Tomás O'Leary

Tomás O'Leary

Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	85 kg (187 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Scrum Half Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 2005 - Present Munster 45+17 (25, 5 tr) Correct as of 23rd Apr 2008 International career Years Team Apps (Points) 2007, 2008 Ireland 3 Correct as of 23rd Apr 2008

Tomás O'Leary (born 22 October, 1983) is an Irish Rugby Union player, playing in the scrum half position for Munster and Dolphin RFC. The son of Seánie O'Leary, a hurler with Cork, Tomás played Gaelic football and hurling as a youngster.

Tomás attended Christian Brothers College (CBC) for his second level education. CBC has a rugby tradition and this is where Tomás first started playing. He was recognised as a talent and played Munster Schools Senior Cup for the school. During this time he continued to play hurling and won minor Munster and All-Ireland titles with Cork in 2000 and 2001.

After he completed school, Tomás choose to continue with his rugby career instead of playing within the Gaelic Athletic Association. He was a member of the Irish U-21 side that reached the final of the 2004 Under 21 Rugby World Cup. Munster announced that O'Leary would be a member of the squad for the following year in August 2005. An injury to Peter Stringer early in the 2005/2006 season meant O'Leary had a chance to play, making his Heineken Cup debut against Sale Sharks in October 2005.

Tomás played a prominent role in Munster's Heineken Cup winning campaigns in 2005/06 and 2007/08, especially in the knockout stages of the 2007/08 tournament. In addition to his Munster commitments, he was named in the Irish squad to tour Argentina in the summer of 2007 and made his first Test start for Ireland against New Zealand on the 15th November 2008.

See also

• Players who have converted from one football code to another

External links

• Munster profile