Conor Murray (born 20 April 1989) is an Irish
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...
player who plays for
Munster in the
United Rugby Championship
The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. The current name was adopted in 2021 when the league expanded to include four South Afr ...
and
European Rugby Champions Cup. Internationally, Murray has represented
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and the
British & Irish Lions
The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The Lions are a test side and most often select players who have already played for their national ...
, whom he captained temporarily in 2021. He plays as a
scrum-half and represents
Garryowen in the
All-Ireland League.
Early life
Murray was born in
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
,
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, where he attended
St. Munchin's College
St. Munchin's College is a second-level education college located in Corbally, Limerick, Ireland. The school was founded in 1796. It is a Diocesan CollegeDiocese of Limerick > Education > Post Primary or minor seminary.
College Crest
The colle ...
and was part of the same
Munster Schools Rugby Senior Cup The Munster Schools Senior Cup or Munster Senior Cup is the under-age rugby union competition for schools affiliated to the Munster Branch of the IRFU.
The inaugural Munster Schools Senior Cup took place in 1909 and, since then, Cork city's two ...
squad as current Munster and Ireland colleague
Keith Earls
Keith Gerard Earls (born 2 October 1987) is an Irish rugby union player for Munster in the United Rugby Championship and European Rugby Champions Cup. Internationally, Earls plays for Ireland and represented the British & Irish Lions on their ...
.
Munster
2010–2015
Murray made his competitive debut for Munster against
Connacht
Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Del ...
in the
Celtic League
The Celtic League is a pan-Celtic organisation, founded in 1961, that aims to promote modern Celtic identity and culture in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall and the Isle of Man – referred to as the Celtic nations; it places part ...
on 18 April 2010, coming on as a blood replacement. He part of the
Munster A
Munster Rugby ( ga, Rugbaí Mumhan) is one of the four professional provincial rugby union, rugby teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents the Iris ...
team that lost the final of the
2009–10 British and Irish Cup
The 2009–10 British and Irish Cup was the first season of the annual rugby union competition for second tier, semi-professional clubs from Britain and Ireland. First round matches began on Friday 20 November 2009 and the final was held on Sun ...
to
Cornish Pirates
The Cornish Pirates ( kw, An Vorladron Gernewek) are a professional rugby union team who play in the Championship, the second level of the English rugby union pyramid, and are the premier Cornish rugby club. Formerly known as Penzance & Newlyn ...
on 16 May 2010. Murray came off the bench to replace
Duncan Williams
Duncan Williams (born 17 April 1986) is an Irish rugby union player. He plays as a scrum-half and represents Cork Constitution in the All-Ireland League.
Munster
Williams made his Munster debut against Connacht in December 2009. He made his ...
during Munster's historic 15–6 victory against
Australia on 16 November 2010. He made his European debut against
Brive in April 2011. On 28 May 2011, he started at scrum-half against
Leinster
Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of ...
in the
2011 Celtic League Grand Final
The 2010-11 Celtic League Grand Final was the final match of the 2010–11 Celtic League season. The final was won by Munster who defeated Leinster by 19–9 at Thomond Park to claim their third Celtic League title.
Background and Build Up
2010 ...
, which Munster won 19–9 in
Thomond Park
Thomond Park is a stadium in Limerick in the Irish province of Munster. The stadium is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union and has Munster Rugby, Shannon RFC and UL Bohemian RFC as tenants. Limerick FC played home games in Thomond Park fr ...
. In his first full
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and ...
with Munster, Murray won the John McCarthy Award for Academy Player of the Year.
Murray made his
Heineken Cup debut for Munster against
Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints (officially Northampton Rugby Football Club) is a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby.
They were formed in 1880 as "Northampton St. James", ...
on 12 November 2011. He won the
Man-of-the-Match
In team sport, a player of the match or man of the match or woman of the match award is often given to the most outstanding player in a particular match. This can be a player from either team, although the player is generally chosen from the winn ...
award for Munster in their Heineken Cup Round 4 match against
Scarlets
The Scarlets () are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams and are based in Llanelli, Wales. Their home ground is the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup (which ...
on 18 December 2011. Murray made his comeback from the knee injury he suffered in the 2012 Six Nations in the Heineken Cup quarter-final against Ulster on 8 April 2012. He scored his first try for Munster in the
United Rugby Championship
The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. The current name was adopted in 2021 when the league expanded to include four South Afr ...
league fixture against
Glasgow Warriors
Glasgow Warriors are a professional rugby union side from Scotland. The team plays in the United Rugby Championship league and in the European Professional Club Rugby tournaments. In the 2014–15 season they won the Pro12 title and became t ...
on 14 April 2012. Murray won another Man-of-the-Match award in Munster's league game against
Ulster
Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...
on 5 May 2012.
