Tadhg Gerard Beirne (; born 8 January 1992) is an Irish

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

player who plays as a

lock Lock(s) or Locked may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainme ...

for

United Rugby Championship The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. For sponsorship reasons the league is known as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in ...

club

Munster Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...

, where he is the club captain, and the Ireland national team.

Club career

Leinster

Beirne graduated through the

Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...

academy and made his senior debut from the bench against the

Cardiff Blues Cardiff Rugby () are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the team play at Cardiff Arms Park. Originally formed in 1876, from 2003 to 2021 the first team was known as the Cardiff Blues before rebranding back ...

on 12 September 2015. Beirne made a further three appearances for Leinster, playing twice against

Dragons A dragon is a magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in Western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depict ...

and once against

Scarlets The Scarlets () are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams and are based in Llanelli, Wales. Their home ground is the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the United Rugby Championship and in European Professional Club Rugby c ...

, a team he would later go on to play for. All of these appearances came off the bench. Beirne spent most of his career at Leinster playing for their A team and he earned 10 caps for them, making 9 appearances in the

British and Irish Cup The British and Irish Cup was an annual rugby union competition for second tier, semi-professional clubs and the reserves or developing teams from professional clubs from Great Britain and Ireland. It took place for the first time in the 2009� ...

. Beirne was then released by Leinster.

Scarlets

It was announced on 28 June 2016 that Beirne had moved to

. Beirne made his Scarlets debut off the bench in the opening game of the season, a loss against

. He then played a massive role in Scarlets successful 2016–17 season, in which they beat Munster 46–22 in the 2017 Pro12 Grand Final to win their first silverware since the 2003–04 season.

Munster

In October 2017, Munster announced the signing of Beirne on a two-year contract, which began at the start of the 2018–19 season. Beirne was named the ''Guinness Players' Player of the Season'' when the 2017–18 Pro14 awards were announced in August 2018. He made his Munster debut on 7 September 2018, coming on as a replacement for Dave O'Callaghan in the province's 2018–19 Pro14 fixture against

Glasgow Warriors The Glasgow Warriors are a professional rugby union side from Scotland. The team plays in the United Rugby Championship league and in the European Professional Club Rugby tournaments. In the 2014–15 season they won the Pro12 title and beca ...

. Beirne made his first start for Munster on 14 September 2018, doing so in their 49–13 win against Ospreys in Irish Independent Park. Beirne scored his first try for Munster in the province's 30–22 defeat at the hands of

on 6 October 2018. Beirne made his Champions Cup debut for Munster on 13 October 2018, earning the Man-of-the-Match in the province's opening 2018–19 pool 2 fixture against English side

Exeter Chiefs Exeter Chiefs (officially Exeter Rugby Club) is an England, English professional rugby union club based in Exeter, Devon. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. The club was founded in 1871 and since 2006 has played i ...

, which ended in a 10–10 draw in Sandy Park. He was Man-of-the-Match in Munster's 26–17 win against

on 29 December 2018 and in their 9–7 win against

in round 6 of the Champions Cup on 19 January 2019, a result the ensured Munster advanced to a record 18th Champions Cup quarter-final. Beirne signed a two-year contract extension with Munster in May 2019. He was named in the 2018–19 Pro14 Dream Team when it was announced in May 2019, his second such accolade, having also been named in the 2017–18 Pro14 Dream Team whilst a

player. Beirne suffered a sustained a fractured ankle in Munster's 15–6 defeat away to English side

Saracens file:Erhard Reuwich Sarazenen 1486.png, upright 1.5, Late 15th-century History of Germany, German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek language, Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to ...

in round 4 of the 2019–20 Champions Cup on 14 December 2019, and subsequently had to undergo surgery for the injury in January 2020. Beirne made his comeback from the injury in Munster's 2019–20 Pro14 round 15 fixture against

Connacht Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...

on 30 August 2020, scoring a try and winning the Man-of-the-Match award in Munster's 49–12 victory. When regular captain Peter O'Mahony was injured in the warm-up ahead of Munster's 2021–22 United Rugby Championship round 10 fixture at home to provincial rivals

Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...

