Jonathan Jeremiah Sexton (born 11 July 1985) 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 its m ...
player who plays as a fly-half for
Leinster Rugby
Leinster Rugby ( ga, Rugbaí Laighean) is one of the four professional provincial rugby union teams from the island of Ireland and the most successful Irish team domestically. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby ...
and
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 he also captains both teams. He represented 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 ...
in both 2013 and 2017 and has scored over 1,000 points in his international career, making him one of the highest points-scorers in rugby union history.
Sexton was the winner of
World Rugby Player of the Year
The World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year is an accolade awarded annually by World Rugby at the World Rugby Awards. The award is presented to honour "the achievements of those involved at the highest level of the world game on the field". Th ...
in 2018, having previously been a nominee for the award in 2014 and then again in 2022. He is the second Irish player in history to win the award, after inaugural winner
Keith Wood
Keith Wood (born 27 January 1972) is an Irish former international rugby union player who played as a hooker for Ireland, the British & Irish Lions, Garryowen, Harlequins and Munster. He was nicknamed 'The Raging Potato' because of his bal ...
, in 2001.
Sexton became the 106th player to captain Ireland when he led the team out at their
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 ...
3rd Pool A group match at the
Kobe Misaki Stadium in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
on Thursday 3 October 2019. He was officially named captain 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 ...
.
Early years
Sexton was born in
Rathgar
Rathgar (), is a suburb of Dublin in Ireland. It was originally a village which from 1862 was part of the township of Rathmines and Rathgar; it was absorbed by the growing city and became a suburb in 1930. It lies about three kilometres south of ...
,
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
, but has family ties to North
Kerry
Kerry or Kerri may refer to:
* Kerry (name), a given name and surname of Gaelic origin (including a list of people with the name)
Places
* Kerry, Queensland, Australia
* County Kerry, Ireland
** Kerry Airport, an international airport in Count ...
and West Clare; he is a nephew of former
Garryowen,
Munster
Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following the ...
and Ireland rugby player William Sexton. He attended
St Mary's College, Dublin
Saint Mary's College C.S.Sp. (Congregatio Sancti Spiritus) is a voluntary boys' primary and secondary school run by the Congregation of the Holy Spirit and located in Rathmines, Dublin, Ireland. The school was founded in 1890, closed in 1916, an ...
and scored a
drop goal
A drop goal, field goal, or dropped goal is a method of scoring points in rugby union and rugby league and also, rarely, in American football and Canadian football.
A drop goal is scored by drop kicking the ball (dropping the ball and then kicki ...
in the dying moments of the school's 2002
Leinster Senior Schools Cup final win. His performances at St. Mary's led to Sexton being selected for
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 Ir ...
. He made his debut against the
Border Reivers
Border reivers were Cattle raiding, raiders along the Anglo-Scottish border from the late 13th century to the beginning of the 17th century. They included both Scotland, Scottish and England, English people, and they raided the entire border ...
in 2006.
Sexton holds a
Bachelor of Commerce
A Bachelor of Commerce (abbreviated BComm or BCom; also, ''baccalaureates commercii'') is an undergraduate degree in business, usually awarded in Canada, Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Ireland, New Zealand, Ghana, South Africa, Myanmar, ...
degree (2012) from UCD,
University College Dublin
University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...
.
Leinster
Sexton was part of Leinster's
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 ...
winning side in 2007–08. On 2 May 2009 he established himself in the Leinster first team, replacing the injured
Argentine
Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...
fly-half
Felipe Contepomi
Felipe Contepomi (born 20 August 1977) is an Argentine rugby coach who is currently the backs coach at Leinster Rugby. He was a rugby union footballer who played fly-half or centre; his last club was Club Newman, in the first division of the U ...
as an early substitute in the
Heineken Cup
The European Rugby Champions Cup (known as the Heineken Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a pre ...
semi-final to help Leinster beat rivals
Munster
Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following the ...
by a convincing 25–6. He then started in Leinster's home match against the
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 Celtic League, scoring 15 points (including a try) in a man of the match performance.
![Jonathan Sexton](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Jonathan_Sexton.JPG)
Contepomi's cruciate ligament injury ruled him out for the rest of Leinster's campaign; he signed with French giants
Stade Francais
Stade (), officially the Hanseatic City of Stade (german: Hansestadt Stade, nds, Hansestadt Stood) is a city in Lower Saxony in northern Germany. First mentioned in records in 934, it is the seat of the district () which bears its name. It is l ...
the following season. Sexton started the
2009 Heineken Cup Final against
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers (officially Leicester Football Club) are a professional rugby union club based in Leicester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby.
