Geordan Murphy
Encyclopedia
Geordan Edward Andrew Murphy (born 19 April 1978 in Dublin) is an Irish
rugby union
rugby player and plays fullback or wing for the English club Leicester Tigers
and Ireland
.
He was officially named George after his father but his mother called him Geordan to avoid confusion. His six brothers and sister all played rugby union. Geordan was educated at Newbridge College
, Newbridge
, Co. Kildare
before attending Waterford Institute of Technology
and De Montfort University
in Leicester
.
Murphy played Gaelic football
at Minor (U18) level with Kildare GAA
in the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship
. In 1997 shortly before he joined Leicester Tigers
he gained his first U18 rugby cap for Ireland. He gradually made his way into the Tigers
' first team squad, while gaining caps for Ireland U21. Opportunities at fullback were limited by the presence of Tim Stimpson
, but he gained a place on the right wing. Murphy played in both of Leicester's back-to-back Heineken Cup
final wins in 2001 & 2002.
In June 2000
, after representing Ireland A
and an Ireland XV, he made his full Ireland
debut against the United States
, scoring twice. The 2000/01 season saw him turning out regularly for Ireland A during the “shadow” Six Nations and led to him being picked for the Barbarians
tour of the UK
and Ireland
that year. The 2001/02 season saw Murphy finishing the season as Tigers
' top try scorer in all competitions. He also scored a try for Ireland
against Samoa
in November 2001, and two more against Wales
in Dublin in that season's Six Nations, but was then injured in the game against England
.
He toured with Ireland
in the summer of 2002
, adding 2 more caps to his tally, but missed the start of Tigers 2002/03 campaign after undergoing surgery. He returned to fitness in time to participate in the Autumn internationals, and his form for his country in the 2003 Six Nations, where he was an ever-present, earned him the accolade of being named Irish Player of the Season by the Irish Rugby Writers.
Murphy broke his leg in Ireland
's last warm-up game against Scotland
at Murrayfield
prior to the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup and did not compete. He was selected for the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
and played in the warm-up test match vs Argentina, then mostly played in the midweek team but was selected at full back for the third and final test.
As he has matured, Murphy prefers full back over wing. His main rivals in recent years for the Ireland full back starting position has been Girvan Dempsey
and Rob Kearney
. It was rumoured that he had a poor working relationship with former Ireland Coach Eddie O'Sullivan
. Murphy was named as the starting full back for Ireland in the crucial game against Argentina on 22 November 2008, and scored one of Ireland's two tries in that game.
He was a member of the victorious Ireland team that won the 2009 Six Nations Championship
and Grand Slam. In May 2009, Murphy was named in the Barbarians squad to play England
and Australia
along with Ireland team mate Gordon D'Arcy
.
He took over the Tigers on the field in the 2008/9 season, when club captain Martin Corry was not in the team, and led them to two finals that season – Heineken Cup and Guinness Premiership
, the latter of which they won. The following season, he was named official club captain, though missed out on much of the season due to injury. He returned in February, to lead the team to a successive Guinness Premiership title, when the Tigers beat Saracens
33–27 in the final.
Murphy was chosen to captain Ireland against the in June 2010.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
rugby union
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...
rugby player and plays fullback or wing for the English club Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
and 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...
.
He was officially named George after his father but his mother called him Geordan to avoid confusion. His six brothers and sister all played rugby union. Geordan was educated at Newbridge College
Newbridge College
Newbridge College is a co-educational fee-paying secondary school in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland, run by the Dominican Order. The Dominican Fathers founded Newbridge College in 1852 as a boarding school for boys...
, Newbridge
Newbridge, County Kildare
The earliest known mention of Newbridge was by traveller and bookseller John Dunton in 1698, though he does not refer to any settlement other than at Ballymany....
, Co. Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
before attending Waterford Institute of Technology
Waterford Institute of Technology
Waterford Institute of Technology is a state funded third-level educational institution situated in the city of Waterford, Ireland. The Institute has six Schools and 16 Departments....
and De Montfort University
De Montfort University
De Montfort University is a public research and teaching university situated in the medieval Old Town of Leicester, England, adjacent to the River Soar and the Leicester Castle Gardens...
in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
.
Murphy played Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
at Minor (U18) level with Kildare GAA
Kildare GAA
For more information see Kildare Senior Club Football Championship or Kildare Senior Club Hurling Championship.The Kildare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Kildare GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kildare...
in the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship
All-Ireland Minor Football Championship
The All-Ireland Minor Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for under-18 competitors of the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland...
. In 1997 shortly before he joined Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
he gained his first U18 rugby cap for Ireland. He gradually made his way into the Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
' first team squad, while gaining caps for Ireland U21. Opportunities at fullback were limited by the presence of Tim Stimpson
Tim Stimpson
Timothy Richard George Stimpson is a former rugby union international full back . During his career he played for Wakefield, West Hartlepool, Newcastle Falcons, Leicester Tigers, Perpignan, Leeds Tykes and Nottingham, England and the British Lions...