on 8 January 2022, Beirne, who had originally been named on the bench, was promoted to the starting XV in O'Mahony's place and also to the captaincy, leading Munster for the first time and earning the player of the match award in the 18–13 win. Beirne signed a new three-year central contract with Munster and the IRFU in February 2022, a deal that will see him remain with the province until at least July 2025. Beirne earned his 50th cap for Munster in their 24–17 win against provincial rivals

in round 8 of the 2022–23 United Rugby Championship on 26 November 2022. An ankle injury sustained whilst on international duty during the 2023 Six Nations required surgery, ruling Beirne out for 12 weeks. He returned from the injury to play the full eighty minutes in Munster's 14–5 away win against

in the quarter-finals of the 2022–23 United Rugby Championship on 6 May 2023, and started in Munster's 19–14 win against the

Stormers The Stormers (known for sponsorship reasons as the DHL Stormers) and the academic team DHL Stormers is a South African professional rugby union team based in Cape Town in the Western Cape that competes in the United Rugby Championship, a tra ...

in the

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...

of the 2022–23 United Rugby Championship on 27 May 2023. In September 2024, Beirne was named Munster club captain.

Ireland

Beirne made nine appearances for the Ireland under-20s and was part of the team which finished 6th in the 2012 IRB Junior World Championship. Beirne also played for the Ireland sevens team in 2015. Beirne received his first senior international call-up in May 2018, being selected in the

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

squad to tour Australia in June, and made his senior Ireland debut on 16 June 2018, coming on as a replacement for Peter O'Mahony in the second test against

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, before also coming off the bench for Ireland during their 20–16 third test victory, a win that sealed a 2–1 historic series victory for Ireland. Beirne made his first start for Ireland against

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

on 3 November 2018, doing so in their Autumn international in

Soldier Field Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side, Chicago, Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears from the National ...

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, and scoring two tries in his sides 54–7 victory, whilst also starting in the 57–14 win against the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

three weeks later. Beirne was selected in the 31-man Ireland squad for the

2019 Rugby World Cup The 2019 Rugby World Cup () was the ninth edition of the Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's rugby union teams. It was hosted in Japan from 20 September to 2 November in 12 venues all across the country. The opening matc ...

, having featured in the warm-up matches against

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

and

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. During the World Cup itself, Beirne featured off the bench in Ireland's opening 27–3 win against

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

and their shock 19–12 defeat against hosts

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, and started in the 35–0 win against

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

and 47–5 win against

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabited ...

in their final pool game, before featuring off the bench again in the comprehensive 46–14 defeat against

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

in the quarter-finals, which brought an end to Ireland's 2019 World Cup. During the delayed 2020 Six Nations Championship, Beirne started in the 50–17 win against

and the 35–27 defeat against

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, then featured off the bench in the Autumn Nations Cup-opening 32–9 win against

and started in the 23–10 win against

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

. The

2021 Six Nations The 2021 Six Nations Championship (known as the Guinness Six Nations for sponsorship reasons) was the 22nd Six Nations Championship, the annual rugby union competition contested by the national teams of England national rugby union team, England, ...

saw Beirne secure his place in Ireland's starting XV, as he started in the 21–16 defeat against

, the 15–13 defeat against

, the 48–10 away win against Italy, the 27–24 away win against Scotland and the 32–18 win against

in the final round. Beirne was named in the

''Team of the Championship'', having also been nominated for the ''Player of the Tournament''. During the 2021 Autumn Nations Series, Beirne started in Ireland's 60–5 win against

on 6 November, before featuring off the bench in the famous 29–20 win against

on 13 November. After Iain Henderson was injured minutes before kick-off, Beirne was promoted from the bench to start against

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

in Ireland's final fixture of the series on 21 November, scoring a try in their 53–7 home win. Beirne started in Ireland's 29–7 win against

in their opening fixture of the 2022 Six Nations Championship on 5 February, their 30–24 defeat away to

on 12 February, their 57–6 home win against

on 27 February, their 32–15 away win against

on 12 March, and the 26–5 home win against

on 19 March that secured the Triple Crown for Ireland. Despite having been out with a thigh injury since the Scotland fixture, Beirne was selected in the squad for the 2022 Ireland rugby union tour of New Zealand, and started in the 42–19 defeat against

in the first test on 2 July. Beirne also started in Ireland's historic 23–12 win in the second test on 9 July, in what was Ireland's first ever away win against New Zealand, and in the 32–22 third test win against New Zealand on 16 July that secured Ireland's historic first ever series win in New Zealand. During the 2022 Autumn Nations Series, Beirne started for Ireland in their 19–16 win against world champions

