 Haley playing for Sale Sharks in 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth name | Michael Patrick Haley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 28 June 1994 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Preston, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 93 kg (14.6 st; 205 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Hutton Grammar School Myerscough College Hartpury College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Michael Patrick Haley (born 28 June 1994) is an English-born, Irish-qualified rugby union player who plays as a fullback for United Rugby Championship club Munster.
Haley made his professional debut for Sale against Saracens on 10 March 2013, in the semi-final of the 2012–13 LV Cup. [1]
It was announced in February 2018 that Haley would be joining Irish United Rugby Championship side Munster on a three-year contract at the start of the 2018–19 season. Haley is Irish-qualified through his maternal grandmother, who hails from Tralee, County Kerry. [2] He made his competitive debut for Munster on 1 September 2018, starting at fullback in their opening 2018–19 Pro14 fixture against South African side Cheetahs in Thomond Park, a game which Munster won 38–0. [3]
Haley made his European debut for Munster on 13 October 2018, starting in the provinces 10–10 draw with Exeter Chiefs in Sandy Park in the sides' opening 2018–19 Champions Cup fixture. [4] He scored his first try for Munster on 20 October 2018, doing so in the provinces 36–22 win against Gloucester. [5] Haley signed a two-year contract extension with Munster in March 2021, [6] and extended that contract by a further two years in September 2022. [7]
Haley started and scored one try in Munster's historic 28–14 win against a South Africa XV in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on 10 November 2022, [8] and started in Munster's 19–14 win against the Stormers in the final of the 2022–23 United Rugby Championship on 27 May 2023. [9]
Haley received his first call-up to the senior England squad by coach Eddie Jones for a three-day training camp in May 2016. [10] He made his debut for the England Saxons on their tour against South Africa A in June 2016. [11] However, this appearance did not tie him fully to the RFU because, at the time, South Africa A was not SARU's second team. [12] Haley was subsequently named in a provisional elite player squad for the 2016–17 season. [13]
Haley represented an England XV in the Old Mutual Wealth Cup against the Barbarians in a non-cap international at Twickenham Stadium in May 2017. [14] Again, this match did not tie him to the RFU as the Barbarians are a club team, and he thus remained eligible for future Ireland selection. [15]
In May 2019, Haley was named by Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt in a 44-man training squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Along with Munster teammate Jean Kleyn, this was Haley's first time being named in an Ireland squad. [16] He made his debut for Ireland in their 2019 Rugby World Cup warm-up match against Italy on 10 August 2019, featuring as a replacement in the 29–10 win. [17] However, Haley was dropped from the squad before the 2019 Rugby World Cup. [18]
Munster Rugby is one of the professional provincial rugby teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents the IRFU's Munster Branch, which is responsible for rugby union throughout the Irish province of Munster. The team motto is "To the brave and faithful, nothing is impossible." This is derived from the motto of the MacCarthy clan – "Forti et Fideli nihil difficile". Their main home ground is Thomond Park, Limerick, though some games are played at Musgrave Park, Cork.
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.
Simon Zebo is an Irish former rugby union player who played as a wing or fullback for clubs Munster and Racing 92, and for Ireland.
John William Ryan is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a prop for United Rugby Championship club Munster.
Niall Scannell is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a hooker for United Rugby Championship club Munster.
Jean Kleyn is a South African professional rugby union player who plays as a lock for Irish United Rugby Championship club Munster and the South Africa national team. He came on as a replacement during South Africa’s 2023 World Cup win vs New Zealand.
Rudolph Gerhardus Snyman is a South African rugby union player who plays as a lock for Irish United Rugby Championship club Leinster and the South Africa national team. Snyman was part of the South Africa team that won the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and 2023, and is widely known as 'The Viking' among fans and teammates in reference to his appearance.
Jason Howell Jenkins is a South African rugby union player for United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup side Sharks. His regular position is lock, though he can also play in the back-row.
Tadhg Gerard Beirne is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a lock for United Rugby Championship club Munster, where he is the club captain, and the Ireland national team.
Joseph Carbery is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Top 14 club Union Bordeaux Bègles. Born in New Zealand, he represents Ireland at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.
Shane Daly is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a wing or fullback for United Rugby Championship club Munster.
Gavin Coombes is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a number eight for United Rugby Championship club Munster and the Ireland national team.
Diarmuid Barron is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a hooker for United Rugby Championship club Munster.
Craig Patrick Casey is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for United Rugby Championship club Munster and the Ireland national team.
Keynan Knox is a South African rugby union player who plays as a prop for United Rugby Championship club Munster.
Roman Salanoa is an American-born, Irish-qualified rugby union player who plays as a prop for United Rugby Championship club Munster.
John Hodnett is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a flanker for United Rugby Championship club Munster.
Josh Wycherley is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a prop for United Rugby Championship club Munster.
Antoine Frisch is a French rugby union player who plays as a centre for Top 14 club Toulon.
The 2023–24 Munster Rugby season is Munster's twenty-third season competing in the United Rugby Championship, alongside which they are also competing in the European Rugby Champions Cup. It is Graham Rowntree's second season as head coach. Munster went into the season as the defending league champions, having defeated the Stormers in the final of the previous season.
