Declan Fitzpatrick

Declan Fitzpatrick (born 12 July 1983) is an Irish former rugby union player. He played for Ulster from 2006 to 2015, and won seven caps for Ireland.

Declan Fitzpatrick
Birth nameDeclan Fitzpatrick
Date of birth (1983-07-12) 12 July 1983
Place of birthBromsgrove, England
Height1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight118 kg (18 st 8 lb)
UniversityUniversity of Ulster
Rugby union career
Position(s) Prop
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
Moseley
Belfast Harlequins
Dungannon		 ()
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2006–2015 Ulster 98 (15)
Correct as of 1 June 2020
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2006–2013
2012–2013		 Ireland Wolfhounds
Ireland		 9
7		 (0)
(0)
Correct as of 24 November 2013

Born in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England to parents from counties Galway and Mayo,[1] he was identified as a prospect by the Irish Exiles programme, and moved to Belfast where he played for Belfast Harlequins, and later for Dungannon.[2] while studying quantity surveying at the University of Ulster.[1] He was part of the Irish national academy,[3] and represented Ireland at under-21 level.[4]

He made his debut for Ulster in 2006, and made 98 appearances for the province.[2] He was capped seven times for Ireland,[5] including three test appearances on the 2012 tour of New Zealand. His final appearance for Ireland was in a 2013 defeat to New Zealand.[2]

His final match for Ulster was a Champions Cup defeat away to Toulon in January 2015.[2] He announced his retirement in April 2015 for medical reasons,[5] having sustained six concussions in his career.[2] He issued legal proceedings against the IRFU, Ulster and World Rugby in March 2023 in relation to head injuries.[6]

References
  1. Jonathan Bradley, "We were so close, it's still hard to take: Fitzpatrick", Belfast Telegraph, 5 November 2016
  2. Patrick McCarry, "REVEALED: The inside story of Declan Fitzpatrick's decision to quit rugby due to concussion", SportsJoe
  3. Gavin Mairs, "The way forward is back home", Belfast Telegraph, 29 August 2002
  4. Edward Newman, "Ulster give Fitzpatrick and Jackson Cup call-ups", Irish Examiner, 1 October 2004
  5. Ruaidhri O'Connor, "'My family life suffered and I became depressed' - Ireland international Declan Fitzpatrick on his concussion-enforced retirement", Belfast Telegraph, 16 April 2015
  6. Jonathan Bradley, "Former Irish prop Declan Fitzpatrick to sue Ulster Rugby and IRFU over alleged concussion injuries", Belfast Telegraph, 29 September 2022
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