Nigel Carr

Last updated

Nigel Carr
MBE
Birth nameNigel John Carr
Date of birth (1959-07-27) 27 July 1959 (age 65)
Place of birth Belfast, Northern Ireland
School Regent House Grammar School
University Queen's University
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
Queen's University ()
– Ards RFC ()
Provincial / State sides
YearsTeamApps(Points)
Ulster ()
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1985-1987 Ireland 11 (0)
1986 British Lions

Nigel Carr MBE (born 27 July 1959) is a former Ireland rugby union international. His career was cut short due to injuries sustained in an IRA bomb explosion. His service as a player, selector, broadcaster and charity volunteer was recognised by the 2021 Birthday Honours award of an MBE for his contribution to sport and community relations.

Contents

Early life

Nigel John Carr was born in Belfast on 27 July 1959. He was a very talented footballer, [1] sought by Glentoran, before focusing on rugby union. He captained the Ulster Under 19 team, [2] subsequently representing Ulster U-23 & Ireland U-23 followed by an Ireland 'B' cap in 1979 plus further 'B' appearances in 1980, 1982 and 1984. He won his first senior cap in 1985. [3]

Senior rugby career

Carr frequently transformed the teams he joined, bringing previously rare or unforeseen success, often as one half of an extremely effective back-row duo along with Phillip Matthews. They played together at Regent House Grammar School, Queen's University, Ards RFC, Ulster and Ireland from the mid 1970s and into the late 1980s. [4]

His influence as captain lead to Regent House reaching the Ulster Schools Cup final for the first time ever in the world's second-oldest rugby competition. In his earliest year at Ards RFC the club were promoted to the senior league as the Ulster Rugby’s Team of the Year for the first time since their foundation in 1928. Queen's "seasons in the doldrums" [5] immediately changed to Ulster Senior League winners with Ulster Senior Cup success the following season (the "ubiquitous" Carr being the game's "Player of the Season" [6] while also representing Irish [7] and British Universities [8] with Queen's as "Team of the Season".)

Carr's two-year absence from the Ulster team ended weeks after a third knee operation, when he was widely praised for an "immense contribution" [9] to the defeat of the 1984 Grand Slam Australian team. This marked the beginning of Ulster's decade of dominance as "one of the best provincial teams in Irish rugby history". [10]

Carr made a winning senior international debut against Scotland at Murrayfield on 2 February 1985 (Ireland having lost all their games in the preceding 1984 Five Nations Championship season). He was a critical part of the undefeated (for the first time since 1951) Triple Crown and Championship winning side of 1985, his performances having a profound influence on Ireland's success. Ireland did not enjoy another undefeated Championship until 2009. He was injured on the subsequent 1985 Japan tour, with a first comeback game (for Ards 5th XV) in January 1986 ahead of an international return v Wales on 15 Feb 1986. Despite his country's 5 Nations Championship defeats, Carr was the clear choice for the 1986 Lions as openside flanker, even though the English and Scottish contenders (Winterbottom and Calder) are by expert opinion [11] and popular choice, [12] those countries greatest ever in that position and the Welsh challenger (Pickering) judged [13] one of their greatest. Although Carr never toured with the Lions, he was considered the pick of the Lions pack when playing for them against a powerful Rest of the World team (which included 6 World Rugby Hall of Fame opponents) in a one-off Test match in Cardiff (16 April 1986).

He won his 12th and final cap in 1987 against Wales at Cardiff Arms Park. [14] Carr, the Rugby World & Post Feb 1987's No.1 openside flanker, missed out on the inaugural 1987 Rugby World Cup because he was forced to prematurely end his career through injuries due to an IRA car-bomb. On 25 April 1987, Carr, David Irwin and Philip Rainey [15] had set off for a training session in Dublin before the World Cup. On that day the IRA had targeted Lord Justice Sir Maurice Gibson - Northern Ireland's second most senior judge - who was travelling back from holiday with his wife, Lady Cecily Gibson, and a 500 lb land mine was detonated at Killean, on the border, killing them both. The three Ireland internationals were on the same stretch of road when the bomb exploded and although miraculously, they all escaped serious injury, the explosion ended Carr's rugby career at just 27. [16] This incident is widely accepted (even beyond Ireland]) as the critical impetus to the creation of “Ireland's Call” as a new and additional/alternative sporting anthem, subsequently adopted beyond rugby by other sports.

Carr has been described as one of the best players to have pulled on the Irish jersey, also playing for the Barbarians.

Carr was selected on the Greatest Ever Ulster Team [17] and was the openside flanker choice of such rugby authorities as Jack Kyle [18] and Syd Millar) [19] (the former named the Greatest Ever Irish Rugby Player, the latter cited as Greatest Coach, by the Irish Rugby Football Union in 2002 [20] ).

