Iain Henderson

Last updated

Iain Henderson
Iain Henderson 2017.jpg
Henderson representing Ulster during the Pro14
Full nameWilliam Iain Henderson
Date of birth (1992-02-21) 21 February 1992 (age 32)
Place of birth Craigavon, Northern Ireland
Height1.99 m (6 ft 6 in)
Weight119 kg (262 lb; 18 st 10 lb)
School Belfast Royal Academy
University Queens University Belfast
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock, Flanker
Current team Ulster
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2012– Ulster 153 (70)
Correct as of 13 April 2024 [1]
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2011–2012 Ireland U20 20 (20)
2012– Ireland 81 (30)
2014–2015 Ireland Wolfhounds 2 (0)
2017, 2021 British & Irish Lions 1 (0)
Correct as of 09 March 2024 [2] [3]

William Iain Henderson (born 21 February 1992) is an Irish professional rugby union player who plays as a lock for United Rugby Championship club Ulster and the Ireland national team, and has been selected for two tours with the British & Irish Lions. He has been the captain of Ulster since 2019, and captained Ireland in 2021 and 2023.

Contents

Early life

Born in Craigavon, County Armagh, he was educated at Belfast Royal Academy, [4] playing in the school's 1st XV that made the Ulster Schools' Cup final in 2010. [5] In July 2010, he was selected for the Ulster/Leinster team against Connacht/Munster in the exhibition game that opened the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. [6] He was due to study actuarial studies at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, [7] but switched to Queen's University Belfast after he was offered a place at the Ulster Rugby Academy. [4]

Professional career

He was awarded the £2,000 Jack Kyle Academy Bursary by the Ulster Rugby Official Supporters Club in December 2011, despite missing the first half of the 2011–12 season with a broken leg sustained playing for the Ulster Ravens. [8] He made his debut for the senior Ulster team in April 2012, [4] and signed his first professional contract in October 2012. [9] He represented Ireland at U19 level and at U20 level, [4] including at the 2012 U20 World Championships. [10] He made his senior Ireland debut in November 2012 in the defeat to South Africa in Dublin. [11]

He was named Young Player of the Year at the 2013 Ulster Rugby Awards, [12] and Personality of the Year in the 2021 Awards. [13] He was part of the Ulster team that made the 2013 Pro12 Grand Final and the 2020 Pro14 Grand Final. He made his 100th appearance for Ulster against Leicester Tigers in the European Rugby Champions Cup in January 2019, [14] and was named Ulster's captain, replacing the retiring Rory Best, ahead of the 2019–20 season. [15]

With Ireland, he won the Six Nations Championship in 2014 and 2015, the Grand Slam in 2018, and the Triple Crown in 2022, and played in the Rugby World Cup in 2015 and 2019. He captained Ireland for the first time in February 2021. He was selected for the British and Irish Lions for their 2017 tour to New Zealand and 2021 tour to South Africa. [16]

Henderson's central contract with the IRFU was due to expire after the 2023 Rugby World Cup, and there was speculation that he might move abroad. He signed an extension in 2023, keeping him with Ulster and Ireland for a further two seasons. [17] He was called up to Ireland's preliminary 42-man squad ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, [18] and captained the side in the warm-up game against Italy on 5 August 2023. [19]

Honours

Ireland

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulster Rugby</span> Rugby union team in island of Ireland

Ulster Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby union teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the Irish regional pool of the United Rugby Championship and in the European Rugby Champions Cup, each of which they have won once. Ulster were the first Irish team and the first team outside England and France to win the European Cup in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Bowe</span> Ireland international rugby union player

Thomas John Bowe is an Irish television presenter and former rugby union player from County Monaghan, Ireland. He played on the wing for Ulster, Ospreys, Ireland and the British & Irish Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rugby union in Ireland</span> Third most popular form of football in Ireland, organised on an all-island basis

Rugby union is a popular team sport on the island of Ireland, organised on an all-Ireland basis, including players and teams from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Its governing body, the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), was founded in 1879, making it the third oldest rugby union in the world after the RFU (England) and the SRU (Scotland).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rory Best</span> Ireland international rugby union player

Rory David Best is an Irish former rugby union player who was the captain of the Ireland national team from 2016 to 2019. He played hooker for Ulster and was registered for Banbridge RFC. Best earned 124 caps for Ireland, making his debut in 2005 and retiring at the end of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, his fourth World Cup. Best is one of the most capped rugby players of all time, as well as the most-capped forward to represent Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Sexton</span> Irish rugby union player

Jonathan Jeremiah Sexton is an Irish former professional rugby union player who played as a fly-half and captained the Ireland national team from 2019 until 2023. He also played club rugby for Leinster and Racing 92.

