Denis Leamy
Encyclopedia
Denis Leamy is an Irish professional rugby union
player. He is a back row forward who can play either blind side flanker
or at number 8, and has occasionally played at inside centre. He plays club rugby for Munster
in the RaboDirect Pro12
and Heineken Cup
, and internationally for Ireland
.
and he initially dreamed of following in the footsteps of his heroes Nicky English
or Pat Fox
. He played for his local GAA side, Boherlahan-Dualla, where his early physical strength was noted. His initial introduction to rugby was somewhat accidental, and occurred when he accompanied his two brothers, Ed and Kev, along to a trial game with his local rugby club, Cashel RFC. He harboured some initial reservations, but despite that he joined in the game and kept going back to play at the club.
A neighbour and family friend recommended that he change schools to join Rockwell College
, a school heavily focused on rugby. Leamy gave up on hurling when he was 18, concentrating instead on rugby and a possible professional career.
Leamy enrolled in Rockwell College
when he was 15. In his first year there, he was heavily involved in their successful march on the Munster Schools Junior Cup
in 1997. He played for Rockwell Senior Cup Team for three years, the first of which he played at inside centre, before switching back to his more favoured backrow position of number 8. During this time, he was called to Clongowes for trials for the Ireland Schools team and ended up playing a key role in the Irish Schools' tour of Australia in 2000 when they won all eight games.
. A second incident resulted in a citation and a suspension, and it was due to this citing that Leamy missed an U21 game against Wales. Leamy captained the side in their final match against France. Leamy moved on from his international schools career to be picked for the Ireland U21 team, where he was capped. He was involved in another incident, again being cited, and this citation meant that Leamy was banned from attending the U21 World Cup. Leamy's temper was given further ammunition during the same season when he was playing for UCC in Division 2 of the AIL. Leamy was cited and punished for an incident in a game against Terenure College RFC
, before returning that year.
, Leamy went to CIT
to study Leisure Management, and started to play for UCC in the second division of the AIL. Declan Kidney brought him into the Munster setup on a development contract and he was awarded his first Munster cap at the age of 19. In the 2003/2004 season, Leamy moved from a development contract to a full time contract.
The highlights of Leamy's career with Munster
is undoubtedly winning the Heineken Cup
twice, first in 2006 and then again in 2008, scoring a try in the final. He was also the province's top try scorer in the 2006/2007 season with 7 tries.He captained Munster for part of the 2010-11 season in the absence of Paul O'Connell.
debut against Italy
, this time in the number 7 jersey.
As Leamy was not selected for the 2009 British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa, he played in Ireland's 2009 Summer Tests. He played against Australia
and Fiji
in the 2009 November Tests before injury ruled him out of the remaining match against South Africa
. He missed the 2010 Six Nations and Summer Tests through injury, but returned to play against Samoa
, New Zealand and Argentina
in the 2010 November Tests. He played in four of Ireland's 2011 Six Nations games, and won his 50th cap for Ireland when he came on as a replacement against England
in March 2011. Leamy was selected in Ireland's training squad for the 2011 World Cup warm-ups in August, and was also selected in the final 30-man squad to travel to New Zealand.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player. He is a back row forward who can play either blind side flanker
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
or at number 8, and has occasionally played at inside centre. He plays club rugby for Munster
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
in the RaboDirect Pro12
Celtic League (rugby union)
The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
and Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
, and internationally for Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
.
Schools career
Leamy's first sport was hurlingHurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
and he initially dreamed of following in the footsteps of his heroes Nicky English
Nicky English
Nicholas J. English , better known as Nicky English, is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club Lattin-Cullen and with the Tipperary senior inter-county team from 1982 until 1996...
or Pat Fox
Pat Fox
Pat Fox is a former Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Éire Óg] Anacarty and with the Tipperary senior inter-county team in the 1980s and 1990s.-Club:...
. He played for his local GAA side, Boherlahan-Dualla, where his early physical strength was noted. His initial introduction to rugby was somewhat accidental, and occurred when he accompanied his two brothers, Ed and Kev, along to a trial game with his local rugby club, Cashel RFC. He harboured some initial reservations, but despite that he joined in the game and kept going back to play at the club.
A neighbour and family friend recommended that he change schools to join Rockwell College
Rockwell College
Rockwell College, founded in 1864, is a private Catholic secondary school near Cashel, South Tipperary in Ireland. It offers day as well as full boarding. Rockwell is run by the Holy Ghost Fathers.-Politics:...
, a school heavily focused on rugby. Leamy gave up on hurling when he was 18, concentrating instead on rugby and a possible professional career.
