Leinster Rugby 2022/23 Media Guide

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Leinster Rugby Coaching and Backroom Team 2022/23 HONOURS: Leo was appointed Leinster Rugby Head Coach for the 2015/16 season having served as Forwards Coach for a season under Matt O’Connor and having played for Leinster Rugby with distinction for nearly 20 years. Leo won 32 Ireland caps and 221 Leinster caps during a stellar career that saw him win titles with both Leinster Rugby and Leicester Tigers. The former Blackrock College player first appeared in blue in 1995 but made his senior debut in October 1998 against Connacht during the interprovincial championship. He would also appear against Stade Francais and Bordeaux- Begles in the Heineken Cup of the 1998/99 season. He won his first trophy in 2001/02 as the inaugural Celtic League went Leinster’s way and later that summer he was included in the Ireland squad to tour New Zealand, appearing for the national side in June against the All Blacks. The Wicklow man gained 32 Irish caps during his career and had the honour of captaining his side against Russia, in Rotorua, during the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He also captained Ireland against Scotland a month previous. Cullen’s service for the province was interrupted by a two-season spell with Leicester Tigers where he won the Guinness Premiership and the EDF Energy Cup in 2007. They were denied the treble when Wasps defeated them in the Heineken Cup Final at Twickenham. The following season saw Cullen tempted back to the Leinster set-up and the early signs were positive as Leinster won the Magners League in 2007/2008. The following season the 6’ 6” lock was handed the captain’s armband and only nine months later, he was raising the Heineken Cup trophy aloft after a memorable win over Leicester at Murrayfield. Further success in Europe would follow in 2011, when Cullen captained Leinster to an astonishing comeback win over Northampton Saints at the Millennium Stadium, and in May 2012 when his team retained their title with a dominant win over Ulster. In lifting the trophy at Twickenham, Cullen became the first man to captain a team to three Heineken Cup Final successes. His final two seasons as a player saw Cullen lift three more trophies with Leinster. The Amlin Challenge Cup and RaboDirect PRO12 titles were won on two consecutive weekends at the end of May in 2013, and in Cullen’s final appearance for the province he lifted the RaboDirect PRO12 title for a second season in succession, alongside fellow departee Brian O’Driscoll. Cullen was asked to join the Leinster backroom staff by head coach Matt O’Connor after his retirement and he became the Leinster forwards coach in July 2014. In that first season in a coaching capacity Leinster reached the Champions Cup semi-final losing out in extra time to eventual winners Toulon. With the departure of O’Connor a season later, Cullen was appointed Leinster Rugby Head Coach in August 2015 and led the province to the top of the Guinness PRO12 table and to the PRO12 Final in his first season in charge. In his second season in charge Leinster Rugby reached the last four of both the Guinness PRO12 and the Champions Cup and as a result he signed a two year extension in June 2017. In 2018, in his third season, Cullen became the first man to win a Champions Cup title as a player and as a head coach as he presided over a first ever Guinness PRO14 and Champions Cup double for Leinster. The following year he again led Leinster Rugby to two finals, unfortunately coming up short against Saracens in the Heineken Champions Cup Final in St. James’ Park but only two weeks later winning back-to-back Guinness PRO14 titles in Celtic Park. Following the success in Celtic Park, Cullen signed a two year extension to his IRFU contract meaning he would remain at the helm until the end of the 2020/21 season at least and he has since signed an additional contract extension to the end of the 2022/23 season. Before last season, Cullen had masterminded four consecutive Guinness PRO14 titles for Leinster, including an unprecedented unbeaten season in the Guinness PRO14 in 2019/20. 26 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
Leo Cullen Head Coach DOB: 9 January 1978 www.leinsterrugby.ie | 27
Page 1 and 2: LEINSTER rugby media guide 2022/23
Page 3 and 4: The Line up Newstead Building A, UC
Page 5: Debbie Carty welcome PRESIDENT, LEI
Page 8 and 9: Leinster rugby Communications Team
Page 10 and 11: Leinster Rugby At Home The RDS Aren
Page 12 and 13: Aviva Stadium [ Opened: 2010 | Capa
Page 14 and 15: 17/09/2022 KO 14:00 United Rugby Ch
Page 16 and 17: 2021/22 A season in review Earlier
Page 18 and 19: Scotstoun Stadium is a place where
Page 20 and 21: een allowed following an easing of
Page 22 and 23: Leinster Rugby 56 Connacht Rugby 20
Page 24 and 25: 24 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
Page 28 and 29: Stuart Lancaster Senior Coach DOB:
Page 30 and 31: Leinster Rugby Back Room Team 2022/
Page 32 and 33: squad 2022/23 Vakhtang Abdaladze #1
Page 35 and 36: Brian Deeny #1306 DOB 2 March 2000
Page 37 and 38: Cian Healy #1142 DOB 7 October 1987
Page 39 and 40: Martin Moloney #1300 DOB 19 October
Page 41 and 42: Johnny Sexton #1127 DOB 11 July 198
Page 43 and 44: Heineken Champions Cup (4) 2009, 20
Page 45 and 46: Player Statistics 2021/22 united ru
Page 47 and 48: All-Time Leinster Try Scorers: All-
Page 49 and 50: Emily McKeown DOB: 12 June 1995 FRO
Page 51 and 52: Katie Layde DOB: 4 June 1990 FROM:
Page 53 and 54: Hannah O’Connor DOB: 28 April 199
Page 55 and 56: Emma Murphy DOB: 27 April 1995 FROM
Page 57 and 58: Casey O’ Brien DOB: 26 June 1999
Page 59 and 60: Elaine Anthony DOB: 30 August 1991
Page 61 and 62: John Fairley Breakdown and Restarts
Page 63 and 64: www.leinsterrugby.ie | 63
Page 65 and 66: Ben Murphy (1) #1309 DOB 23 April 2
Page 67: www.leinsterrugby.ie @leinsterrugby

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