Despite Carr's achievements and associated accolades, his unfulfilled potential is almost as striking. Lions captain, Colin Deans believed that "Carr's pace and athleticism would have been a handful in South Africa" [21] had the 1986 Lions tour not been abandoned due to Apartheid. Likewise, his world ranking as the No.1 openside flanker [22] leading up to the inaugural 1987 Rugby World Cup, could have assured Ireland at least a semi-final berth, were it not for his injury in a fatal explosion with the consequential "massive detrimental effect on the whole team") [23] — an achievement that eluded the team both then and for over three decades since.

Career and personal life

Dr Nigel Carr previously managed innovation, research & technology support from Invest NI in Belfast and also produced and presented a UTV sports programme, Sport on Sunday.

Related Research Articles

<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">Ulster Rugby</span> Rugby union team in island of Ireland

Ulster Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby union teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the Irish regional pool of the United Rugby Championship and in the European Rugby Champions Cup, each of which they have won once. Ulster were the first Irish team and the first team outside England and France to win the European Cup in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regent House School</span> Grammar school in Northern Ireland

Regent House School is a co-educational, controlled grammar school in Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland. It comprises two parts: the preparatory department, known as "the Prep", and the main school itself. It has over 1420 pupils from ages 4 to 18.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belfast Harlequins</span> School in Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Belfast Harlequins is a multi-sports club located off the Malone Road in south Belfast, Northern Ireland. The club name provides the overall umbrella for rugby union, men's and ladies' hockey, and squash. The club is associated on and off the field with Methodist College Belfast (MCB).

Andy Ward is a New Zealand-born former rugby union player, who played flanker professionally for Ulster and internationally for Ireland.

Alan Quinlan is a retired Irish rugby union player. He played for Munster and was registered to All-Ireland League side Shannon. He retired from rugby in May 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malone RFC</span> Irish rugby union club, based in Belfast

Malone RFC is a rugby union club based in Belfast, in Northern Ireland. It is currently in the Division 1B of the All-Ireland League. The club is affiliated with the Ulster Branch, itself part of the Irish Rugby Football Union. It is one of the last remaining Belfast rugby clubs not to have amalgamated and still plays at its original ground. As well as its successful Senior teams, it has a thriving Youth and Mini structure, and was the first Mini rugby team from Ireland to play in the renowned Fundacion Cisneros International rugby tournament in Madrid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ballynahinch RFC</span> Rugby team

Ballynahinch Rugby Club is an Irish rugby union club based in the County Down town of Ballynahinch. Founded in 1954, the club is affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darren Cave</span> Rugby player

Darren Cave is a retired professional Irish rugby union player who played centre for Ulster, sharing the province's appearance record with Andrew Trimble and Rob Herring with 229, and won eleven caps for Ireland.

Queen's University Belfast Rugby Football Club is the rugby union team of Queen's University Belfast, currently playing in Division 2A of the All-Ireland League. Founded in 1869, it is the most successful and oldest continuous rugby union club in Northern Ireland. They originally played as Queen's College, Belfast and have won the Ulster Senior Cup a record 23 times.

Phillip Michael Matthews is a former Ireland rugby union international. He was a member of the Ireland team that won the 1985 Five Nations Championship and the Triple Crown. He represented Ireland at the 1987 and 1991 Rugby World Cups. He also played for both the British and Irish Lions and the Barbarians. He captained both Ireland and the Barbarians. He subsequently served as a rugby union co-commentator with BBC Sport and TV3. Between 2010 and 2016 he served as the President of the National College of Ireland. His daughter, Hannah Matthews, is an Ireland women's field hockey international and played in the 2018 Women's Hockey World Cup final.

Willie Faloon is a rugby union coach and former player from Northern Ireland. His main position was at flanker and he primarily played at openside. Since 2021, he has been an Elite Performance Development Officer with the Ulster Rugby academy. In 2024 he took over from Richie Murphy as head coach of the Ireland under-20 team for the 2024 World Rugby U20 Championship.

Philip Rainey is an Irish rugby union former player who played fullback for Ballymena, Ulster and Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iain Henderson</span> Rugby player

William Iain Henderson is a professional rugby union player who plays as a lock for United Rugby Championship club Ulster and the Ireland national team, and has been selected for two tours with the British & Irish Lions. He has been the captain of Ulster since 2019, and captained Ireland in 2021 and 2023.

