Fergus McFadden

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = Fergus McFadden

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1986|6|17}}

| birth_place = Kilkenny, Ireland

| height = {{height|m=1.83}}

| weight = {{convert|91|kg|st lbs|abbr=on}}

| position = Centre, Wing

| clubs1 = Old Belvedere

| province1 = Leinster

| provinceyears1 = 2007–2020

| provinceapps1 = 184

| provincepoints1 = 444

| ru_provinceupdate = 4 January 2020

| repyears1 = 2004

| repyears2 = 2005–2006

| repyears3 = 2007–2014

| repyears4 = 2011–2018

| repteam1 = Ireland U19

| repteam2 = Ireland U21

| repteam3 = Ireland A

| repteam4 = Ireland

| repcaps1 = 7

| repcaps2 = 9

| repcaps3 = 12

| repcaps4 = 34

| reppoints1 =

| reppoints2 =

| reppoints3 = 36

| reppoints4 = 50

| ru_ntupdate = 27 March 2020

| school = Clongowes Wood College

| university = University College Dublin
Griffith College Dublin

}}

Fergus McFadden (17 June 1986) is a retired professional rugby union player who played for Leinster & Ireland. He played both as a centre and on the wing.

Career

=Early career=

McFadden started playing rugby as a boy when he played mini rugby with Cill Dara RFC in Kildare in the mid 1990s. He then went on to play at Clongowes Wood College.{{cite web | url = https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/fergus-mcfadden-from-cill-dara-rfc-to-ireland/ | title = From Cill Dara Cub to Irish debut | date = 4 February 2011 | access-date = 27 March 2020 | publisher = Leinster Rugby}}

McFadden was awarded university colours on 17 November 2006 when he played for University College Dublin against Trinity College Dublin in the 55th Colours Match.{{cite web |url = http://www.ucd.ie/news/nov06/111406_ucd_colours.htm | title = The Big Match Annual Colours 2006 | access-date = 27 March 2020 | date = 14 November 2006 | publisher = University College Dublin}}

=Leinster=

He made his Celtic League debut for Leinster versus Cardiff Blues at Arms Park on 28 September 2007.{{cite web |url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/7010838.stm | title = Blues 19-30 Leinster | date = 28 September 2007 | access-date = 27 March 2020 | publisher = BBC}} McFadden won the Celtic League in 2008 and the Heineken Cup with Leinster in 2011 2012 and 2018. In total he made 184 appearances for Leinster, scoring 444 points and 29 tries.{{cite web | url = https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/player?PlayGuid=FM901953 | title = Fergus McFadden | access-date = 27 March 2020 | publisher = Leinster Rugby}}

On 4 May 2020 he announced his retirement from Rugby. His contract with Leinster was due to expire at the end of the 2020 season, which was cut short due to the Coronavirus pandemic.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}}

=Ireland=

McFadden played with the Ireland A's in Denver, Colorado in the 2009 Churchill Cup. McFadden scored two tries in Ireland's victory over Georgia and kicked the conversion for one of those tries on 14 June 2009 at Infinity Park.{{cite web |url = https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/ireland-a-win-churchill-cup/ | title = Ireland A win Churchill Cup... | access-date = 27 March 2020 | date = 21 June 2009 | publisher = Leinster Rugby}}

In January 2011, McFadden was named in the starting team to play against Italy in the opening weekend of the 2011 Six Nations Championship, where he won his first cap.{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/sixnations/2011/0201/ireland.html |title=McFadden, Fitzgerald and O'Leary in Ireland XV |date=1 February 2011 |work=RTÉ Sport |access-date=2011-02-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202235331/http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/sixnations/2011/0201/ireland.html |archive-date=2 February 2011 }} McFadden won his second cap starting against France in the same tournament, scoring his first try for Ireland in the process.{{cite web|url=http://www.rbs6nations.com/en/matchcentre/18246.php |title=Six Nations Match Report – Ireland vs France, 2011 |date=13 February 2011 |work=RBS Six Nations |access-date=23 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715160353/http://www.rbs6nations.com/en/matchcentre/18246.php |archive-date=15 July 2011 }} On 8 June 2013, McFadden won his tenth cap starting against USA in the Irish tour to North America. Ireland won the game 15–12.{{cite web|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/international/young-ireland-team-keeps-usa-at-bay-1.1422087|title=Young Ireland team keeps USA at bay|date=9 June 2013|work=Irish Times|access-date=17 June 2016}} On 15 June 2013, McFadden started against Canada scoring a hat-trick.{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/hattrick-hero-fergus-mcfadden-seals-huge-irish-win-over-canada-29348404.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130617223730/http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/hattrick-hero-fergus-mcfadden-seals-huge-irish-win-over-canada-29348404.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 June 2013 |title='Hat-trick hero' Fergus McFadden seals huge Irish win over Canada |date=2013-06-16 |work=Irish Independent |access-date=17 June 2013 }} Up to the end of 2018 he had won 34 Irish caps in which he had scored 50 points and 10 tries.{{cite web | url = http://en.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/player/82145.html | title = Fergus McFadden | access-date = 27 March 2019 | publisher = ESPN}}