Matt McCullough

Last updated

Harry Sheridan
Date of birth (1981-09-09) 9 September 1981 (age 43)
Height1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
Weight110 kg (17 st; 240 lb)
School Ballymena Academy
University Trinity College Dublin
University of Ulster
Rugby union career
Position(s) lock, flanker
Amateur team(s)
YearsTeamApps(Points)
Ballymena R.F.C. ()
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2001-2009 Ulster 130 (40)
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2005 Ireland 4

Matt McCullough (born 9 September 1981) is a former Irish rugby union player, who played in the second row for Ulster and Ireland

McCullough was educated at Ballymena Academy, captaining the school's 1st XV to the 2000 Ulster Schools' Cup final, and represented Ulster and Ireland at schools level. [1] He was named Ulster Schools Player of the Year in the 2000 Ulster Rugby Awards. [2] He studied at Trinity College Dublin, but left when he was offered a contract at Ulster in 2001, and continued his studies at the University of Ulster at Jordanstown. [3]

He made his first appearance for Ulster against Connacht in the 2001–02 season, but saw little action in his early seasons with the province, while turning out for Ballymena in the All-Ireland League and captaining the Ireland under-21 team. [4] He made 21 appearances, including 17 start, for Ulster in the 2003–04 season, and 26 appearances, including 25 starts, in the 2004–05 season, and his form was rewarded with selection for the 2005 Ireland tour of Japan. [5] He won two caps on that tour, and two more against New Zealand and Australia in the 2005 autumn internationals. [6]

In the 2005–06 season he made 23 appearances, all starts, for Ulster as they won the Celtic League. In the summer of 2006, after playing for Ireland A in the Churchill Cup, he was badly injured in a car crash in the Canadian Rockies, sustaining a deep head wound, and credits teammates Andy Maxwell and Roger Wilson with helping to save his life. [7] [8]

Persistent injury problems led to his retirement in 2010. [7]

He is married to model Lucy Evangelista. [7]

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References

  1. ↑ Richard Mulligan, "Mulligan's Junior Rugby Focus", News Letter, 24 May 2000
  2. ↑ Jim Stokes, "Humphreys is 'Mr Personality'", Belfast Telegraph, 19 May 2000
  3. ↑ Audrey Watson, "Lucy has the look of love", Belfast Telegraph, 11 May 2009
  4. ↑ Gavin Mairs, "Rugby: Perfect Matt finish just what Ballymena need", Belfast Telegraph, 9 May 2003
  5. ↑ "McCullough Eyeing Up First Cap", Irish Rugby, 17 May 2005
  6. ↑ Ulster Rugby player profile, archived 30 December 2008
  7. 1 2 3 Mark Tighe, "Rugby star in legal scrum with IRFU", The Sunday Times, 28 June 2015
  8. ↑ Gavin Mairs, "McCullough: Roger and Maxy saved my life", Belfast Telegraph, 6 October 2006


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