Jacob Stockdale

Jacob Stockdale (born 3 April 1996) is an Irish professional rugby union player who currently plays for Ulster and for Ireland. He plays on the wing or at fullback. He holds the record for tries scored in a single Six Nations Championship, scoring seven tries for Ireland in the 2018 tournament, for which he was also named Player of the Championship. He won the Nevin Spence Irish Young Player of the Year award in 2018, and was nominated for EPCR European Player of the Year in 2019.

Jacob Stockdale
Date of birth (1996-04-03) 3 April 1996
Place of birthNewtownstewart, Northern Ireland
Height1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight102 kg (16 st 1 lb; 225 lb)
SchoolWallace High School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre, Wing, Fullback
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2016– Ulster 100 (165)
Correct as of 5 May 2023[1]
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2015–2016 Ireland U20 13 (50)
2017– Ireland 35 (95)
2022 Ireland Wolfhounds 1 (0)
Correct as of 15 November 2022[2]

Biography

He was born in Newtownstewart in County Tyrone before his family settled in Lurgan.[3] He grew up idolising Tommy Bowe and Jonah Lomu.[4] He attended Wallace High School in Lisburn, where he played in the back row before moving to centre. He played for the school's first team in his final year,[5] was selected for Ireland at Schools and under-18 level,[4] and was named Ulster Schools Player of the Year in the 2014 Ulster Rugby Awards.[6]

He joined the Ulster academy ahead of the 2014–15 season,[7] while studying criminology at Ulster University at Jordanstown. He made his senior debut for Ulster against Benetton in January 2016,[4] making six appearances, including five starts, in the 2015–16 season,[1] and was selected for Ireland under-20s in the 2016 under-20 Six Nations and the 2016 under-20 World Championship.[4] In the 2016–17 season he made 20 appearances including eight starts, and scored nine tries.[1] At the end of the season he was named Ulster's Young Player of the Year.[8] He was named in the Ireland squad for the 2017 Summer Tour,[9] and made his international debut against the United States.[10]

In 2017–18 he made 19 appearances for Ulster, including 18 starts, and scored ten tries.[1] He played his first home game for Ireland in November 2017, against South Africa where he scored a try.[11] Two weeks later in the same November series he won "man of the match" after scoring two tries in Ireland's 28–19 victory over Argentina.[12] He was named Player of the Championship in the 2018 Six Nations Championship,[13] after setting a tournament record for most tries scored with seven as Ireland won the Grand Slam.[14] He was awarded the Nevin Spence Young Player of the Year award by Rugby Players Ireland in May 2018,[15] and won BBC Northern Ireland Sports Personality of the Year in December 2018.[16]

In 2018–19 he made twelve appearances for Ulster, including eleven starts, and scored seven tries.[1] He was nominated for EPCR European Player of the Year in 2019.[17] For Ireland, he won eleven caps, including five in the 2019 Six Nations Championship and four at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, and scored three tries,[2] including one in Ireland's first ever victory against the All Blacks on Irish soil,[18]

In 2019–20 he made 13 appearances, all starts, for Ulster, and scored two tries.[1] For Ireland, he won five caps in the 2020 Six Nations Championship.[2] In 2020-21 he made 14 appearances, all starts, for Ulster, and scored three tries.[1] For Ireland, he won five caps three in the 2020 Autumn Nations Cup, one in the 2021 Six Nations Championship, and one against Japan in July 2021.[2] In 2021–22, he injured his ankle in Ulster's opening United Rugby Championship match against Glasgow Warriors, which kept him out for the rest of the season, eventually requiring surgery in January 2022.[19] He made his 100th appearance for Ulster at the end of the 2022–23 season.[20]

Stockdale is a Christian (his father is a Presbyterian minister), and prays before each game.[21][22]

