View source for Geordan Murphy

{{Short description|Irish rugby union player}}
{{similar names|Gordon Murphy (disambiguation)|Jordan Murphy (disambiguation)|Jordi Murphy}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name = Geordan Murphy
| image = Geordan Murphy.jpg
| caption = Geordan Murphy playing at fullback for Leicester against Bath.
| birth_name = Geordan Edward Andrew Murphy
| nickname =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1978|04|19|df=y}}
| birth_place = Dublin, Ireland
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height       = 1.85 m
| weight       = {{convert|87|kg|stlb lb|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.premiershiprugby.com/premiership/rugby/leicester_tigers.php?section=1 |title=Aviva Premiership Rugby – Gloucester Rugby |work=web page |publisher=Premier Rugby |access-date=3 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616063525/http://www.premiershiprugby.com/premiership/rugby/leicester_tigers.php?section=1 |archive-date=16 June 2012 }}</ref>
| position = [[Fullback (rugby union)|Fullback]], [[Wing (rugby union)|Wing]]
| repteam1 = [[Ireland Wolfhounds|Ireland A]]
| repteam2 = [[Ireland national rugby union team|Ireland]]
| repteam3 = [[British & Irish Lions]]
| repyears1 = 2000–2001
| repyears2 = 2000–2011
| repyears3 = [[2005 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand|2005]]
| repcaps1 = 6
| repcaps2 = 72
| repcaps3 = 2
| reppoints1 = 7
| reppoints2 = 98
| reppoints3 = 0
| years1 = 1997–2013
| clubs1 = [[Leicester Tigers]]
| apps1 = 322
| points1 = 657
| relatives =
| school = [[Newbridge College]] 
| university = [[De Montfort University]] <br/> [[Waterford Institute of Technology]]
| coachyears1 = 2013–2018
| coachteams1 = Leicester Tigers ''assistant''
| coachyears2 = 2018–2020
| coachteams2 = Leicester Tigers ''Head coach''
}}

'''Geordan Edward Andrew Murphy''' (born 19 April 1978) is an Irish [[rugby union]] rugby coach and player who retired from the professional game as the most-decorated man in Premiership Rugby history. He played as [[Fullback (rugby union)|fullback]] or [[Wing (rugby union)|wing]] for the [[Ireland national rugby union team|Irish]] international team and the English club [[Leicester Tigers]] as well as for the British & Irish Lions.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/leicester-confirm-geordan-murphy-s-new-coaching-role-1.1407705|title=Leicester confirm Geordan Murphy's new coaching role|access-date=28 May 2013 | newspaper=The Irish Times}}</ref>

==Youth==
Murphy was born in Dublin, Ireland. He was officially named George after his father but his mother called him Geordan to avoid confusion. His five brothers and sister all played rugby union. Murphy was educated at [[Newbridge College]], [[Newbridge, County Kildare|Newbridge]], [[County Kildare]] before attending [[Waterford Institute of Technology]] and [[De Montfort University]] in [[Leicester]].

Murphy played [[Gaelic football]] at Minor (U18) level with [[Kildare GAA]] in the [[All-Ireland Minor Football Championship]].

==Playing career==
In 1997 shortly before he joined [[Leicester Tigers]], Murphy gained his first U19 cap for Ireland, playing his club rugby with Naas. He gradually made his way into the [[Leicester Tigers|Tigers]]' first team squad, while gaining caps for Ireland U21. Opportunities at [[Fullback (rugby union)|fullback]] were limited by the presence of [[Tim Stimpson]], but he gained a place on the right [[Wing (rugby union)|wing]]. Murphy started in both of Leicester's back-to-back [[Heineken Cup]] final wins in 2001<ref>{{cite news
|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/in_depth/2000/heineken_cup/1339721.stm
|title=European glory seals Leicester treble
|publisher=BBC
|date=19 May 2001 |access-date=7 September 2014}}</ref> and 2002, scoring a try in the latter final.<ref>{{cite news
|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/european/2008245.stm
|title=Tigers retain European Cup
|publisher=BBC
|date=25 May 2002 |access-date=7 September 2014}}</ref> He also helped Leicester win four [[Premiership Rugby|Premiership]] trophies in a row in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002.<ref>{{cite news
|url=https://www.premiershiprugby.com/about-premiership-rugby/about-us/history/
|title=History 
|publisher=premiershiprugby.com
|access-date=9 February 2020}}</ref>

