Willie John McBride

Willie John McBride

Player information
Full name	William James McBride
birthday	June 6, 1940
place of birth	Toomebridge , County Antrim , Northern Ireland
society
society	Career ended
position	Second row striker
Clubs as active
Years	society	Games (points)
	Ballymena RFC
National team
Years	National team	Games (points)
1962-1975 1962-1974	Ireland British and Irish Lions	63 (4) 17 (3)
Coaching stations
Years	Association / Province / Franchise
1980-1984 1983	Ireland British and Irish Lions

Willie John McBride , CBE (* 6 June 1940 in Toomebridge , County Antrim , Northern Ireland , born as William James McBride ) is a former Irish rugby union player , who as a second-row players for the Irish national team and the British and Irish Lions played. With his five tour participations and 17 test matches for the Lions, he is the record holder of this national team.

McBride made his national team debut for Ireland in 1962 against the English selection . That same year he was nominated for the first time for the Lions. Until the Tour of the Lions in 1971, he lost with the team nine test matches in a row. At first he did not want to continue playing for the team due to the poor organization and the associated defeats, but Carwyn James was able to convince him to be active again for the Lions. Against New Zealand he was part of the selection that has so far won a series against the All Blacks for the only time. Three years later he increased this success by leading the Lions in South Africa to an unbeaten tour. The series against the Springboks also went down in history because of the 99 call . When 99 was called out, each player hit an opponent or helped another player who was being attacked. With this tactic one tried to gain respect from the South Africans accused of unsportsmanlike conduct.

McBride went down in history as a successful Lions player, but he also enjoyed success with the Irish national team. In 1965 the country achieved its first victory against South Africa and an away win in Australia, the first ever for a Home Nations . In 1975 he ended his career. In his last home game he put the only attempt in the shirt of Ireland.

In 1980 McBride started his coaching career and headed the Irish national team for four years. In 1983 he also took over the management of the Lions on their tour to New Zealand, which was not nearly as successful as in 1971, as the selection lost all four games against the All Blacks.

In 1997, McBride was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame . In 2004 he was named Rugby Personality of the Century by Rugby World magazine. He is intensely committed to the Wooden Spoon Society, which supports disadvantaged young people.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Willie John McBride: 'The players have medics these days. We had Elastoplast '. The Independent, June 5, 2009, accessed October 13, 2009 . 
2. ↑ Giles Mole: Great Lions rugby moments: Willie John McBride's '99' call. Daily Telegraph, April 20, 2009, accessed October 13, 2009 . 

Web links

• National team statistics
• Lions profile
• Entry into the International Rugby Hall of Fame