The club was founded in 1880 and since 1892 plays its hom ...
, where he kicked a spectacular drop goal from the halfway line and also kicked the winning penalty (a total of 11 points: two penalties, one drop goal and one conversion). Leinster went on to win their first European Cup 16–19 at
Murrayfield
Murrayfield is an affluent area to the west of Edinburgh city centre in Scotland. It is to the east of Corstorphine and north of Balgreen and Roseburn. The A8 road runs east–west through the south of the area. Murrayfield is often conside ...
.
Upon recovering from a hand injury sustained during the Ireland–
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
autumn international fixture in 2009, Sexton helped Leinster to secure a bonus point win over
Brive in the Heineken Cup to take command of their pool. The following week in their pool decider, Sexton scored a drop goal in the dying minutes against
London Irish
London Irish RFC is a professional rugby union club which competes in the Premiership, the top division of English rugby union. The club has also competed in the Anglo-Welsh Cup, the European Champions Cup and European Challenge Cup. While ...
at
Twickenham
Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the boroug ...
to even up the score at eleven all. This secured Leinster a home advantage in the Heineken Cup quarter finals and knocked the Exiles out of the competition. Sexton's ability was highlighted on his return from injury in the 2010-11 season, where he helped Leinster recover from a shaky start to the season as a second-half substitute in their win over Munster in the Celtic League. Following this victory, he helped Leinster win over
Racing Metro
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 t ...
and
Saracens
file:Erhard Reuwich Sarazenen 1486.png, upright 1.5, Late 15th-century Germany in the Middle Ages, German woodcut depicting Saracens
Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek language, Greek and Latin writings, to refer ...
in the Heineken Cup. In the second match, he received a man of the match award after scoring 25 points, including a try, giving his team the top spot in a pool regarded as one of the most competitive in Heineken Cup history. A poll taken by planetrugby.com following these performances suggested that Sexton was currently regarded as the top fly-half in Europe.
2005–08
Sexton began his
Leinster Rugby
Leinster Rugby ( ga, Rugbaí Laighean) is one of the four professional provincial rugby union teams from the island of Ireland and the most successful Irish team domestically. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby ...
career playing one game in the 2005–06 season, as a result of his performances for St. Mary's. He came on as a substitute against the Border Reivers.
Sexton played three games in the 2006–07 season. Although he only played 12 minutes against
Ospreys, he scored a conversion. He went on to kick three penalties in his other games, which were against
Ulster Rugby
Ulster Rugby 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 Ulster Branch, which is one of ...
and Munster. In all, that season he scored 11 points in only 143 minutes play.
In the 2007–08 season, Sexton started against
Edinburgh Rugby
Edinburgh Rugby (formerly Edinburgh Reivers, Edinburgh Gunners) is one of the two professional rugby union teams from Scotland. The club competes in the United Rugby Championship, along with the Glasgow Warriors, its oldest rival. Edinburgh play ...
and scored one try, one conversion and two penalties. He scored his second try of the season against
Cardiff Blues
Cardiff Rugby ( cy, Rygbi Caerdydd) are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and in European Professional Club Rugby competitions.
Based in Cardiff, the team play at Cardiff Arms ...
, in which game he scored a further two conversions and two penalties. He followed that up by scoring a conversion and two penalties against the Scarlets. He ended 2007 scoring a further 23 points against Ulster Rugby and
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 ...
. He then finished off the season with 14 points in his games against Munster Rugby and
Newport Gwent Dragons
Dragons RFC ( cy, Dreigiau) are one of the four professional rugby union regional teams in Wales. They are owned by the Welsh Rugby Union and play their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport and at other grounds around the region. They play in ...
. Overall, he scored 73 points during 2007–08.
2008–10
At the start of the season, Sexton played seven matches against Cardiff, Edinburgh and Munster in September. In October, he played against
Connacht Rugby
Connacht Rugby ( ga, Rugbaí Connachta) is one of the four professional provincial rugby teams from the island of Ireland. Connacht competes in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents the IRFU Con ...
