Eddie O'Sullivan
Encyclopedia
Eddie O'Sullivan is an Irish rugby union coach and a former footballer. He is a former head coach of the United States national
rugby union
team and of the Ireland national rugby union team
.
O'Sullivan was born in Youghal
, County Cork
, Ireland
. After attending the Christian Brothers
school in the town, he graduated from Thomond College
, which a decade later became part of the University of Limerick
.
during the 1970s and 1980s, while teaching physical education, maths, and science in Mountbellew
, County Galway. He also played Gaelic Football
. In 1982, he played corner forward on the Mountbellew Moylough
Gaelic football team that lost the Galway Senior Football Final.
He started his coaching career at a Galway club Monivea RFC
before being appointed as a rugby development officer with the IRFU. He followed this with spells coaching at Blackrock College, (first as assistant, then as head coach) Connacht and the Irish Under-21 side. The Under-21 side won the 1996 Triple Crown
, beating Clive Woodward's England.
After failing to secure a high profile coaching position in Ireland, O'Sullivan moved to America to coach the US Eagles. He was then appointed as the assistant coach of the Irish national side in 1999, and in 2001 as the head coach following the departure of Warren Gatland
.
After finishing third in the 2002 Six Nations Championship
, O'Sullivan's Ireland went on to achieve second place in 2003
, only losing the Grand Slam
in the final match against England
. At the 2003 Rugby World Cup
his team lost to France
in the quarter finals.
Ireland again finished second in the 2004 Six Nations Championship
, losing the Grand Slam to France this time. After starting as many people's favourites for 2005
, O'Sullivan's side slumped to third place with defeats by France and Wales
. In 2006
only a poor first half performance against France cost O'Sullivan his first Championship and Grand Slam. In 2007
, a last-minute lapse in concentration in the game against France lost them that match, this time coming joint top on points (France lost to England), losing the championship on a count of points scored.
O'Sullivan won 3 triple crowns with Ireland
, in 2004,2006 and 2007 and is credited with taking the team to a level where they were consistently competitive against the top teams in the world.
Criticisms included a failure to inspire passion in the team and a failure to have developed any depth in the squad, which has been said to have caused complacency in the first team players. Many began to see the signing of his contract as a premature move, with an internet petition calling for his resignation after a poor start to the World Cup. Ulster's
Justin Harrison
, an ex-Australia International, was scathing of the IRFU's decision to sign O'Sullivan a new contract. He was also criticised for his refusal to play Geordan Murphy
, who had excelled in club games in England. Rumours have abounded of conflict in the Irish camp stemming from this, and even that Murphy might leave the squad as a result.
The string of poor results continued with the failure of Ireland, for the second time in its history, to qualify for the knock-out stages of the World Cup, finishing 3rd in its Group with 2 wins and 2 losses.
campaign.
O'Sullivan released his autobiography, Never Die Wondering ISBN 978-1846053993, in Autumn 2009. It was written with award winning sports writer Vincent Hogan.
. After coaching the Irish Under-21 team to their first ever Triple Crown in ’97, O’Sullivan joined USA Rugby as assistant coach to the Eagles (forwards coach) and assistant national technical director. In 1998, he took over as national technical director while still retaining his position on the Eagles coaching staff. The position came open when Scott Johnson
announced he would leave the team at the end of the 2008-09 season to move to Ospreys of the Magners League. His agent reported on 16 February that O'Sullivan had signed a deal that would see him coach the USA through the 2011 World Cup
, but was awaiting ratification by the board of directors of USA Rugby
. His hiring was officially announced on 4 March.
United States national rugby union team
USA Rugby's men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States in the sport of rugby union. The Eagles are currently ranked 17th by the IRB World Rankings. Their highest ranking was from November 2, 2006 – September 10, 2007 at the 14th position...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team and of the Ireland national rugby union team
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
.
O'Sullivan was born in Youghal
Youghal
Youghal is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Sitting on the estuary of the River Blackwater, in the past it was militarily and economically important. Being built on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a distinctive long and narrow layout...
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. After attending the Christian Brothers
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
school in the town, he graduated from Thomond College
Thomond College of Education, Limerick
Thomond College of Education, Limerick was established in 1973 in Limerick, Ireland as the National College of Physical Education to train physical education teachers...
, which a decade later became part of the University of Limerick
University of Limerick
The University of Limerick is a university in Ireland near the city of Limerick on the island's west coast. It was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and became a university by statute in 1989 in accordance with the University of Limerick Act 1989...
.
Early career
O'Sullivan played for the Garryowen Football ClubGarryowen Football Club
Garryowen Football Club , usually referred to as Garryowen, is a rugby union club from Limerick, Ireland. Historically it has been one of the most successful clubs in Irish rugby union leagues.-Name:...
during the 1970s and 1980s, while teaching physical education, maths, and science in Mountbellew
Mountbellew
Mountbellew or Mountbellew Bridge is a village in County Galway, Ireland. It lies mostly within the townland of Treanrevagh on the N63 national primary road....
, County Galway. He also played Gaelic Football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
. In 1982, he played corner forward on the Mountbellew Moylough
Mountbellew-Moylough CLG
Mountbellew-Moylough is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in County Galway, Ireland. The club is a member of the Galway GAA. The club was formerly known as Mountbellew before amalgamating with Moylough.-Honours:...
Gaelic football team that lost the Galway Senior Football Final.
