Alan O'Connor (rugby union)

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Alan O'Connor
Alan O'Connor 2021.jpg
Birth nameAlan O'Connor
Date of birth (1992-09-10) 10 September 1992 (age 32)
Place of birth Dublin, Ireland
Height1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) [1]
Weight111 kg (17 st 7 lb)
University University College Dublin
Notable relative(s) David O'Connor (brother)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock
Current team Ulster
Amateur team(s)
YearsTeamApps(Points)
Skerries ()
2011–2012 UCD ()
2012– Malone ()
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2012– Ulster 204 (40)
Correct as of 20 December 2024 [2]
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2012 Ireland U20 5 (0)
Correct as of 10 January 2021

Alan O'Connor (born 10 September 1992) is an Irish professional rugby union player who plays lock for Ulster. He was Ulster's player of the year in 2020–21, and won the United Rugby Championship's Tackle Machine award for 2021–22.

A native of Skerries, Dublin, [3] he played club rugby for Skerries RFC until he was eighteen, then for University College Dublin R.F.C. for two years, and was part of Leinster's sub-academy. [4] He appeared for the Ireland under-20s in the 2012 IRB Junior World Championship, bringing him to the attention of Allen Clarke, who signed him for Ulster's academy. [3] He made 13 appearances for the senior Ulster team while still an academy player, making his debut against Leinster in December 2012. He was awarded the Jack Kyle Bursary by the Ulster Rugby Supporters Club for the 2014–15 season, and signed a development contract in March 2015, moving to a full senior contract for the 2016–17 season. [5]

He made 14 starts in the 2016–17 season, winning 48 lineouts, third on the team behind Iain Henderson and Franco van der Merwe. [6] In the 2017–18 season he made 24 appearances and led the team with 226 tackles, [7] and captained the side for the first time against the Southern Kings in February 2018. [8] In the 2018–19 season he made 25 appearances and 265 tackles. [9] He made his 100th appearance for Ulster against Leinster in December 2019. [3] He made 23 appearances and led the team in tackles with 242 during the 2020–21 season, [10] and was named Ulster's Player of the Year at the 2021 Ulster Rugby Awards. [11] He made his 150th appearance against the Stormers in March 2022. [12] He won the URC Tackle Machine award for the 2021-22 season, after making 195 tackles with a 97.5% success rate. [13] He made his 200th appearance for Ulster against Connacht in October 2024. [14]

Ulster forwards coach Roddy Grant has praised him for his leadership, intelligence and toughness: "He’s a pleasure to coach, a real treat to have in your forward pack. He’s just so consistent. He’s really intelligent, reads the game well. He speaks well in terms of the leadership role when he needs to speak tactically, he runs the lineout incredibly well, he’s very good at leading a lineout defence and maul; he’s a proper tough player ... You hear him before the game in the dressing room and it gives me goosebumps." [15]

His younger brother David O'Connor plays lock for Connacht, having formerly played for Ulster. [16]

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David O'Connor is an Irish rugby union player who plays for Ulster. He plays primarily as a lock, but can also play in the back-row.

The 2021–22 season was Ulster Rugby's 28th season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union, and Dan McFarland's fourth season as head coach. They competed in the inaugural United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup.

The 2020–21 season was Ulster's 27th season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union, and Dan McFarland's third season as head coach. Iain Henderson was captain. They competed in the Pro14, the Pro14 Rainbow Cup, the European Rugby Champions Cup and the European Rugby Challenge Cup.

The 2019–20 season was Ulster's 26th season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union, and Dan McFarland's second season as head coach. Lock Iain Henderson was named captain in place of retired hooker Rory Best. They competed in the Pro14 and the European Rugby Champions Cup. Both competitions were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, he later stages being played in August, September and October 2020. In the Pro14, Ulster finished second in Conference A, making the playoffs and qualifying for next season's Champions Cup. They beat Edinburgh in the semi-final, but lost to Leinster in the final. They finished second in Pool 3 in the Champions Cup, qualifying for the quarter-finals, where they were beaten by Toulouse.

The 2018–19 season was Ulster's 25th season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union, and Dan McFarland's first season as head coach. Rory Best was captain. They competed in the Pro14, making the semi-finals, and the European Rugby Champions Cup, making the quarter-finals.

The 2016–17 season was Ulster's 23rd season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union, and the third under Director of Rugby Les Kiss and head coach Neil Doak. They completed in the European Rugby Champions Cup and the final season of the Pro12 before it became the Pro14 with the addition of two teams from South Africa.

The 2022–23 season was Ulster Rugby's 29th season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union. They competed in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. It was Dan McFarland's fifth season as head coach.

The 2023–24 season was Ulster Rugby's 30th season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union. They competed in the United Rugby Championship the European Rugby Champions Cup, and the EPCR Challenge Cup. It was Dan McFarland's sixth season as head coach. Despite some good results, including a home win against Racing 92 in the Champions Cup and an away win against Leinster in the URC, Ulster slipped back in the league, and poor performances against Bath, Harlequins and Toulouse dumped them out of the Champions Cup. After an away defeat in the URC against Ospreys in February, McFarland left his position, replaced by former Ireland under-20 head coach Richie Murphy. CEO Jonny Petrie also left, replaced on an interim basis by Hugh McCaughey. Murphy oversaw two away losses in South Africa and a quarter-final exit in the Challenge Cup, but form improved in the league, with four straight wins, including a home win against Leinster, and a losing bonus point away to Munster secured a quarter-final place, losing away to a full-strength Leinster side, and qualification for next season's Champions Cup.

References

  1. ↑ "Ulster Rugby | Senior Team". Archived from the original on 21 October 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  2. ↑ Playing stats at ItsRugby.co.uk
  3. 1 2 3 Jonathan Bradley, "Centurion Alan O'Connor refusing to rule out shock Ulster victory in Leinster", Belfast Telegraph, 20 December 2019
  4. ↑ "Ulster search for a new hero", Belfast Telegraph, 21 December 2012
  5. ↑ "Talented Quartet Sign New Ulster Contracts", Ulster Rugby, 20 March 2015
  6. ↑ Ulster Rugby: Who did what 2016 – 2017, The Front Row Union, 17 May 2017
  7. ↑ Ulster Rugby: Who did what 2017-18, The Front Row Union, 25 June 2018
  8. ↑ "O’Connor To Captain Ulster In Gibbes’ First Game In Charge", Irish Rugby, 8 February 2018
  9. ↑ Ulster Men: Who did what 2018-19, The From Row Union, 18 July 2019
  10. ↑ Ulster 2020-21 - Who Did What?, The Front Row Union, 12 August 2021
  11. ↑ "Henderson Leads The Winners At Ulster Rugby Awards", IrishRugby.ie, 7 June 2021
  12. ↑ Adam McKendry, "Alan O’Connor to captain Ulster on milestone appearance as province prepare for first Stormers clash", Belfast Telegraph, 25 March 2022
  13. ↑ "Alan O'Connor Awarded Tackle Machine In This Years URC Awards", United Rugby Championship, 31 May 2022
  14. ↑ "Match Report | Ulster 32-27 Connacht", Ulster Rugby, 12 October 2025
  15. ↑ Ruaidhri O'Connor, "'You hear him before the game in the dressing room and it gives me goosebumps' - Ulster coach hails Alan O'Connor", Irish Independent, 7 April 2021
  16. ↑ "David O'Connor: Ulster recruit second row to join brother Alan in senior squad", BBC Sport, 24 June 2019
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