Tomás O'Leary
Encyclopedia
Tomás O'Leary is an Irish Rugby Union
player, playing in the scrum half position for Munster
and Dolphin RFC
. The son of Cork hurler
, Seánie O'Leary
, Tomás played Gaelic football
and hurling
before committing to Rugby.
O'Leary attended Christian Brothers College (CBC)
for his second level education. CBC has a rugby tradition and this is where O'Leary first started playing. He was recognised as a talent and played Munster Schools Senior Cup
for the school. During this time he continued to play hurling and won minor Munster and All-Ireland
titles with Cork in 2000 and 2001.
After he completed school, O'Leary chose to continue with his rugby career instead of playing within the Gaelic Athletic Association
. He was a member of the Irish U-21 side that reached the final of the 2004 Under 21 Rugby World Cup
. Munster announced that O'Leary would be a member of the squad for the following year in August 2005. An injury to Peter Stringer
early in the 2005/2006 season meant O'Leary had a chance to play, making his Heineken Cup
debut against Sale Sharks
in October 2005. He is currently registered to Dolphin rugby club.
O'Leary played a prominent role in Munster's Heineken Cup winning campaigns in 2005/06 and 2007/08, especially in the knockout stages of the 2007/08 tournament. In addition to his Munster commitments, he was named in the Irish squad to tour Argentina in the summer of 2007 where he earned his first cap as a sub on 26 May. He made his first Test start for Ireland against New Zealand on the 15th November 2008.
He was a member of the victorious Ireland team that won the 2009 Six Nations Championship
and Grand Slam and was named to take part in the 2009 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa
. On 24 April, however, during a Munster match against Scarlets, O'Leary was stretchered off the field with a broken ankle, which ruled him out of the tour of South Africa.
O'Leary scored his first try for Ireland
in the 29–11 2010 Six Nations Championship
opener against Italy
. O'Leary was awarded Man Of The Match for his outstanding performance during Ireland's 27–12 win over Wales at Croke Park
on 13 March 2010. He broke his thumb against Leinster
in October 2010 and was ruled out for 6–8 weeks. O'Leary recovered to fitness and featured against Italy and France during the 2011 Six Nations, but a troublesome back and a freak eye injury sustained during training ruled him out of the remainder of the tournament. Injury and the form of Conor Murray kept him out of the Munster team for the rest of the 2010/11 season, but O'Leary was selected in Ireland's training squad for the 2011 World Cup warm-ups in August. However, O'Leary did not make the final 30-man squad for the World Cup in New Zealand.
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, playing in the scrum half position for Munster
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
and Dolphin RFC
Dolphin RFC
Dolphin Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club in Cork. It was founded in 1902, by members of Dolphin Swimming Club seeking to find a wintertime activity.They play in Division 1 of the All-Ireland League. In 2007/08 they finished in their highest ever league position- 6th...
. The son of Cork hurler
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
, Seánie O'Leary
Seánie O'Leary
Seanie O'Leary is a former Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Youghal and with the Cork senior inter-county team from 1971 until 1984.-Early & private life:...
, Tomás 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...
and hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
before committing to Rugby.
O'Leary attended Christian Brothers College (CBC)
Christian Brothers College, Cork
Christian Brothers College, Cork is a fee-paying Catholic school under the trusteeship of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust in Cork, Ireland....
for his second level education. CBC has a rugby tradition and this is where O'Leary first started playing. He was recognised as a talent and played Munster Schools Senior Cup
Munster Schools Senior Cup
The Munster Schools Senior Cup or Munster Senior Cup is the under-age rugby union competition for schools affiliated to the Munster Branch of the IRFU. The competition is currently sponsored by Avonmore....
for the school. During this time he continued to play hurling and won minor Munster and All-Ireland
All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship is an annual competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for competitors under eighteen years of age in the game of hurling played in Ireland.The series of games are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland final...
titles with Cork in 2000 and 2001.
After he completed school, O'Leary chose to continue with his rugby career instead of playing within the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
. He was a member of the Irish U-21 side that reached the final of the 2004 Under 21 Rugby World Cup
Under 21 Rugby World Championship
The IRB Under 21 Rugby World Cup was the premier tournament for male rugby union players under the age of 21, organised by the sports governing body the International Rugby Board annually from 2002 through 2006...
. Munster announced that O'Leary would be a member of the squad for the following year in August 2005. An injury to Peter Stringer
Peter Stringer
Peter Alexander Stringer is an Irish rugby union player who plays at scrum half for Munster and Ireland. He is one of the most recognisable players in world rugby as Stringer stands only 1.7m tall and weighs in at just over 70 kg .-Career:In February 2000, he made his debut for Ireland...
early in the 2005/2006 season meant O'Leary had a chance to play, making his 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,...
debut against Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
in October 2005. He is currently registered to Dolphin rugby club.
O'Leary played a prominent role in Munster's Heineken Cup winning campaigns in 2005/06 and 2007/08, especially in the knockout stages of the 2007/08 tournament. In addition to his Munster commitments, he was named in the Irish squad to tour Argentina in the summer of 2007 where he earned his first cap as a sub on 26 May. He made his first Test start for Ireland against New Zealand on the 15th November 2008.
He was a member of the victorious Ireland team that won the 2009 Six Nations Championship
2009 Six Nations Championship
The 2009 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2009 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the tenth Six Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition contested by the six major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams...
and Grand Slam and was named to take part in the 2009 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa
2009 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa
The 2009 British and Irish Lions Tour to South Africa was an international rugby union tour which took place in South Africa from May to July 2009....
. On 24 April, however, during a Munster match against Scarlets, O'Leary was stretchered off the field with a broken ankle, which ruled him out of the tour of South Africa.
O'Leary scored his first try for Ireland
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...
in the 29–11 2010 Six Nations Championship
2010 Six Nations Championship
The 2010 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2010 RBS 6 Nations due to the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 11th series of the Six Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition between the six major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams...
opener against Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
. O'Leary was awarded Man Of The Match for his outstanding performance during Ireland's 27–12 win over Wales at Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
on 13 March 2010. He broke his thumb against Leinster
Leinster Rugby
Leinster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Leinster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Dublin, representing the Irish province of Leinster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro 12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...
in October 2010 and was ruled out for 6–8 weeks. O'Leary recovered to fitness and featured against Italy and France during the 2011 Six Nations, but a troublesome back and a freak eye injury sustained during training ruled him out of the remainder of the tournament. Injury and the form of Conor Murray kept him out of the Munster team for the rest of the 2010/11 season, but O'Leary was selected in Ireland's training squad for the 2011 World Cup warm-ups in August. However, O'Leary did not make the final 30-man squad for the World Cup in New Zealand.