Phillip Michael Matthews is a former Ireland rugby union international. He was a member of the Ireland team that won the 1985 Five Nations Championship and the Triple Crown. He represented Ireland at the 1987 and 1991 Rugby World Cups. He also played for both the British and Irish Lions and the Barbarians. He captained both Ireland and the Barbarians. He subsequently served as a rugby union co-commentator with BBC Sport and TV3. Between 2010 and 2016 he served as the President of the National College of Ireland. His daughter, Hannah Matthews, is an Ireland women's field hockey international and played in the 2018 Women's Hockey World Cup final.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter O'Mahony</span> Irish rugby union player

Peter James O'Mahony is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a flanker for United Rugby Championship club Munster and the Ireland national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conor Murray</span> Irish rugby union player

Gerard Conor Murray is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for United Rugby Championship club Munster and the Ireland national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paddy Jackson</span> Irish rugby union player

David Patrick Lindsay James "Paddy" Jackson is a professional rugby union player from Northern Ireland who plays for Lyon OU; in the Top 14, in France. He primarily plays at fly-half and previously played for Irish provincial club Ulster in the Pro12, as well as for French club Perpignan and most recently Gallagher Premiership side London Irish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Herring (rugby union)</span> Rugby player

Robert Patrick Herring is a professional rugby union player who plays as a hooker for United Rugby Championship club Ulster. Born in South Africa, he represents Ireland at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan O'Connor (rugby union)</span> Rugby player

Alan O'Connor 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.

Kieran Paul Treadwell is a professional rugby union player who plays as a lock for United Rugby Championship club Ulster. Born in England, he represents Ireland at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.

Tadhg Gerard Beirne is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a lock for United Rugby Championship club Munster and the Ireland national team.

Michael Lowry is an Irish rugby union player from Northern Ireland who plays fullback and out-half for United Rugby Championship and European Rugby Champions Cup side Ulster, and internationally for Ireland. Doubted early on because of his small stature, he has exceptional footwork and acceleration. Ireland coach Andy Farrell describes him as a "nightmare" to play against, praising his explosiveness and bravery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Hume (rugby union)</span> Irish rugby union player

James Hume is an Irish rugby union player who plays centre for United Rugby Championship and European Rugby Champions Cup side Ulster.

Jack Crowley is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for United Rugby Championship club Munster and the Ireland national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nathan Doak</span> Irish rugby union player

Nathan Doak is an Irish rugby union player who plays scrum-half and out-half for Ulster in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup.

Tom Stewart is a professional rugby union player who plays as a hooker for United Rugby Championship club Ulster and for the Ireland national rugby union team.

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 2023–24 season is Ulster Rugby's 30th season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. It was Dan McFarland's sixth season as head coach, until he left his position on 21 February 2024. Assistant coach Dan Soper took temporary charge before Richie Murphy became available for the rest of the season.

References

  1. ↑ Playing stats at ItsRugby.co.uk
  2. ↑ Ireland profile at IrishRugby.ie
  3. ↑ "LIONS V JAPAN UPDATE". Lions Rugby. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Who is Iain Henderson: Ten things you should know about the Ireland lock", Rugby World, 10 June 2021
  5. ↑ "Northern Bank Schools Cup Final: Ballymena 10 BRA 7", The Front Row Union, 17 March 2010
  6. ↑ Richard Mulligan, "Marshall to play leading role in historic match", News Letter, 31 July 2010
  7. ↑ Jonathan Bradley, "Henderson has taken an unlikely path to lead Ulstermen", Belfast Telegraph, 16 November 2019
  8. ↑ "Ian [sic] Henderson awarded URSC Academy bursary", News Letter, 19 December 2011
  9. ↑ David Kelly, "Hot prospect Henderson pens new Ulster deal", Irish Independent, 11 October 2012
  10. ↑ "JWC2012: Jackson pulled from Ireland U20 Squad.", The Front Row Union, 25 May 2012
  11. ↑ "Pressure increases on Declan Kidney as limp second half exposes Ireland's limitations". Irish Independent. 12 November 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  12. ↑ Richard Mullugan, "Nevin Spence honoured at Ulster Rugby awards", News Letter, 11 May 2013
  13. ↑ "Henderson Leads The Winners At Ulster Rugby Awards", IrishRugby.ie, 7 June 2021
  14. ↑ "Henderson Returns To Win His 100th Ulster Cap Against Tigers", Irish Rugby, 18 January 2019
  15. ↑ "Henderson announced as Ulster captain". Ulster Rugby. 25 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  16. ↑ "British and Irish Lions 2021: Sam Simmonds in 37-man squad but Billy Vunipola misses out". BBC Sport. 6 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  17. ↑ "Iain Henderson signs two-year contract extension with IRFU and Ulster", The 42, 23 June 2023
  18. ↑ Josh Graham, "Ireland Rugby World Cup squad 2023 – Farrell names 42 players", Rugby World, 30 May 2023
  19. ↑ "Ireland 33-17 Italy: Grand Slam winners begin World Cup warm-up series with solid home win", BBC Sport, 5 August 2023
  20. ↑ "All 30 of Ireland's Grand Slam contributors rated - but one man comes out on top". Irish Independent. 20 March 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.