Stewart McKinney (rugby union)

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Stewart Alexander McKinney (born 20 November 1946) [1] is a former Ireland international rugby union player from County Tyrone who was capped 25 times by his country. An abrasive back-row forward, he played for the British and Irish Lions on their tour of South Africa in 1974. Known as Stew, he kicked a penalty in the Lions narrow 11-9 victory over the Orange Free State in game 14 and later wrote a book chronicling the Lions undefeated tour. [2]

McKinney represented Ulster and played club rugby for Dungannon before moving to England and joining London Irish.

He suffered whiplash on a number of occasions and in later life this has led to dizziness: McKinney's brain will be donated to medical science after his death. [3]

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References

  1. Griffiths, John (1987). The Phoenix Book of International Rugby Records. London: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. pp. 12:24. ISBN   0-460-07003-7.
  2. 'McKinney tells best Lions Tales'. Lions Rugby, 22 November 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2024
  3. Peter Jackson, 'McKinney will donate his brain to science'. The Rugby Paper, 19 March 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2024