Trevor Brennan
Encyclopedia
Trevor Brennan is a former rugby union
player for Barnhall
, Bective Rangers
, St Marys College RFC, Leinster Rugby
, Stade Toulousain
and Ireland
; being capped 13 times. He played either in the second row or as a flanker
.
Trevor captained St Mary's College RFC to their only AIB League title in 2000. He began his career with Barnhall.
After leaving Leinster for Stade Toulousain
, Brennan fell out of favour with the Irish national team. He subsequently went on to play in three back to back European Cup finals as part of the Stade Toulousain team, with two wins (Perpingnan 2003, Stade Français 2005) and one defeat (against Wasps 2004).
team in a 13-37 defeat against South Africa
on 13 June 1998
and went on to make 13 test appearances, including the 1999 Rugby World Cup. It was during this tournament that Brennan's abrasive image was tested, after an on-pitch fight with Australian number 8 Toutai Kefu, who was aided by two teammates who held Brennan's arms back.
match on 21 January 2007. Brennan jumped into a section of the crowd housing Ulster supporters at the Stade Ernest Wallon and repeatedly struck Ulster fan Patrick Bamford.
Trevor alleged afterwards that abuse towards his mother triggered his reaction. In their investigation of the incident European Rugby found no such abuse took place. They found that Brennan was being baited over the standard of the bar he co-owns in Toulouse.
For this attack, he was fined £17,000, ordered to pay £3,000 compensation to Bamford and was banned for life from playing rugby.http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/ulster/6459417.stm
An appeal of this decision was heard in June 2007, before an ERC-appointed, independent appeals committee, where the ban was reduced to a 5-year suspension. It was held that the life ban was 'disproportionate' to the offence. Bamford's recollection of events were recorded in the Independent Appeal Committee Decision's statement
coaching staff in the International rules match series with Australia. Both Brennan and McGurn had played Gaelic Football
in their youth were invited by the Irish manager Seán Boylan
and the GAA
to give their expertise from Rugby which would be useful in the game which is a compromise between Aussie Rules and Gaelic Football.
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 for Barnhall
Barnhall RFC
Barnhall Rugby Football Club is a rugby club in Leixlip, County Kildare near Dublin. The club has a very successful history and one of the largest youth rugby programmes in Ireland. Barnhall has 7 senior teams including an under 20's team, a ladies team and underage teams from 19's to 13's at youth...
, Bective Rangers
Bective Rangers
Bective Rangers is a rugby union club in Dublin, Ireland founded in 1881.The Club is affiliated to the Leinster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union and play in Division 2 of the All Ireland League....
, St Marys College RFC, Leinster Rugby
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...
, Stade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...
and 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...
; being capped 13 times. He played either in the second row or as a flanker
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
.
Trevor captained St Mary's College RFC to their only AIB League title in 2000. He began his career with Barnhall.
After leaving Leinster for Stade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...
, Brennan fell out of favour with the Irish national team. He subsequently went on to play in three back to back European Cup finals as part of the Stade Toulousain team, with two wins (Perpingnan 2003, Stade Français 2005) and one defeat (against Wasps 2004).
Ireland
Brennan made his debut for the senior IrelandIreland 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...
team in a 13-37 defeat against South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
on 13 June 1998
1998 Ireland rugby union tour of South Africa
1998 Ireland rugby union tour of South Africa. The Ireland national rugby union team embarked on their third tour of South Africa, having previously visited in 1961 and 1981. Both Paul Wallace and Keith Wood had previously been on a tour to South Africa with the British and Irish Lions in 1997...
and went on to make 13 test appearances, including the 1999 Rugby World Cup. It was during this tournament that Brennan's abrasive image was tested, after an on-pitch fight with Australian number 8 Toutai Kefu, who was aided by two teammates who held Brennan's arms back.
Coaching and life in Toulouse
Following retirement from professional rugby in 2007 Trevor and family have remained in Toulouse. Trevor currently coaches the Toulouse Crabos B under 18 team and owns the De Danu Irish Bar in Toulouse. "Trevor Brennan Diaries", written by Gerry Thornley appear occasionally in the Irish Times, and Brennan sometimes appears on television as commentator for various rugby events including the 2007 Rugby World Cup.Incident and Retirement
Brennan announced his retirement on 3 March 2007, after an incident during a Toulouse v UlsterUlster 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...
match on 21 January 2007. Brennan jumped into a section of the crowd housing Ulster supporters at the Stade Ernest Wallon and repeatedly struck Ulster fan Patrick Bamford.
Trevor alleged afterwards that abuse towards his mother triggered his reaction. In their investigation of the incident European Rugby found no such abuse took place. They found that Brennan was being baited over the standard of the bar he co-owns in Toulouse.
For this attack, he was fined £17,000, ordered to pay £3,000 compensation to Bamford and was banned for life from playing rugby.http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/ulster/6459417.stm
An appeal of this decision was heard in June 2007, before an ERC-appointed, independent appeals committee, where the ban was reduced to a 5-year suspension. It was held that the life ban was 'disproportionate' to the offence. Bamford's recollection of events were recorded in the Independent Appeal Committee Decision's statement
Sports Book Award
In 2007 Brennan won the William Hill Irish Sports Book of the Year Award for his book Heart and Soul. The book, which was ghost-written by Gerry Thornley, a senior Irish Times journalist, depicts Brennan from his time growing up in Leixlip and playing for Barnhall right through to his time at Toulouse where he won two European Cups before his eventual five-year ban from rugby following an assault on an Ulster fan during a game.International Rules - Coaching role
In 2008 Trevor Brennan and rugby national fitness coach Mike McGurn, were part of the Ireland International rules footballInternational rules football
International rules football is a team sport consisting of a hybrid of football codes, which was developed to facilitate international representative matches between Australian rules football players and Gaelic football players....
coaching staff in the International rules match series with Australia. Both Brennan and McGurn had 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 their youth were invited by the Irish manager Seán Boylan
Seán Boylan
Seán Boylan is a former football manager from Dunboyne, County Meath, Ireland. He retired from his position as manager of the Meath GAA Senior Football team on the evening of 31 August 2005 after twenty-three years in charge...
and the GAA
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...
to give their expertise from Rugby which would be useful in the game which is a compromise between Aussie Rules and Gaelic Football.