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

on 5 November, the 35–17 win against

Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...

on 12 November, and the 13–10 win against

on 19 November. Beirne was named in

World Rugby World Rugby is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. World Rugby organises the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport's most recognised and most profitable competition. It also organises a number of other international competit ...

's ''Men's 15s Dream Team of the Year'' at their annual awards held in

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in November 2022. Beirne continued to start for Ireland in their opening fixture of the 2023 Six Nations Championship against

on 4 February, being replaced by Ulster's Iain Henderson during the second-half of Ireland's 34–10 away win, before also starting in the 32–19 win against

in round two on 11 February, though Beirne left the field with an ankle injury during the second-half. That injury required surgery which ruled Beirne out for 12 weeks. Ireland went on win the grand slam. Beirne returned to the Ireland training squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches, featuring as a replacement in the 33–17 win against

on 5 August before starting in the 29–10 win against

on 19 August and the 17–13 win against

on 26 August. He was selected in Ireland's 33-man squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, starting in their opening fixture of the tournament against

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

on 9 September, scoring two tries in Ireland's 82–8 win, the 59–16 win against

Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...

on 16 September, in which Beirne scored a try, the 13–8 win against

on 23 September, the 36–14 win against

on 7 October, and the 28–24 defeat against

in the quarter-finals on 14 October. In November 2024, he was named at lock in the 2024 World Rugby Dream Team of the Year.

British & Irish Lions

Beirne earned his first call up for the British & Irish Lions when the squad for the 2021 tour to South Africa was announced in May 2021. He made his non-test debut for the Lions and scored a try in their 28–10 warm-up victory against

on 26 June, before starting and scoring two tries in the Lions' 71–31 win against the

Sharks Sharks are a group of elasmobranch cartilaginous fish characterized by a ribless endoskeleton, dermal denticles, five to seven gill slits on each side, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the ...

on 10 July, featuring off the bench in the 17–13 defeat against South Africa 'A' on 14 July, and starting in the 49–3 win against the

on 17 July. Beirne made his test debut for the Lions as a replacement in their 22–17 first test victory against

on 24 July, and featured off the bench again in the second test on 31 July, which South Africa won 27–9 to take the series to a deciding third test. However, Beirne was not selected for the third and final test, which the Lions lost. In May 2025, he was selected for the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia.

Personal life

Beirne's mother, Brenda Hyland Beirne, was crowned the 1983 Rose of Tralee. Beirne married his longtime partner Harriet Fuller in August 2022.

Statistics

International analysis by opposition

Correct as of 17 March 2024 * indicates inclusion of caps for British & Irish Lions

Honours

Scarlets

: **Winner (1): 2016–17

Munster

**Winner (1): 2022–23

Ireland

Six Nations Championship The Six Nations Championship (known as the Six Nations, branded as Guinness M6N) is an annual international rugby union competition by the teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. It is the oldest sports tournament conte ...

: ** Winner (2):

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

* Grand Slam: ** Winner (1):

* Triple Crown: ** Winner (3):

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...

Individual

*Pro14 Players' Player of the Season: **Winner (1): 2017–18 *World Rugby Men's 15s Dream Team of the Year: **Winner (2):

References

External links

Munster ProfileLeinster ProfileIreland ProfileBritish & Irish Lions ProfileURC Profile
*
U20 Six Nations Profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Beirne, Tadhg 1992 births Living people Rugby union players from County Kildare Irish rugby union players Lansdowne Football Club players Leinster Rugby players Llandovery RFC players Scarlets players Munster Rugby players Munster Rugby captains Ireland international rugby sevens players Ireland international rugby union players British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Ireland 2019 Rugby World Cup players 2023 Rugby World Cup players Rugby union locks Rugby union flankers Rugby union number eights People educated at Clongowes Wood College