Tony Buckley
Encyclopedia
Tony "Mushy" Buckley
is an Irish
rugby union
player from Newmarket, County Cork
, who plays tighthead prop for Sale
in the Aviva Premiership and for Ireland
. He is currently one of the heaviest men playing professional rugby, weighing in at 21 st 5 lbs (300 lbs) or 135 kilograms. He wears size 16 boots which must be custom made for him in Germany. He joined Sale Sharks on a 3 year deal from the 2011/12 season.
. He first started playing rugby for Kanturk R.F.C in Co Cork.
Educated in Newbridge college, Buckley initially played rugby with the school team as a Second Row
. He was capped for Leinster Schools before playing for Shannon RFC
from Connacht
in 2005 but his first two years were interrupted with injury. Following initial reports, it was thought that he would move to Bath
on a one year contract at the end of the 2007 season.
However, it was later announced that he would remain at Munster until 2009, after agreeing to a two-year contract extension.
The 2007–08 season provided Buckley with increased game time, starting four of the first six matches in the Celtic League, followed by making his Heineken Cup debut against the London Wasps
. It was during this match that Buckley came on for the injured John Hayes
and within minutes had put Simon Shaw
to ground with a hand-off on his own line. After another disappointing season in which he lost his place in the Irish squad to Mike Ross
and Munster failed to qualify for the Heineken Cup Quarter finals for the first time in over a decade, Tony decided to join Sale Sharks for the 2011/12 season. He had come in for strong criticism of his scrummaging in the key away game to the Ospreys in the Heineken Cup
which saw him dropped from the first team. In February 2011 he signed for Sale.
. He was listed among the replacements in the matchday XXII for the first test in Santa Fé on the 26th of May, during which he gained his first of two caps on the tour. Later that year he was added to the 2007 Rugby World Cup
squad as an injury replacement for Simon Best
, but did not feature during the tournament following Ireland's exit at the group stages.
Buckley's competitive debut came in the 2008 Six Nations Championship
, when he was introduced for last 10 minutes of Ireland's opening fixture against Italy
on the 2nd of February 2008. He scored his first international try a year later against Canada
on the 24th of May 2009, during the summer tour of North America. He also scored again for Ireland A against Georgia in the Churchill Cup, on the 14th of June 2009. Buckley was seen as the long term successor to John Hayes
for club and country. Mike Ross was given the chance to start for Ireland in the 2011 Six Nations
and Tony was left out of the squad. He instead played for Ireland Wolfhounds. He was selected in Ireland's 43-man training squad for the 2011 World Cup, and won a place in the final 30-man squad to go to New Zealand. On the 25th September 2011, Tony scored his first World Cup try against Russia.
is an Irish
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,...
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 from Newmarket, County Cork
Newmarket, County Cork
Newmarket, historically known as Aghatrasna , is a town in the Barony of Duhallow, County Cork, Ireland.-Sport:*Glenlara GAA and Newmarket GAA are the local Gaelic Athletic Association clubs.-People:...
, who plays tighthead prop for Sale
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 the Aviva Premiership and 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...
. He is currently one of the heaviest men playing professional rugby, weighing in at 21 st 5 lbs (300 lbs) or 135 kilograms. He wears size 16 boots which must be custom made for him in Germany. He joined Sale Sharks on a 3 year deal from the 2011/12 season.
Early career
Buckley has a background in Gaelic gamesGaelic games
Gaelic games are sports played in Ireland under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The two main games are Gaelic football and hurling...
. He first started playing rugby for Kanturk R.F.C in Co Cork.
Educated in Newbridge college, Buckley initially played rugby with the school team as a Second Row
Second Row
Second Row may refer to:* Second Row , a name for the two lock positions in rugby union* Second Row , a name for the two second-row forward positions in rugby league...
. He was capped for Leinster Schools before playing for Shannon RFC
Shannon RFC
Shannon Rugby Football Club is an amateur rugby union team from Ireland, they hail from Limerick near the banks of the Shannon river. The club is a member of the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch and as one of the top amateur sides in Ireland has seen many of its players progress to...
Club/Provincial
Buckley joined MunsterMunster 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...
from Connacht
Connacht Rugby
Connacht Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Connacht that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 comprising teams from the Celtic nations plus Italy. Normally, it also competes in the second-tier pan-European club competition, the European Challenge Cup...
in 2005 but his first two years were interrupted with injury. Following initial reports, it was thought that he would move to 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...
on a one year contract at the end of the 2007 season.
However, it was later announced that he would remain at Munster until 2009, after agreeing to a two-year contract extension.
The 2007–08 season provided Buckley with increased game time, starting four of the first six matches in the Celtic League, followed by making his Heineken Cup debut against the London Wasps
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
. It was during this match that Buckley came on for the injured John Hayes
John Hayes (rugby player)
John Hayes is an Irish rugby union player, who plays in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup for Munster. Having spent his underage career playing with the local Cappamore GAA club, he was 18 when he started playing rugby. It was his size which enabled him to overcome his late start to the sport...
and within minutes had put Simon Shaw
Simon Shaw
Simon Dalton Shaw MBE is an English rugby union player who plays at lock for Toulon and England.-Biography:...
to ground with a hand-off on his own line. After another disappointing season in which he lost his place in the Irish squad to Mike Ross
Mike Ross
Michael Avery “Mike” Ross is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Democratic Party. Ross is currently the dean of the Arkansas congressional delegation, or its most senior member...
and Munster failed to qualify for the Heineken Cup Quarter finals for the first time in over a decade, Tony decided to join Sale Sharks for the 2011/12 season. He had come in for strong criticism of his scrummaging in the key away game to the Ospreys in the 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,...
which saw him dropped from the first team. In February 2011 he signed for Sale.
International career
In April 2007, Buckley was named in the Irish squad for a tour of Argentina2007 Ireland rugby union tour of Argentina
-Matches:-----Backs:-Forwards:...
. He was listed among the replacements in the matchday XXII for the first test in Santa Fé on the 26th of May, during which he gained his first of two caps on the tour. Later that year he was added to 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,...
squad as an injury replacement for Simon Best
Simon Best
Simon Best is a former Irish rugby union footballer. He played for Ulster and was club captain in Ulster's 2005/06 Magners League winning season...
, but did not feature during the tournament following Ireland's exit at the group stages.
Buckley's competitive debut came 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...
, when he was introduced for last 10 minutes of Ireland's opening fixture 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,...
on the 2nd of February 2008. He scored his first international try a year later 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...
on the 24th of May 2009, during the summer tour of North America. He also scored again for Ireland A against Georgia in the Churchill Cup, on the 14th of June 2009. Buckley was seen as the long term successor to John Hayes
John Hayes
John Hayes may refer to:In academia:* John Hayes , British art historian and museum director, expert on GainsboroughIn entertainment:* John Hayes , American director of low-budget films...
for club and country. Mike Ross was given the chance to start for Ireland in the 2011 Six Nations
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
and Tony was left out of the squad. He instead played for Ireland Wolfhounds. He was selected in Ireland's 43-man training squad for the 2011 World Cup, and won a place in the final 30-man squad to go to New Zealand. On the 25th September 2011, Tony scored his first World Cup try against Russia.