James Downey (rugby union)
| Birth name | James Downey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 23 March 1981 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Dublin, Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 105 kg (16 st 7 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Belvedere College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University College Dublin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Centre | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Amateur team(s) | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
| - | Clontarf | () | |
| Senior career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
| 2003–04 2004–06 2006 2006–07 2007–12 2012–14 2014–15 2015–16 |
Leinster Connacht Munster Calvisano Northampton Saints Munster Glasgow Warriors Wasps |
9 26 3 18 148 44 7 9 |
(5) (10) (0) (5) (65) (10) (0) (0) |
|
Correct as of 19 May 2016
|
|||
| National team(s) | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
| 2009 2013 |
Ireland Wolfhounds Ireland |
3 1 |
(0) (0) |
|
Correct as of 21 March 2015
|
|||
James Downey (born 23 March 1981) is a former Irish rugby union player. He played as a Centre. In May 2016, Downey announced his retirement from rugby.
He was educated at Belvedere College, where he won the Leinster Schools Junior Cup.
Downey made his debut for his home province on 10 October 2003, against Cardiff Blues. He scored his first try for Leinster on 2 April 2004 against Glasgow Warriors. He left the province to join Connacht for the start of the 2004–05 season.
Downey struggled to gain game time at Connacht due to injuries, managing only three games during the 2005–06 season, and was released from his contract.
In an effort to find more game time, Downey accepted a trial at the then Heineken Cup champions Munster. He made his debut against Cardiff Blues in the Celtic League on 1 September 2006. He played two more games for Munster, against Border Reivers and Glasgow Warriors, but left Munster when offered more game time with Italian club Rugby Calvisano.
The lure of Heineken Cup rugby led to Downey joining Italian Super 10 (now National Championship of Excellence) side Calvisano. The club were in Pool 3 of the 2006–07 Heineken Cup and, after releasing one of their centres, were looking for a new player. Then coach, Marc Delpoux, had been impressed by Downey when Connacht played Narbonne in October 2004, and brought him to Brescia.
Downey signed for Saints in June 2007. He made his debut for the club against London Welsh in National Division 1 on 1 September 2007, and scored his first try against Bedford Blues on 22 September. He was part of the Saints team that secured promotion to the Guinness Premiership in 2008. In the 2008–09 season, Downey helped Saints secure European silverware when they beat CS Bourgoin-Jallieu to secure the 2008–09 European Challenge Cup.
...
Wikipedia