Simon Geoghegan
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name = Simon Geoghegan
| image =
| birth_name = Simon Patrick Geoghegan
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|9|1|df=y}}
| birth_place = Knebworth, Hertfordshire
| height = {{convert|1.83|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|83|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}
| occupation = Solicitor
| position = Wing
| currentclub =
| amatteam1 =
| amatyears1 =
| years1 = 1991–1994
| years2 = 1994-1997
| clubs1 = London Irish
| clubs2 = Bath Rugby
| apps1 = 22
| points1 = 25
| repyears1 = 1991–1996
| repteam1 = Ireland
| repcaps1 = 37
| reppoints1 = 51
| ru_clubupdate =
| ru_ntupdate =
}}
Simon Patrick Geoghegan (born 1 September 1968) is an Irish former rugby union player who played at wing in England for London Irish and Bath and in the Irish Inter-provincial Championships for Connacht Rugby and the Irish Exiles. He finished his rugby career at Bath Rugby where a debilitating toe injury limited his appearances and finally ended his playing career.
Club career
A rugby union wing renowned for his speed, agility, and electrifying sidesteps, and sometimes nicknamed the "blond bomber" due to his fair hair, Geoghegan was reportedly timed at around 10.5 seconds for the 100 metres.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishrugby.ie/2015/02/19/ireland-v-england-flashback-geoghegans-gold-at-twickenham-1994/|website=Irish Rugby|accessdate=21 April 2025|title= Ireland V England Flashback: Geoghegan’s Gold At Twickenham (1994)}} He played as a forward initially before moving to the wing around the age of 18 years-old.
He joined London Irish as a teenager in 1988 with the aim of playing for their under-21 side, but following a trial he went straight into the senior team, and scored a try on debut.{{cite web|url= https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby-union-five-nations-focus-geoghegan-back-to-speed-tim-glover-talks-to-ireland-s-flying-machine-who-hopes-to-put-a-troubled-year-behind-him-and-stake-a-claim-for-a-share-of-the-lions-tour-1478935.html#|website=The Independent|accessdate=21 April 2025|title= Rugby Union / Five Nations' Focus: Geoghegan back to speed: Tim Glover talks to Ireland's flying machine who hopes to put a troubled year behind him and stake a claim for a share of the Lions' tour|first=Tim|last=Glover|date=16 January 1993}}
He joined Bath Rugby from London Irish in 1994.{{cite web|url= https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/geoghegan-may-be-forced-to-retire-1.58928|website=Irish Times|accessdate=21 April 2025|title= Geoghegan may be forced to retire|date=4 April 1997|first=Edmund|last=Van Esbeck}} He had nine operations on his feet during his career, after being diagnosed with arthritis in his toes at the age of 25. He was forced to retire from rugby before his thirtieth birthday.{{cite web|url= https://www.balls.ie/rugby/hes-not-the-blonde-athlete-we-once-knew-mick-galwey-on-geoghegan-and-94-325597|website=Balls.ie|accessdate=21 April 2025|title= 'He's Not The Blonde Athlete We Once Knew' - Mick Galwey On Geoghegan And '94|first=Conor|last=Neville|date=25 Feb 2016}}
International career
He played for Ireland at under-21 and 'B' level. He made his senior Ireland debut in the Five Nations' Championship in 1991 again France and went on to score tries against Wales, England and Scotland in the Championship, and later won the Rugby Writers of Ireland player of the year award. However, he played in an era of struggle for Irish Rugby and was left stranded on the wing during the 1992 Championship, hardly receiving a meaningful pass. His critical comments after a match in 1993 led to a temporary suspension from the Irish team.{{cite web|url= https://m.independent.ie/sport/rugby/moments-in-time-free-spirit-who-shone-like-a-beacon-in-the-darkest-days-of-irish-rugby/39172408.html#|website=Independent.ie|accessdate=21 April 2025|title= Moments in Time: Free spirit who shone like a beacon in the darkest days of Irish rugby|first=Vincent|last=Hogan|date=1 May 2020}}
