Mike Mullins (born Auckland, 29 October 1970) is a former New Zealand-born Irish rugby union footballer. He played primarily as an outside centre.
Mullins represented Munster playing 116 games. [1] [2] He had 16 caps for Ireland, from his debut, at 26 August 1999, with Argentina, to 2003 final test versus Manu Samoa in Apia. He played at the 1999 Rugby World Cup finals against Romania, and in the Six Nations Championship, in 2000 and 2001. [3]
Up until the end of 2014, Mike Mullins was the coach of the North Otago Heartland championship team, who won the Meades Cup in October 2007. [1] [4]
Mullins was born in New Zealand, his mother Sharon of Irish Maori descent, his father Thomas born and bred in Limerick hence his eligibility for Ireland. [5]
The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. Famed for their international success, the All Blacks have often been regarded as one of the most successful sports teams in history.
Neil Antony Back MBE is a former international rugby union footballer for England and the British & Irish Lions who also played for Nottingham RFC, Leicester Tigers, and captained both England and Leicester during his career.
Graham Christopher Rowntree is an English rugby union former player and current head coach of Irish club Munster. He played loosehead prop for Leicester Tigers and England. He was capped 54 times for England, despite having to compete for his position with one of the world's most capped forwards, Jason Leonard. Rowntree was born in Stockton-on-Tees. He was educated at John Cleveland College, Hinckley, Leicestershire, which has also produced other rugby union players.
Douglas Charles Howlett is a retired New Zealand professional rugby union player. He was primarily a wing, but he also sometimes played as a fullback.
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.
Ronan John Ross O'Gara is an Irish former rugby union player and current coach. O'Gara played as a fly-half and is Ireland's second most-capped player and second highest points scorer. He is currently head coach of La Rochelle in the French Top 14.
Paul Jeremiah O'Connell is an Irish former rugby union player and coach. When he retired, he was Ireland's third most-capped player (108) and the eighteenth most-capped international player in rugby union history. During his career, O'Connell captained Munster, Ireland and the British & Irish Lions. He is now the forwards coach for the Ireland national men's team.
Anthony Gerard Foley was an Irish rugby union player and head coach of Munster. He was attached to the same squad during his professional playing career. He was a member of the Munster team that won the 2002–03 Celtic League and was the winning captain during their 2005–06 Heineken Cup success. Foley played for Ireland from 1995 until 2005 and captained the squad on three occasions.
The Otago Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union for the Otago region of New Zealand. The union is based in the city of Dunedin, and its home ground is Forsyth Barr Stadium. The top representative team competes in the ITM Cup, New Zealand's top provincial competition. The union was to have been liquidated in March 2012. However a deal involving the Dunedin City Council allowed it to keep operating. Otago have won the Ranfurly Shield on seven occasions. They were the National provincial championship winners in 1991 and 1998. They have a proud record playing international teams, having defeated South Africa and the British and Irish Lions.
Johan "Rassie" Erasmus is a South African rugby union coach and former player. He was the head coach of the South African national team from 2018 to the end of their 2019 World Cup campaign, doubling up on his duties as the first ever SARU Director of Rugby, to which he was appointed towards the end of 2017. He lead South Africa to win the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and 2023. He also won the 2019 World Rugby Coach of the Year award.
Mike Brown is an English professional rugby union player who plays fullback or wing for Leicester Tigers in Premiership Rugby. Brown joined the Harlequins senior team in 2005, having played youth rugby at Salisbury and Melksham, and began playing for the England first team two years later. Between 2021–2022 Brown played a season for Newcastle Falcons.
Donnacha Ryan is an Irish former rugby union player and current coach. Ryan spent most of his career representing his native province Munster, spending 13 seasons at the club, before moving to French club Racing 92 in 2017, where he spent the final four seasons of his playing career before retiring and joining the coaching team at La Rochelle ahead of the 2021–22 season. He played primarily as a lock, but could also play as a flanker.
James Whitinui Joseph is a New Zealand-born Japanese former rugby union player and current rugby union coach. A flanker, Joseph represented Otago at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, from 1992 to 1995, before representing Japan in 1999. Joseph, now head coach of the Japanese national side, has coached since his retirement, coming through the ranks in New Zealand before his first national stint.
Andrew Bruce Farley played professional rugby union, he represented the Queensland Reds, Otago Rugby Football Union, L'Aquila Rugby, Swansea RFC, Connacht Rugby and FC Grenoble where after retiring, became GM of Rugby Operations.
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.
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.
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Robin Hugh Penney is New Zealand rugby union coach and former representative player. Generally known as Rob Penney he played in the positions of Flanker or No.8 throughout his career, most notably for Canterbury. He has served in various coaching roles since 2005. He started as the Head Coach of the Crusaders in the 2024 season.
Malakai Fonokalafi Fekitoa is a Tongan professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for United Rugby Championship club Benetton and the Tonga national team.
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