Tom O'Toole
O'Toole representing Ireland during the Six Nations Championship
Full nameThomas Niall O'Toole
Date of birth (1998-09-23) 23 September 1998
Place of birthDrogheda, Ireland
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight123 kg (271 lb; 19 st 5 lb)
SchoolCampbell College
Rugby union career
Position(s) Prop
Current team Ulster
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2018– Ulster 96 (15)
Correct as of 13 January 2024[1]
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2018 Ireland U20 5 (0)
2021– Ireland 12 (0)
2022 Ireland Wolfhounds 1 (0)
Correct as of 9 September 2023[2]

Thomas Niall O'Toole (born 23 September 1998) is an Irish professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for United Rugby Championship club Ulster and the Ireland national team.

Early life

Born in Drogheda, O'Toole lived in Ratoath, County Meath until he was six years of age before moving to Brisbane, Australia for ten years due to his father's work commitments,[3] where he attended Padua College.[4] He was selected for the Queensland Reds development side and Queensland Schoolboys in 2015, before being connected with the Irish Exiles setup.[5] He moved to Campbell College in Northern Ireland which allowed him to link up with the Ulster and Ireland age grade setups, going on to play for Ireland at under-18, under-19 and under-20 level.[6]

Professional career

He joined the Ulster Rugby academy straight from school in 2017,[7] and made his senior Ulster debut on 6 April 2018 in round 19 of the 2017–18 Pro14, starting in the provinces 32–20 away win against Scottish side Edinburgh.[8][9] He made five senior appearances, including two starts, in the 2017–18 season,[10] and won Academy Player of the Year at the 2018 Ulster Rugby Awards.[11] He was awarded a development contract for the 2018–19 season, which would advance to a senior contract from the 2019–20 season until June 2022.[12] during which he made 18 appearances, including 3 starts.[1]

In the 2019–20 season he made 22 appearances, including ten starts,[1] and was named Young Player of the Year in the Ulster Rugby Awards.[13] He received his first call up to the senior Ireland squad on 15 January 2020 for the 2020 Six Nations Championship.[14]

In 2020–21 he made fifteen appearances, including two starts,[1] and made 141 tackes and one turnover.[15] In June 2021 he was called up again to the senior Ireland squad for the Summer tests,[16] and made his senior international debut in a 71–10 victory over the United States on 10 July 2021.[17] In the 2021–22 season he has made 15 appearances, including eight starts,[1] and appeared off the bench for Ireland in their 53–7 home win over Argentina in the 2021 Autumn internationals.[18] He was called up to the Ireland squad for their 2022 tour of New Zealand.[19] He was called up to Ireland's 2023 Six Nations Championship squad coming off the bench in all 5 matches as Ireland won the championship and Grand Slam.[20]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Club playing stats at ItsRugby.co.uk
  2. ↑ International playing stats at ItsRugby.com
  3. ↑ Doyle, Garry. "The road from Meath to the 2021 Six Nations via Brisbane and Belfast". The42. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  4. ↑ Schoolzine. "Padua College eNewsletter". Padua College. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  5. ↑ "I fell in love when I first laid eyes on Kingspan: Tom O'Toole". Belfast Telegraph. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  6. ↑ "From Queensland Schoolboys to the Ireland U20s: Tom O'Toole's tale". The42. 23 February 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  7. ↑ Michael Sadlier, "Ulster recruit school stars for Academy fast-tracking", Belfast Telegraph, 29 July 2017
  8. ↑ "Ulster team named for trip to Edinburgh". Ulster Rugby. 5 April 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  9. ↑ "Edinburgh 20 Ulster 32". Ulster Rugby. 6 April 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  10. ↑ Ulster Rugby: Who did what 2017-18, The Front Row Union, 25 June 2018
  11. ↑ "Cooney scoops three awards at Heineken Ulster Rugby Awards Dinner", Ulster Rugby, 10 May 2018
  12. ↑ "Ulster Rugby: Angus Curtis and Tom O'Toole earn upgraded contracts". BBC Sport. 28 August 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  13. ↑ "John Cooney is named Ulster's Player of the Year as Marcel Coetzee wins hat-trick of awards", BBC Sport, 20 September 2020
  14. ↑ "Six Nations: Johnny Sexton to captain Ireland as Andy Farrell's reign begins". BBC Sport. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  15. ↑ Ulster 2020-21 - Who Did What?, The Front Row Union, 12 August 2021
  16. ↑ "Ireland Squad Confirmed For Vodafone Summer Series". Irish Rugby. 14 June 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  17. ↑ "Baloucoune wonder try sparks Ireland to life as they put 71 points on USA". the42. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  18. ↑ Michael Bradley, "Tom O’Toole hailed as ‘exceptional’ after Ireland deal with upheaval to smash Argentina", Belfast Telegraph, 21 November 2021
  19. ↑ Gerry Thornley, "Ireland name their 40-man squad for tour of New Zealand", The Irish Times, 14 June 2022
  20. ↑ "Ireland finish over the top of England to claim glorious Grand Slam". the42. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
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