Sean O'Loughlin
Encyclopedia
Sean O'Loughlin is an English professional rugby league
footballer
who captains the Wigan Warriors
of Europe's Super League
. A Great Britain and England international representative , and /, he has played his entire career to date with Wigan, with whom he won the 2010 Super League XV
Championship.
final.
On 24 November 1982, Sean O'Loughlin was born in Wigan
, England
. His father Keiron was an ex-Great Britain
player, and he also featured in the 1984 Challenge Cup
final for the Widnes
side which achieved victory over Wigan
. Paradoxically, it was the Wigan-based amateur club St. Patricks ARLFC
which gave Sean his first experience of competitive rugby league.
O'Loughlin is a product of the Wigan Warriors Youth Development
, for whom he started playing in under-19s matches in 2001, and continued to do so in 2002. During his time at the academy, O'Loughlin played in a variety of positions, including a game against Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
in the senior academy championships where he played at scoring two tries, and another against Hull Kingston Rovers
where he scored a try playing at .
In 2002, he also featured in two matches during the cross-code
Middlesex Sevens tournament, playing at / in a team composed of both Wigan and Orrell R.U.F.C.
players. Because of this, O'Loughlin remains one of only a handful of rugby league players ever to play at Twickenham Stadium
, the home of English rugby union
, along with those in the St Helens, Bradford
and Huddersfield
teams who competed in the 2001 and 2006 Challenge Cup finals.
during the 2002 Super League season
. His first experience in the first team came as an interchange wearing shirt #22 during the Warriors' 18–20 home defeat to Hull. Two weeks later, O'Loughlin scored his first tries for the club as an interchange against Warrington Wolves
, and subsequently appeared in six consecutive appearances from the bench. He made his first starting appearance for the Warriors during a 16–41 away victory against Warrington, when he was called upon to replace his injured brother-in-law, Andy Farrell.
On that night, O'Loughlin played at /, which would eventually become his most natural position, but during his first season he played in no less than three positions. After returning from the Middlesex Sevens event where he played /, he made another starting appearance against Warrington, this time at /. He also started, and scored a try, at against Leeds
. However, in general O'Loughlin's first season mostly saw him come into the match as an interchange, starting in only five of the twenty-one appearances he made throughout the whole of the league season.
moving to prop forward as cover for injuries, during the season he impressed many people earning himself a new contract and a call up to the Great Britain
for the 2004 Tri-Nations
.
2005 was not a good year for Sean despite making an impressive start to the season on March 2005 he suffered a serious knee injury that kept him out for the rest of the season. Sean returned to the first team in 2006 and was announced as captain by coach Ian Millward
, however he received some criticism from fans for his lack of leadership on the field which was highlighted by Wigan’s poor form at the start of the season. The poor start to the season left Wigan bottom of the Super League and led to the sacking of Ian Millward who was replaced by Brian Noble
.
O'Loughlin showed a dramatic improvement under Noble, many people credited Sean for his defensive work and at the end of the season he was Wigan’s top tackler. His performance in 2006 earned him a recall into the Great Britain
squad for the mid season international with New Zealand
and the end of season Tri-Nations
in Australia.
With Sean's contract expiring at the end of 2006 he was linked with a move to new Australian NRL
side Gold Coast
for most of the season but in November 2006 he signed a new two deal with Wigan keeping him at the club until 2008.
The 2010 season has seen Sean O'Loughlin noted for his hard work rate, topping most if not all stats. He has been the player of the month twice in 2010 and been in the Super League dream team a record 27 times in total. He was seen as a contender for the 2010 Man of Steel Award but missed out on a nomination. However, eventual winner and fellow team-mate Pat Richards
paid credit to his contribution upon receiving his nomination.
.
In 2002 he was named as captain of the England A squad that faced New Zealand
in November and later toured Fiji
and Tonga
. He made 3 appearances on the tour and was sent off and sin-binned in the same match against Fiji.
He was named as captain of the 2003 England A squad to face Australia and in the European Nations Cup. Sean also gained his first senior representative honour when he represented Lancashire
in the 2003 Origin match.
Sean was called into the full Great Britain squad for the first time for the 2004 Tri-Nations Series. He made his debut off the bench against Australia and his first full appearance in the following match against New Zealand.
In 2006 Sean was recalled to play in the mid season international against New Zealand at Knowsley Road which Great Britain won. He was also selected in the squad for the 2006 Tri-Nations in Australia, he played in Great Britains opening defeat to New Zealand but played an important role in Great Britains victory over Australia. He missed Great Britains 34-4 defeat to New Zealand with a muscle strain.