, Edinburgh,
London Wasps
Wasps Rugby Football Club is a professional rugby union team. They last played in Premiership Rugby, the top division of English rugby until being suspended on 12 October 2022. On 17 October 2022 the club entered administration, resulting in r ...
and Glasgow. He finished the season on a high, scoring 64 points after November. He got a call up to the Ireland team for the 2008 Six Nations but was ruled out by injury.
Sexton played against Scarlets, Dragons, Ospreys, Edinburgh, Munster, London Irish, Brive, Ulster and Cardiff before being called up to the Ireland team for a match against
Fiji
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
. He scored five conversions and two penalties in that match. He then played against South Africa, scoring five penalties. In 2010, Sexton played six games for Ireland, scoring 37 points in matches against England, Wales, Scotland, New Zealand and Australia.
2010–11
Sexton played 19 times for Leinster that season, scoring 237 points. He scored two tries as Leinster won the
Heineken Cup
The European Rugby Champions Cup (known as the Heineken Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a pre ...
after trailing 22–6 at half-time to win the match 33–22. Leinster then had the chance to add a second trophy by winning the
Pro12
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 ...
. However, Munster beat them 19–9 in the final, with Sexton kicking three penalties.
During Leinster's 2011 Heineken Cup final against the
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", ...
, Sexton scored 28 points including 2 tries in a historic comeback, when Leinster beat Northampton 33–22 at the Millennium Stadium after falling 22–6 down at half-time. Sexton won the man of the match award and his second Heineken Cup medal. His 28 points in that match makes him the second-highest scorer in one game in Heineken Cup history. Sexton stated that his career-defining performance was dedicated to his late grandfather, John Sexton – the hugely popular
Listowel
Listowel ( ; , IPA: lʲɪsˠˈt̪ˠuəhəlʲ is a heritage market town in County Kerry, Ireland. It is on the River Feale, from the county town, Tralee. The town of Listowel had a population of 4,820 according to the Central Statistics Of ...
businessman who had died a few months earlier. However, Sexton and Leinster could not snatch the first Heineken Cup and Celtic League double that season, with the club losing to Munster in the 2011 Celtic League Final.
2011–12
Sexton played 16 games for Leinster in 2011–12, scoring a try, 29 conversions, three drop goals and four penalties. He totalled 213 points overall. He won the Heineken Cup with Leinster that year and came runner up in the RaboDirect Pro 12, losing to Ospreys in the final. He started in all five matches in the Six Nations.
In May 2012, Irish heavyweights Leinster and Sexton achieved their third Heineken Cup triumph in four seasons against Irish rivals Ulster as they established themselves as giants of the European game. First-half tries by flanker
Seán O'Brien and prop
Cian Healy
Cian Healy (born 7 October 1987) is an Irish rugby union rugby player. He plays for Leinster, and has also won over 100 caps for the Ireland national team. He was named as part of the Lions squad for the 2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Austra ...
put Leinster on the way towards a record-breaking triumph. Leinster's reign as Heineken Cup holders was never seriously threatened in front of almost 82,000 spectators at Twickenham. Jonathan Sexton kicked three conversions and three penalties for a 15-point haul as Leinster became the first team since Leicester Tigers in 2002 to successfully defend the Heineken Cup. When replacement prop
Heinke van der Merwe and
Seán Cronin
Seán Cronin (29 August 1922 – 9 March 2011) was a journalist and former Irish Army officer and twice Irish Republican Army chief of staff.Brian Hanley and Scott Millar, ''The Lost Revolution: The Story of the Official IRA and the Workers Pa ...
scored near full-time, it gave Leinster the biggest ever winning margin in a Heineken Cup final, Leinster 42–14 Ulster.
2012–13
The 2012–13 season proved successful for Sexton as he helped Leinster win their first Pro 12 title since the Celtic League, having been runners up the previous three seasons. Despite the disappointment of failing to gain access to the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup that year, Sexton helped Leinster win their first Amlin Challenge Cup, a third European title in three years. He spent a portion of the season sidelined due to injury, allowing his understudy Ian Madigan to play at outside half.
It was announced that Sexton would leave Leinster at the end of the season to join Racing Metro, as he had failed to agree terms with the IRFU, despite his outspoken intent to remain in the blue jersey for the remainder of his career. In January 2013, Sexton informed 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 home ...
that he would not be renewing his contract with Leinster. He left the province at the end of the 2012-13 season.