During Munster's first
2012–13 Heineken Cup game on 13 October 2012 against
Racing 92
Racing 92 () is a French rugby union club based in suburban Paris that was formed in 2001 with the collaboration of the Racing Club de France and US Métro. They were called Racing Métro 92 between 2001 and 2015, when they changed the name ...
, Murray gave away a penalty late in the game to give Racing the lead, and they went on to achieve an unlikely win. His performance improved in Munster's second pool match against
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
on 21 October, with Murray scoring Munster's first of four tries in a 33–0 bonus-point victory. Murray scored a try in Munster's crucial victory against
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
on 13 January 2013, and he scored again as Munster beat
Racing 92
Racing 92 () is a French rugby union club based in suburban Paris that was formed in 2001 with the collaboration of the Racing Club de France and US Métro. They were called Racing Métro 92 between 2001 and 2015, when they changed the name ...
29–6 to secure a place in the quarter-finals. He started in Munster 18–12 Heineken Cup quarter-final victory over
Harlequins on 7 April 2013. Murray also started the 16–10 semi-final defeat to
Clermont Auvergne
Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne () is a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system. Clermont are two times French ...
.
![Connor Murray and Simon Zebo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Connor_Murray_and_Simon_Zebo.jpg)
Murray started for Munster against
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
in their opening round 29–23 defeat in the
2013–14 Heineken Cup on 12 October 2013. He again started for Munster in the second round game against
Gloucester
Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...
on 19 October 2013, which Munster won 26–10. He started Munster's 36–8 win against
Perpignan on 8 December 2013, but went off injured in the first-half. Murray signed a new two-year contract with Munster and the
IRFU
The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) ( ga, Cumann Rugbaí na hÉireann) is the body managing rugby union in the island of Ireland (both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland). The IRFU has its head office at 10/12 Lansdowne Road and ...
in December 2013. As a result of a knee injury he suffered against Perpignan, Murray was ruled out for six weeks.
Murray returned to full training on 6 January 2014, two weeks ahead of schedule. Murray started the 20–7 away win against
Gloucester
Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...
on 11 January 2013, a win that secured quarter-final qualification. He started against
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
on 19 January 2014, scoring a try in the 38–6 Round 6 win that secured a home quarter-final. Murray started in Munster's 47–23 Heineken Cup quarter-final win against
Toulouse
Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Pa ...
on 5 April 2014. He started in Munster's 24–16 semi-final defeat against
Toulon
Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
on 27 April 2014. He converted two tries for Munster in their 55–12 win against
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
on 3 May 2014. Murray won the 2014 Munster Senior Player of the Year Award on 8 May 2014.
Murray captained Munster against
Ospreys on 27 September 2014. He was Man-of-the-Match in Munster's 34–23 win against
Leinster
Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of ...
on 4 October 2014. Murray started in Munster's first
European Rugby Champions Cup game against
Sale Sharks on 18 October 2014, scoring a try. He started against
Saracens in Round 2 of the Champions Cup on 24 October 2014, earning the Man-of-the-Match award in the 14–3 win for Munster. Murray started against
Clermont Auvergne
Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne () is a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system. Clermont are two times French ...
on 6 December 2014. He also started in the reverse fixture against Clermont on 14 December 2014.
Murray was ruled out of the game against Saracens on 17 January 2015 with a neck injury. He also missed the final pool game against Sale Sharks on 25 January 2015 because of the injury. Murray scored a try and won the Man-of-the-Match award in Munster's 34–3 win against
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
on 11 April 2015. He scored a
hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...
of tries and won the Man-of-the-Match award in Munster's 50–27 win against
Dragons
A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
on 16 May 2015.
