James Shane Byrne (born 18 July 1971) is a former
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
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 ...
hooker. He is nicknamed 'Munch' or 'Mullet' (a reference to his hair style).
A native of
Aughrim, County Wicklow
Aughrim (; ) is a small town in County Wicklow, Ireland. It lies in a scenic valley in the Wicklow Mountains in the east of Ireland where the Ow and Derry rivers meet to form the Aughrim River. Aughrim is on the R747 road between Arklow and B ...
, Byrne played
Gaelic football up to under-16 level with the local Aughrim club.
[Hoganstand.com – GAA Football & Hurling]
/ref> He attended Blackrock College
Blackrock College ( ga, Coláiste na Carraige Duibhe) is a voluntary day and boarding Catholic secondary school for boys aged 13–18, in Williamstown, Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland. It was founded by French missionary Jules Leman in 186 ...
in Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
.
Career
He plied his trade for many years at 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 ...
. His international career started comparatively late and did not blossom until the retirement of 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 ...
. When he eventually got his chance in a World Cup qualifier in Romania in 2001 he took it and thereafter became a fixture in the national side where he won 41 caps between 2001 and 2005, scoring three tries.
In February 2003 Byrne played his 100th game for Leinster.
In 2005 he was selected for the British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand and played in the first and third tests. Byrne has scored a total of three tries for his country, scoring two of those in one match against Wales during the 2004 Six Nations series.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 ...
were inconclusive and he joined Saracens in the summer of 2005 for two years, before returning to Ireland.
Personal life
Byrne participated in a Charity You're A Star edition on RTÉ in the Helix, DCU. His chosen charity was GOAL, an Irish founded charity group.
In June 2008, Byrne revived his GAA career with the local Aughrim club after a 17-year lapse, lining out at centre-back in a Wicklow junior 'C' league game against Coolkenno.
References
External links
ESPN Profile
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Byrne, Shane
1971 births
Living people
Blackrock College RFC players
British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Ireland
Gaelic footballers who switched code
Ireland international rugby union players
Irish rugby union players
Leinster Rugby players
Saracens F.C. players
You're a Star contestants
People educated at Blackrock College
Rugby union players from County Wicklow
Rugby union hookers