Racing 92 (2013–2015)
![Jonathan Sexton - 2013-09-04](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Jonathan_Sexton_-_2013-09-04.jpg)
Rumours began to circulate midway through the 2012–13 season that Sexton had agreed to join
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 to ...
in Paris at the end of the season for a salary reported in the region of 750,000 euros per annum, making him one of the highest-paid players in the world.
The reports were then confirmed by Sexton and Racing Metro after talks with the IRFU over a new contract had broken down.
Sexton joined fellow British & Irish Lions teammates
Jamie Roberts
Jamie Huw Roberts (born 8 November 1986) is a former Wales, Welsh rugby union player, who most recently played for the New South Wales Waratahs, Waratahs. His usual position is Rugby union positions#Centre, centre.
Beginning in 2005, Roberts ...
and
Dan Lydiate
Dan Lydiate (born 18 December 1987) is a Wales international rugby union player. A flanker, Lydiate was raised in Llandrindod Wells and is a product of the Newport Gwent Dragons academy.
Early life
The younger of two boys born to English docke ...
as the club's marquee signings for the 2013–14 season, while his former adversary for the Irish 10 jersey
Ronan O'Gara
Ronan John Ross O'Gara ( ga, Rónán Ó Gadhra; born 7 March 1977) is an Irish former rugby union player and current coach. O'Gara played as a fly-half and is Ireland's second most-capped player and highest ever points scorer. He is currently ...
was confirmed as a coach for the club.
Sexton stated that he had been unaware of O'Gara's arrival, but was happy at the news as both men had developed a good working friendship in their later years together in the Ireland set-up, despite a reportedly fractious early relationship during Sexton's emergence.
Sexton's departure came as a surprise to many in Ireland, as he had been a key player for both Leinster and Ireland in the preceding years, and had stated his intention to remain at the club. He cited the Parisian club's ambitious new project and impressive training facilities as factors in choosing them over traditionally more successful European clubs outside Ireland.
In Sexton's first year as a non-Leinster player, Racing Metro struggled to impose itself as a force in Europe, as they failed to qualify from the group stages of the Heineken Cup.
Return to Leinster (2015–present)
Following speculation during the summer of 2014, Sexton announced in September 2014 that he had signed a contract to bring him back to Leinster for the 2015–16 season until at least November 2019.
In his return season at Leinster, 2015–16, Sexton appeared 16 times for Leinster, scoring two tries and 103 total points. Leinster finished the season without a trophy, losing in the Pro-12 final to fellow Irish province Connacht and failing to make it out of their group in Europe.
In the 2016–2017 season, Sexton appeared 10 times for Leinster, scoring one try and 87 total points. Leinster finished the season without a trophy, losing in the Pro-12 semi-final to the Scarlets and losing in an away semi-final in Europe to long-term rival Clermont Auvergne.
In the 2017–2018 season, Sexton appeared 12 times for Leinster, scoring five tries and 127 total points, in the process becoming Leinster Rugby's top point scorer of all time. Sexton helped lead Leinster back to the top both domestically, winning the Pro-14 final against rivals Scarlets, and in Europe where Leinster won the European Cup for the fourth time against Racing 92 in Bilbao. This was the fourth European Cup win for Sexton, joining an elite group of players who have won four European cups, including teammates Isa Nacewa, Devin Toner and Cian Healy.
At the start of the 2018–2019 season, Sexton was announced as the Leinster club captain replacing Isa Nacewa.
International
Ireland
2008–2015
Sexton was selected as part of the Ireland squad for the
2008 Six Nations Championship
The 2008 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2008 RBS 6 Nations because of sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the ninth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship, the 114th series of the international championship.
Fifteen ...
, but sustained a fractured thumb shortly beforehand playing for Leinster.
Sexton played for
Ireland A in the 2009
Churchill Cup
The Churchill Cup was an annual rugby union tournament, held in June, contested by representative men's (and formerly women's) teams from Canada, England, the United States, and other invited teams (originally one and later three) from a wide arr ...
. Ireland A won the tournament, beating
England Saxons
England A is England's men's second national rugby union team. The team has previously been known by a number of names, such as England B, Emerging England and, most recently, England Saxons. England A play a key role in the development of emer ...
49–22 in the final with Sexton scoring 15 points despite being
sin-binned.
