Mark Regan
Encyclopedia
Mark 'Ronnie' Regan MBE (born 28 January 1972 in Bristol
) is an English
rugby union
player. He has played as a hooker for Bristol, Bath
, Leeds Tykes
as well as England
and the British Lions
.
made his England debut in the same match, he came off the bench, whilst Regan was in the starting XV. Despite being on the losing side, he retained his place for the 1996 and 1997 Five Nations championships.
Selected for the 1997 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa, Regan had a notable rivalry with Keith Wood
. Although he was kept out of the first and second tests by the Irishman, Regan did play in the final test.
He lost form on his return from Lions duty and lost his England place to new club mate Andy Long
and then Richard Cockerill
. Even though he played a major role in Bath
's Heineken Cup
victory over Brive
in Bordeaux, the hooker was out of favour with England Coach Clive Woodward
.
1999/2000 saw the re-emergence of Regan as a player: he shed over a stone in weight and hit back at critics who believed his line-out
throwing was too inconsistent for international level by turning in some impressive performances for Bath. A prominent figure in the clubs late season challenge for the Allied Dunbar Premiership
, he was voted the Bath forward of the year.
Regan returned to the international scene as a training squad member and England A player. He returned to the England
squad on the tour to South Africa in 2000. He played some of the best rugby of his career and selection for the autumn internationals followed. Phil Greening
's knee and hand injuries allowed him to take over as England's number one hooker for the Six Nations Championship; however, Clive Woodward
opted for Leicester Tigers
Dorian West
and Regan was forced to sit on the bench for most of the campaign.
Though he missed out on the Lions tour to Australia during the summer, Regan was selected for England
's summer tour. However, hindered by his injury, Regan struggled to find his early season form. He remained part of the England
set-up for the 2001-2002 season and again went on tour in the summer to Argentina.
Regan joined Leeds Tykes
in August 2002 from Bath and quickly became a central figure at Headingley. He made his debut on the opening day of the 2002-2003 season in a 26-13 win over Leicester Tigers
. After moving to Leeds his displays not only saw him become a crowd favourite but also saw a revival in his international career, as he was selected for the England squad for the 2003 Rugby World Cup
.
Regan announced his international retirement in 2004 after not being selected for the game against Canada
. He left Leeds at the end of the 2004-05 season having helped secure Leeds Premiership
status, as well as winning a Powergen Cup winners medal. He played 69 times for Leeds and scored 6 tries. In 2005-6 he was instrumental in helping newly promoted Bristol Rugby
(his hometown club) retain their Premiership status. He came out of international retirement in 2007 and was impressive in England's otherwise lacklustre tour of South Africa
. Consequently he was named in the England squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup
. He was also named in the England squad for the 2008 Six Nations Championship alongside Leicesters George Chuter
and Baths Lee Mears
.
After the world cup, Regan was selected to captain the Barbarians
against but was refused permission to play from Bristol. However, Regan ignored the club and played the game anyway.
After England beat France
24-13 in Paris
in the 2008 Six Nations Championship
, Regan was described by French coach Marc Lièvremont
as a 'grotesque clown'. This was to be Regan's last appearance for England.
In February 2009, Regan announced his intention to retire at the end of the season.
He is now Forwards Coach at Clifton Rugby Club
playing a part in leading them to the South West One title and the EDF Cup Final at Twickenham.
He is also currently involved in the buy-to-let property market, working with property investment companies Midas Estates and Property Investment Plan.
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
) is an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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...
player. He has played as a hooker for Bristol, Bath
Bath Rugby
Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league...
, Leeds Tykes
Leeds Tykes
Leeds Carnegie is an English rugby union club, based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, currently playing in the RFU Championship. In recent years, they have bounced between the Premiership and the second-level National Division One, now known as the RFU Championship; they were either promoted or relegated...
as well as England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
and the British Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
.
Career
Regan's England breakthrough came when he succeeded Brian Moore in 1995 for the visit of South Africa to Twickenham in November. He became the first player to make his England debut in the professional era of rugby union, which began in August of that year. Although Lawrence DallaglioLawrence Dallaglio
Lorenzo Bruno Nero "Lawrence" Dallaglio, OBE is a retired English rugby union player and former captain of the English national team. He played as a flanker or number eight for London Wasps and never played for another club, having arrived at Sudbury as a teenager...
made his England debut in the same match, he came off the bench, whilst Regan was in the starting XV. Despite being on the losing side, he retained his place for the 1996 and 1997 Five Nations championships.
Selected for the 1997 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa, Regan had a notable rivalry with Keith Wood
Keith Wood
Keith Gerard Mallinson Wood and educated at St Munchin's College, Limerick is a former international rugby union footballer who played hooker for Ireland, the Lions, Garryowen, Harlequins and Munster....
. Although he was kept out of the first and second tests by the Irishman, Regan did play in the final test.
He lost form on his return from Lions duty and lost his England place to new club mate Andy Long
Andy Long
Andy Long is an English rugby union footballer who plays at Hooker for Northampton Saints. He has 2 caps for England.Originally a product of the Bath academy, where he came to the attention of Bath coach Clive Woodward, having captained England U19 and U21...
and then Richard Cockerill
Richard Cockerill
Richard Cockerill is a former English rugby union footballer who played as a hooker.Cockerill was born in Rugby. Joining Leicester Tigers, he established himself as the B of the "ABC club" alongside Graham Rowntree and Darren Garforth .He made his England debut against Argentina in 1997 and...
. Even though he played a major role in Bath
Bath Rugby
Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league...
's Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
victory over Brive
CA Brive
Club Athlétique Brive Corrèze Limousin is a French rugby union team founded in 1910 and based in Brive-la-Gaillarde in the département of Corrèze of the Limousin région . They wear black and white and play in the Stade Amédée-Domenech .- History :The club was created on 15 March 1910 established on...
in Bordeaux, the hooker was out of favour with England Coach Clive Woodward
Clive Woodward
Sir Clive Ronald Woodward OBE is an English former rugby union player and coach. He was coach of the team from 1997 to 2004, managing them to victory in the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He is currently the British Olympic Association's Director of Elite Performance.-Early life:Woodward was born in Ely...
.
1999/2000 saw the re-emergence of Regan as a player: he shed over a stone in weight and hit back at critics who believed his line-out
Line-out
A line-out is the means by which, in rugby union, the ball is put back into play after it has gone into touch. It is the equivalent of the throw-in in soccer. Rugby league abolished line-outs in 1897...
throwing was too inconsistent for international level by turning in some impressive performances for Bath. A prominent figure in the clubs late season challenge for the Allied Dunbar Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
, he was voted the Bath forward of the year.
Regan returned to the international scene as a training squad member and England A player. He returned to the 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...
squad on the tour to South Africa in 2000. He played some of the best rugby of his career and selection for the autumn internationals followed. Phil Greening
Phil Greening
Phil Greening is a former English rugby union footballer. Greening finished his rugby career with London Wasps in 2005. During his career he earned 24 caps for England, as well as going to Australia with the British and Irish Lions in 2001.His rugby career started at his place of birth, Gloucester...
's knee and hand injuries allowed him to take over as England's number one hooker for the Six Nations Championship; however, Clive Woodward
Clive Woodward
Sir Clive Ronald Woodward OBE is an English former rugby union player and coach. He was coach of the team from 1997 to 2004, managing them to victory in the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He is currently the British Olympic Association's Director of Elite Performance.-Early life:Woodward was born in Ely...
opted for Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
Dorian West
Dorian West
Dorian Edward West MBE nicknamed "Nobby" is a former English international rugby union footballer.Born in Wrexham, his family moved to England when he was young...
and Regan was forced to sit on the bench for most of the campaign.
Though he missed out on the Lions tour to Australia during the summer, Regan was selected for 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...
's summer tour. However, hindered by his injury, Regan struggled to find his early season form. He remained part of the 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...
set-up for the 2001-2002 season and again went on tour in the summer to Argentina.
Regan joined Leeds Tykes
Leeds Tykes
Leeds Carnegie is an English rugby union club, based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, currently playing in the RFU Championship. In recent years, they have bounced between the Premiership and the second-level National Division One, now known as the RFU Championship; they were either promoted or relegated...
in August 2002 from Bath and quickly became a central figure at Headingley. He made his debut on the opening day of the 2002-2003 season in a 26-13 win over Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
. After moving to Leeds his displays not only saw him become a crowd favourite but also saw a revival in his international career, as he was selected for the England squad for 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...
.
Regan announced his international retirement in 2004 after not being selected for the game against Canada
Canada national rugby union team
The Canada national rugby union team represents Canada in international rugby union. They are governed by Rugby Canada, and play in red and black. Canada is classified by the International Rugby Board as a tier two rugby nation. There are ten tier one nations, and seven tier two nations, the...
. He left Leeds at the end of the 2004-05 season having helped secure Leeds Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
status, as well as winning a Powergen Cup winners medal. He played 69 times for Leeds and scored 6 tries. In 2005-6 he was instrumental in helping newly promoted Bristol Rugby
Bristol Rugby
Bristol Rugby is a rugby union club based in Bristol, England. The club currently plays in the RFU Championship and competes in the British and Irish Cup. They rely in large part on the many junior rugby clubs in the region, particularly those from 'the Combination'...
(his hometown club) retain their Premiership status. He came out of international retirement in 2007 and was impressive in England's otherwise lacklustre tour of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Consequently he was named in the England squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
. He was also named in the England squad for the 2008 Six Nations Championship alongside Leicesters George Chuter
George Chuter
George Scala Chuter is an English rugby union player who plays at Hooker for Leicester Tigers.-Biography:...
and Baths Lee Mears
Lee Mears
Lee Mears is an English rugby union footballer, who plays hooker at Bath.-Early years:Mears first started playing rugby for the Torquay Athletic mini team. Then after playing at Paignton College, he went to Colston's School and came under the guidance of Andy Robinson and Alan Martinovic. He has...
.
After the world cup, Regan was selected to captain the Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
against but was refused permission to play from Bristol. However, Regan ignored the club and played the game anyway.
After England beat 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...
24-13 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in the 2008 Six Nations Championship
2008 Six Nations Championship
The 2008 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2008 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the ninth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the 114th...
, Regan was described by French coach Marc Lièvremont
Marc Lièvremont
Marc Lièvremont is a former rugby union footballer and was the head coach of the French national rugby union team. He played as a back-row forward for France, gaining 25 caps from 1995 to 1999, and was selected in France's 1999 Rugby World Cup squad...
as a 'grotesque clown'. This was to be Regan's last appearance for England.
In February 2009, Regan announced his intention to retire at the end of the season.
He is now Forwards Coach at Clifton Rugby Club
Clifton Rugby Football Club
Clifton Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club founded in Clifton, Bristol, England. Over the years the club's home games have been played in a variety of locations in northern Bristol, though never in Clifton itself; since 1976 they have been based at the southern end of Cribbs Causeway.Clifton...
playing a part in leading them to the South West One title and the EDF Cup Final at Twickenham.
He is also currently involved in the buy-to-let property market, working with property investment companies Midas Estates and Property Investment Plan.