Harry Sheridan is an Irish rugby union player who plays lock and flanker for Ulster Rugby.
Date of birth | 21 September 2001 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Place of birth | Holywood, County Down | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 121 kg (19.1 st; 267 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | Sullivan Upper School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
University | Trinity College Dublin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Born in Holywood, County Down,[1] he attended Sullivan Upper School, where he initially played prop, before converting to lock.[2] He was the school's leading scorer in 2020.[3] He missed out on a place in the Ulster academy when he left school, instead going to Trinity College Dublin to study Management Science and Information Systems. He played rugby for Dublin University in the All-Ireland League, and stayed in touch with Ulster academy coach Kieran Campbell, including sending him videos of his performances.[2]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he studied online from home, meaning he could train with the Ulster sub-academy.[4] He was selected for Ulster 'A' against Leinster 'A' in January 2021, the first time he had played blindside flanker,[2] and trained with the Ulster senior team.[4] He played all but five minutes of the 2021 under-20 Six Nations Championship for Ireland.[5] He joined the Ulster academy ahead of the 2021–22 season.[3]
For the 2022–23 academic year he received a Trevor West Scholarship for exceptional contribution to sport at Trinity College.[6] He made his senior Ulster debut off the bench in January 2023 in the Champions Cup against La Rochelle, replacing Iain Henderson,[7] before making his first start at home against Sale Sharks.[2] He scored his first Ulster try in a URC defeat to Glasgow Warriors in February 2023.[8] He signed a development contract for the 2023-24 season, to be upgraded to a full senior contract the following year.[9] He was named Uster's young men's player of the year for the 2023-24 season in the 2024 Ulster Rugby Awards.[10]
References
edit- ^ Keith Bailie, "Ulster head coach Dan McFarland hands Harry Sheridan first start in crunch Champions Cup clash with Sale Sharks", Belfast Telegraph, 20 January 2023
- ^ a b c d "Harry Sheridan: Trinity College student still taking in ascent to Ulster team", BBC Sport, 26 January 2023
- ^ a b "Ulster Rugby Academy squad for 2021/22 season confirmed", Ulster Rugby, 12 August 2021
- ^ a b Daire Walsh, "Sheridan Knuckles Down For ‘Physical’ Italian Job", IrishRugby.ie, 7 July 2021
- ^ Jonathan Bradley, "Young star Harry Sheridan named to the bench as Ulster coach Dan McFarland shakes up his squad for La Rochelle clash", Belfast Telegraph, 14 January 2023
- ^ "Trinity names 2022/23 Sports Scholars", Trinity College Dublin, 3 November 2022
- ^ "Sheridan a surprise inclusion in Ulster team to face Sale in Heineken Cup", The Irish News, 21 January 2023
- ^ Jonathan Bradley, "Last gasp John Cooney penalty earns a bonus point for Ulster as Glasgow claim victory", Belfast Telegraph, 17 February 2023
- ^ "Ulster secure young prospects to new deals", Ulster Rugby, 12 April 2023
- ^ "2023-24 Heineken Ulster Rugby Awards | Winners", Ulster Rugby, 12 June 2024
- ^ John O'Sullivan, "Under-20s Six Nations: Meet the Ireland team to face Scotland", The Irish Times, 18 June 2021