Sexton won his first cap for Ireland in the test against
Fiji
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
at the RDS in Dublin on 21 November 2009 scoring 16 points (five conversions and two penalty goals), kicking seven from seven in extremely difficult weather conditions and winning man of the match with his impressive international debut.
On 24 November 2009, Sexton was selected ahead of fly-half Ronan O'Gara in Ireland's
autumn international against World Cup champions
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
at
Croke Park
Croke Park ( ga, Páirc an Chrócaigh, ) is a Gaelic games stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Named after Archbishop Thomas Croke, it is referred to as Croker by GAA fans and locals. It serves as both the principal national stadium of Ireland and he ...
. He kicked all of Ireland's 15 points and, after the match, it was revealed that Sexton had played out Ireland's thrilling 15–10 victory with a broken hand.
![Sexton in action for Ireland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Sexton_in_action_for_Ireland.png)
Sexton returned to the Ireland squad for the
2010 Six Nations
The 2010 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2010 RBS 6 Nations due to sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 11th series of the Six Nations Championship and the 116th international championship, an annual rugby union competition be ...
; he came on as a substitute in Ireland's loss against
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. He was selected for his first Six Nations start in the match against England at Twickenham on 27 February 2010. Ireland won the game 20–16, with Sexton being replaced by Ronan O'Gara late in the game. Sexton started against Wales and Scotland, being replaced by O'Gara in both games towards the end. Over the Six Nations, his kicking success rate was much lower than in his first few tests, as he missed several kicks.
Sexton was named in Ireland's squad for the 2010 Summer Tests, coming off the bench to replace O'Gara against New Zealand. He started against New Zealand Maori and kicked 23 points, and started against Australia, kicking all of Ireland's 15 points in the game.
Sexton then went on to play in further matches against South Africa, New Zealand 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 ...
; he scored 34 points in those tests. Then he had to prepare for the
2011 Six Nations Championship
The 2011 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2011 RBS 6 Nations due to sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 12th series of the Six Nations Championship, and the 117th edition of the international championship. The annual rugby uni ...
. He played the first game in the win against Italy, being replaced by Ronan O'Gara, who scored the winning drop goal. Sexton next started in the 22–25 defeat against France but he was then dropped to the bench against Scotland because of O'Gara's leading form. He was also on the bench against Wales. Against England, though, Sexton started and kicked 14 of the points in a 24–8 win. Sexton was named Six Nations Man of the Match following his role in Ireland's successful attempt to stop England's hunt for a Grand Slam that year.
Sexton started Ireland's first two pool matches in the
2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board (IRB) selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Af ...
and came off the bench in their last two pool matches. He came off the bench in a 10–22 defeat against Wales.
Sexton was arguably Ireland's most influential player in their 2014 Six Nations win, and was the joint highest try scorer in the championship with four tries. In the final match against France in Paris he scored two tries and scored 17 of the team's 22 points on their way to winning the match and with it the 2014 Six Nations Championship. Despite worries of a thumb injury hindering his participation midway through the competition, Sexton competed in every game, losing only one to England at Twickenham.
2016–present
Sexton started all five
2016 Six Nations matches. He scored 11 points (three penalties and a conversion) in a 16–16 draw with Wales. In the second match he scored all of Ireland's points in a 9–10 defeat to France. In the third match he scored three points in a 10–21 defeat to England. In the penultimate match of the tournament he scored nine points (a penalty and three conversions) in a 58–15 win against Italy. In the last match of the tournament he scored 15 points (three penalties and three conversions) against Scotland. Despite Sexton's getting sin binned in the 76th minute for a maul infringement, Ireland won 35–25.
On 2 June, Sexton was ruled out of the 2016 tour of South Africa after he sustained a shoulder injury in the
Pro12 Grand Final. Sexton started the 2016 end of year international against New Zealand in Chicago. He scored two penalties and two conversions in a 40–29 win. Sexton missed the first two matches of the
2017 Six Nations but started the last three matches of the tournament.
In Ireland's opening
2018 Six Nations Championship
The 2018 Six Nations Championship (known as the Natwest 6 Nations for sponsorship reasons) was the 19th Six Nations Championship, the annual international rugby union tournament for the six major European rugby union nations.
The championship wa ...
fixture against
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
on 3 February 2018, Sexton scored an 83rd minute
drop-goal after 41 phases to give Ireland a 15–13 away victory. Ireland went on to win the Grand Slam, the third in their history, with Sexton being a key player starting all 5 games, contributing 44 total points.
