Denis Hickie
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| Denis Hickie | |||
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| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Denis Anthony Hickie | ||
| Date of birth | February 13 1976 | ||
| Place of birth | Dublin, Ireland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
| Weight | 14 st 9 lbs (93 kg) | ||
| Nickname | The Hickmeister General | ||
| School | St. Mary's College, Dublin | ||
| College | University College Dublin | ||
| Rugby union career | |||
| Playing career | |||
| Position | Wing | ||
| Clubs | |||
| UCD RFC | |||
| Provincial/State sides | Caps | (points) | |
| 1996-2007 | Leinster Rugby | 129 | (303) |
| National team(s) | |||
| 1997-2007 2005 |
Ireland British and Irish Lions |
56 |
(135) |
Denis Anthony Hickie (born 13 February 1976 in Dublin, Ireland) is a retired professional rugby union footballer employed by the Irish Rugby Football Union. He played his club rugby for Leinster Rugby. His primary position was on the wing. He is also known as Disco Denis as a result of his quick feet dancing skills. Other names include Le Hique, Tickets, and DenDen.
He was born in Dublin on the 13th February 1976. He was educated at St. Mary's College C.S.Sp in Rathmines and University College Dublin (UCD), where he completed a commerce degree. At UCD Denis was on a dual scholarship for rugby union and athletics.
Denis led St. Mary’s College to the Leinster Schools Senior Cup title in 1994.
He made his senior debut for Leinster on the 6th September 1996 in a friendly match away to a Genoa President's XV.
Denis made his senior Irish debut on 1st February 1997 against Wales. He has now earned 51 caps for Ireland. He has scored 29 tries for Ireland and hold the Irish try scoring record jointly with his friend and Leinster colleague Brian O'Driscoll.
He was widely regarded as unfortunate to miss out on selection to the 2001 British and Irish Lions tour to Australia. He overcame a ruptured Achilles tendon sustained during the 2003 World Cup and forced his way back into the line-up, apparently losing nothing of his pace.
His solid form in the 2005 Six Nations earned Denis a call-up for the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand and the Leinster back became a key member of the successful midweek team.
One time in one of his games, there was blood oozing down from his head.
Denis has suffered many injuries throughout his career. His most recent injury occurred in October 2005, in the week coming up to the European Cup, when Denis dislocated his right fibula following a training ground accident and missed the Autumn tests. Denis used his spare time creatively and proved to be a hit when he stood in for Jenny Huston on her Waiting Room show on 2fm on Friday 20 October 2006 from 8pm until 10pm for one night only.[1] He had previously filled in for her when she was on holiday before the summer. Denis is an avid music fan with a varied taste in music and is also a regular gig goer. When interviewed by Ireland's Hot Press magazine, he said "“Unfortunately a lot of the people I seem to like are dead now. I’m a huge Elliott Smith fan and I really love Nick Drake’s stuff. Obviously, though, I won’t be seeing them in concert anytime soon.”[2]
A box in Dublin's popular concert venue, the Olympia Theatre, carries a nameplate "The Denis Hickie Box" as it is where he tends to watch gigs from. The Olympia is owned by leading concert promoters MCD.
His injury kept him out of the 2005 Autumn International series and he subsequently lost his place on the Irish team to Ulster's Andrew Trimble for the duration of 2006 despite his excellent form for Leinster - best captured in his astounding try in Leinster's [Heineken Cup] quarter-final match against [Toulouse] in France which saw him run the length of the pitch partnered by Gordon D'Arcy to score in the corner. Ironically, injury to Trimble saw Hickie retake the number 11 shirt for Ireland against Australia in the 2006 Autumn tests where he scored a magnificent try, beating four Australian defenders with his trademark 'dancing' footwork. Holding the number 11 jersey ever since and scoring two further tries in the 2007 Six Nations Denis heads into the World Cup as first choice left wing.
Known for his robust views on those people from Leinster who support other provinces, Hickie is lauded by fans for being a true Leinster legend. He says: “I’ve always been a Leinster player. My dad played for Leinster, my uncle played for Leinster, my cousin played for Leinster. I’m a Leinster guy. I don’t make any apologies for it. That’s my team." This quote has been imortalised by the Leinster fans [www.leinsterfans.com] as one of a series of "Leinster Legend" T-shirts under the title of Disco Den.
On the 13th August 2007, Denis Hickie announced he will be retiring from professional rugby following the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
Hickie is also known for sleeping with Thomas O'Reillys sister Jill.
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