Murray started the opening pool game of the
2015–16 European Rugby Champions Cup
The 2015–16 European Rugby Champions Cup was the second European Rugby Champions Cup championship (21st overall), the annual rugby union club competition for teams from the top six nations in European rugby. The European Rugby Champions Cup repl ...
against
Benetton on 14 November 2015. He started against
Leicester Tigers in the Champions Cup on 12 December 2015.
2016–2021
Murray signed a new three-year contract with Munster and the IRFU in January 2016. On 24 September 2016, Murray scored two tries in Munster's 28–14 win against
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
. On 6 May 2017, Murray made his return from the injury he sustained during the 2017 Six Nations when he came off the bench in Munster's
2016–17 Pro12
The 2016–17 Pro12 (also known as the ''Guinness Pro12'' for sponsorship reasons) was the sixteenth season of the professional rugby union competition originally known as the Celtic League, and the seventh with a four-country format. It was the ...
fixture against
Connacht
Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Del ...
. On 10 May 2017, Murray won the
Rugby Players Ireland
The Rugby Players Ireland is the representative body for professional rugby players in Ireland. Founded in October 2001, its aims are to promote and protect the welfare of professional rugby players in Ireland. The Chief Executive Officer is Si ...
''Players' Player of the Year'' Award, becoming the third Munster player in a row to win the accolade after
CJ Stander
Christiaan Johan Stander (born 5 April 1990) is a South African-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 ...
(2016) and
Paul O'Connell
Paul Jeremiah O'Connell (born 20 October 1979) is an Irish former rugby union player and coach. When he stopped playing, he was Ireland's third most-capped player (108) and the eighteenth most-capped international player in rugby union histo ...
(2015). On 27 May 2017, Murray won his 100th cap for Munster when he started against
Scarlets
The Scarlets () are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams and are based in Llanelli, Wales. Their home ground is the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup (which ...
in the
2017 Pro12 Grand Final, which the Welsh side won 46–22.
Murray won the Rugby Writers of Ireland Player of the Year award in October 2017. Murray scored Munster's first try in their 20–19 win against
Toulon
Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
in the quarter-finals of the
2017–18 European Rugby Champions Cup
The 2017–18 European Rugby Champions Cup was the fourth European Rugby Champions Cup championship (23rd overall), the annual rugby union club competition for teams from the top six nations in European rugby and was the twenty-third season of pan ...
on 31 March 2018. He scored a try and a 65th minute 57-metre penalty to earn Munster a 19–17 away win against
Cheetahs
The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being , and as such has evolved specialized ...
on 13 April 2018, a win that secured a home quarter-final for the province in the league play-offs. Murray was nominated for the Rugby Players Ireland ''Players' Player of the Year'' award, an accolade he'd won the previous season, when the nominees were announced in April 2018.
Murray signed a contract extension with Munster and the IRFU in September 2018. Having missed the opening stages on the 2018–19 season due to a neck injury, including the
2018 Autumn Tests, Murray made his return from injury during Munster's
Pro14
The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. The current name was adopted in 2021 when the league expanded to include four South Afr ...
round 9 fixture against Italian side
Zebre
Zebre Parma (, meaning "Zebras") are an Italian professional rugby union team competing in the United Rugby Championship and EPCR competitions from the 2012–13 season. They are based in Parma (Emilia-Romagna), Italy. They are operated by the ...
, featuring off the bench and replacing
Neil Cronin in the second-half of the provinces 32–7 away win. Murray won his 50th Champions Cup cap in Munster's 9–7 victory against
Exeter Chiefs
Exeter Chiefs (officially Exeter Rugby Club) is an English professional rugby union club based in Exeter, Devon. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby.
The club was founded in 1871 and since 2006 has played its home m ...
during round 6 of the
2018–19 tournament on 19 January 2019, a result that ensured Munster advanced to a record 18th Champions Cup quarter-final.
Murray earned his 150th cap for Munster in their 24–20 home defeat against provincial rivals
Connacht
Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Del ...
in round 3 of the
Pro14 Rainbow Cup
The Pro14 Rainbow Cup (also known as the Guinness Pro14 Rainbow Cup for sponsorship reasons) was a professional rugby union end-of-season cup competition played in 2021 that consisted of two separate tournaments: the Rainbow Cup for twelve Europe ...
on 14 May 2021. He signed a contract extension with Munster and the
IRFU
The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) ( ga, Cumann Rugbaí na hÉireann) is the body managing rugby union in the island of Ireland (both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland). The IRFU has its head office at 10/12 Lansdowne Road and ...
in December 2021, a deal that will see Murray remain with his home province until at least July 2024.
