Player Profile: Trevor Hogan

…Trevor Hogan…

Nenagh man Trevor Hogan will make his third competitive appearance for Leinster in tonight’s Magners League game against Connacht, with his younger brother Ray on the opposition’s bench.

Name: Trevor Hogan

Date of Birth: November 19, 1979
Height: 6ft 5in; Weight: 109kg
Position: Lock
Club: Shannon RFC
Province: Leinster
Education: Nenagh CBS, DCU

Munster Caps: 57
Points: 5; Tries: 1
Munster Debut: v Swansea, September 2002

Leinster Caps: 2
Points: 5; Tries: 1
Leinster Debut: v Edinburgh, September 2006

Ireland Caps: 2
Points: 0
Ireland Debut: v Japan, June 2005
Ireland Youths Caps: 1; Ireland ‘A’ Caps: 5

– Started playing rugby for the Nenagh Ormond club at the age of 16, and was capped for Munster Youths

– Completed his Leaving Cert in 1998 and moved to Dublin where he spent four years studying Journalism at DCU. Played for Blackrock College and Trinity College while in the capital. He twice earned his colours with Trinity

– In the summer of 2002, an injury to Paul O’Connell helped Hogan, who was attending the IRFU Academy at the time, get drafted into the Munster set-up. He said: “It came about after Paul O’Connell got an injury to his neck after the tour to New Zealand, and they were looking for second rows.

“Mark McDermott was the head of the Academy and recommended me to Alan Gaffney, who had just become the new coach and I just got a Munster Development contract for the first season.”

– Hogan went on to earn 57 caps with Munster, scoring one try. He made his senior debut as a substitute against Swansea in the Celtic League in September 2002. After his final game in Munster red against Cardiff last May, he famously sang “Slievenamon” in front of the Thomond Park crowd

– Was a key player for Shannon in their last three AIB League Division One title victories

– Came on in the 70th-minute of Ireland’s 2005 summer tour first Test match against Japan, replacing Leo Cullen, to win his first senior cap. He won his second a week later against Japan, once more as a replacement

– Reflecting on Hogan’s Ireland debut, Nenagh Ormond PRO Ger Nagle said: “Trevor was always an outstanding player. He was a very good back row when he came up as a youth player and he made the Ireland Youths team. He was an upstanding guy and always did the work.”

– Held his discipline as England Saxons replacement hooker David Paice was sin-binned late on in last summer’s Churchill Cup 3rd-4th place play-off for fighting with the big Tipperary man. Ireland ‘A’ claimed a 30-27 victory in the Edmonton encounter. Hogan took his ‘A’ caps tally to five during the tournament

– His younger brother Ray (24), the Connacht prop, also played for Ireland ‘A’ during the Churchill Cup. They were born two years and two days apart from each other

– Signed for Leinster ahead of the 2006/07 season and has impressed, despite an ankle injury disrupting his run in the side. He scored his first try for the province last week against Llanelli

…Hogan’s first try for Leinster…

– HOGAN ON HIS LEINSTER MOVE –

“Initially when I thought about going to Leinster, I was fairly hesitant. It’s tough when you’re leaving where your home is, where you are from, who you play for, but you just realise that you have to play games and it’s a great opportunity to come up here and play with such quality in Leinster.”

– HOGAN ON HIS FIRST TRY –

“It was lucky really, I just ran in support of Luke Fitzgerald – he’s just on fire at the moment.”