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| image =[[Image:Brian O'Driscoll 2.jpg|thumb|Brian O'Driscoll]]
| image =[[Image:Brian O'Driscoll 2.jpg|thumb|Brian O'Driscoll]]
| birthname = Brian O'Driscoll
| birthname = Brian O'Driscoll
| nickname =BOD,Drico,
| nickname =BOD,Drico,God
| dateofbirth = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1979|1|21}}
| dateofbirth = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1979|1|21}}
| placeofbirth = [[Clontarf, Dublin|Clontarf]], [[Dublin]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]
| placeofbirth = [[Clontarf, Dublin|Clontarf]], [[Dublin]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]
|height = {{height|m=1.81}}
|height = {{height|m=1.76}}
|weight = 15 st 0 lb (95 kg)
|weight = 14 st 6 lb (92 kg)
| ru_currentteam = [[University College Dublin RFC|University College Dublin]]
| ru_currentteam = [[University College Dublin RFC|University College Dublin]]
| ru_currentposition = Outside Centre
| ru_currentposition = Outside Centre

Revision as of 23:42, 16 February 2009

Brian O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll
Height1.76 m (5 ft 9+12 in)
Weight14 st 6 lb (92 kg)
SchoolBlackrock College
UniversityUniversity College Dublin
Rugby union career
Position(s) Outside Centre
Current team University College Dublin
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
UCD
Blackrock College
UCD
()
Correct as of 2007-9-15
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1999-present Leinster 98 0(208)
Correct as of 2007-01-20
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1999-
2001-2005
Ireland
British and Irish Lions
Barbarians
89+1
7
0(182, 34tr)
0(5, 1tr)
Correct as of 2009-02-15

Brian Gerald O'Driscoll (Irish name: Brian Gearóid Ó hEidirsceoil ), born 21 January 1979, is an Irish professional rugby union player. He is currently the captain of the Ireland national rugby union team and captained Leinster Rugby until the start of 2008 season. He also captained the British and Irish Lions for their 2005 tour of New Zealand. After leading Ireland to the 2007 RBS Six Nations Triple Crown success, he was voted player of the tournament, as he was in 2006. In 2002, he was nominated for IRB World Player of the Year but lost out to Fabien Galthie. Registered at University College Dublin RFC, he plays at outside Template:Rugbycentre for the Irish provincial team Leinster. He went to Blackrock College where he starred in their renowned S.C.T (Senior Cup Team). In 2008 The Dubliner Magazine named Brian O'Driscoll Dubliner of the Year at a ceremony in Residence Members Club. O'Driscoll is the all-time Irish record try scorer with 34 tries,[1] and holds the captaincy record (51 games). He holds the Irish Six Nations record for tries scored (19).

Early days

O'Driscoll was born in Clontarf on Dublin's Northside, and was educated at Blackrock College from which he was capped three times for Ireland Schools in 1996.[2][3] In 1998 O'Driscoll played for the Ireland U19 side, which also included his senior teammates Donncha O'Callaghan and Paddy Wallace, which won the IRB Under-19s world championship. After leaving school, he attended UCD on a scholarship.[4] At UCD, under the hugely respected, director of rugby John McClean, he first made the under-20 side, before being promoted to the top team near the end of his first year.[4] After two years, O'Driscoll graduated from UCD with a diploma in sports management.[4] Drico made his under 21 debut in February 1999, and eventually gained four caps.[3]

Rugby international

Ireland

In 1999 O'Driscoll was selected for the senior squad and was on the bench for the six nations match against Italy. Although he did not play, he was selected for the tour of Australia during which he won his first Test cap at age 20 on 12 June 1999 in a 46-10 loss to Australia in Brisbane. Since that day, he has established himself as one of rugby's top outside centres. It is noted that O'Driscoll played for Ireland before he played for the senior Leinster team. Early in his Irish career, he scored three tries in a Six Nation victory against France in Paris - the last time Ireland achieved this, O'Driscoll was not even born.

O'Driscoll became so popular in Ireland that many supporters donned T-shirts bearing the motto "In BOD We Trust" (a play on "In God We Trust", the phrase that appears on all United States currency and coinage).[5] In 2003, following the international retirement of long-time Ireland captain Keith Wood, he was awarded the captaincy. O'Driscoll then led Ireland to a second-place finish in the Six Nations, and in the process a Triple Crown. O'Driscoll has played in the last 3 World Cups (13 caps).

