, and his local club, Ballymena. In 1983, he was chosen for the British & Irish Lions, a special team made up of the best players from Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales. They toured New Zealand that year.

After he stopped playing professionally, he coached at Ballymena and was part of the committee for the Irish Rugby Football Union, helping to run the sport in Ireland.

Life Beyond Rugby

When Ringland was playing rugby, it was an amateur sport. This means players were not paid, so they had to have other jobs. Ringland worked as a full-time solicitor with a law firm called Macaulay and Ritchie.

Working for the Community

Ringland has always been active in his community. In 2006, he became a member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, a group that helps oversee the police service. He has also been a director for companies like Independent News & Media and for groups that help people, such as Mediation Northern Ireland and The Ireland Funds.

One of his most important roles is with Peace Players International. This is an organization that uses sports, like basketball, to bring young people from different religious backgrounds together in Belfast. For this amazing work, Ringland and David Cullen won a special honor in 2007, the ESPY Arthur Ashe for Courage Award.

In 2009, he was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by the Queen for his services to the community in Northern Ireland.

Working in Politics

Ringland also became involved in politics. A politician is someone who works in government and helps make decisions for a city, region, or country. Ringland is a unionist, which means he believes that Northern Ireland should stay in the United Kingdom.

He was first a member of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). In 2010, the UUP and the Conservative Party joined together to form the Ulster Conservatives and Unionists. They chose Ringland to run for a seat in the UK Parliament for the East Belfast area. He came in third place in the election.

Joining the NI Conservatives

In September 2010, Ringland had a public disagreement with the new leader of the UUP, Tom Elliott. Ringland asked Elliott if he would attend a major Gaelic Football game if a team from Ulster was playing. Elliott said he would not, because the game was on a Sunday, which went against his religious beliefs.

Because of this disagreement, Ringland decided to leave the UUP in October 2010. He then joined the NI Conservatives. He took on important leadership roles in his new party, becoming a spokesperson and later a co-chairman, helping to lead the party's political work.