Ireland
2011–2014
Murray was selected in Ireland's training squad for the
2011 Rugby World Cup warm-ups in August. He made his Ireland debut against
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
as a substitute on 13 August 2011. His second cap came two weeks later against
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, again as a substitute. He was also selected in Ireland's final 30-man squad for the World Cup in New Zealand. Murray's first start, and third cap, came against the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
in Ireland's opening
Pool C
Pool may refer to:
Water pool
* Swimming pool, usually an artificial structure containing a large body of water intended for swimming
* Reflecting pool, a shallow pool designed to reflect a structure and its surroundings
* Tide pool, a rocky po ...
match of the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Murray came off the bench during Ireland's historic 15–6 victory against
Australia at the World Cup. He started for Ireland in their final Pool C game against
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, putting a strong performance as Ireland won 36–6. He was retained as scrum-half in Ireland's
quarter-final
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
against
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
, which Ireland lost 22–10.
Murray was selected in Ireland's 24-man squad for the
2012 Six Nations Championship
The 2012 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2012 RBS 6 Nations due to the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 13th series of the Six Nations Championship. The annual northern hemisphere rugby union championship wa ...
. He made his Six Nations debut when he started for Ireland in their opening match against Wales on 5 February 2012, a game which Ireland lost 23–21. A knee injury sustained in the Test against
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
on 4 March 2012 ruled Murray out for the remainder of the 2012 Six Nations, as the injury required a recovery period of 3–4 weeks. Murray retained the Ireland number 9 jersey for the first test against
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
on 9 June 2012. He also started the second test against New Zealand a week later and, during the game, scored his first try for Ireland. Murray started the third test, which Ireland lost 60–0, their heaviest ever defeat.
Murray continued in the number 9 jersey for Ireland's opening
2012 Autumn Series test against
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
on 10 November 2012. Murray also started in Ireland's uncapped friendly against
Fiji on 17 November 2012, and against
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
on 24 November 2012.
Murray was named in Ireland's training squad for the
2013 Six Nations Championship
The 2013 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2013 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 14th series of the Six Nations Championship, the annual northern hemisphere rugby union championship ...
on 17 January 2013. He started at scrum-half for Ireland's opening 30–22 win against Wales on 2 February 2013, their 12–6 defeat to England on 10 February 2013, and the 12–8 loss to Scotland. He put in an outstanding performance to win the Man-of-the Match award in Ireland's 13–13 draw with France. He started in Ireland's final game of the tournament, a 22–15 loss to Italy, on 16 March 2013.
On 23 October 2013, Murray was named in the Ireland squad for the
2013 Autumn Tests. He started against
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...
on 9 November 2013. He came off the bench against
Australia on 16 November 2013. Murray regained his starting place for the test against
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
on 24 November 2013, scoring his second try for Ireland during the game, which New Zealand narrowly won 24–22.
On 27 January 2014, Murray was named in Ireland's 34-man squad for the opening two fixtures of the
2014 Six Nations Championship
The 2014 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2014 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 15th series of the Six Nations Championship, the annual northern hemisphere rugby union championship. ...
. He started against
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
on 2 February 2014. Murray started against
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
on 8 February 2014. Murray started in the 13–10 loss to
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
on 22 February 2014. He started against
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
on 8 March 2014. Murray started the 22–20 win away to
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
on 15 March 2014, a win that secured the 2014 Championship for Ireland.
Murray was named in the Ireland squad for their
2014 Tour to Argentina on 19 May 2014. He started the first test against
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
on 7 June 2014. Murray was named in the Ireland squad for the
2014 Autumn Series on 21 October 2014. He started in the 29–15 win against
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
on 8 November 2014, setting up
Tommy Bowe
Thomas John Bowe (born 22 February 1984) is an Irish former rugby union player from County Monaghan, Ireland. He played on the wing for Ulster, Ireland and the British & Irish Lions. In March 2012, after four years with Ospreys in Swansea, Wal ...
's try. Murray also started in the 26–23 win against
Australia on 22 November 2014.
