Jack McGrath (rugby union)

Jack McGrath (born 11 October 1989) is an Irish rugby union player who plays loosehead prop for Ulster. He formerly played for Leinster, and has also played for Ireland and the British and Irish Lions.

McGrath made his senior debut for Leinster in April 2010 against Glasgow Warriors,[2] and became a regular member of the team in the 2011-12 season.[3] He went on to make 142 appearances for the province, scoring 12 tries. During his time there, Leinster won the European Rugby Champions Cup twice, the European Rugby Challenge Cup once, the Pro12 twice, and the Pro14 once.[2] He trained with the Ireland team ahead of the 2012 Six Nations Championship.[3] He was named in the 34-man Ireland squad for the 2013 end-of-year rugby union tests, and was praised by Ireland captain Rory Best for his hard work in the scrum.[4] He started in the first of the tests against Samoa on 9 November 2013,[5][6] and was named "Man of the match" for his performance.[7] He went on to earn 56 caps for his country.[2]

In 2016 he helped launch the Irish Rugby Union Players Association's "Tackle Your Feeings" mental health campaign.[8]

He was selected for the 2017 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand,[9] played 186 minutes on the tour, and appeared of the bench in all three tests, impressing with his tackling and scrummaging.[10] He sustained a hip injury during the tour, and underwent minor surgery on his return.[11]

Once seen as the natural successor to Cian Healy, he lost his place in the Leinster and Ireland teams after Healy recovered from a hand injury.[12] He moved to Ulster ahead of the 2019–20 season.[2] He was named in the Ireland squad for the 2020 Six Nations Championship.[13] By November 2020, after 20 appearances for Ulster, he suffered a recurrence of his hip injury which left him unable to carry out daily activities. He became only the third sportsman, after Seán O'Brien and Andy Murray, to undergo hip resurfacing surgery,[11] and did not return to the Ulster team until December 2021.[14] He signed a contract extension with Ulster in January 2022.[15]