Sammy Arnold

Sammy Arnold (born 8 April 1996) is an English-born, Irish rugby union player for Connacht in the Pro14. He plays as a centre and represents Garryowen in the All-Ireland League.

Sammy Arnold
Date of birth (1996-04-08) 8 April 1996
Place of birthSurrey, England
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight98 kg (15.4 st; 216 lb)
SchoolCranleigh School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
  • 2015–2016
  • 2016–
 Ballynahinch
Garryowen		 ()
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
  • 2015–2016
  • 2016–2020
  • 2020–
  • 14
  • 44
  • 12
  • (0)
  • (40)
  • (10)
Correct as of 10 January 2021
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
  • 2015
  • 2018–
 Ireland U20
Ireland
  • 10
  • 1
  • (0)
  • (0)
Correct as of 24 November 2018

Early life

Born in Redhill, Surrey, Arnold moved to Kent aged five and attended a state school until sixth form, when he earned a rugby scholarship at Cranleigh School. Harlequins had shown interest in Arnold joining their academy, but as a scrum-half rather than a centre. Arnold, who wanted to play as a centre for Ireland, instead decided to join Ulster.[1] He qualifies for Ireland through his mother, who is from Wexford – he also has a grandfather from Bere Island, County Cork.[2]

Club career

Ulster

Arnold made his debut against Dragons at Rodney Parade in March 2015 as an 18-year-old.[3] At the end of the season he won the Club's Academy Player of the Year award.[3] He made his first Champions Cup appearance against Oyonnax in January 2016,[3] but was forced off through injury after 23 minutes.[4]

Munster

On 4 February 2016, it was announced that Arnold would be joining Ulster's provincial rivals, Munster, at the beginning of the 2016–17 season.[5] Just weeks after joining Munster, Arnold damaged ligaments in his knee, which ruled him out of the opening period of the 2016–17 season.[6] On 26 November 2016, Arnold made his competitive debut for Munster, starting alongside Jaco Taute in the 2016–17 Pro12 fixture against Benetton at Thomond Park.[7] In January 2017, Arnold was ruled out for 8 weeks with a knee injury.[8] On 27 February 2017, Arnold resumed full training following his recovering from the knee injury.[9]

On 31 March 2017, Arnold started for Munster A in their 2016–17 British and Irish Cup semi-final against Ealing Trailfinders, scoring a try in the 25–9 win against the English Championship side at CIT.[10] On 21 April 2017, Arnold started at 13 for Munster A in their 29–28 victory over English RFU Championship side Jersey Reds in the final of the 2016–17 British and Irish Cup, which was held in Irish Independent Park.[11] He scored his first tries for Munster on 3 November 2017, doing so in the 2017–18 Pro14 win against Welsh side Dragons.[12] Arnold made his European Rugby Champions Cup debut for Munster on 9 December 2017, starting in the Pool 4 fixture against Leicester Tigers in Thomond Park and earning the Man-of-the-Match award in the provinces' 33–10 win.[13]

He was sent-off for a high tackle on Christian Lealiifano in Munster's Pro14 game against Ulster on 1 January 2018[14][15] and subsequently banned for 3 weeks.[16] He signed a new two-year contract with Munster in February 2018.[17] Arnold was named as the 2018 Munster Rugby Young Player of the Year in April 2018.[18]

Connacht

Arnold joined Connacht on a two-year contract in July 2020,[19] and made his debut for the province against his old club Munster on 30 August 2020.

International career

After achieving selection at under-18 level in May 2013,[20] Arnold received his first call up for the Ireland under-20 side in February 2015 for a 2015 Six Nations Under 20s Championship clash with France.[21]

Arnold earned his first senior call-up in October 2018, being selected in Joe Schmidt's 42-man Ireland squad for the 2018 Autumn Internationals.[22] Arnold made his senior international debut for Ireland in their 2018 Autumn Test against the United States on 24 November 2018, coming on as a replacement for Will Addison at half-time in Ireland's 57–14 win.[23]

Honours

Munster A

References
  1. "Rejected by Harlequins and deemed too small for England, Irish exile has found his feet at Munster". Irish Independent. 6 December 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  2. "Arnold becomes new centre of attention". Irish Independent. 6 December 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  3. "Munster sign exciting prospect Sam Arnold from Ulster". The Irish Independent. Independent News and Media. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  4. "EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP: Remarkable second half comeback sees Ulster win in Oyonnax". News Letter. Johnston Publishing. 10 January 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  5. "Latest Player Contract News". Munster Rugby. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  6. "Squad Update". Munster Rugby. 3 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  7. "Munster Topple Treviso in Claiming Top Spot". Munster Rugby. 26 November 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  8. "Erasmus Names Munster Side To Face Glasgow". Munster Rugby. 13 January 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  9. "Squad Update". Munster Rugby. 27 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  10. "Munster A Secure Home B&I Cup Final". Munster Rugby. 31 March 2017. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  11. "Munster A Claim B&I Cup Title After Cork Rollercoaster". Munster Rugby. 21 April 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  12. "Too much firepower for Dragons". Munster Rugby. 3 November 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  13. "Bonus-Point Win For Munster Over Tigers". Munster Rugby. 9 December 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  14. "Munster Suffer Defeat in Belfast". Munster Rugby. 1 January 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  15. "Pro14: Ulster 24–17 Munster". BBC Sport. 1 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  16. "Disciplinary Decision: Sammy Arnold". Munster Rugby. 4 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  17. "Player Contract Update". Munster Rugby. 2 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  18. "Earls Named Munster Player of the Year". Munster Rugby. 25 April 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  19. "Connacht announce signings of four players ahead of 2020/21 season". Connacht Rugby. 18 May 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  20. "Rugby school friends go head-to-head". getSurrey. Trinity Mirror Southern. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  21. "Sam Arnold drafted in for Six Nations start". The Belfast Telegraph. Independent News and Media. 12 February 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  22. "11 Munster Players in Ireland Squad". Munster Rugby. 24 October 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  23. "Conway Claims Hat-Trick As Ireland Finish Calendar Year with a Flourish". Irish Rugby. 24 November 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
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