Dan Kelly (rugby union)

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Dan Kelly
Dan Kelly Rugby.jpg
Dan Kelly speaking to a fan in August 2024
Birth nameDaniel Kelly
Date of birth (2001-06-16) 16 June 2001 (age 23)
Place of birth Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England
Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight15 st 11 lb (221 lb; 100 kg)
School Kirkham Grammar School
University Loughborough University
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre
Current team Leicester Tigers
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2019–2020 Loughborough Students 10 (20)
2020–2025 Leicester Tigers 92 (52)
2025– Munster 0 (0)
Correct as of 9 February 2025
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2020 Ireland U20 3 (5)
2021 England 1 (0)
Correct as of 10 July 2021

Daniel Kelly (born 16 June 2001) [1] is an English professional rugby union player for Leicester Tigers in Premiership Rugby. His usual position is centre. [2] Born in Manchester, England, Kelly represented Ireland Under 20s, [3] before being capped for the England national team in 2021.

Contents

Early life

Kelly started playing rugby at under six years old for Rochdale RUFC, in Greater Manchester. [4] He joined Kirkham Grammar School at 16 and was part of the Sale Sharks academy set up. [5] Due to a number of other players considered more talented he was not offered a professional contract at 18 so joined Loughborough University. [6]

Club career

Leicester Tigers

On 10 April 2020 Kelly signed for Leicester Tigers, joining for the end of the delayed 2019-20 Premiership Rugby season. [7] He made his debut as a substitute in a 46–30 defeat to Gloucester at Kingsholm. [8] He quickly became a regular starter at inside centre, and by April 2022 was being highlighted by team mates as a defence leader as Leicester prepared for a European Rugby Champions Cup round of 16 tie with Clermont Auvergne. [9]

Munster

In February 2025, he signed a two-year contract with Munster in the United Rugby Championship ahead of the following season. [10]

International career

Kelly is eligible to play for both England, through birth, and Ireland, through his grandparents. [11]

In 2020, he played for Ireland during the 2020 Six Nations Under 20s Championship, playing all three games of the tournament and scoring a try to win the Triple Crown before the tournament was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [12]

On 8th of July 2021 Kelly has been selected to play for his first cap for England, and he made his international debut for England on 10 July 2021 against Canada at Twickenham. He was part of Leicester‘s championship winning team in the 2021–22 Premiership Rugby season. [13]

References

  1. ↑ "Dan Kelly ESPN profile". ESPN. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  2. ↑ "Leicester Tigers profile". Leicester Tigers. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  3. ↑ "IRFU profile". IRFU. Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  4. ↑ Harvey, Joe (12 March 2020). "Dan Kelly - Flying the flag for Ireland and Loughborough". Talking Rugby Union. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  5. ↑ "Exiles Programme Produces Another Big Irish Prospect As Kelly Shines". balls.ie. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  6. ↑ "Young Guns: Leicester Tigers centre Dan Kelly". The Rugby Paper. 1 September 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  7. ↑ "Leicester Tigers: Dan Kelly, Cameron Henderson and Oliver Chessum to join in 2020-21". BBC Sport. 10 April 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  8. ↑ "Match report : Gloucester hold off Tigers fightback". Leicester Tigers. 30 August 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  9. ↑ Charlie Morgan (9 April 2022). "Leicester's defensive leader Dan Kelly embracing 'apex of pain' as Tigers hunt rare Clermont win" . The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  10. ↑ "Dan Kelly To Join Munster Rugby". Munster Rugby. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  11. ↑ "Dan Kelly To Join Munster Rugby". Munster Rugby. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  12. ↑ "Dan Kelly To Join Munster Rugby". Munster Rugby. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  13. ↑ "RFU". www.englandrugby.com. Retrieved 8 July 2021.


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