He has been forced to rule himself out contention for the England training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
through injury.
Likewise he was forced to withdraw from the 2009 Four Nations English squad before the commencement of the series.
He was selected to play for England against France in the one-off test in 2010.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
who captains the Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
of Europe's Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
. A Great Britain and England international representative , and /, he has played his entire career to date with Wigan, with whom he won the 2010 Super League XV
Super League XV
The 2010 Super League season was the fifteenth season of rugby league football since the Super League format was introduced in 1996. Fourteen teams competed for the League Leader's Shield over 27 rounds . All clubs also participated in the 2010 Challenge Cup tournament...
Championship.
Early life
O'Loughlin comes from a well connected rugby league family, His dad is the ex-Great Britain player Keiron O'Loughlin and his brother in law was the former Wigan captain Andy Farrell. His dad was a member of the Widnes side that beat Wigan in the 1984 Rugby League Challenge CupChallenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
final.
On 24 November 1982, Sean O'Loughlin was born in Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
, England
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...
. His father Keiron was an ex-Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
player, and he also featured in the 1984 Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
final for the Widnes
Widnes Vikings
Widnes Vikings RLFC are an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They currently play in the Engage Super League, the top tier of European rugby league, after being awarded a license to compete in the top-flight Super League from 2012 onward...
side which achieved victory over Wigan
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
. Paradoxically, it was the Wigan-based amateur club St. Patricks ARLFC
Wigan St Patricks
Wigan St. Patricks is an Amateur Rugby League football club. It is situated in the Scholes area of Wigan, Greater Manchester.The first team plays in the National Conference League Premier Division. There is a Reserve side which plays in the North West Counties League First Division. The club also...
which gave Sean his first experience of competitive rugby league.
O'Loughlin is a product of the Wigan Warriors Youth Development
Wigan Warriors Youth Development
Wigan Warriors Youth Development is the youth system of the Rugby League Football club Wigan Warriors. It is one of the most famous and successful youth system for rugby league and has produced some of the best players in both rugby league and rugby union. The Wigan Warriors Youth Development...
, for whom he started playing in under-19s matches in 2001, and continued to do so in 2002. During his time at the academy, O'Loughlin played in a variety of positions, including a game against Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
in the senior academy championships where he played at scoring two tries, and another against Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR is an English professional rugby league football club based in Hull, England. The club formed in 1882 and currently competes in Super League, having won promotion from National League One in 2006...
where he scored a try playing at .
In 2002, he also featured in two matches during the cross-code
Comparison of rugby league and rugby union
A comparison of rugby league and rugby union is possible because of the games' similarities and shared origins. In English rugby football, towards the end of the 19th century, a schism developed over the way the sport was run; one of the major disputes was between those who favoured strict...
Middlesex Sevens tournament, playing at / in a team composed of both Wigan and Orrell R.U.F.C.
Orrell R.U.F.C.
Orrell Rugby Union Football Club is a rugby union team from the Orrell area of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester.The club were founded in 1927, holding a place in the top-tier of rugby union from 1986 to 1997.-1927–1939:...
players. Because of this, O'Loughlin remains one of only a handful of rugby league players ever to play at Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
, the home of English 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...
, along with those in the St Helens, Bradford
Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....
and Huddersfield
Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C....
teams who competed in the 2001 and 2006 Challenge Cup finals.
Debut season
O'Loughlin made his breakthrough into the Wigan Warriors first team under head coach Stuart RaperStuart Raper
Stuart Raper is an Australian former professional rugby league player and coach. He has since become a sideline commentator for the NRL with Foxsports...
during the 2002 Super League season
Super League VII
Tetley's Super League VII was the official name for the year 2002's Super League championship season, the 108th season of top-level professional rugby league held in Britain, and the seventh championship run by Super League...
. His first experience in the first team came as an interchange wearing shirt #22 during the Warriors' 18–20 home defeat to Hull. Two weeks later, O'Loughlin scored his first tries for the club as an interchange against Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
, and subsequently appeared in six consecutive appearances from the bench. He made his first starting appearance for the Warriors during a 16–41 away victory against Warrington, when he was called upon to replace his injured brother-in-law, Andy Farrell.
