David Erskine (rugby union)

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David James Erskine
Date of birthOctober 14, 1969
Place of birthWaltham Forest, London, England
SchoolSullivan Upper School, Holywood
Children1 son
Occupation(s)Associate Director (Insurance Company)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker, Lock
Current team Retired
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1994–2000 Sale Sharks ()
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1997–1998 Ireland 3 (0)

David James Erskine (born October 14, 1969), is an Irish former rugby union player, who played flanker and lock for Sale Sharks, Ulster and Ireland.

Born in Waltham Forest, London, [1] he grew up in Bangor, County Down after his father moved there on business. He attended Sullivan Upper School in Holywood, and represented Ulster Schools at both cricket and rugby. After leaving school he played for C.I.Y.M.S, before moving to Manchester, where he worked in insurance and played rugby for Sale as they returned to the First Division in 1994. He represented the Irish Exiles in the IRFU Interprovincial Championship from 1992 to 1994, after which he was approached by the selectors to represent Ulster. [2] [3] His eligibility to represent the province was initially denied by the IRFU, before being accepted on appeal. [4] He played once for Ulster against Cardiff in the Heineken Cup in 1995, [5] and once in a friendly against Edinburgh District the same year. [6] The following season, Sale refused to release him to play for Ulster. [7]

He was selected for the 1997 Ireland A rugby union tour of Oceania, and was one of the few Irish players to emerge from the tour with much credit. [8] : pp. 71, 74, 78  He won three senior caps for Ireland, against New Zealand, Canada and Italy, in the autumn of 1997, but fell out of favour after coach Brian Ashton left in 1998. He continued playing for Sale until he was forced to retire after the 1999–2000 season by a recurring groin injury. As of 2006 he was living in Cheshire with his wife and son, and working as an associate director for an insurance company. [8] : p. 231  In 2012 former Sale lock Dave Baldwin named him at blindside flanker in his Sale "dream team". [9]

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References

  1. ↑ Profile on ESPN Scrum
  2. ↑ Jim Stokes, "Erskine's left out in the cold", Belfast Telegraph, 10 November 1995
  3. ↑ David Coulter, "Feidlim hit it off with tough game of rugby", Hexham Courant , 20 February 2012
  4. ↑ Micheal McGeary, "Erskine Back in the Frame", Sunday Life, 12 November 1995
  5. ↑ "Profile at Ulster Rugby". Archived from the original on 20 August 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  6. ↑ "Mark and Ulster lose out at last", Sunday Life, 10 December 1995
  7. ↑ Jim Stokes, "New blow in Ulster Euro bid", Belfast Telegraph, 23 September 1996
  8. 1 2 Brendan Fanning, From There to Here: Irish Rugby in the Professional Era, Gill & McMillan, 2007
  9. ↑ Dream Team: Dave Baldwin – former Sale lock, The Rugby Paper, 3 June 2012
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