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by | Mar 29, 2018 | Vernonia

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Nick Timoney (born 1 August 1995) is an Irish rugby union player, who plays in the back row for Ulster and Ireland. He is regarded as a "hybrid" player, an athletic forward with the pace of a back.[3] He was named in the 2021–22 United Rugby Championship Dream Team.[4]

In his youth, Timoney played number eight for Blackrock College in Dublin, helping his team win the 2013 Leinster Schools Senior Cup, and captaining his school during the successful 2014 season.[5][6] He then played for St Mary's RFC in Division 1A of the All-Ireland League.[7] He played for Leinster's age-grade teams up to under-20 level, and won eight caps for the Ireland under-20s, appearing in all three back row positions in the 2015 under-20 Six Nations and the 2015 World Rugby Under 20 Championship, but was not offered a place in the Leinster academy.[6] He turned down an offer from Pau in the French Top 14,[3] and joined Ulster's academy on a two-year contract ahead of the 2015–16 season.[6] He made his first senior start towards the end of the 2016–17 season,[8] with director of rugby Les Kiss remarking that he had had a "very good year".[9] He played as a forward for the Ireland national rugby sevens team that played in the 2017 Sevens Grand Prix Series and took first place in the 2017 Moscow Sevens.[10]

He made 20 appearances for Ulster in the 2017–18 season, scoring five tries and making 222 tackles,[11] and was named Young Player of the Year and Academy Player of the Year in the Ulster Rugby Awards.[12] He was awarded his first senior contract in February 2018.[13] In the 2018–19 season he made 27 appearances, and was the team's leading tackler with 303.[14] In the 2020–21 season he made 17 appearances, making 212 tackles and 13 turnovers.[15] After Marcell Coetzee's departure in March, he became the team's regular number eight,[3] and was named Rugby Writers' Player of the Year in the Ulster Rugby Awards.[16] In June 2021 he was called up to the senior Ireland squad for the Summer tests,[17] and scored a try in his debut in a 71–10 victory over the United States on 10 July.[18]

In the 2021–22 season, with the arrival of South African number eight Duane Vermeulen, he has primarily played at openside flanker.[19] He captained Ulster for the first time on 20 February 2022 in an away win against Scarlets,[20] and made his 100th appearance for the province in the second leg of the Champions Cup round of 16 tie against Toulouse in April the same year.[21] He led the United Rugby Championship in tackles with 274, 64 ahead of Ulster teammate Alan O'Connor in second place.[22] He also led the European Rugby Champions Cup in tackles at the end of the pool stage with 78,[23] and was nominated for Ulster's men's player of the year award.[24] He was called up to the Ireland squad for their 2022 tour of New Zealand[25] and their two-match tour of South Africa in July 2024.[26]

References

  1. ^ Ulster Rugby player profile
  2. ^ Playing stats at ItsRugby.co.uk
  3. ^ a b c "Ulster's athletic 'hybrid' Timoney earns Ireland shot with determined progress", The42, 29 June 2021
  4. ^ "The United Rugby Championship Dream Team Has Been Named", United Rugby, 7 June 2021
  5. ^ "It’ll take one hell of a team to stop Rock", Irish Times, Gavin Cumminskey, 22 January 2014.
  6. ^ a b c "Leinster underage product Timoney heads north to join Ulster", The42, 28 July 2015.
  7. ^ "Leinster’s backrow conveyor belt maintains quality production line", Irish Times, 5 January 2015.
  8. ^ "URTV: Nick Timoney discusses his first cap for Ulster", YouTube, 8 April 2017
  9. ^ "Ulster's Kiss keeping faith despite top stars out of crunch Ospreys clash", Belfast Telegraph, 26 April 2017.
  10. ^ "Moscow success gives Ireland Sevens World Cup boost", Irish Times, John O'Sullivan, 5 June 2017.
  11. ^ "Ulster Rugby: Who did what 2017-18", The Front Row Union, 25 June 2018
  12. ^ "Cooney scoops three awards at Heineken Ulster Rugby Awards Dinner", Ulster Rugby, 10 May 2018
  13. ^ "Ulster pair Gilroy and Timoney extend contracts with Kingspan side", BBC Sport, 14 February 2018
  14. ^ "Ulster Men: Who did what 2018-19", The Front Row Union, 18 July 2018
  15. ^ "Ulster 2020-21: Who Did What?", The Front Row Union, 12 August 2021
  16. ^ "Henderson Leads The Winners At Ulster Rugby Awards", IrishRugby.ie, 7 June 2021
  17. ^ "Ireland Squad Confirmed For Vodafone Summer Series". Irish Rugby. 14 June 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  18. ^ "Baloucoune wonder try sparks Ireland to life as they put 71 points on USA". the42. 10 July 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  19. ^ Jonathan Bradley, "Ulster flanker Nick Timoney won’t change his game to suit anybody else", Belfast Telegraph, 8 October 2021
  20. ^ Jonathan Bradley, "Ulster return to top of URC standings as they master Storm Eunice in Newport to edge out Dragons", Belfast Telegraph, 20 February 2022
  21. ^ Jonathan Bradley, "Toulouse have to mix it up with key names missing, as Nick Timoney hits 100th Ulster cap", Belfast Telegraph, 16 April 2022
  22. ^ United Rugby Championship Players' Statistics, retrieved 20 June 2022
  23. ^ Players' Statistics, European Professional Club Rugby, retrieved 3 May 2022
  24. ^ "Vote for your player of the year in the 2021/22 Heineken Ulster Rugby Awards", Ulster Rugby, 15 June 2022
  25. ^ Gerry Thornley, "Ireland name their 40-man squad for tour of New Zealand", The Irish Times, 14 June 2022
  26. ^ "Ireland Squad Update", Irish Rugby, 8 July 2024
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