Date of birth | 31 May 1990 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Place of birth | Christchurch, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 95 kg (15.0 st; 209 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | Christchurch Boys' High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Tyler Bleyendaal (born 31 May 1990) is a New Zealand former rugby union player and current coach. Primarily a fly-half who could also play at centre, Bleyendaal played for Canterbury, Crusaders and Munster during his playing career, before he was forced to retire from rugby in May 2020 after a persistent neck injury. [1] He returned to New Zealand and joined the Hurricanes coaching team in December 2020. [2]
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2021) |
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2021) |
Bleyendaal made his debut for the Crusaders in 2012 against the Blues at Eden Park in round 1. He was a key player in the game, scoring 14 points to help the Crusaders to a 19–18 win.[ citation needed ]
On 11 May 2014, it was announced that Bleyendaal will join Irish province Munster on a three-year contract starting from 1 November 2014. [3] Due to a neck injury, Bleyendaal didn't arrive in Munster until January 2015. [4]
Bleyendaal made his return from the injury on 29 April 2015, starting for Munster A in their friendly against Ulster Ravens and completing 60 minutes. [5] He made his full debut for Munster on 5 September 2015, coming off the bench against Benetton. [6] In January 2016, Bleyendaal was ruled out for 12 weeks with a quadriceps tendon injury. [7]
On 22 October 2016, Bleyendaal scored 16 points, including a try, and won the Man-of-the-Match award in Munster's 38–17 win against Glasgow Warriors in Round 2 of the 2016–17 European Rugby Champions Cup, a match that was his European debut for the province. [8] On 10 December 2016, Bleyendaal scored 18 points off the tee in Munster's 38–0 win against Leicester Tigers. [9] On 24 January 2017, it was announced that Bleyendaal had signed a contract extension. [10]
On 3 February 2017, Bleyendaal captained Munster for the first time, leading the side in the 2016–17 Pro12 fixture against Edinburgh. [11] On 1 April 2017, Bleyendaal scored 21 points off the kicking tee in Munster's 41–16 Champions Cup quarter-final win against Toulouse. [12] On 4 May 2017, it was announced that Bleyendaal had won the 2016–17 Munster Rugby Senior Player of the Year award, having been nominated by his teammates alongside John Ryan and Niall Scannell. [13] [14] He was also named in the 2016–17 Pro12 Dream Team. [15]
On 17 February 2018, Bleyendaal made his return from a neck injury that had prevented him from playing since Munster's Champions Cup game against Castres in October 2017, doing so when he came off the bench to replace Ian Keatley against Cardiff Blues in the 2017–18 Pro14 and kicking a late penalty to earn his side a losing bonus-point. [16] [17] However, ongoing symptoms of his neck injury required surgery, ruling Bleyendaal out for the remainder of the 2017–18 season. [18]
Bleyendaal made his return to training for Munster in September 2018 [19] and made his return to playing off the bench for Munster A on 12 October 2018, playing 30 minutes. [20] Bleyendaal made his first senior Munster appearance since February 2018 in the provinces 2018–19 Pro14 fixture against Cheetahs, with Bleyendaal starting at inside centre and captaining the side to a 30–26 away victory. [21] He signed a contract extension with Munster in February 2019, a deal that will see Bleyendaal remain with the province until at least June 2021. [22] Bleyendaal earned his 50th cap for Munster in their 31–12 win against Zebre on 23 March 2019. [23]
Bleyendaal was forced to retire from rugby with immediate effect in May 2020 due to a persistent neck injury, which was sustained while he was playing in New Zealand and recurred on multiple occasions during his time with Munster. [1] [24]
Bleyendaal captained New Zealand Under-20 to victory in the 2010 IRB Junior World Championship. [25] He qualified for Ireland in January 2018 under World Rugby's residence rules, and as such, Bleyendaal was called up as a non-playing guest to the Ireland international camp in August 2017. [26]
Following his retirement due to injury, Bleyendaal returned to New Zealand and joined the Hurricanes coaching setup, where former Munster player Jason Holland is head coach, in December 2020. [2]
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.
Albert Samuel "Alby" Mathewson is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half.
