Matt Healy (rugby union)

Last updated

Matt Healy
Matt Healy 2016.jpg
Birth nameMatthew Healy
Date of birth (1989-03-14) 14 March 1989 (age 35)
Place of birth Dublin, Ireland
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight92 kg (14.5 st)
School Gonzaga College
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing
Current team Connacht
Amateur team(s)
YearsTeamApps(Points)
Lansdowne ()
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2012–2022 Connacht 151 (290)
Correct as of 3 March 2023
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2009
2016		 Ireland U20
Ireland 		9
1		 (0)
(0)
Correct as of 25 June 2016

Matthew Healy (born 14 March 1989) [1] is an Irish former professional rugby union player. His primary position was on the wing and he was also used as injury cover at fullback, while earlier in his career he played at scrum-half. Healy played his entire career for Irish provincial team Connacht Rugby in the Pro14 and represented Ireland at test level once. He is Connacht's all-time leading try scorer.

Contents

Early life

Originally from Dublin, Healy is a former student of Gonzaga College in Ranelagh. [2] He played for the school's rugby team in the 2007 Leinster Senior Cup, starting at scrum-half as the team were knocked out by reigning champions Blackrock. Also on the Gonzaga starting team for the game was future Ireland international Dominic Ryan. [3]

Career

Club

Healy joined Connacht in 2012 from the amateur club Lansdowne in the All-Ireland League. In his first season, Healy primarily played for the Connacht Eagles, the province's second tier or 'A' team, in the British and Irish Cup. At the end of the season Healy was named Connacht's A player of the year. [2] Along with his appearances for the Eagles, he also played in 3 games for the senior side in the 2012–13 Pro12. [4]

In his second season with the province, Healy featured more regularly for Connacht's first team. He scored his first try for the team against Zebre on 7 September 2013 in the first game of that year's Pro12. He made his European debut in a Heineken Cup match on 19 October that year, also against Zebre away in the Stadio XXV Aprile. Later that month, Healy signed a new contract with the province to keep him there at least until summer 2016. [2] Healy's first try in the Heineken Cup came in the reverse fixture in the Sportsground on 11 January 2014, when he gave a man of the match display. [5]

Healy continued to be a regular for the province. In 2015–16, he finished as the joint top try-scorer in the Pro12 and was named in the league's Dream Team. [6] On 28 May 2016, Healy started for Connacht against Leinster in the 2016 Pro12 Grand Final. He scored a try in a 20–10 victory for the side, which earned Connacht their first ever title. [7]

Healy made his 100th appearance for Connacht on 6 January 2018, in an interprovincial derby against Munster. Later in the season, he scored two tries for Connacht in a 26–25 defeat to the Cheetahs, taking him past Fionn Carr as the province's all-time top try-scorer. [8] [9]

International

Healy has represented Ireland internationally, having played for the Irish Under-20 team. He made a total of 9 appearances for the side, and went to the 2009 IRB Junior World Championship having also played in the 2009 Six Nations Under 20s Championship. [2] In 2015, Healy was named in the Emerging Ireland squad for the 2015 Tbilisi Cup. [10]

Healy received his first call up to the senior Ireland squad on 2 June 2016 for the tour to South Africa. [11] He made his debut in the third test, coming on as a replacement for his Connacht teammate Tiernan O'Halloran. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connacht Rugby</span> Rugby team in Ireland

Connacht Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby teams from the island of Ireland. Connacht competes in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents the IRFU Connacht Branch, which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union throughout the geographical Irish province of Connacht.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Parks</span> Scotland international rugby union player

Daniel Arthur Parks is a professional rugby union coach and former player who played as a fly-half.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miah Nikora</span> Rugby player

Miah Nikora is a professional rugby union player and head coach from New Zealand. He currently is head coach of Civil Projects Solutions Poverty Bay senior rugby club. He primarily played at fly-half, though he has also played at fullback. Nikora formerly played for the Irish provincial team Connacht in the Pro14.

Tom McCartney is a rugby union player from New Zealand. Although he mostly played as a hooker, he also played as prop. McCartney retired from rugby finishing with Irish provincial team Connacht in the Pro14. McCartney's nickname, 'Freak,' comes from his strength in the gym.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fionn Carr</span> Irish rugby union former player

Fionn Carr is an Irish rugby union former player. He played primarily as a wing but could also play at fullback. Carr played most of his professional career for Irish province Connacht in the Pro12. He also played for another Irish province, Leinster. Carr represented Ireland at Schools, Under 19 and Under 21 level, as well as at international 'A' level and the Ireland national rugby sevens team.