On that night, O'Loughlin played at /, which would eventually become his most natural position, but during his first season he played in no less than three positions. After returning from the Middlesex Sevens event where he played /, he made another starting appearance against Warrington, this time at /. He also started, and scored a try, at against Leeds
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
. However, in general O'Loughlin's first season mostly saw him come into the match as an interchange, starting in only five of the twenty-one appearances he made throughout the whole of the league season.
Post-2002
Sean played loose forward for most of 2004 with Andrew FarrellAndrew Farrell
Andrew D. 'Andy' Farrell OBE is an English former professional dual-code rugby footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. A goal-kicking forward in rugby league, he captained the Great Britain team and his club, Wigan, with whom he won several championships and Challenge Cup titles as well as a range of...
moving to prop forward as cover for injuries, during the season he impressed many people earning himself a new contract and a call up to the Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
for the 2004 Tri-Nations
Rugby League Tri-Nations
The Rugby League Tri-Nations was a rugby league tournament involving the top three nations in the sport: Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand...
.
2005 was not a good year for Sean despite making an impressive start to the season on March 2005 he suffered a serious knee injury that kept him out for the rest of the season. Sean returned to the first team in 2006 and was announced as captain by coach Ian Millward
Ian Millward
Ian Millward is an Australian rugby league coach and former player. Millward is currently the head coach at Super League side Castleford....
, however he received some criticism from fans for his lack of leadership on the field which was highlighted by Wigan’s poor form at the start of the season. The poor start to the season left Wigan bottom of the Super League and led to the sacking of Ian Millward who was replaced by Brian Noble
Brian Noble (rugby league)
Brian 'Nobby' D. Noble is an English former rugby league footballer. Noble is also the former coach of the Great Britain National Rugby League team. He was also the captain of the 1984 Great Britain touring team to Australia...
.
O'Loughlin showed a dramatic improvement under Noble, many people credited Sean for his defensive work and at the end of the season he was Wigan’s top tackler. His performance in 2006 earned him a recall into the Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
squad for the mid season international with New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
and the end of season Tri-Nations
Rugby League Tri-Nations
The Rugby League Tri-Nations was a rugby league tournament involving the top three nations in the sport: Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand...
in Australia.
With Sean's contract expiring at the end of 2006 he was linked with a move to new Australian NRL
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
side Gold Coast
Gold Coast Titans
Gold Coast Titans are an Australian professional rugby league football club, based in the Gold Coast, Queensland. The club competes in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership. It is the newest of the sixteen clubs in the league, having commenced its...
for most of the season but in November 2006 he signed a new two deal with Wigan keeping him at the club until 2008.
The 2010 season has seen Sean O'Loughlin noted for his hard work rate, topping most if not all stats. He has been the player of the month twice in 2010 and been in the Super League dream team a record 27 times in total. He was seen as a contender for the 2010 Man of Steel Award but missed out on a nomination. However, eventual winner and fellow team-mate Pat Richards
Pat Richards
Pat Richards is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Wigan Warriors of Europe's Super League. An Ireland and Exiles international representative winger, he previously played in the National Rugby League for Sydney clubs the Parramatta Eels and Wests Tigers, winning the 2005...
paid credit to his contribution upon receiving his nomination.
International career
He has already gained international experience as part of the 2001 Great Britain Academy of AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
In 2002 he was named as captain of the England A squad that faced New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in November and later toured Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
and Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
. He made 3 appearances on the tour and was sent off and sin-binned in the same match against Fiji.
He was named as captain of the 2003 England A squad to face Australia and in the European Nations Cup. Sean also gained his first senior representative honour when he represented Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
in the 2003 Origin match.
Sean was called into the full Great Britain squad for the first time for the 2004 Tri-Nations Series. He made his debut off the bench against Australia and his first full appearance in the following match against New Zealand.
In 2006 Sean was recalled to play in the mid season international against New Zealand at Knowsley Road which Great Britain won. He was also selected in the squad for the 2006 Tri-Nations in Australia, he played in Great Britains opening defeat to New Zealand but played an important role in Great Britains victory over Australia. He missed Great Britains 34-4 defeat to New Zealand with a muscle strain.
He has been forced to rule himself out contention for the England training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
through injury.
Likewise he was forced to withdraw from the 2009 Four Nations English squad before the commencement of the series.
He was selected to play for England against France in the one-off test in 2010.
External links
- "My life in rugby league: Sean O'Loughlin" interview at TotalRL.com
- Wigan Warriors profile
- Sean O'Loughlin Wigan Career Page on the Wigan RL Fansite.
- International Statistics at englandrl.co.uk
- Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org