He started his coaching career at a Galway club Monivea RFC
Monivea RFC
Monivea RFC was founded on October 8 1972 by Padraic McGann, since that day the club has grown and progressed to have teams at all levels from the kids playing mini rugby right through to the Junior side who have pushed hard for AIL and qualified in a bid to bring senior rugby to Monivea.The club's...
before being appointed as a rugby development officer with the IRFU. He followed this with spells coaching at Blackrock College, (first as assistant, then as head coach) Connacht and the Irish Under-21 side. The Under-21 side won the 1996 Triple Crown
Triple Crown (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship: England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the...
, beating Clive Woodward's England.
After failing to secure a high profile coaching position in Ireland, O'Sullivan moved to America to coach the US Eagles. He was then appointed as the assistant coach of the Irish national side in 1999, and in 2001 as the head coach following the departure of Warren Gatland
Warren Gatland
Warren David Gatland is a former New Zealand rugby footballer and the current head coach of the Wales national team.Gatland was born in Hamilton, New Zealand and educated at Hamilton Boys' High School and Waikato University...
.
Ireland career
Eddie O'Sullivan has been Ireland's most successful coach of the modern era. Ireland have won three triple crowns and risen as high as third in the world rankings.After finishing third in the 2002 Six Nations Championship
2002 Six Nations Championship
The 2002 Six Nations Championship was the third series of the Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-eighth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship...
, O'Sullivan's Ireland went on to achieve second place in 2003
2003 Six Nations Championship
The 2003 Six Nations Championship was the fourth series of the Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-ninth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship...
, only losing the Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
in the final match against England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
. At the 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
his team lost to France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
in the quarter finals.
Ireland again finished second in the 2004 Six Nations Championship
2004 Six Nations Championship
The 2004 Six Nations Championship was the fifth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-tenth series of the northern...
, losing the Grand Slam to France this time. After starting as many people's favourites for 2005
2005 Six Nations Championship
The 2005 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the sixth series of the Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy...
, O'Sullivan's side slumped to third place with defeats by France and Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
. In 2006
2006 Six Nations Championship
The 2006 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the seventh series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy...
only a poor first half performance against France cost O'Sullivan his first Championship and Grand Slam. In 2007
2007 Six Nations Championship
The 2007 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the eighth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the 113th series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship...
, a last-minute lapse in concentration in the game against France lost them that match, this time coming joint top on points (France lost to England), losing the championship on a count of points scored.
O'Sullivan won 3 triple crowns with Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, in 2004,2006 and 2007 and is credited with taking the team to a level where they were consistently competitive against the top teams in the world.
2007 World Cup Campaign
In August 2007, O'Sullivan's contract with the IRFU was extended for a further four years, which meant that he was contracted to be in charge of the Irish Rugby Team until 2012. Part of the terms of the contract allowed him to leave the position temporarily to coach the 2009 Lions squad, were he to be offered that role. Soon, however, he was the subject of press criticism after a run of poor results. Ireland turned in poor performances in the opening matches of the World Cup against the lower rated Georgia and Namibia. They had previously also struggled in pre-tournament games against Italy, Scotland and Argentina.Criticisms included a failure to inspire passion in the team and a failure to have developed any depth in the squad, which has been said to have caused complacency in the first team players. Many began to see the signing of his contract as a premature move, with an internet petition calling for his resignation after a poor start to the World Cup. Ulster's
Ulster Rugby
Ulster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Ulster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Belfast, representing the Irish province of Ulster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...
Justin Harrison
Justin Harrison
Justin Harrison, born 20 April 1974 in Sydney, is a former Australian international rugby union player, who played lock forward as is currently forwards coach for Brumbies.-Career:...
, an ex-Australia International, was scathing of the IRFU's decision to sign O'Sullivan a new contract. He was also criticised for his refusal to play Geordan Murphy
Geordan Murphy
Geordan Edward Andrew Murphy is an Irish rugby union rugby player and plays fullback or wing for the English club Leicester Tigers and Ireland....
, who had excelled in club games in England. Rumours have abounded of conflict in the Irish camp stemming from this, and even that Murphy might leave the squad as a result.
The string of poor results continued with the failure of Ireland, for the second time in its history, to qualify for the knock-out stages of the World Cup, finishing 3rd in its Group with 2 wins and 2 losses.
End of Irish Career
On 19 March 2008, O'Sullivan resigned from his job after a disappointing 6 NationsSix Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
campaign.
O'Sullivan released his autobiography, Never Die Wondering ISBN 978-1846053993, in Autumn 2009. It was written with award winning sports writer Vincent Hogan.
Return to America
O'Sullivan has returned to the USA for a stint as head coach of the USA national teamUnited States national rugby union team
USA Rugby's men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States in the sport of rugby union. The Eagles are currently ranked 17th by the IRB World Rankings. Their highest ranking was from November 2, 2006 – September 10, 2007 at the 14th position...
. After coaching the Irish Under-21 team to their first ever Triple Crown in ’97, O’Sullivan joined USA Rugby as assistant coach to the Eagles (forwards coach) and assistant national technical director. In 1998, he took over as national technical director while still retaining his position on the Eagles coaching staff. The position came open when Scott Johnson
Scott Johnson (rugby coach)
Scott Johnson , is an Australian rugby union coach.-Playing career:Playing as a fly half or a centre, Johnson played for Parramatta Two Blues and Eastwood, and was captain of both the New South Wales Waratahs and Australian Under 21s...
announced he would leave the team at the end of the 2008-09 season to move to Ospreys of the Magners League. His agent reported on 16 February that O'Sullivan had signed a deal that would see him coach the USA through the 2011 World Cup
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 selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
, but was awaiting ratification by the board of directors of USA Rugby
USA Rugby
USA Rugby is the national governing body for the sport of rugby union in the United States. It is divided into seven territorial Unions: Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, Pacific Coast, Southern California, South, and West...
. His hiring was officially announced on 4 March.