Phillip Matthews

Phillip Michael Matthews (born 21 January 1960) is a former Ireland rugby union international. He was a member of the Ireland team that won the 1985 Five Nations Championship and the Triple Crown. He represented Ireland at the 1987 and 1991 Rugby World Cups. He also played for both the British and Irish Lions and the Barbarians. He captained both Ireland and the Barbarians. He subsequently served as a rugby union co-commentator with BBC Sport and TV3. Between 2010 and 2016 he served as the President of the National College of Ireland. His daughter, Hannah Matthews, is an Ireland women's field hockey international and played in the 2018 Women's Hockey World Cup final.

For other people with similar names, see Philip Mathews (disambiguation).

Phillip Matthews
Birth namePhillip Michael Matthews [1]
Date of birth (1960-01-21) 21 January 1960
Place of birthGloucester, England
SchoolRegent House Grammar School
UniversityQueen's University Belfast
Notable relative(s)Hannah Matthews (daughter)
SpouseLisa Flynn
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1978–198x
198x–1986
1986–199x		 Queen's University
Ards
Wanderers		 ()
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
Ulster ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1984–1992
1989
1985–1989		 Ireland
British and Irish Lions
Barbarians		 38
1
6		 16
0
(16)

Early years and education

Between 1970 and 1978 Matthews attended Regent House Grammar School. Between 1978 and 1986 Matthews attended Queen's University Belfast where he gained a BSc and a PhD in Zoology.[2][3][4]

Playing career

Clubs and province

Matthews played rugby union at senior club level for Queen's University, Ards and Wanderers. He also played for Ulster in the IRFU Interprovincial Championship. On 14 November 1984 Matthews, along with Nigel Carr, was a member of an Ulster team that defeated a touring Australia 15–13 at Ravenhill. Matthews and Carr were also teammates at Regent House Grammar School, Queen's University, Ards and Ireland.[2][5][6][7][8][9]

Ireland

Between 1984 and 1992 Matthews made 38 full senior appearances for Ireland. On 10 November 1984 he made his senior international debut against Australia at Lansdowne Road. He was a member of the Ireland team that won the 1985 Five Nations Championship and the Triple Crown. He subsequently represented Ireland at the 1987 Rugby World Cup. On 29 October 1988 he captained Ireland for the first time against Western Samoa. He captained Ireland on 13 occasions, including at the 1991 Rugby World Cup when Ireland came extremely close to defeating eventual winners Australia in the quarter-final. He won his 38th and final cap on 2 February 1992 against Scotland at Lansdowne Road.[2][1][10][11] Matthews international career has been commemorated on at least two postage stamps. He was the eighth Ireland rugby union international to appear on a stamp. Along with Steve Smith he was depicted on two stamps in a set of nine issued by Tajikistan for the 1991 Rugby World Cup. In his stamp he is seen tackling Australia's Michael Lynagh. He was also featured on one of the nine rugby union stamps issued by the Republic of Turkmenistan during 2000. Again he is playing against Australia at the 1991 Rugby World Cup.[12]

Appearances Points
1984 Australia[13]1
1985 Five Nations Championship4
1985 Japan[14](2) (Note 1)
1985 Fiji(1) (Note 1)
1986 Romania1
1987 Five Nations Championship44 (Try)
1987 Rugby World Cup[15]3
1988 Five Nations Championship4
1988 Millennium Trophy1
1988 Western Samoa14 (Try)
1988 Italy18 (2 Tries)
1989 Five Nations Championship4
1989 North America[16](2) (Note 1)
1989 New Zealand[17][18]1
1990 Five Nations Championship2
1991 Five Nations Championship4
1991 Namibia1
1991 Rugby World Cup[11][12]3
1992 Five Nations Championship3
Total3816
Notes
  • ^1 The IRFU does not recognise matches played on these tours as full internationals. As a result, they are not included in final total of appearances.

Source:[10][19]

British and Irish Lions

In 1989, Matthews played for the British and Irish Lions against France in a match to celebrate the Bicentennial of the French Revolution.[20]

Personal life

Family

Matthews is married to Lisa Flynn, the daughter of former Ireland rugby union international, Kevin Flynn. Their daughter, Hannah Matthews, is an Ireland women's field hockey international and played in the 2018 Women's Hockey World Cup final.[2][11][21][22][23][24]

Employment

Between 1994 and 2015 Matthews served as a rugby union co-commentator with BBC Sport. He was encouraged to become a co-commentator by Jim Neilly. He has also worked for TV3, including at the 2007 Rugby World Cup.[3][7][25][26] Away from rugby union, Matthews spent twenty years working in the pharmaceutical and consulting industries where he held various roles in sales, marketing, human resources and general management.[3][4]

Between January 2007 and March 2010 he served as director of executive education at the Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School at University College Dublin.[3][4][27] Between March 2010 and June 2016 he served as the President of the National College of Ireland.[3][4][27][28]

Honours
Ireland
Ulster

References
  1. "Phillip Matthews". espn.co.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  2. "Where are they now? Philip Matthews (Gloucester 21/1/60)". www.independent.ie. 23 November 2005. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  3. "Phillip Matthews". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  4. "Phillip Matthews". frontrowspeakers.com. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  5. "History". www.ardsrugby.co.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  6. "The Ards Internationals". www.ardsrugby.co.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  7. "Menacing Matthews still a presence in Ireland rugby". www.newsletter.co.uk. 27 September 2007. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  8. "Down Memory Lane: Ulster heroes of 84 are reunited one more time". www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk. 11 November 2009. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  9. "6 Of Our Favourite Ulster Men To Captain Ireland". www.balls.ie. 20 January 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  10. "Phillip Matthews". www.sporting-heroes.net. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  11. "Matthews haunted by World Cup woe". www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk. 19 September 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  12. "O'Connell Stamps His Mark". www.irishrugby.ie. 23 August 2007. Archived from the original on 29 April 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
  13. "Great Wallaby Tries: 84 Grand Slam v Ireland". www.greenandgoldrugby.com. 12 November 2009. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  14. "Ireland V Japan". www.irishrugby.ie. 2 June 1985. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  15. "What became of the starting XV who played in Ireland's first ever Rugby World Cup match?". www.offtheball.com. 19 September 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  16. "Ireland V United States". www.irishrugby.ie. 9 September 1989. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  17. "Should the Irish players be singing Amhrán na bhFiann at the World Cup in New Zealand?". www.irishexaminer.com. 8 October 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  18. "In 1989 Ireland faced the Haka and paid the price". www.irishtimes.com. 16 November 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  19. "Ireland International Teams – Results, Scorers, Dates and Venues – 1874 to June 1999". www.irishrugby.ie. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  20. "British and Irish Lions XV tour - Parc des Princes, 4 October 1989, 20:30 local, 19:30 GMT". espn.co.uk. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  21. "Get To Know The Green Army Defence". www.hockey.ie. 16 July 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  22. "Hannah Matthews – Women's World Cup squad". www.hookhockey.com. 21 July 2018. Archived from the original on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  23. "Much at stake as Ireland women's hockey team enters semi-finals". www.irishtimes.com. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  24. "Hockey World Cup: Fans hail Irish history-makers". www.bbc.co.uk. 5 August 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  25. "Six Nations 2013: Phillip Matthews on Ireland v France". www.bbc.co.uk. 8 March 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  26. "BBC Sport - Six Nations Rugby, 2015, Ireland v England". www.bbc.co.uk. 1 March 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  27. "When the former captain of the Irish team rings you, you answer the phone". www.irishtimes.com. 20 April 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  28. "College names former rugby star as president". www.irishtimes.com. 2 February 2010. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
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