Craig Gilroy

Craig Gilroy (born 11 March 1991) is an Irish rugby union player who wing for Ulster, and is a former Ireland international. he was Ulster's player of the year in 2014–15, and was named in the Pro12 Dream Team twice.

Craig Gilroy

Date of birth	(1991-03-11) 11 March 1991
Place of birth	Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	93 kg (14 st 9 lb; 205 lb)
School	Methodist College Belfast
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing / Fullback Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) Dungannon () Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2010–2023 Ulster 213 (345) Correct as of 5 May 2022[1] International career Years Team Apps (Points) 2011 2014 2014–2015 2012–2017 Ireland U20 Emerging Ireland Ireland Wolfhounds Ireland 6 3 2 10 (10) (20) (10) (25) Correct as of 11 February 2017

Born in Bangor, County Down, he played Gaelic football and soccer in his teens. He attended Methodist College Belfast, where he played rugby in a team that won the Ulster Schools' Cup twice. After he left school, Justin Fitzpatrick signed him for Dungannon, and his form in the All-Ireland League led to him joining the Ulster academy in 2010.[2] He scored the first try at the Aviva Stadium, in an exhibition match between an Ulster-Leinster team against a Munster-Connacht team in August 2010.[3]

He made his first start for Ulster, scoring two tries, against Cardiff in the Magners League in November 2010.[4] He made 14 appearances, scoring 8 tries, in the 2010–11 season,[1] and was named Academy Player of the Year in the 2011 Ulster Rugby Awards.[5] The following season he made 29 appearances, scoring six tries, as Ulster made the 2012 Heineken Cup Final.[1] He was invited to train with the Ireland team for the 2012 Six Nations Championship, and made his debut for Ireland in May 2012 in a friendly against the Barbarians, scoring two tries.[6] He was awarded Ulster's Young Player of the Year for the 2011–12 season,[7] and was nominated for Irish Young Player of the Year, losing out to Munster's Peter O'Mahony.

In November 2012 he scored a hat-trick of tries for Ireland in a non-test match against Fiji at Thomond Park,[8] He made his international test debut, scoring one try, against Argentina soon after.[9] Early in the 2012–13 season, Gilroy signed a three-year contract extension to remain with Ulster until summer 2016.[10] In February 2015 he earned his 100th cap for Ulster in a 43–3 win over Benetton Treviso, scoring two tries in a Man of the Match performance.[11] He was named in the Pro12 Dream Team two years running, in 2014–15[12] and 2015–16.[13] He was Ulster's Player of the Year in 2014–15.[14] He scored a hat trick of tries for Ireland against Italy in the Stadio Olimpico in a 63–10 win in the 2017 Six Nations.[15] He made his 200th appearance for Ulster against Ospreys in December 2021.[16] In April 2023 Gilroy announced his departure from Ulster at the end of the season.[17]