He was later one of six nominees for 2018 Six Nations Player of the Tournament. The award went to fellow Ireland player, Jacob Stockdale. Later that season, Sexton led Ireland to its first series win in Australia since 1979. Starting both wins and contributing 31 total points. He finished the 2017–2018 season undefeated as a starter for Ireland.
Sexton became the 106th player to captain Ireland when he led the team out at their
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 ...
3rd Pool A Group match at the Kobe Misaki Stadium in Japan on Thursday 3 October 2019. On 15 January 2020, Sexton was named as the new captain for the team ahead of the
2020 Six Nations, replacing now retired
Rory Best
Rory David Best (born 15 August 1982) is an Irish former rugby union player from Northern Ireland and was the captain of the Ireland national team from 2016 to 2019. He played hooker for Ulster and was registered for Banbridge RFC, having pr ...
.
On 6 November 2021, Sexton received his 100th cap playing for Ireland, playing Japan in the Autumn International series. In the 48th minute, he celebrated by scoring a try, his 16th in total.
Sexton is one of six captains to lead his side to a test series win on New Zealand soil, along with
Philip J. Nel
Philip Jacobus Nel (17 June 1902 – 11 February 1984) was a South African rugby player.
The son of Piet Nel and Kitty Maritz, he was educated at Maritzburg College, matriculating as Head Prefect and captain of the rugby First XV in 1921. Nel e ...
(
1937 Springboks),
Trevor Allan (
1949 Australia),
John Dawes
Sydney John Dawes (29 June 194016 April 2021) was a Welsh rugby union player, playing at centre, and later coach. He captained London Welsh, Wales, the 1971 British Lions and the Barbarians. He is credited with being a major influence in th ...
(
1971 British Lions) and
Andrew Slack
Andrew Gerard Slack (born 24 September 1955 in Brisbane) is an Australian former state and national representative rugby union player who captained the Wallabies in 19 Test matches in between 1984 and 1987. His 133 appearances for Queensland bet ...
(
1986 Australia) and
Philippe Saint-André
Philippe Georges Saint-André (; born 19 April 1967) is a former French rugby union footballer and currently the manager of Top 14 side Montpellier. He earned 69 test caps for France between 1990 and 1997. His preferred position was wing but h ...
(
1994 France).
Lions
As a result of his performances for club and country, Sexton was selected to play for the 2013
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 ...
in their tour to Australia. He played in all three of the tests, scoring one try.
Sexton was then selected for the
2017 Lions tour of New Zealand. Sexton came off the bench for the first test against New Zealand. He started the second and third tests, despite suffering a broken wrist in the second test.
Despite the broken wrist and a rupture to his ankle tendon sustained during the first half, Sexton played 73 minutes of the third test before being replaced by
Ben Te'o
Ben Te'o (born 27 January 1987) is a former profesional rugby union and rugby league footballer who last played as a er for the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL.
He previously played for both the Wests Tigers and the South Sydney Rabbitohs with wh ...
.
World Rugby Awards
On 25 November 2018, at the
World Rugby Awards
The World Rugby Awards are given out annually by World Rugby (until November 2014, known as the International Rugby Board), the worldwide governing body for rugby union, for major achievements in the sport. The idea of rewarding excellence in rug ...
which were hosted in Monaco, Sexton was awarded the
World Rugby Player of the Year
The World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year is an accolade awarded annually by World Rugby at the World Rugby Awards. The award is presented to honour "the achievements of those involved at the highest level of the world game on the field". Th ...
. He is only the second Irish Rugby Football Union player to receive the award (the first Irish Rugby Football Union player to win it was
Keith Wood
Keith Wood (born 27 January 1972) is an Irish former international rugby union player who played as a hooker for Ireland, the British & Irish Lions, Garryowen, Harlequins and Munster. He was nicknamed 'The Raging Potato' because of his bal ...
back in 2001). At the same awards, Ireland was awarded
World Rugby Team of the Year
The World Rugby Team of the Year is awarded by the World Rugby in the spring each year. From 2004 to 2007, the award was called the IRB International Team of the Year. In 2017 the New Zealand Black Ferns became the first women's team to win the awa ...
and Irish Coach
Joe Schmidt walked away with
World Rugby Coach of the Year.
