Jack Carty (rugby union)

Jack Carty (born 31 August 1992) is a rugby union player from Ireland. His primary position is at fly-half. Having started with his hometown club, Buccaneers, Carty currently plays for the team of his native province of Connacht in the United Rugby Championship, having come through the team's academy. He is Connacht's record points scorer in the Pro14, having overtaken Ian Keatley in March 2019.[1] Carty is an Ireland international, having made his debut for the side against Italy in 2019.

Jack Carty
Carty in 2023 for Connacht
Date of birth (1992-08-31) 31 August 1992 (age 32)
Place of birthAthlone, Ireland
Height1.81 m (5 ft 11+12 in)
Weight88 kg (13 st 12 lb)
SchoolMarist College
UniversityNUI Galway
Notable relative(s)Luke Carty (brother)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fly-half
Current team Connacht
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
Buccaneers ()
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2012– Connacht 216 (1,272)
Correct as of 15 December 2024
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2012 Ireland U20 4 (11)
2019– Ireland 11 (16)
Correct as of 14 February 2022

Early life

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Carty received his secondary education at Marist College, Athlone. He attended university at NUI Galway.[2] Before becoming a professional rugby player, Carty played a number of other sports. He represented Roscommon in Gaelic football at minor level and also played soccer, representing the Republic of Ireland internationally as far as under-15 level. He was offered a trial with English football club Southampton but turned it down in favour of a trial at West Ham United.[3][4]

Rugby career

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Connacht

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In his early career with Connacht, Carty primarily featured for the province's secondary team the Connacht Eagles, playing in the British and Irish Cup. Despite still being in the Connacht academy, Carty made his first appearance for the senior Connacht team on 21 September 2012, in a match against the Glasgow Warriors in the 2012–13 Pro12. He was a replacement at fullback for Gavin Duffy, coming on after 28 minutes.[5] In the 2013–14 season, Carty regularly served as the team's captain. His next game came on 4 October 2013 when he made a substitute appearance against Italian team Benetton Treviso. On 27 December that year, he made his third appearance for the team, against inter-provincial rivals Munster.[6]

Carty made his first start for Connacht on 4 January 2014, when he played at fly-half against the reigning Pro12 and Amlin Cup champions Leinster, in another derby.[7] On 11 January, he played his first European match for the province, starting in their 2013–14 Heineken Cup match with Zebre, kicking two penalties and two conversions.[8] In February that year, Carty signed his first professional contract with Connacht.[9]

Following the retirement of Dan Parks,[10][11] Carty became Connacht's first choice at fly-half for the 2014–15 season. He made 21 appearances in the Pro12, with 16 of these coming as starts. Carty played in five of the team's six 2014–15 Challenge Cup games, starting all but one of these. He also started the team's final game of the season, a play-off against Gloucester.[8] The following season saw Carty continue to be first choice through to February 2016, when he injured himself on a water slide in Dubai and to have his spleen removed. He returned to first-team action that April, but couldn't dislodge AJ MacGinty and Shane O'Leary and missed out on a place in the Pro12 Final on 28 May.[12] Carty appeared in 12 Pro12 and five Challenge Cup games in the 2015–16 season before his accident, and only two Pro12 games afterward.[6][8]

The departure of MacGinty to Sale Sharks and injuries to new signing Marnitz Boshoff saw Carty return to first choice for the 2016–17 season.[13][14] He started 18 games in the Pro12, featuring as a replacement in three more,[6] and started five of the side's six games in the Champions Cup, missing the home game with Zebre through injury.[15] Carty also started the team's Champions Cup play-off with Northampton Saints at the end of the season.[8]

Following a strong season in the 2020–21 Championship, Carty was named to his second Pro14 Dream Team.[16]

In December 2023 Carty earned his 200th cap for Connacht in 55–36losse to Saracens in the 2023–24 European Rugby Champions Cup.[17]

International

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Carty has represented Ireland at various underage levels internationally. He was named in the Ireland under-20s team and represented them at the 2012 IRB Junior World Championship.[3]

Carty was named in the senior squad for the opening rounds of the 2019 Six Nations.[18] He made his debut on 24 February 2019, when he came on as a replacement in the 26–16 win against Italy in the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.[19]

References

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  1. ^ "Carty Becomes Connacht's Record Points Scorer With Classy Cameo". Irish Rugby. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  2. ^ Rooney, Declan (27 October 2017). "NUI Galway renew deal with province". Irish Independent. Retrieved 27 October 2017. NUI Galway became Connacht's Academy and University partner in 2013, and since then 19 Connacht players have graduated, or are about to graduate, from NUI Galway including current senior squad members Denis Buckley, Eoin Griffin, Eoin McKeon, Andrew Browne, Dave Heffernan, Jack Carty, Darragh Leader, Eoghan Masterson, Seán O'Brien and Conor McKeon.
  3. ^ a b "Footballing talent Carty committed to furthering Connacht cause". The42. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  4. ^ "Jack Carty – Connacht Rugby". Athlone Regional Sports Centre. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  5. ^ "Pro12: Glasgow Warriors 27-17 Connacht". BBC Sport. 21 September 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  6. ^ a b c "Player Profile: Jack Carty". Pro14.
  7. ^ "Jack Carty given first Connacht start as Leinster name Heaslip captain". The42. 3 January 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  8. ^ a b c d "Player Archive: Jack Carty". European Professional Club Rugby.
  9. ^ "Carty and O'Halloran rewarded with new Connacht contracts". The42. 18 February 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  10. ^ "Parks leads Connacht outgoings". Irish Independent. 29 April 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  11. ^ "Scotland's Dan Parks calls time on career after Connacht release". BBC Sport. 25 June 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  12. ^ "The water slide accident that cost Jack Carty his spleen and a Pro12 final". The42. 29 September 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  13. ^ "Sale Sharks sign USA fly-half AJ MacGinty from Connacht". Manchester Evening News. 31 March 2016.
  14. ^ "Big blow for Connacht as Springbok-capped Boshoff out until March". The42. 13 December 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  15. ^ "Cooney makes move to out-half as Connacht change five for Zebre". The42. 13 January 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  16. ^ "The Media Votes are in - Who made the Guinness PRO14 Dream Team?". Pro14 rugby. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  17. ^ "Connacht deliver a performance but Saracens take full points in show of power". Irish Times. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  18. ^ "Ireland Squad Named For Opening Rounds Of Guinness Six Nations". irishrugby.ie. Irish Rugby.
  19. ^ "Ireland survive first-half scare in Rome to notcha bonus-point win over Italy". The 42. 24 February 2019. Retrieved 25 February 2019.