Leamy enrolled in Rockwell College
Rockwell College
Rockwell College, founded in 1864, is a private Catholic secondary school near Cashel, South Tipperary in Ireland. It offers day as well as full boarding. Rockwell is run by the Holy Ghost Fathers.-Politics:...
when he was 15. In his first year there, he was heavily involved in their successful march on the Munster Schools Junior Cup
Munster Schools Junior Cup
The Munster Schools Junior Cup or Munster Junior Cup is the under-age rugby union competition for schools affiliated to the Munster Branch of the IRFU with team members under 15 years of age....
in 1997. He played for Rockwell Senior Cup Team for three years, the first of which he played at inside centre, before switching back to his more favoured backrow position of number 8. During this time, he was called to Clongowes for trials for the Ireland Schools team and ended up playing a key role in the Irish Schools' tour of Australia in 2000 when they won all eight games.
Under 21 international honours
Leamy acquired a reputation after an incident with a player from Old BelvedereOld Belvedere
Old Belvedere is a senior rugby club in Dublin, Ireland, based at Anglesea Road. Old Belvedere R.F.C. was founded in 1930. Originally an exclusive club for past pupils of Belvedere College the club became 'open' to all players on 22 April 1976....
. A second incident resulted in a citation and a suspension, and it was due to this citing that Leamy missed an U21 game against Wales. Leamy captained the side in their final match against France. Leamy moved on from his international schools career to be picked for the Ireland U21 team, where he was capped. He was involved in another incident, again being cited, and this citation meant that Leamy was banned from attending the U21 World Cup. Leamy's temper was given further ammunition during the same season when he was playing for UCC in Division 2 of the AIL. Leamy was cited and punished for an incident in a game against Terenure College RFC
Terenure College RFC
Terenure College RFC was founded on November 14th 1940. It is a senior rugby club in Dublin, Ireland.-History:Terenure College RFC was founded on November 14th 1940. With a great love for the game and concerned that past pupils were not playing rugby union after leaving school, Rev...
, before returning that year.
Provincial honours
After finishing school in RockwellRockwell College
Rockwell College, founded in 1864, is a private Catholic secondary school near Cashel, South Tipperary in Ireland. It offers day as well as full boarding. Rockwell is run by the Holy Ghost Fathers.-Politics:...
, Leamy went to CIT
CIT
-Educational institutions:*California Institute of Technology *Canberra Institute of Technology*Carnegie Institute of Technology, the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University...
to study Leisure Management, and started to play for UCC in the second division of the AIL. Declan Kidney brought him into the Munster setup on a development contract and he was awarded his first Munster cap at the age of 19. In the 2003/2004 season, Leamy moved from a development contract to a full time contract.
The highlights of Leamy's career with Munster
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
is undoubtedly winning the Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
twice, first in 2006 and then again in 2008, scoring a try in the final. He was also the province's top try scorer in the 2006/2007 season with 7 tries.He captained Munster for part of the 2010-11 season in the absence of Paul O'Connell.
Senior international honours
Leamy was selected in the Ireland Squad in November 2004. He played against the US Eagles, and played at Number 8 for Ireland for the first time in a 7–45 drubbing by New Zealand. In the following year, Leamy made his Six NationsSix Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
debut against Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
, this time in the number 7 jersey.
As Leamy was not selected for the 2009 British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa, he played in Ireland's 2009 Summer Tests. He played against Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
and Fiji
Fiji national rugby union team
The Fiji national rugby union team is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance formerly along with Samoa and Tonga. In 2009, Samoa announced their departure from the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, leaving just Fiji and Tonga. Fiji are ranked sixteenth in the world by the IRB as of 26...
in the 2009 November Tests before injury ruled him out of the remaining match against South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
. He missed the 2010 Six Nations and Summer Tests through injury, but returned to play against Samoa
Samoa national rugby union team
The Manu Samoa is the men's representative side of the Samoa Rugby Union in both the 15's and the 7's for international competitions. The Samoa Rugby Union is owned by the affiliated rugby unions of Samoa. In Samoa, Manu Samoa is in honour of a famous Samoan warrior. From 1924 to 1997 Samoa was...
, New Zealand and Argentina
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
in the 2010 November Tests. He played in four of Ireland's 2011 Six Nations games, and won his 50th cap for Ireland when he came on as a replacement against England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
in March 2011. Leamy was selected in Ireland's training squad for the 2011 World Cup warm-ups in August, and was also selected in the final 30-man squad to travel to New Zealand.