Murphy broke his leg in [[Ireland national rugby union team|Ireland]]'s last warm-up game against [[Scotland national rugby union team|Scotland]] at [[Murrayfield Stadium|Murrayfield]] prior to the [[2003 Rugby Union World Cup]] and did not compete. Two years later, however, he toured New Zealand with the British & Irish Lions, gaining two Test caps against Argentina and the All Blacks.<ref>{{cite news
|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/murphy-s-injury-casts-cloud-over-victory-1.374110

|title=Murphy's injury casts cloud over victory
|work=The Irish Times
|date=8 September 2003 |access-date=7 June 2020}}</ref>

Murphy won his fifth Premiership medal in 2007, starting the final as Leicester defeated [[Gloucester Rugby|Gloucester]].<ref>{{cite news
|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/english/6637669.stm
|title=Premiership final
|publisher=BBC
|date=12 May 2007 |access-date=9 February 2020}}</ref>

As he matured, Murphy preferred full back over wing.  His main rivals for the Ireland full back starting position were [[Girvan Dempsey]] and [[Rob Kearney]]. In his autobiography he stated that he had a poor working relationship with former Ireland Coach [[Eddie O'Sullivan]] mainly because he played for an English team.{{citation needed|date=September 2016}} Murphy was named as the starting full back for Ireland in the crucial game against Argentina on 22 November 2008, and scored one of Ireland's two tries in that game.

He was a member of the Ireland team that won the [[2009 Six Nations Championship]] and Grand Slam.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/7954758.stm|title=2009 Six Nations|date=22 March 2009 |publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=23 March 2009|first=Gareth|last=Roberts}}</ref> In May 2009, Murphy was named in the [[Barbarians (rugby team)|Barbarians]] squad to play [[England national rugby union team|England]] and [[Australia national rugby union team|Australia]] along with Ireland teammate [[Gordon D'Arcy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishrugby.ie/283_17196.php  |access-date=13 May 2009 }}{{dead link|date=September 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

He took over the Tigers captaincy on the field in the 2008/09 season, when club captain [[Martin Corry (rugby union)|Martin Corry]] was not in the team, and led them to two finals that season – Heineken Cup and [[2008–09 Guinness Premiership|English Premiership]], the latter of which they won.<ref>{{cite news
|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/english/8048413.stm
|title=Leicester 10-9 London Irish 
|publisher=BBC
|date=16 May 2009 |access-date=9 February 2020}}</ref> The following season, he was named official club captain, though missed out on much of the season due to injury. He returned in February, to lead the team to a successive [[2009–10 Guinness Premiership|Guinness Premiership]] title, when the Tigers beat [[Saracens F.C.|Saracens]] 33–27 in the final.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/english/8708250.stm|title = Leicester 33-27 Saracens|date = 29 May 2010}}</ref>

Murphy was chosen to captain Ireland against the {{nrut|New Zealand Maori}} in June 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/jun/15/ireland-murphy-new-zealand-maori|title=Full-back Geordan Murphy to captain Ireland against New Zealand Maori|date=15 June 2010|website=The Guardian}}</ref> On 11 September Murphy was picked to start in the first match of the 2011 Rugby World Cup since Rob Kearney was injured. Ireland won the game 22–10 against the United States. He came on then to replace Keith Earls in the Russia game.

In May 2012, Murphy announced his retirement from international rugby,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/18174073|title= Geordan Murphy |access-date=23 May 2012|publisher= BBC Sport |date= 23 May 2012 }}</ref> and in May 2013, retired from playing all forms of the game after collecting the eighth Premiership title of his career, though he did not play in the Final win over Northampton that season.<ref>{{cite news
|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/may/21/geordan-murphy-grand-final-leicester
|title=Geordan Murphy out of grand final as Leicester shun sentiment 
|work=The Guardian
|date=21 May 2013 |access-date=14 February 2020}}</ref>

==Coaching==
Murphy joined the staff as an assistant coach at Leicester from the 2013–14 season onwards. He masterminded Tigers winning of the [[2016–17 Anglo-Welsh Cup]], the first Tigers trophy won in the period Murphy was part of the coaching team.