Statistics

International tries
TryOpposing teamLocationVenueCompetitionDateResult
1 United StatesHarrisonRed Bull Arena2017 Ireland Tour10 June 2017Won
2 South AfricaDublinAviva Stadium2017 November Tests11 November 2017Won
3-4 ArgentinaDublinAviva Stadium2017 November Tests25 November 2017Won
5-6 ItalyDublinAviva Stadium2018 Six Nations10 February 2018Won
7-8 WalesDublinAviva Stadium2018 Six Nations24 February 2018Won
9-10 ScotlandDublinAviva Stadium2018 Six Nations10 March 2018Won
11 EnglandLondonTwickenham Stadium2018 Six Nations17 March 2018Won
12 New ZealandDublinAviva Stadium2018 November Tests17 November 2018Won
13 ScotlandEdinburghMurrayfield2019 Six Nations9 February 2019Won
14 ItalyRomeRome2019 Six Nations24 February 2019Won
15-16 WalesCardiffMillennium Stadium2019 Rugby World Cup warm-up31 August 2019Won
17 FranceParisAviva Stadium2020 Six Nations31 October 2020Lost
18 EnglandLondonTwickenham Stadium2020 Autumn Nations Cup21 November 2020Lost
19 JapanDublinAviva Stadium2021 July rugby union tests3 July 2021Won

Correct as of 3 July 2021[23]

Honours

Ireland

Awards

References
  1. Club playing statistics at ItsRugby.co.uk
  2. International playing statistics at itsrugby.com
  3. "Jacob Stockdale on finding his self-belief, why family and faith are central to his life... and how his mum finally came around to his tattoo". Belfasttelegraph.
  4. Gerry Thornley, "Jacob Stockdale living the dream playing alongside his boyhood heroes", The Irish Times, 11 November 2017
  5. Jack O'Toole, "Jacob Stockdale - From Wallace reserves to one of the best wingers in the world", Sports Joe, 2019
  6. Richard Mulligan, "Trimble celebrates hat-trick", News Letter, 5 May 2014
  7. "Jacob Stockdale has signed a new deal with Ulster", The Irish Times, 21 February 2018
  8. "Departing Duo Receive Ulster Rugby Awards", Irish Rugby, 7 May 2017
  9. "Eight Uncapped Players In Ireland Summer Tour Squad". irishrugby.ie. 16 May 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  10. "Earls Excels As Ireland Kick Off Tour With New Jersey Win". irishrugby.ie. 11 June 2017. Archived from the original on 13 June 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  11. "Autumn international: Ireland 38-3 South Africa". BBC Sport. 11 November 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  12. "Autumn international: Ireland 28-19 Argentina". BBC Sport. 25 November 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  13. "'It's an absolute honour' - Stockdale named Six Nations Player of the Championship". The 42. 23 March 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  14. "Stockdale: From school fringe player to record breaker". BBC Sport. 19 March 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  15. "Zurich Irish Rugby Player Awards announced", Rugby Players Ireland, 16 May 2018
  16. "Jacob Stockdale named 2018 BBC Sport Northern Ireland Personality of the Year", 12 December 2018
  17. "EPCR European Player of the Year nominee #13 – Jacob Stockdale (Ulster Rugby)", European Professional Club Rugby, 26 February 2019
  18. "As it happened: Stockdale scores try as Ireland beat New Zealand in Dublin thriller". Belfast Telegraph. 17 November 2018.
  19. "Jacob Stockdale: Ulster and Ireland wing to miss rest of season with ankle injury", BBC Sport, 18 January 2022
  20. Paul McIntyre, "Stockdale and Herring hit milestones as Ulster eye URC semi-final spot", The Irish News, 5 May 2023
  21. Leonard, Victoria (26 February 2019). "How Ireland rugby hero Jacob Stockdale tackles being Christian in rugby world". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  22. McGarry, Patsy. "Jacob Stockdale: I pray before the game, I pray after the game, I pray during the game sometimes". The Irish Times.
  23. Jacob Stockdale, ESPN Scrum, 9 February 2019
  24. O'Connor, Ruaidhri (20 March 2018). "All 30 of Ireland's Grand Slam contributors rated - but one man comes out on top". Irish Independent. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  25. "Jacob Stockdale named Six Nations Player of the Tournament as Ireland claim top four spots". Irish Independent. 23 March 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
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