Kyran Bracken

Last updated

Kyran Bracken
MBE
Kyran Bracken.jpg
Birth nameKyran Paul Patrick Bracken
Date of birth (1971-11-22) 22 November 1971 (age 53)
Place of birth Dublin, Ireland
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight82 kg (12 st 13 lb; 181 lb)
School Stonyhurst College
University University of Bristol
Notable relative(s)Brother, John, and two sisters
Rugby union career
Position(s) Scrum-half
Amateur team(s)
YearsTeamApps(Points)
Waterloo ()
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1992–1996 Bristol 47 (35)
1996–2006 Saracens 128 (50)
Correct as of 2014-06-20
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1993–2003 England 51 (15)

Kyran Paul Patrick Bracken MBE (born 22 November 1971) is a world-cup winning former rugby union footballer who played at scrum-half for Saracens, Bristol and Waterloo. [1]

Contents

He won a total of 51 England caps and captained the team on three occasions, retiring from international rugby in 2004.

Early life

Bracken was born in Dublin, Ireland. His father was a dentist and his mother had played hockey for Ireland. They originally lived in Skerries but moved to England when Bracken was four.

He was brought up in Liverpool and was educated at St. Edward's College, and later at Stonyhurst College in Lancashire, where he was coached by former England Rugby Union Head Coach, Brian Ashton. [2] He attended a trial for Liverpool FC and scored three goals. He also flirted with the idea of playing rugby league for St. Helens.

After school he studied law at the University of Bristol whom he represented at rugby union and later qualified as a solicitor. He was turned down by Ireland as 'not good enough' but signed up by Bristol.

Rugby career

Bracken made his England debut in November 1993 against the All Blacks. However, a stamp from Jamie Joseph seriously injured his ankle, putting him out of action for three months and leaving him with a permanent weakness. He started the 1994 Five Nations, but was dropped halfway through in favour of Dewi Morris. He missed the summer tour to South Africa, studying for law exams, but played in the 1995 Five Nations. Injury kept him out of the 1995 World Cup.

Bracken joined Saracens in 1996 and was part of the team that won the Tetley's Bitter Cup against Wasps in 1998.

He missed out on selection for the 1997 British Lions tour to South Africa in favour of Matt Dawson and Austin Healey, but was called up as injury replacement for Rob Howley but did not play in the tests.

He then became an irregular scrum half for England, with Dawson generally having the upper hand but being frequently injured. Bracken himself had a serious back injury that kept him out for most of the 1999–2000 season, including the 1999 World Cup.

He missed out on selection for 2001 Lions tour to Australia, instead captaining England on a three match development tour of North America. By then he was mostly having to compete with Matt Dawson as first-choice scrum-half. In 2003 he played in the summer tour beating Australia and New Zealand. He appeared four times for England during the 2003 World Cup, mostly as a substitute or blood replacement, becoming a world-cup winner as England lifted the trophy. He won his 50th cap against Wales in the quarter-final, and gained his last cap in the semi-final against France.

Bracken was also the player who drew groans from the cast of Friends after being tackled in the episode "The One with All the Rugby".

Dancing on Ice

Bracken starred in and won ITV's celebrity ice dancing competition Dancing on Ice in 2007, with partner Melanie Lambert. In the semi-final he received the highest score in the history of Dancing on Ice at that time (29.5 out of a possible 30) matched only by rival Clare Buckfield the next week. He was then voted into the final alongside actress Clare Buckfield and former Blue member Duncan James.

He won the final on 17 March 2007 after a performance which included the required element of "flying" on wires and a final performance of Bolero.

On 24 March 2007 he won the special edition of Dancing on Ice 'The Champion of Champions', after repeating his record 29.5-point score.

He toured with Holiday on Ice in their show "Romanza".

Bracken made an appearance during preparations for Dancing on Ice 2008, week 5, to help contestant and friend Steve Backley with his performance. After finishing the tour with Holiday on Ice Bracken has confirmed he was appearing in the Dancing on Ice Live tour 2008.

He also created his own Ice Party, held at the Hand Stadium, home of Clevedon Town, which starred himself, Clare Buckfield, Suzanne Shaw and many world-famous skaters.

Bracken placed 5th in the 2014 'all stars' series of Dancing on Ice being eliminated in the Quarter-Finals. He was partnered with professional ice skater Nina Ulanova.

Media career

In 2020, Kyran launched a new podcast called Ruck It! with fellow England international Nick Easter.

Personal life

Bracken and his wife, Victoria, have three sons, [3] Charlie, Jack and Lochlan, and they live in Hadley Wood.

Charitable work

Bracken is an Honorary President of the rugby charity Wooden Spoon improving the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in Britain and Ireland. He is also an Ambassador of the Royal National Children's Foundation (formerly the Joint Educational trust) which helps support vulnerable, disadvantaged young people at state and independent boarding schools throughout the UK.

In 2009 he presented awards for Amersham & Wycombe College in their first awards ceremony.

