Brian O’Driscoll

UCD Alumni Award Winner 2009

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Brian O’Driscoll is a former professional Rugby Union player who captained and played for Leinster, Ireland and The Lions over a period of fifteen years.

In 2009 Brian o driscoll received the UCD Foundation Day Medal for his outstanding sporting achievements, courage, commitment, creativity and determination he demonstrated on the field of play. His sporting achievements are a great source of pride for UCD. Throughout his career Brian has stood out as one of the finest ambassadors not only for the game of rugby but for Irish sportsmanship generally.

He is an Irish rugby hero and Captain of the most successful Irish rugby team in a generation. He was awarded a sports scholarship to University College Dublin, where he completed a diploma in Sports Management in 1998.

Born in Dublin on 21 January 1979, Brian O’Driscoll played his first rugby match at 11 years of age for Willow Park where he finished his primary education, before moving on to Blackrock College where he developed a passionate interest in rugby. In 1996, he achieved international recognition when he gained 3 caps for Irish schools. While at UCD he progressed from the university under 20's team to the senior team in his first year under the direction of John McClean.

His career statistics speak for themselves with 11 titles, 327 games played, 561 total points scored and 108 tries scored. In 2009 Brian O Driscoll led an unbeaten season to claim the Triple Crown, the Six Nations Championship and Grand Slam for Ireland for the first time in 61 years in Cardiff’s Millennium stadium on 21st March.

Brian retired from professional sport in 2014 and currently works in a number of capacities in the Business and Sporting world.