, but he gained a place on the right wing. Murphy played in both of Leicester's back-to-back 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,...
final wins in 2001 & 2002.
In June 2000
2000 Ireland rugby union tour of The Americas
2000 Ireland rugby union tour of the Americas. The 2000 Ireland national rugby union team summer tour saw them play three Test matches against Argentina, the United States and Canada. The touring party included two sets of brothers - Simon and Guy Easterby and David and Paul Wallace . The second...
, after representing Ireland A
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...
and an Ireland XV, he made his full 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...
debut against the United States
United States national rugby union team
USA Rugby's men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States in the sport of rugby union. The Eagles are currently ranked 17th by the IRB World Rankings. Their highest ranking was from November 2, 2006 – September 10, 2007 at the 14th position...
, scoring twice. The 2000/01 season saw him turning out regularly for Ireland A during the “shadow” Six Nations and led to him being picked for the Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
tour of the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
that year. The 2001/02 season saw Murphy finishing the season as Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
' top try scorer in all competitions. He also scored a try 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...
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...
in November 2001, and two more against Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
in Dublin in that season's Six Nations, but was then injured in the game 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...
.
He toured with 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...
in the summer of 2002
2002 Ireland rugby union tour of New Zealand
---------Touring party:* Manager: Brian O'Brien* Coach: Eddie O'Sullivan* Assistant Coach: Declan Kidney* Captain: Keith Wood-Backs:-Forwards:---------Touring party:* Manager: Brian O'Brien* Coach: Eddie O'Sullivan...
, adding 2 more caps to his tally, but missed the start of Tigers 2002/03 campaign after undergoing surgery. He returned to fitness in time to participate in the Autumn internationals, and his form for his country in the 2003 Six Nations, where he was an ever-present, earned him the accolade of being named Irish Player of the Season by the Irish Rugby Writers.
Murphy broke his leg in 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...
's last warm-up game against Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
at Murrayfield
Murrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one...
prior to the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup and did not compete. He was selected for the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
In 2005 the British and Irish Lions rugby union team toured New Zealand for the first time since 1993, playing 7 tour matches against first and second division clubs from the National Provincial Championship series, 1 tour match against the national New Zealand all Māori club, and 3 official test...
and played in the warm-up test match vs Argentina, then mostly played in the midweek team but was selected at full back for the third and final test.
As he has matured, Murphy prefers full back over wing. His main rivals in recent years for the Ireland full back starting position has been Girvan Dempsey
Girvan Dempsey
Girvan Dempsey is a retired rugby union footballer who played at full back for Leinster and Ireland.- Rugby career :...
and Rob Kearney
Rob Kearney
Robert Kearney , also referred to as Rob Kearney, is an Irish rugby union footballer who currently plays for UCD, Leinster and Ireland. As a youth he also played rugby union for Clongowes Wood College and Gaelic football for Louth in the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship...
. It was rumoured that he had a poor working relationship with former Ireland Coach Eddie O'Sullivan
Eddie O'Sullivan
Eddie O'Sullivan is an Irish rugby union coach and a former footballer. He is a former head coach of the United States national rugby union team and of the Ireland national rugby union team....
. Murphy was named as the starting full back for Ireland in the crucial game against Argentina on 22 November 2008, and scored one of Ireland's two tries in that game.
He was a member of the victorious Ireland team that won the 2009 Six Nations Championship
2009 Six Nations Championship
The 2009 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2009 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the tenth Six Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition contested by the six major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams...
and Grand Slam. In May 2009, Murphy was named in the Barbarians squad to play 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...
and 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...
along with Ireland team mate Gordon D'Arcy
Gordon D'Arcy
Gordon William D'Arcy is an Irish rugby player, more specifically an inside centre. He is registered to Lansdowne RFC and plays for provincial and RaboDirect Pro12 side Leinster.-Career:...
.
He took over the Tigers on the field in the 2008/9 season, when club captain Martin Corry was not in the team, and led them to two finals that season – Heineken Cup and Guinness Premiership
2008-09 Guinness Premiership
-Table:-Round 1:-Round 2:-Round 3:-Round 4:-Round 5:-Round 6:-Round 7:-Round 8:-Round 9:-Round 10:-Round 11:-Round 12:-Rearranged fixtures:-Round 13:-Round 14:...
, the latter of which they won. The following season, he was named official club captain, though missed out on much of the season due to injury. He returned in February, to lead the team to a successive Guinness Premiership title, when the Tigers beat Saracens
Saracens F.C.
Saracens are a professional rugby union team based in St. Albans, England – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in Watford. They are currently members of the Aviva Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England...
33–27 in the final.
Murphy was chosen to captain Ireland against the in June 2010.