Jacob Stockdale

Jacob Alexander Stockdale (born 3 April 1996) is an Irish professional rugby union player who plays as a wing for United Rugby Championship club Ulster and the Ireland national team.[1][2]

Jacob Stockdale
Stockdale representing Ulster
Full nameJacob Alexander Stockdale
Date of birth (1996-04-03) 3 April 1996
Place of birthNewtownstewart, Northern Ireland
Height1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight102 kg (225 lb; 16 st 1 lb)
SchoolWallace High School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing, Centre, Fullback
Current team Ulster
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2016– Ulster 101 (175)
Correct as of 21 October 2023
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2015–2016 Ireland U20 13 (50)
2017– Ireland 37 (95)
2022 Ireland Wolfhounds 1 (0)
Correct as of 26 August 2023

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.

Early life

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]

Stockdale is a Christian (his father is a Presbyterian minister), and prays before each game.[7][8]

Professional career

Stockdale joined the Ulster academy ahead of the 2014–15 season,[9] 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.[10] He was named in the Ireland squad for the 2017 Summer Tour,[11] and made his international debut against the United States.[12]

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.[13] 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.[14] He was named Player of the Championship in the 2018 Six Nations Championship,[15] after setting a tournament record for most tries scored with seven as Ireland won the Grand Slam.[16] He was awarded the Nevin Spence Young Player of the Year award by Rugby Players Ireland in May 2018,[17] and won BBC Northern Ireland Sports Personality of the Year in December 2018.[18]

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.[19] 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,[20]

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.[21] He made his 100th appearance for Ulster at the end of the 2022–23 season.[22] He was called up to Ireland's preliminary 42-man squad ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup,[23] and made his first international start since 2021 against Italy on 5 August 2023.[24]

Career statistics

List of international tries
Number Position Points Tries Result Opposition Venue Date Ref.
1 Wing 5 1 Won United States Red Bull Arena 10 June 2017 [25]
2 Wing 5 1 Won South Africa Aviva Stadium 11 November 2017 [26]
3–4 Wing 10 2 Won Argentina Aviva Stadium 25 November 2017 [27]
5–6 Wing 10 2 Won Italy Aviva Stadium 10 February 2018 [28]
7–8 Wing 10 2 Won Wales Aviva Stadium 24 February 2018 [29]
9–10 Wing 10 2 Won Scotland Aviva Stadium 10 March 2018 [30]
11 Wing 5 1 Won England Twickenham Stadium 17 March 2018 [31]
12 Wing 5 1 Won New Zealand Aviva Stadium 17 November 2018 [32]
13 Wing 5 1 Won Scotland Murrayfield 9 February 2019 [33]
14 Wing 5 1 Won Italy Rome 24 February 2019 [34]
15–16 Wing 10 2 Won Wales Millennium Stadium 31 August 2019 [35]
17 Fullback 5 1 Lost France Aviva Stadium 31 October 2020 [36]
18 Wing 5 1 Lost England Twickenham Stadium 21 November 2020 [37]
19 Wing 5 1 Won Japan Aviva Stadium 3 July 2021 [38]

as of 3 July 2021[39]

Honours
Ireland
Individual

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. Leonard, Victoria (26 February 2019). "How Ireland rugby hero Jacob Stockdale tackles being Christian in rugby world". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  8. McGarry, Patsy. "Jacob Stockdale: I pray before the game, I pray after the game, I pray during the game sometimes". The Irish Times.
  9. "Jacob Stockdale has signed a new deal with Ulster", The Irish Times, 21 February 2018
  10. "Departing Duo Receive Ulster Rugby Awards", Irish Rugby, 7 May 2017
  11. "Eight Uncapped Players In Ireland Summer Tour Squad". irishrugby.ie. 16 May 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  12. "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.
  13. "Autumn international: Ireland 38-3 South Africa". BBC Sport. 11 November 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  14. "Autumn international: Ireland 28-19 Argentina". BBC Sport. 25 November 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  15. "'It's an absolute honour' - Stockdale named Six Nations Player of the Championship". The 42. 23 March 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  16. "Stockdale: From school fringe player to record breaker". BBC Sport. 19 March 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  17. "Zurich Irish Rugby Player Awards announced", Rugby Players Ireland, 16 May 2018
  18. "Jacob Stockdale named 2018 BBC Sport Northern Ireland Personality of the Year", 12 December 2018
  19. "EPCR European Player of the Year nominee #13 – Jacob Stockdale (Ulster Rugby)", European Professional Club Rugby, 26 February 2019
  20. "As it happened: Stockdale scores try as Ireland beat New Zealand in Dublin thriller". Belfast Telegraph. 17 November 2018.
  21. "Jacob Stockdale: Ulster and Ireland wing to miss rest of season with ankle injury", BBC Sport, 18 January 2022
  22. Paul McIntyre, "Stockdale and Herring hit milestones as Ulster eye URC semi-final spot", The Irish News, 5 May 2023
  23. Josh Graham, "Ireland Rugby World Cup squad 2023 – Farrell names 42 players", Rugby World, 30 May 2023
  24. "Ireland 33-17 Italy: Grand Slam winners begin World Cup warm-up series with solid home win", BBC Sport, 5 August 2023
  25. "Ireland hammer US Eagles in New Jersey". ESPN. 10 June 2017. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  26. "Ireland humble the Springboks in one-sided affair in Dublin". ESPN. 11 November 2017. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  27. Tomas, Fiona (25 November 2017). "Ireland battle to victory over Argentina and seal third autumn Test win". ESPN. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  28. "HENSHAW AND STOCKDALE DOUBLE UP AS IRELAND CRUISE". Six Nations Rugby. 10 February 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  29. "IRELAND V WALES: REPORT ENGLISH". Six Nations Rugby. 24 February 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  30. "STOCKDALE DOUBLE INSPIRES IRELAND TO BONUS-POINT WIN". Six Nations Rugby. 10 March 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  31. "IRELAND CLINCH GRAND SLAM IN STYLE AT TWICKENHAM". Six Nations Rugby. 17 March 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  32. "Ireland make history with victory over All Blacks". ESPN. 17 November 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  33. Eddison, Paul (9 February 2019). "IRELAND BOUNCE BACK IN IMPRESSIVE FASHION IN EDINBURGH". Six Nations Rugby. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  34. Bennett, Charlie (24 February 2019). "ITALY RUN IRELAND CLOSE IN THRILLING ROME CONTEST". Six Nations Rugby. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  35. "Wales comeback falls just short". Wales Rugby Union. 31 August 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  36. Bennett, Charlie (31 October 2020). "STYLISH FRANCE DOWN IRELAND BUT MISS OUT ON CHAMPIONSHIP CROWN". Six Nations Rugby. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  37. "May magic leads England to victory over Ireland". Autumn Nations Series. 21 November 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  38. Morrow, Michael (3 July 2021). "Ireland 39-31 Japan: Irish outlast Japan in high-scoring Test". BBC. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  39. Jacob Stockdale, ESPN Scrum, 9 February 2019
  40. 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.
  41. "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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