Jason Harris-Wright is a rugby union player from Ireland. He primarily plays as a hooker. Harris-Wright last played professionally for Bristol in the Greene King IPA Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Madigan</span> Rugby player

Ian Madigan is an Irish former professional rugby union player for Leinster, Bordeaux, Bristol Bears, Ulster and Ireland. His primary position was at fly-half, although he also played at centre and full-back.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiernan O'Halloran</span> Rugby player

Tiernan O'Halloran is a professional rugby union player from Ireland. He primarily plays as a fullback or on the wing. O'Halloran currently plays for Irish provincial side Connacht in the Pro14.

Mata Fifita is a Tongan professional rugby union and rugby league footballer. He has played for Irish provincial side Connacht Rugby in the Pro14. Though his favoured position when he started playing for Connacht was centre, the 2013–14 season saw Fifita converted to a flanker.

Robert Anthony Henshaw is an Irish professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for United Rugby Championship club Leinster and the Ireland national team.

Eoin McKeon is a rugby union player from Ireland. He primarily played in the back row. McKeon played for his native province of Connacht in the Pro14 from 2010 to 2020. He played his club rugby for Galwegians.

JP Cooney is an Irish rugby union player. His primary position is as a prop, and he can play on either side of the scrum. Cooney currently plays for Irish provincial side Connacht Rugby in the Pro14. He joined Connacht in 2012 from All-Ireland League club Garryowen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denis Buckley</span> Rugby player

Denis Buckley is a rugby union player from Ireland. He predominantly plays as a loosehead prop. Buckley currently plays for Irish provincial team Connacht in the Pro14. He plays his club rugby for Buccaneers.

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

John Cooney is an Irish rugby union player who plays scrum-half for Irish provincial side Ulster in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup, having previously played for Leinster and Connacht, and has eleven caps for Ireland. Since joining Ulster in 2017, he has been nominated for EPCR European Player of the Year once, been named in the Pro14 Dream Team four times, and been Ulster's player of the year twice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craig Ronaldson</span> Rugby player

Craig Ronaldson is a rugby union player from Ireland. His primary position is at fly half, though he also plays as a centre. Ronaldson most recently played professionally for Irish provincial side Connacht in the Pro14, where he spent six seasons from 2013 to 2019.

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

Jack Carty is a rugby union player from Ireland. His primary position is at fly-half. Having started out with his hometown club, Buccaneers, Carty currently plays for the team of his native province of Connacht in the United Rugby Championship, having come through the team's academy. He is Connacht's record points scorer in the Pro14, having overtaken Ian Keatley in March 2019. Carty is an Ireland international, having made his debut for the side against Italy in 2019.

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

Finlay Harry Bealham is a professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for United Rugby Championship club Connacht. Born in Australia, he represents Ireland at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.

Cian Kelleher is an Irish professional rugby union player. He primarily plays on the wing or at fullback. Kelleher currently plays for Ealing Trailfinders in the RFU Championship. After initially coming through Leinster's academy, Kelleher had a three-year spell with Irish rivals Connacht, before returning to Leinster for the 2019–20 season.

Conor McKeon is a rugby union player from Ireland. He primarily played fly-half for most of his youth career, before changing to scrum-half at senior level. McKeon played professionally for Irish provincial side Connacht in the Pro14 having come through the team's academy, and played his club rugby for Athlone-based side Buccaneers.

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.

References

  1. ↑ "Matt Healy Ireland". ESPN SCRUM. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Matt Healy signs contract extension with Connacht". RTĖ Sport. 22 October 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  3. ↑ "Fortune favours Blackrock". Irish Times . 29 January 2007. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  4. ↑ "Connacht Squad Index: Matt Healy". RaboDirectPRO12. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  5. ↑ "Report: Connacht beat Zebre without a bonus". ERC. 11 January 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  6. ↑ "Connacht dominate PRO12 awards". Planet Rugby. 8 May 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  7. ↑ "Glorious Connacht complete dream season in style : Guinness PRO12 : Match Centre". 2 June 2016. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  8. ↑ "Player Profile: Matt Healy". Pro14 . Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  9. ↑ "Player Archive: Matt Healy". European Professional Club Rugby . Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  10. ↑ "Emerging Ireland Squad Named For Tbilisi Cup". Irish Rugby . 19 May 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  11. ↑ "Ireland fly-half Johnny Sexton and Kearney brothers out of South Africa tour". BBC Sport. 2 June 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  12. ↑ "Mixed feelings for Connacht's Healy after Ireland debut in defeat to Boks". The42 . 27 June 2016. Retrieved 5 September 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.