Thomas "T. J." Anderson is an Irish former rugby union player who played flanker for Ulster, Connacht, and Ealing Trailfinders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart McCloskey</span> Irish rugby union player (born 1992)

Stuart McCloskey is a professional rugby union player from Northern Ireland, who plays as a centre for United Rugby Championship club Ulster and the Ireland national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Timoney</span> Rugby player

Nick Timoney is an Irish rugby union player, who plays in the back row for Ulster and Ireland. He is regarded as a "hybrid" player, an athletic forward with the pace of a back. He was named in the 2021–22 United Rugby Championship Dream Team.

The 1995–96 season was Ulster Rugby's first season under professionalism. Brian Bloomfield was in his second season as coach. 35-year-old Malone RFC centre Bill Harbinson, who first played for Ulster in 1986, was captain, in his final season before retirement from the game. They played six representative matches, defeating Griqualand West, New Zealand Federation U23 and New South Wales, and losing to a Côte Basque Select XV, the Combined Services and Edinburgh District. They finished second behind Leinster in the IRFU Interprovincial Championship. They were one of three Irish provinces entered into the inaugural Heineken Cup, losing both their pool matches against Cardiff and Bègles-Bordeaux.

The 2022–23 season was Ulster Rugby's 29th season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union. They competed in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. It was Dan McFarland's fifth season as head coach.

The 2023–24 season was Ulster Rugby's 30th season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union. They competed in the United Rugby Championship the European Rugby Champions Cup, and the EPCR Challenge Cup. It was Dan McFarland's sixth season as head coach. Despite some good results, including a home win against Racing 92 in the Champions Cup and an away win against Leinster in the URC, Ulster slipped back in the league, and poor performances against Bath, Harlequins and Toulouse dumped them out of the Champions Cup. After an away defeat in the URC against Ospreys in February, McFarland left his position, replaced by former Ireland under-20 head coach Richie Murphy. CEO Jonny Petrie also left, replaced on an interim basis by Hugh McCaughey. Murphy oversaw two away losses in South Africa and a quarter-final exit in the Challenge Cup, but form improved in the league, with four straight wins, including a home win against Leinster, and a losing bonus point away to Munster secured a quarter-final place, losing away to a full-strength Leinster side, and qualification for next season's Champions Cup.

References

  1. ↑ Nash, Dennis S (29 June 2006). "British Lion a primary star". Newtownards Chronicle.
  2. ↑ "Ulster Dazzle". News Letter. 17 April 1978.
  3. ↑ The Independent, Where are they now? Nigel Carr (Belfast 27/7/59), Wednesday January 18 2006
  4. ↑ Where are they now? Philip Matthews (Gloucester 21/1/60), Compiled by David Kelly published Wednesday November 23 2005
  5. ↑ Smith, Edward (7 October 1979). "Queen's have that certain feeling". Sunday News.
  6. ↑ Smith, Edward (3 May 1981). "Season Sewn Up". Sunday News.
  7. ↑ Stevenson, Mike (25 February 1982). "Irish are the masters". Daily Telegraph.
  8. ↑ "Nearly new Carr". Daily Express. 3 April 1984.
  9. ↑ "Historic Ulster Victory". The Irish News. 15 November 1984.
  10. ↑ Garry Doyle, "A shining light in our darkest decade - so why is one of Ireland's greatest sides undervalued?", The 42.ie, 23 October 2021
  11. ↑ Cleary, Mick (22 April 2020). "Mick Cleary's greatest England XV of the past 50 years – the back row and half-backs". The Telegraph.
  12. ↑ "Scotland's greatest rugby union team: Who made your best XV?". BBC. 7 November 2020.
  13. ↑ Woolford, Anthony (23 January 2015). "The 15 best Welsh openside flankers in history: Who is Wales' most magnificent seven?". WalesOnLine.
  14. ↑ Statsguru / Player analysis / Nigel Carr / Test matches
  15. ↑ "It's a different world since it all began in 1987 - Independent.ie". Archive.wikiwix.com. Archived from the original on 14 February 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  16. ↑ Belfast Telegraph, Historic clash small step to shared future
  17. ↑ "Ulster's greatest XV takes centre stage", Belfast Telegraph, 20 January 2005
  18. ↑ Gavin Mairs, "Kyle selects his Ulster dream XV", Belfast Telegraph, 16 September 2004
  19. ↑ Mairs, Gavin (2004). "Carr holds an open door to Millar's XV". Belfast Telegraph.
  20. ↑ "Kyle named as Greatest Ever Irish Rugby Player". IrishRugby.ie. 5 May 2002.
  21. ↑ "Brendan Gallagher talks to Colin Deans 30 years on from his big Lions let-down", The Rugby Paper, 15 April 2016
  22. ↑ "World Cup Top Team". Rugby World & Post. February 1987.
  23. ↑ Declan Bogue, "'We were left to our own devices coming into the first game - it was a bit like Delaney's Donkey'", The 42.ie, 9 September 2023
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.