2015–2018
Murray was named in the Ireland squad for the opening rounds of the
2015 Six Nations Championship
The 2015 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2015 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 16th series of the Six Nations Championship, the annual rugby union tournament. It was contested b ...
on 1 February 2015. He started against
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
on 7 February 2015, scoring a try in Ireland's 26–3 win. Murray started against
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
on 14 February 2015. He started in the 19–9 win against
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
on 1 March 2015. Murray started against
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
on 14 March 2015. He started against
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
on 21 March 2015. England's failure to score enough points against France meant Ireland won the 2015 Six Nations Championship, the first time Ireland have won back-to-back championships since 1948–49. Murray was nominated for the
IRUPA
The Rugby Players Ireland is the representative body for professional rugby players in Ireland. Founded in October 2001, its aims are to promote and protect the welfare of professional rugby players in Ireland. The Chief Executive Officer is Si ...
Players' Player of the Year 2015 Award in April 2015.
Murray was named in the 45-man training squad for the
2015 Rugby World Cup on 24 June 2015. He started the warm-up game against
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
on 29 August 2015. Murray was selected in the final 31-man squad for the World Cup when it was announced on 1 September 2015. He started in the final warm-up game against
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
on 5 September 2015. Murray started the opening pool game against
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
on 19 September 2015. He came off the bench in the second pool game against
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
on 27 September 2015. Murray started against
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
on 4 October 2015. He started against
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
on 11 October 2015, scoring the second try in Ireland's 24–9 win. Murray started for Ireland in their 43–20
quarter-final
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
defeat against
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
on 18 October 2015.
On 20 January 2016, Murray was named in Ireland's 35-man squad for the
2016 Six Nations Championship
The 2016 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2016 RBS 6 Nations due to the tournament's sponsorship by The Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 17th series of the Six Nations Championship, the annual northern hemisphere rugby union championship.
I ...
. On 7 February 2016, Murray started against Wales in Ireland's opening match of the Six Nations, scoring a try in the 16–16 draw. On 13 February 2016, Murray started against France in Ireland's second game of the Six Nations. On 27 February 2016, Murray scored a try in Ireland's 21–10 defeat against England. Murray was nominated for the 2016 6 Nations Player of the Tournament award, alongside Ireland teammate
Johnny Sexton
Jonathan Jeremiah Sexton (born 11 July 1985) is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Leinster Rugby and Ireland, and he also captains both teams. He represented the British & Irish Lions in both 2013 and 2017 and has scored o ...
.
On 25 May 2016, Murray was named in the 32-man Ireland squad to tour South Africa in a
3-test series. On 11 June 2016, Murray started in the first test against
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
, scoring a try in Ireland's historic 26–20 win. On 26 October 2016, Murray was named in Ireland's squad for the
2016 end-of-year rugby union internationals The 2016 end-of-year rugby union internationals, also known as the ''2016 Autumn Internationals'' in the Northern Hemisphere, were a series of international rugby union matches predominantly played between the visiting Southern Hemisphere countries: ...
. On 5 November 2016, Murray started in Ireland's test against
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
at
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) since ...
,
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, scoring a try and a penalty in a 40–29 win that was Ireland's first ever against the All Blacks. On 23 January 2017, Murray was named in the Ireland squad for the opening two rounds of the
2017 Six Nations Championship
The 2017 Six Nations Championship was the 18th series of the Six Nations Championship, the annual northern hemisphere rugby union championship. The tournament was also known as the RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by The Roya ...
. On 25 February 2017, Murray scored a try and earned the Man-of-the-Match award in Ireland's 19–9 win against
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. Following his performances in the tournament, Murray was nominated for the 2017 RBS 6 Nations Player of the Championship award, alongside teammate
CJ Stander
Christiaan Johan Stander (born 5 April 1990) is a South African-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 ...
.
Murray started in Ireland's wins against
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
and
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
during the
2017 Autumn Internationals. Murray started every game for Ireland as they won a
Grand Slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
in the
2018 Six Nations Championship, scoring tries against
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
and
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
, whilst also earning the
Man-of-the-Match
In team sport, a player of the match or man of the match or woman of the match award is often given to the most outstanding player in a particular match. This can be a player from either team, although the player is generally chosen from the winn ...
award against Italy and scoring penalties against Wales and England. He started in all three tests in Ireland's historic 2–1
series victory against
Australia in June 2018.