Related Research Articles

Austin Sean Healey (born 26 October 1973 in Wallasey, is a former English rugby union player who played as a utility back for Leicester Tigers, and represented both England and the British & Irish Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saracens F.C.</span> English rugby union club, based in North London

Saracens Rugby Club are an English professional rugby union club based in North London, England, currently playing in Premiership Rugby, which is the highest level of competition in English rugby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Hill (rugby union, born 1973)</span> British Lions & England international rugby union player

Richard Anthony Hill is a former rugby union footballer who played as a flanker for Saracens and England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Duncombe</span> English rugby union player

Nick Duncombe was an English rugby union footballer who played for Harlequins and England. Earmarked as a promising youngster since his time in the England youth teams, Duncombe was the England senior team's youngest debutant scrum-half at the time of his debut and won two international caps before his death at age 21.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Vickery (rugby union)</span> British Lions & England international rugby union footballer

Philip John Vickery MBE DL is a former English rugby union tighthead prop and member of the England squad. He was a member of England's World Cup winning squad in 2003, playing in all seven matches in the tournament, and is a former England captain. Vickery ended his club rugby career at London Wasps, joining the London side in 2006 after eleven years with Gloucester Rugby. Given the nickname "Raging Bull", he played in three Rugby World Cups, including as England captain in the 2007 tournament, and toured Australia and South Africa with the British & Irish Lions. Made his debut for Bolingey Barbarians Sunday 25th Sept 2022 vs Bude vets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Dawson</span> British Lions & England international rugby union footballer

Matthew James Sutherland Dawson, MBE is an English retired rugby union player who played scrum half for Northampton Saints and then London Wasps. During his international career he toured with the British & Irish Lions three times and was part of England's 2003 Rugby World Cup winning side. He won 77 caps for his country in total, including nine as captain and was England's most capped scrum half until passed by Danny Care.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iain Balshaw</span> British Lions & England international rugby union footballer

Iain Robert Balshaw, MBE is an English former rugby union player who played on the wing or at full back for Bath, Leeds Carnegie, Gloucester and Biarritz Olympique. He won 35 international caps for England between 2000 and 2008, and three for the British & Irish Lions in 2001. He was a member of the England squad that won the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

Trevor James Woodman MBE is a former English rugby union footballer. He was born in Plymouth, but went to Liskeard School in Cornwall and won representative honours with Cornwall Under 16s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Grewcock</span> British Lions & England international rugby union player

Daniel Jonathan Grewcock MBE is an English former rugby union player who played as a lock. He played for Coventry, Saracens and Bath. He won 69 caps for England and five for the British & Irish Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Shaw</span> British Lions & England international rugby union player

Simon Dalton Shaw MBE is a former English rugby union player who played as a lock. He played for Bristol, London Wasps and Toulon. He won 71 caps for England between 1996 and 2011, and 2 for the British & Irish Lions, with whom he toured 3 times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Sheridan</span> British Lions & England international rugby union player

Andrew John Sheridan is a retired English rugby union player who played as a loosehead prop.

William Brian Ashton MBE is an English rugby union coach and former player. He has been head coach of the England and Ireland national teams.

Clare Buckfield is an English actress, best known for playing the role of Jenny Porter in the BBC sitcom 2point4 Children for most of the nineties and Natasha Stevens in the CBBC series Grange Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Youngs</span> British Lions & England international rugby union player

Benjamin Ryder Youngs is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for Premiership Rugby club Leicester Tigers, and is the all time appearance record holder with 127 caps for the England national team.

Peter Bracken is a rugby union coach and former player and retired cage fighter. He played as a prop, primarily at tighthead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mako Vunipola</span> British Lions & England international rugby union player

Mako Vunipola is a professional rugby union player who plays as a loosehead prop for French club Vannes in the Top 14 He previously played for the England national team. Born in New Zealand to Tongan parents, he qualified for England through residency having lived and been educated in Wales and then England since the age of 7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liam Williams (rugby union)</span> Wales and British Lions international rugby union player

Liam Brian Williams is a Welsh professional rugby union player who plays for Kubota Spears in Japan Rugby League One. At international level, he has represented Wales, having made his test debut against New Zealand in 2012, and the British & Irish Lions in 2017 and 2021. Williams has previously played for Scarlets, Saracens, and Cardiff.

The 1993 England rugby union tour of Canada was a series of five matches played by the England national rugby union team in Canada in May and June 1993. England won four matches and lost one. They drew their two-match international series against Canada, losing the first game and winning the second. Sixteen England players were taking part in the 1993 British Lions tour to New Zealand at the time, and England did not award international caps for the matches with Canada.

Callum Braley is an English-born Italian rugby union player who plays for Saracens in the Premiership Rugby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Bracken</span> English rugby union player

Charlie Bracken is an English professional rugby union footballer who plays at scrum-half for Saracens and has played for the England under-20 team. He is the son of former England scrum-half Kyran Bracken.

References

  1. ↑ "Kyran Bracken". espn.co.uk. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  2. ↑ "Stonyhurst maintain their proud record". The Independent . 22 March 1996.
  3. ↑ Anstead, Mark. "Kyran Bracken: 'I've been with the same bank all my life – you'd think that would mean something'". The Daily Telegraph. London/. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
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.