| Birth name | Andrew Matchett | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 25 May 1969 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Portadown College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Andrew Matchett (born 25 May 1969) is an Irish former rugby union player. He played scrum-half for Portadown, Ballymena, Bedford, Belfast Harlequins, and Ulster, with whom he won the 1998-99 Heineken Cup.
Educated at Edenderry Primary School, where he was introduced to mini-rugby, then Killicomaine Junior High School and Portadown College. Played for Ulster and Ireland at schools and under-21 level.[1]
Joined Portadown Rugby Club,[1] where his father Marshall was president.[2]
He was first selected for Ulster in 1990. After being an unused substitute against Yorkshire on 1 September,[3] he made his representative debut against Spain on 4 September,[1] while a Business Studies student at the University of Ulster.[2]
After Portadown failed to gain promotion to the All-Ireland League, he moved to AIL club Ballymena in 1991.[4]
In March 1997 he signed a short-term contract with Bedford in Division 2 of the Courage League.[5] After they were promoted to Division 1 he was offered a full-time contract for the following season, but turned it down.[6]
In the summer of 1997 he was selected for an Ireland Development tour to New Zealand and Western Samoa.[7] He was selected a number of times on the bench for Ireland A, without being capped.[8]
He captained Ulster against the Spanish Barbarians in San Sebastian in June 1998.[9]
He was part of Ulster's 1998-99 Heineken Cup-winning team, while holding a day job in insurance. The final was his 60th Ulster cap.[8]
Joined Belfast Harlequins in 1999. He retired from senior rugby in 2003, but in 2005 was recalled to the Harlequins first team due to injuries at scrum-half, and helped them to the All-Ireland League final,[10] which they lost to Shannon.[11]
In 2005 he organised, and appeared in, an Ulster European Cup Reunion XV to against Clogher Valley in the first match on their new pitch.[12]
Represented the Irish Rugby Legends at the World Rugby Legends Festival in South Africa in 2006.[13]
Total Ulster caps: 62
References
edit- ^ a b c "Ulster debut for Andrew", The Portadown Times, 7 September 1990
- ^ a b Jim Stokes, "Andy caps it with big debut", Belfast Telegraph, 3 September 1990
- ^ "Matchett poised for Ulster debut", News Letter, 5 September 1990
- ^ Mark Simpson, "Matchett on the move", News Letter, 3 July 1991
- ^ Jim Stokes, "You're in, Andrew", Belfast Telegraph, 17 April 1997
- ^ Bruce McKendy, Champions: The Players' Story, IRFU, 1999, p. 119
- ^ Jim Stokes, "Matchett heads host of uncapped players", Belfast Telegraph, 12 April 1997
- ^ a b "Insuring Ulster's big day", The Irish Times, 27 January 1999
- ^ Jim Stokes, "Andy wears captain's armband", Belfast Telegraph, 4 June 1998
- ^ Gavin Mairs, "Uncle Matchey set for a final hurrah", Belfast Telegraph, 4 May 2005
- ^ Richard Mulligan, "Late show leaves Harlequins short", New Letter, 9 May 2005
- ^ Richard Mulligan, "Harry's Euro 'heroes' set to reunite in Clogher Valley", News Letter, 12 April 2005
- ^ "Legends In Action In Durban", Irish Rugby, 29 June 2006