He acted as head coach for the September 2017 game versus Bath as new head coach [[Matt O'Connor (rugby union)|Matt O'Connor]] had only just arrived.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}

Murphy was placed in formal interim charge of Leicester Tigers on 3 September 2018 following the sacking of O'Connor.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.leicestertigers.com/news/leicester-tigers-club-statement-on-head-coach|publisher=Leicester Tigers|date=3 September 2018|access-date=3 September 2018|title=Leicester Tigers club statement on head coach}}</ref> This position was made permanent in December 2018.

He was promoted to director of rugby on 1 July 2020 with the appointment of [[Steve Borthwick]] as head coach.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Start date for new Tigers coaching structure confirmed|url=https://www.leicestertigers.com/news/tigers-provide-coaching-team-update-200413|access-date=2020-06-18|website=Leicester Tigers|language=en}}</ref>

His contract was terminated ahead of the [[2020–21 Premiership Rugby|2020–21 season]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Club statement: Murphy leaves Leicester Tigers|url=https://www.leicestertigers.com/news/statement-murphy-201113|access-date=2020-11-13|website=Leicester Tigers|language=en}}</ref>

== Honours ==
'''Leicester:'''

2x [[European Rugby Champions Cup|European (Heineken) Cup]]- [[2000-2001 European Rugby Cup|2001]], [[2001-2002 European Rugby Cup|2002]]

8x [[Premiership Rugby|Gallagher Premiership]]- [[1998–99 Premiership Rugby|1999]], [[1999–2000 Premiership Rugby|2000]], [[2000–01 Premiership Rugby|2001]], [[2001–02 Premiership Rugby|2002]], [[2006–07 Premiership Rugby|2007]], [[2008–09 Premiership Rugby|2009]], [[2009–10 Premiership Rugby|2010]], [[2012–13 Premiership Rugby|2013]]

2x [[Anglo-Welsh Cup]]- 2007, 2012

'''Ireland:'''

1x [[Six Nations Championship]]- [[2009 Six Nations Championship|2009]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.leicestertigers.com/squad/players.php?player=4183&includeref=dynamic Leicester profile]
*[http://www.irishrugby.ie/squads/index.php?player=4183&includeref=dynamic IRFU profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929162614/http://www.irishrugby.ie/squads/index.php?player=4183&includeref=dynamic |date=29 September 2011 }}
*[http://www.lionsrugby.com/6012.php?player=1890&includeref=dynamic B&I Lions profile]
*{{ESPNscrum|13431}}
*[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2007/05/15/srmysp15.xml My sport:Geordan Murphy – The Telegraph]{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

{{Ireland 2011 Rugby World Cup squad}}
{{Ireland 2007 Rugby World Cup squad}}
{{British and Irish Lions 2005}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murphy, Geordan}}
[[Category:1978 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of De Montfort University]]
[[Category:Barbarian F.C. players]]
[[Category:British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Ireland]]
[[Category:Gaelic footballers who switched code]]
[[Category:Gaelic games players from County Kildare]]
[[Category:Gaelic games players from Dublin (city)]]
[[Category:Ireland international rugby union players]]
[[Category:Irish rugby union coaches]]
[[Category:Irish rugby union players]]
[[Category:Leicester Tigers players]]
[[Category:Rugby union wings]]
[[Category:Rugby union fullbacks]]
[[Category:Rugby union players from Dublin (city)]]
[[Category:People educated at Newbridge College]]
[[Category:Alumni of Waterford Institute of Technology]]
[[Category:Leicester Tigers coaches]]
[[Category:Ireland Wolfhounds international rugby union players]]
[[Category:Irish expatriate rugby union players in England]]
[[Category:2007 Rugby World Cup players]]
[[Category:2011 Rugby World Cup players]]