Kevin Maggs

Kevin Maggs

Birth name	Kevin Michael Maggs
Date of birth	(1974-06-03) 3 June 1974
Place of birth	Bristol, England
Height	6 ft (1.8 m)
Weight	14.7 st (93 kg)
School	Lockleaze Comprehensive Bristol
University	South Bristol College
Rugby union career
Position(s) Player/Coach Current team Moseley Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 1993-1998 1998-2004 2007-2009 2009-2010 2010-Present Bristol Bath Rugby Bristol Rotherham Moseley () Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 2004-2007 Ulster Rugby 0 International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1997-2005 Ireland Barbarians 70 6 0(75)

Kevin Michael Maggs (born 3 June 1974) is a former Irish rugby union Centre, he is currently player/coach with Moseley, he previously played for Bristol, Bath, Ulster and Rotherham Titans. Started his adult rugby career in Bristol with local side Imperial.

Maggs played for Ireland because Brian Ashton, who was Irish coach at time, came to Bristol to watch flanker David Corkery and was told by Ralph Knibbs (Bristol's player-manager), that Maggs had a grandfather from Limerick. He was then called up to the Irish development tour to New Zealand in 1997. He made his international debut for Ireland against New Zealand at Lansdowne Road on November 1997 and played at the 1999 and 2003 Rugby World Cup.

Maggs is widely remembered for his hard-running, direct style of rugby. Receiving a pop pass from the fly-half of the day and running a 'crash ball' over the gainline endeared Maggs to Irish supporters, and he was often credited for drawing the attention of defences, therefore creating space elsewhere for less accomplished attackers like Brian O'Driscoll. The overwhelming success of Maggs as a proverbial cannonball perhaps overshadowed the more subtle elements of his game. Maggs was a fine passer of the ball, and was also fond of spiralling the ball off either foot deep into opposition territory. He tutored Peter Stringer and Ronan O'Gara in the arts of passing and kicking when the pair broke into the Irish squad, so is in a way responsible for much of the success enjoyed by Ireland's golden generation.

In his youth, Maggs enjoyed a successful tennis career, reaching the semi-finals of Junior Wimbledon before losing out 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 to a young Andre Agassi.

Recognition

Maggs enjoyed popularity across the rugby playing world. He was, and remains especially admired in France, where he is remembered especially for creating Brian O'Driscoll's hat trick during the Ireland versus France clash during the Six Nations of 2000. In recognition of his services to French rugby, which is most popular in the south of the country, the Paris-Marseille TGV line was renamed 'The Kevin Maggs Expressway'. Former French President Francois Mitterande spoke at the renaming ceremony, where he said "The TGV and Kevin Maggs share many admirable qualities. The TGV, like Maggs travels at high speeds along an arrow straight line with remarkable consistency, just like Kevin in the early 2000s."

Honours

• 2006 Celtic League winners medal

External links

• [1]
• Ireland Rugby Profile
• Sporting Heroes Profile
• Ulster Rugby Profile
• [2]