Ian McKinley

Ian McKinley (born 4 December 1989) is an Irish-born rugby union player for Italian side Benetton in the Pro14 and, since 2017, for the Italian national team. He plays at fly-half.

Ian McKinley
Date of birth (1989-12-04) 4 December 1989
Place of birthDublin, Ireland
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight90 kg (14 st 2 lb; 200 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fly-half
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2007−2011 Lansdowne ()
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2009–2012
2013–2014
2014–2016
2015–2016
2016–2020		 Leinster
Leonorso Udine
Viadana
→Zebre
Benetton		 6
-
35
3
67		 (8)
-
(268)
(5)
(223)
Correct as of 21 May 2017
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2009
2017–2019		 Ireland U20
Italy		 9
8		 (49)
(3)
Correct as of 3 November 2018

Career

In 2011, after playing 6 times for Irish province Leinster, McKinley was forced to retire from rugby union after losing the sight in his left eye. After his retirement, he moved to Italy to work as a coach for junior sides.

Despite the blindness in one eye, McKinley made a return to rugby in 2014 in Italy using specially manufactured goggles, firstly with Leonorso in a regional third division match, in which McKinley scored 28 points, and then with Viadana on a two-year contract in the National Championship of Excellence, which, in turn, led to him being signed by another Italian side, Zebre as Fly-half cover for the 2015 Rugby World Cup and 2016 Six Nations Championship. Shortly afterwards, McKinley was signed by Treviso ahead of the 2016–17 Pro12 season. He played with Treviso until 2020.[1]

Since McKinley never played a game for Ireland before his first retirement, having spent three years in Italian rugby made him eligible to represent Italy on the international stage. Italy's head coach Conor O'Shea included McKinley in his squad for the 2017 Summer Tests, but decided not to field him in any game.[2][3][4] On 11 November 2017, however, Ian McKinley played his first international game for Italy, in an Autumn Internationals test match against Fiji, subbed in after 62 minutes for Carlo Canna. Italy won that game 19–10, with McKinley scoring the last goal kick.

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References
  1. https://benettonrugby.it/benetton-rugby-saluta-gli-8-leoni-che-lasciano-il-club/?fbclid=IwAR2WIQqrk6KTGwUimyhtoKCJZb_HpK0tmbEbiE7t6HWkaVtEtoUsuEf5hgs
  2. "Ian McKinley set for poignant Leinster return with Treviso". irishtimes.com. 2 September 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  3. "Ian McKinley: Fly-half called up by Italy six years after losing sight in left eye". bbc.co.uk. 3 May 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  4. "A stray boot blinded Ian McKinley in one eye but he's back playing top-level rugby". theguardian.com. 9 September 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
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