Billy Holland is an Irish former rugby union player, who spent his entire career playing for his native province of Munster, whilst also earning a single international cap for Ireland. He played primarily as a lock, though also played flanker occasionally, and represented Cork Constitution in the All-Ireland League.
The Southern Kings were a South African professional rugby union team that competed in Super Rugby and Pro14. They were based in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape province and played their home matches at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. They were created in 2009, and had their first match against the British & Irish Lions during their 2009 tour. After competing in Super Rugby in 2013, 2016 and 2017, they joined Pro14 prior to the 2017–18 season, along with the Cheetahs.
Tommy O'Donnell is an Irish former rugby union player, who spent his entire career with his native province of Munster, whilst also earning 13 international caps for Ireland. After retiring in 2021, O'Donnell moved into coaching and joined Munster's academy staff in 2022.
John William Ryan is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a prop for United Rugby Championship club Munster.
Christiaan Johan Stander is a South African-born Irish former rugby union player. Stander's career began in his native South Africa, where he played for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup between 2010 and 2012 and for the Bulls in Super Rugby in 2012. He moved to Irish province Munster in 2012 and, after qualifying via residency in 2015, made his debut for Ireland in 2016, going on to earn 51 caps for his adopted country, as well as 1 cap for the British & Irish Lions in 2017, before retiring in 2021.
Jacob Johannes Taute is a South African retired rugby union player. He played as a fullback or centre, he won three caps for South Africa. Taute played for the Stormers and the Lions in Super Rugby, the Golden Lions and Western Province in the Currie Cup, Munster in the Pro14 and Leicester Tigers in Premiership Rugby.
Dave Rennie is a New Zealand and Cook Islands professional rugby union coach and former player. He will take over the Kobe Steelers as head coach for the 2023-24 season. He previously was the head coach of the Australia national rugby union team from 2020 to 2023, having previously coached New Zealand sides the Chiefs, Manawatu, Wellington, the New Zealand U20, as well as in Scotland, with Glasgow Warriors from 2017 to 2020. Rennie's playing position was Centre. In November 2019 he was named the head coach of the Australian national team until being sacked in January 2023.
Darren Sweetnam is an Irish rugby union player for French Pro D2 club Oyonnax. He plays as a wing but can also play fullback. Sweetnam is also a former inter-county hurler with Cork and has played underage hockey for Ireland.
Blade Neville Thomson is a former professional rugby union player who played as a lock or loose forward. Born in Auckland, New Zealand, he represented Scotland in international rugby, being eligible for the national team through his paternal grandfather, Robert, who was from Wishaw. He played for Taranaki in the ITM Cup and for the Super Rugby franchise the Hurricanes, and spent the last five years of his career playing in Wales for the Scarlets.
Jamison Ratu Gibson-Park is a professional rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for United Rugby Championship club Leinster. Born in New Zealand, he represents Ireland at international level after qualifying on residency grounds. Gibson-Park received Irish citizenship in December 2023.
John Cooney is an Irish rugby union player who plays scrum-half for Irish provincial side Ulster in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup, having previously played for Leinster and Connacht, and has eleven caps for Ireland. Since joining Ulster in 2017, he has been nominated for EPCR European Player of the Year once, been named in the Pro14 Dream Team four times, and been Ulster's player of the year twice.
Kevin O'Byrne is an Irish rugby union player for English club Ealing Trailfinders in the RFU Championship. He plays as a hooker.
Dan Goggin is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a centre for French Pro D2 club Montauban.
Conor Oliver is an Irish rugby union player for United Rugby Championship side Connacht. He plays as a flanker and represents Garryowen in the All-Ireland League.
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.
Bill Johnston is an Irish rugby union player for English RFU Championship club Richmond. He plays as a fly-half and previously represented his native province of Munster, their provincial rivals Ulster, English club Ealing and, in the amateur All-Ireland League, Limerick club Garryowen.
Steve Crosbie is an Irish former rugby union player. He primarily played as a fly-half, but has also played at centre. A former student at St. Gerard's School in Bray, Crosbie came through the academy of his native province, Leinster, and has played at amateur level for Old Belvedere and New Zealand provincial side Wanganui.
The 2019–20 Munster Rugby season was Munster's nineteenth season competing in the Pro14, alongside which they also competed in the European Rugby Champions Cup. It was Johann van Graan's third season as head coach.