Shane Horgan

Shane Horgan

Birth name	Shane Patrick Horgan
Date of birth	(1978-07-18) 18 July 1978
Place of birth	Bellewstown, County Meath, Ireland
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight	16 st 5 lb (104 kg)
School	St. Mary's Diocesan
Notable relative(s)	Sharon Horgan (sister)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing, centre Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) Boyne RFC Lansdowne () Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 1998–2011 Leinster 203 (348) International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1996–1998 1998–2000 1999–2009 2000–2009 2005 Ireland u18 Clubs IRL U-21 Ireland A Ireland Lions 5 7 7 65 2 (?) (?) (5) (105) (0) Correct as of 26 Jun 2010

Shane Patrick Horgan (born 18 July 1978) is an Irish former rugby union player who played wing or centre for Leinster and Ireland.

Horgan and Gordon D'Arcy parading the Heineken Cup trophy in 2009

Early life

He was born on 18 July 1978 in Bellewstown, County Meath, to an Irish mother, Ursula (née Campbell) from County Kildare whose parents before her originated from Midfield Co. Mayo and a New Zealand father, John. When Horgan was young he played for Boyne RFC. He also played Gaelic football at Minor (U18) level with the Meath county team. He was educated at a boys' Catholic school, St. Mary's Diocesan School in Drogheda, and was active in their rugby team. Horgan joined Lansdowne on leaving school in 1997.

Club career

Horgan made his debut for Leinster in 1998. He played for Leinster 87 times in the Heineken Cup, ranking fifth in career Heineken Cup appearances. He scored 27 tries during his Heineken Cup career, ranking him fourth on the list of most career tries scored in Heineken Cup competition. His most prolific Heineken Cup season was 2004–05, when Horgan was the leading try scorer with 8 tries. He was a member of a Leinster backline which included Brian O'Driscoll, Gordon D'Arcy, Denis Hickie, Felipe Contepomi, Isa Nacewa, Rob Kearney and Jonathan Sexton.

International career

Horgan made his debut for the Ireland senior side against Scotland in the 2000 Six Nations Championship, scoring a try in the process. In the following game against Italy he scored 2 tries and added another one against Wales during the tournament. He was selected for the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand. He was used as a substitute during all three tests. After scoring the winning try against England at Twickenham in the 2006 Six Nations Championship to secure the Triple Crown for the second time in three years, he became a new national hero. Horgan added to his following in 2007 when he scored a try against England in Croke Park by executing a Gaelic football style catch from a Ronan O'Gara crossfield kick. Horgan is known by the Irish media and rugby fans as "Shaggy".

Horgan showed a return to something near the levels of performance of his earlier career in early 2011 but injury towards the end of the club season forced him to miss out on the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

On 28 March 2012, Horgan announced his retirement with immediate effect having failed to regain full fitness following surgery on a long-term knee injury.

Honours

Individual

• Leinster all time leading try scorer: (69)
• Leinster Supporter's Player Player of the Year (1): 2010–11

Leinster

• Celtic League (2): 2001–02, 2007–08
• Heineken Cup (2): 2008–09, 2010–11

Ireland

• Six Nations (1): 2009

Personal life

Horgan has three older sisters Maria, Sharon and Lorraine and one younger brother, Mark.

He is a second cousin of Jockey Leighton Aspell and his brother Paddy.

Horgan studied law at Portobello College and is completing a master's degree at Trinity College Dublin.

He currently works as trainee solicitor at Lee & Thompson in London, as well as regularly appearing on RTÉ Sport as an analyst in their rugby coverage. Since leaving RTE Sport Shane has joined TV3 for the stations NatWest 6 nations coverage presented by Joe Molloy

External links

• Leinster profile
• Ireland profile
• 2005 Lions squad profile