2019–present
Murray was ever-present for Ireland during the
2019 Six Nations Championship
The 2019 Six Nations Championship (known as the Guinness Six Nations for sponsorship reasons) was the 20th Six Nations Championship, the annual rugby union competition contested by the national teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, ...
, starting in the 32–20 opening defeat against
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, the 22–13 win against
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
, the 26–16 win against
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, the 26–14 win against
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
and the 25–7 defeat against
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
in the final round, a victory that saw the Welsh win the grand slam. He was selected in the 31-man Ireland squad for the
2019 Rugby World Cup
The 2019 Rugby World Cup was the ninth edition of the Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's rugby union teams. It was hosted in Japan from 20 September to 2 November in 12 venues all across the country. The opening match ...
, having featured in the
warm-up match against
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and the second warm-up against
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
. During the World Cup itself, O'Mahony started in Ireland's opening 27–3 win against
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
, their shock 19–12 defeat against hosts
Japan, the 47–5 win against
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...
in their final pool game, and in the comprehensive 46–14 defeat against
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
in the quarter-finals, which brought an end to Ireland's 2019 World Cup.
Retained by new head coach
Andy Farrell in his squad for the
2020 Six Nations Championship
The 2020 Six Nations Championship (known as the Guinness Six Nations for sponsorship reasons) was the 21st Six Nations Championship, the annual rugby union competition contested by the national teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland ...
, Murray started in Ireland's 19–12 opening win against Scotland on 1 February 2020, and in their 24–14 win against defending champions Wales on 8 February, and their 24–12 defeat against England, before the tournament was suspended due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. The tournament eventually resumed in October 2020, with Murray starting in Ireland's 50–17 win against Italy and the 35–27 defeat against France in their final fixture of the tournament.
With the usual format of end-of-year international tests not possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ireland instead participated in the
Autumn Nations Cup
The Autumn Nations Cup was a rugby union competition held in November and December 2020 in place of the usual Autumn internationals series typically held in the same period each year, as many teams were avoiding extended travel due to the COVID- ...
. Murray was used as a replacement in the 32–9 opening win against Wales on 13 November and in the 18–7 defeat against England on 21 November, then started in the 23–10 win against
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
on 29 November, and the 31–16 win against Scotland on 5 December, which secured a third-place finish for Ireland in the tournament. Murray was named in
World Rugby
World Rugby is the world governing body for the sport of rugby union. World Rugby organises the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport's most recognised and most profitable competition. It also organises a number of other international rug ...
's Men's 15s Team of the Decade for 2010–2019 in December 2020.
Murray started in Ireland's 21–16 defeat against
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
in their opening
2021 Six Nations Championship
The 2021 Six Nations Championship (known as the Guinness Six Nations for sponsorship reasons) was the 22nd Six Nations Championship, the annual rugby union competition contested by the national teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, ...
fixture, however, Murray sustained a hamstring during training which ruled him out of Ireland's next three fixtures, though he returned from the injury to start for Ireland in their 32–18 win against
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
in the final round. During the
2021 Autumn Nations Series, Murray featured as a replacement in Ireland's 60–5 win against
Japan on 6 November, and in the famous 29–20 win against
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
on 13 November, before replacing the injured
Jamison Gibson-Park
Jamison Ratu Gibson-Park (born 23 February 1992) 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 thr ...
to start in the 53–7 win against
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
in Ireland's final fixture of the series on 21 November.
Murray featured as a replacement in Ireland's 29–7 win against
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
in their opening fixture of the
2022 Six Nations Championship
The 2022 Six Nations Championship (known as the Guinness Six Nations for sponsorship reasons) was the 23rd Six Nations Championship, the annual rugby union competition contested by the national teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, ...
on 5 February, their 30–24 defeat away to
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
on 12 February, their 32–15 away win against
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
on 12 March, and the 26–5 home win against
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
on 19 March that secured the
Triple Crown
Triple Crown may refer to:
Sports Horse racing
* Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
* Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)
** Triple Crown Trophy
** Triple Crown Productions
* Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
* Tri ...
for Ireland. He was selected in the squad for the
2022 Ireland rugby union tour of New Zealand
In July 2022, Ireland played a three-Test series against New Zealand as part of the 2022 mid-year rugby union internationals. Ireland also played two matches against the Māori All Blacks. This was Ireland's first tour since their tour to Austr ...