Statistics
International tries
International analysis by opposition
Correct as of 6 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
St. Mary's College
*
Leinster Schools Senior Cup
The Leinster Schools Senior Challenge Cup is the premier rugby union competition for secondary schools affiliated to the Leinster Branch of the IRFU. First held in 1887, the competition celebrated its 120th anniversary in 2007.
Attendances are h ...
: 1 (2002)
University College Dublin
* UCD Foundation Day Medalist 2014
Leinster
*
European Rugby Champions Cup
The European Rugby Champions Cup (known as the Heineken Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a pre ...
: 4 (
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
,
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
,
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
,
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 United ...
)
*
European Challenge Cup
The EPCR Challenge Cup is an annual rugby union competition organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the second-tier competition for clubs based in European leagues behind the European Rugby Champions Cup. From its inception i ...
: 1 (
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 fact ...
)
*
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 ...
: 6 (
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
,
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 fact ...
,
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 United ...
,
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
,
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
,
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 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
)
Ireland
*
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship (known as the Guinness Six Nations for sponsorship reasons) is an annual international men's rugby union competition between the teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. The current champions ar ...
: 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
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
,
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 United ...
)
*
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 ...
: 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 United ...
)
*
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
* Trip ...
: 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 United ...
,
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
)
*
2022 Ireland rugby union tour of New Zealand Series win 1
*
2018 Ireland rugby union tour of Australia Series win 1
*
2014 Ireland rugby union tour of Argentina
In June 2014, Ireland played a two-test series against Argentina. This was Ireland's first test series against Argentina since 2007, in which Argentina won that series 2–0. However, Ireland did go into this series on the back of a Six Nations Ch ...
Series win 1
Ireland Wolfhounds
*
Churchill Cup
The Churchill Cup was an annual rugby union tournament, held in June, contested by representative men's (and formerly women's) teams from Canada, England, the United States, and other invited teams (originally one and later three) from a wide arr ...
: 1 (
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
)
British & Irish Lions
*Tours: 2 (
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 fact ...
,
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 ser ...
)
*Series won: 1 (
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 fact ...
)
*Series drawn: 1 (
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 ser ...
)
World Rugby Awards
*
World Rugby Player of the Year
The World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year is an accolade awarded annually by World Rugby at the World Rugby Awards. The award is presented to honour "the achievements of those involved at the highest level of the world game on the field". Th ...
2018
*
World Rugby Player of the Year
The World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year is an accolade awarded annually by World Rugby at the World Rugby Awards. The award is presented to honour "the achievements of those involved at the highest level of the world game on the field". Th ...
nominee: 3 (2014, 2018, 2022)
Charity work
Sexton is an ambassador with
Make-A-Wish
The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in the United States that helps fulfill the wishes of children with a critical illness between the ages of and 18 years old.
Make-A-Wish was founded in 1980 and headquar ...
Ireland since September 2009. He helps grant wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions and launches various fundraising campaigns.
Playing style
Sexton has been a key figure to Irish and club rugby due to both his defensive play and his impactful passing when in attack. He is also a place-kicker for both club and country. As of June 2013, Sexton has scored 282 points in all test matches, including 115 points in four seasons in the Six Nations Tournament. As of 7 October 2017, Sexton became Leinster's all-time leading points scorer (overtaking Felipe Contepomi in the process) with 1234 points.
In May 2012 former Ireland and Leinster fly-half
Ollie Campbell
Seamus Oliver Campbell (born 5 March 1954) is an Irish former rugby union player. He played flyhalf for Ireland national rugby union team, Ireland from 1976 to 1984. He is most well known for his role in orchestrating Ireland's Triple Crown vict ...
stated before Leinster's third European Cup in four years that Sexton is a "class act with hardly any weaknesses", and that during Leinster's rise to the summit of European rugby the "only significant
Heineken Cup
The European Rugby Champions Cup (known as the Heineken Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a pre ...
defeat over the last four seasons occurred when Jonathan Sexton was not playing".
References
External links
Leinster ProfileIreland ProfileBritish & Irish Lions ProfilePro14 Profile*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sexton, Jonathan
1985 births
Living people
Ireland international rugby union players
Irish rugby union players
Leinster Rugby players
Alumni of University College Dublin
Racing 92 players
St Mary's College RFC players
British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Ireland
Rugby union fly-halves
People educated at St Mary's College, Dublin