Jimmy O'Brien, born on November 27, 1996, is an Irish professional rugby union player who currently plays as a fullback for Leinster in the United Rugby Championship. He also represents the Ireland national team.
O'Brien hails from Eadestown in County Kildare, Ireland, and attended Newbridge College, where he played school rugby. While he played as a fly-half during his school days, he transitioned to the inside centre position when he joined the Leinster academy. Known for his attacking skills, including a strong kicking game, footwork, and passing ability, O'Brien also demonstrates a physical approach in defense despite his smaller stature.
He gained experience playing for the Irish sevens team, primarily featuring as a centre but also occasionally filling in at fly-half. O'Brien represented Ireland at the 2018 Hong Kong Sevens qualifier, where he showcased his try-scoring ability by scoring four tries. However, Ireland fell short in the semifinals against Japan with a 7–12 defeat, resulting in their failure to qualify as a core team for the 2018-19 World Series.
O'Brien also participated in the London and Paris legs of the 2017-18 World Rugby Sevens Series, where Ireland achieved surprising results, finishing third and seventh, respectively. During those tournaments, O'Brien made valuable contributions, scoring four tries across both events.
In February 2022, O'Brien received a call-up to the Ireland squad for the 2022 Six Nations Championship, marking his involvement in the national team setup. Subsequently, in June 2022, he was included in the Ireland squad for the tour of New Zealand.
On November 4, 2022, O'Brien was called up as a late bench replacement for the first test of the Autumn Series against South Africa. This opportunity arose due to an injury to Robbie Henshaw, and Stuart McCloskey replaced Henshaw in the starting lineup. However, another injury during the first half led to O'Brien making his test debut, playing for 53 minutes in an Ireland victory.
O'Brien made his debut for Leinster in November 2018 against Ospreys and went on to make several appearances before signing a senior contract ahead of the 2019/20 season.
Ahead of the Rugby World Cup 2023, O'Brien has been named in the squad for Ireland.
KG(30/06/2023)
Career
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Leinster Rugby Fullback |
2018 - present |
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Ireland A Inside Centre |
2022 - present |
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Ireland U20's Inside Centre |
2016 - 2017 |
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Ireland 7's Inside Centre |
2018 - 2019 |
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Ireland Inside Centre |
2022 - 2024 |