British and Irish Lions

Brian O'Driscoll appeared in all three British and Irish Lions Tests on the team's 2001 tour of Australia. On 11 April 2005, he was named captain of the team for their 2005 tour of New Zealand. Prior to that tour he had been named captain of the Northern Hemisphere side for the IRB Rugby Aid Match (a 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami fundraiser) held at Twickenham in March 2005, but was forced to withdraw due to a shoulder injury; however, he did appear at pitchside for the match.[6][7]

O'Driscoll's playing contribution to the 2005 Lions was finished in the opening minutes of the first Test against the All Blacks in Christchurch on 25 June 2005, when he was stretchered off the field with a shoulder injury just after the ball had left a ruck he was defending. Tana Umaga (captain of the All Blacks) and Keven Mealamu had combined together, when they lifted O'Driscoll and drove him headfirst into the ground. He extended one arm to protect his head, and his shoulder was dislocated on impact.

The independent citing commissioner found that the New Zealand players had no case to answer. However, following new footage, International Rugby Board's communications manager Greg Thomas stated ...that dangerous tackles like this have no part in the game.[8] The Lions management were heavily criticised by New Zealanders for attempting to divert attention away from their terrible performance. Although unable to play, O'Driscoll remained as non-playing captain on a losing tour and only underwent surgery on his return. He then released a DVD entitled Brian O'Driscoll's Lions Diary in which he described his tour experience and his opinion of the events that transpired.

Injury comeback

After speculation in September 2005 that O'Driscoll was preparing to leave Irish provincial rugby and agree a contract to play in France, the IRFU quickly announced they would do all they could to keep him in Ireland. O'Driscoll subsequently signed a deal with the IRFU to keep him at Leinster through the 2007 World Cup. O'Driscoll made his playing comeback for Leinster in December 2005. In January 2006, he helped Leinster beat Bath to qualify for the quarter-finals of the 2005-6 Heineken Cup. On the 1st of April 2006, O'Driscoll was instrumental in leading Leinster to victory over Toulouse; reaching the Heineken Cup semi-final. As of 3rd Feb '09, O'Driscoll has played 57 times for Leinster in the Heineken Cup, scoring 120 points, including 24 tries (behind record holder Dafyyd James' 29 tries & tieing with Shane Horgans for lead Irishman)

Life off the pitch

O'Driscoll is a keen fan of the Dublin Gaelic football team and attends their matches at Croke Park [citation needed] He is also a big fan of rugby league and has been linked with a cross-code switch in the past.[9] He has previously dated model Glenda Gilson.

O'Driscoll has been reported to be currently dating Amy Huberman, an actress who is currently starring in the RTÉ production of The Clinic.

A biography of O'Driscoll, called "In BOD We Trust" was published in March 2008.

References

  1. ^ Lyle Jackson (15 February 2009). "2009 Six Nations". BBC. Retrieved 2009-02-16. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ "Current Ireland Squad-Brian [[O'Discoll]]". irishrugby.ie. Retrieved 2007-02-02. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  3. ^ a b "Brian O'Driscoll". leinsterrugby.ie. Retrieved 2007-02-02.
  4. ^ a b c Conlon, Tommy (2003-03-30). "Irish put their faith in Bod". Scotland on Sunday. Retrieved 2007-02-02.
  5. ^ "World Cup stars to watch out for O'Driscoll, the green giant". Rugby World Cup Limited. Retrieved 2007-01-02.
  6. ^ "North and South XVs announced". irb.com. 2005-03-03. Retrieved 2007-02-02.
  7. ^ "North 19-54 South". bbc.co.uk. 2005-03-05. Retrieved 2007-02-02.
  8. ^ Orlovac, M. and Stokes, J. (2005-10-25). "No action on new O'Driscoll video". BBC. Retrieved 2007-01-20.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ "O'Driscoll stays in Ireland". BBC. 2004-04-28. Retrieved 2008-02-18.

Template:University College Dublin Rugby squad

Sporting positions
Preceded by Ireland Rugby Union Captain
2003 - present
Succeeded by
incumbent