, and featured off the bench in the 42–19 defeat against
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
in the first test on 2 July. Murray also featured off the bench in Ireland's historic 23–12 win in the second test on 9 July, in what was Ireland's first ever away win against New Zealand, and in the 32–22 third test win against New Zealand on 16 July that secured Ireland's historic first ever series win in New Zealand. Murray earned his 100th cap for Ireland when he started in their
2022 Autumn Nations Series fixture against
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
on 5 November 2022, though he left the field injured during the first-half of Ireland's 19–16 win. That injury subsequently ruled Murray out of the remaining Autumn Nations Series matches.
British & Irish Lions
2013
Murray was selected as one of three scrum-halves in the squad for
2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia
The 2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia was a rugby union tour during June and July 2013. The British & Irish Lions played ten matches - a three-test series against Australia, and matches against the five Australian Super Rugby sides, a ...
, named on 30 April 2013. He came on as a substitute in the opening fixture of the tour against the
Barbarians
A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by some to be les ...
on 1 June 2013. Murray started in the Lions 69–17 victory against
Western Force
The Western Force is an Australian professional rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia, currently competing in Super Rugby Pacific. They previously played in Super Rugby from 2006 until they were axed from the competition in 2017. F ...
on 5 June 2013. He started against
Combined New South Wales–Queensland Country
Combined Country is an Australian rugby union team that was formed for the 2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia. Unlike the 2001 tour, the Lions faced a combined team made up of players representing the Queensland Country and New South ...
on 11 June 2013, scoring his first try for the Lions in the 64–0 tour match win. Murray came off the bench against
Brumbies
The ACT Brumbies (known from 2005–2022 as simply the Brumbies) is an Australian professional rugby union team based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT), The team competes in Super Rugby and named for the brumby, feral horses whi ...
on 18 June 2013. He started against
Melbourne Rebels
The Melbourne Rebels is an Australian professional rugby union team based in Melbourne. They made their debut in SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. They were the first privately owned professional rugby union team in Australia, until 2017 ...
on 25 June 2013, scoring his second try of the tour during the game. Murray came off the bench during the second test against
Australia to win his first cap for the Lions on 29 June 2013. He also came off the bench during the Lions third test victory, a win which secured the series win for the Lions.
2017
In April 2017, Murray was selected in the British & Irish Lions squad for the
2017 tour to New Zealand, his second Lions call-up. On 10 June 2017, Murray made his first appearance and start for the Lions on the tour, doing so in the match against the
Crusaders
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...
in
AMI Stadium. On 17 June, Murray made his second appearance of the tour, starting in the Lions record 32–10 victory against the
Māori All Blacks
The Māori All Blacks, previously called the New Zealand Maori, New Zealand Maoris and New Zealand Natives, are a rugby union team from New Zealand. They are a representative team of the New Zealand Rugby Union, and a prerequisite for playing i ...
in
Rotorua International Stadium
Rotorua International Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located on Devon Street West in the Westbrook suburb of Rotorua, New Zealand. It is currently used mostly for rugby union and rugby league matches, being one of three home stadiums for th ...
. On 24 June, Murray started for the Lions in their 30–15 first test defeat against
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
in
Eden Park, making his first test start for the side. On 1 July, Murray started the second test against the All Blacks, scoring a try in the Lions 24–21 victory in
Westpac Stadium
Wellington Regional Stadium (known commercially as Sky Stadium through naming rights) is a major sporting venue in Wellington, New Zealand. The stadium's bowl site size is .
The stadium was built in 1999 by Fletcher Construction and is situ ...
. It was the Lions' first test win against New Zealand since
1993
File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peacefu ...
and the first time New Zealand had lost a test at home since losing to
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
in
2009. Murray's try made him the first northern hemisphere player to score four tries against New Zealand. On 8 July, Murray started in the third and final test, a 15–15 draw which meant the series against the All Blacks ended in a draw as well.
2021
Murray was selected for his third British & Irish Lions tour when the squad for the
2021 tour to South Africa was announced in May 2021. Following original captain
Alun Wyn Jones
Alun Wyn Jones (born 19 September 1985) is a Welsh professional rugby union player who plays as a Rugby union/lock, lock for the Ospreys (rugby union), Ospreys and the Wales national rugby union team, Wales national team. He is List of rugby u ...