He is perhaps best known for his try in the 1994 Five Nations match against England at Twickenham, that was instrumental in a famous 13–12 win.{{cite web|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/ireland/rugby/player/10959.html|title=Simon Geoghegan|publisher=Scrum.com|accessdate=2011-08-12}} Another key contribution during the match was a kick, chase and tackle{{cite web | work= www.youtube.com | title=Simon Geoghegan tackles Rob Andrew | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl1-wk0uaak |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211214/Bl1-wk0uaak |archive-date=2021-12-14 |url-status=live| accessdate=1 June 2008}}{{cbignore}} on England fly-half Rob Andrew which led to a crucial kickable penalty to Ireland. An adept side stepper, he was once described by the commentator Bill McLaren as being like “a mad octopus” and “as quick as a trout up a burn”.{{cite web|website=The Guardian|accessdate=21 April 2025|title= Beautiful days: six famous Ireland wins against England at Twickenham|url= https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/mar/06/england-ireland-twickenham-six-nations
|first=Robert|last=Kitson|date=6 March 2024}} He represented Ireland at the 1991 and 1995 Rugby Union World Cup.
Geoghegan was controversially left out of the 1993 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand when England's Ian Hunter and Tony Underwood were taken ahead of him. Former New Zealand hooker and Geoghegan's then London Irish coach Hika Reid was quoted at the time as being surprised as he felt the conditions would have suited him. In 1997 the Lions management apparently held a place open for him until the last possible minute,{{cite web|website=Rugby22.com|access-date=21 April 2025|url=https://rugby22.com/simon-geoghegan-best-rugby-player/|title=Simon Geoghegan: Best Rugby Player|date=27 March 2025}} even though he had played little rugby that year due to the toe problems that cut short his career.{{cite web|url= https://www.rugbypass.com/players/simon-geoghegan/#:~:text=Sadly%20though%2C%20despite%20his%20instrumental,1997%20tour%20of%20South%20Africa.|website=Rugby Pass|accessdate=21 April 2025|title= SIMON GEOGHEGAN}}
Personal life
Born in England, he was educated at St Edmund's College, Hertfordshire. He has twin older sisters, one a civil engineer, the other a town planner. Geoghegan qualified to play for Ireland through his Galway-born father Patrick, from Killimor, who worked as a property developer. He was quoted as saying that "I have a great affinity with Ireland, I've spent a lot of time there. I've never thought of playing for anyone else." His grandfather played in the 1929 All-Ireland Hurling Final.{{cite web|website=The Times|url= https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/uk-travel/england/london-travel/best-and-worst-simon-geoghegan-cnv8s63ls0g|accessdate=21 April 2025|title= Best and Worst: Simon Geoghegan|first=Greg|last=Struthers|date=20 March 2011}}
As an amateur player, Geoghegan had a career outside rugby as a solicitor. He studied for his law degree at London University. As of 2011, he was working in London at Rosling King LLP having joined the company as a paralegal in 1990 and became a partner in 2000. He married Reema and they have three daughters: Isobel, Gabrielle, and Phoebe.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=1175 sporting-heroes.net profile]
- [http://www.scrum.com/1200_1205.php?player=23888&includeref=dynamic statistics from scrum.com]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110614074610/http://www.london-irish.com/playerdisplaySS.ink?playertype=P&seasonl=1991%2F1992&squadno=8920&matchreport=T London Irish profile]
{{Ireland 1991 Rugby World Cup squad}}
{{Ireland 1995 Rugby World Cup squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Geoghegan, Simon}}
Category:Irish rugby union players
Category:Ireland international rugby union players
Category:Connacht Rugby players
Category:People educated at St Edmund's College, Ware
Category:Irish Exiles rugby union players
Category:Rugby union players from Hertfordshire