' injury in the warm-up match against
Japan on 26 June, Murray was made the new captain by head coach by
Warren Gatland
Warren David Gatland (born 17 September 1963) is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player who is currently in his second spell as the head coach of the Wales national team.
As head coach of Wales from 2007 to 2019, he won four Six N ...
, with Gatland citing the regard Murray is held in by his fellow players and his previous Lions experience as factors in the decision, whilst Murray himself described becoming Lions captain as an "unbelievable honour". Extraordinarily, Jones recovered from his injury in time to rejoin the tour before the tests and resumed the captaincy.
Murray made his first appearance of the 2021 tour in the aforementioned 28–10 warm-up win against Japan on 26 June, before featuring off the bench in the 71–31 win against the on 10 July and starting in the 17–13 defeat against
South Africa 'A' on 14 July. To the surprise of some, Scottish scrum-half
Ali Price
Alistair William Price (born 12 May 1993) is a Scotland international rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for Glasgow Warriors.
Early life and education
Price was born on 12 May 1993 in King's Lynn, Norfolk, England. He was educated ...
was selected ahead of Murray to start the first test against
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
on 24 July, though Murray featured off the bench to help the Lions close out a 22–17 win against the Springboks. The victory made Murray one of only ten players to have won a Lions test match against all three of
Australia,
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
and
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
. Murray was restored to the starting XV ahead of the second test, which South Africa won 27–9 on 31 July to take the series to a deciding third test, for which head coach Gatland again selected Ali Price to start, with Murray coming on as a replacement in South Africa's tense 19–16 win, which secured a 2–1 series victory for the Springboks.
Gaelic football
Before becoming a professional rugby player, Murray played
Gaelic football with
Patrickswell
Patrickswell, historically known as Toberpatrick (), is a small town in County Limerick, Ireland. It is primarily a commuter village for people working in Limerick, particularly the nearby industrial suburb of Raheen. The population was 847 ...
and
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
. He represented
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
in the Sarsfield Cup and also played for
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
in the primary football games.
Statistics
International tries
International analysis by opposition
''Correct as of 5 November 2022''
* indicates inclusion of caps for
British & Irish Lions
The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The Lions are a test side and most often select players who have already played for their national ...
Honours
Munster
*
United Rugby Championship
The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. The current name was adopted in 2021 when the league expanded to include four South Afr ...
:
**Winner (1):
2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
Ireland
*
Six Nations Championship:
**Winner (3):
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
,
2015,
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
*
Grand Slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
:
**Winner (1):
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
*
Triple Crown
Triple Crown may refer to:
Sports Horse racing
* Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
* Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)
** Triple Crown Trophy
** Triple Crown Productions
* Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
* Tri ...
:
** Winner (2):
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
,
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
British & Irish Lions
*British & Irish Lions tours:
**Tourist (3):
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
,
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
,
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
Individual
*
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby ( ga, Rugbaí Mumhan) is one of the four 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 B ...
Player of the Year:
**Winner (1): 2014
*
Rugby Players Ireland
The Rugby Players Ireland is the representative body for professional rugby players in Ireland. Founded in October 2001, its aims are to promote and protect the welfare of professional rugby players in Ireland. The Chief Executive Officer is Si ...
Players' Player of the Year:
**Winner (1): 2017
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Midi Olympique
Midi Olympique is a French bi-weekly newspaper specializing in rugby, belonging to the La Dépêche group and based partly in Toulouse and partly in Paris. The first edition was published on 2 September 1929, meaning it is one of the oldest French ...
World Player of the Year:
**Winner (1): 2018
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World Rugby
World Rugby is the world governing body for the sport of rugby union. World Rugby organises the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport's most recognised and most profitable competition. It also organises a number of other international rug ...
Men's 15s Team of the Decade:
**Winner (1): 2010–2019
References
External links
Munster ProfileIreland ProfileBritish & Irish Lions Profile*
URC ProfileU20 Six Nations Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, Conor
1989 births
Living people
People educated at St Munchin's College
Rugby union players from County Limerick
Irish rugby union players
Garryowen Football Club players
Munster Rugby players
Munster Rugby captains
Ireland international rugby union players
British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Ireland
Rugby union scrum-halves