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Andrew Dunne
Andrew Dunne
Andrew Dunne
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Key Information

Andrew "Andy" Dunne born 18 October 1979 in Castleknock Dublin, Ireland is a former professional rugby union player for Leinster Rugby, NEC Harlequins, Bath Rugby and Connacht. He retired in 2009 following a ten-year career. He was educated at Belvedere College in Dublin where he won Schoolboy International caps in both rugby and cricket. He progressed to a Commerce degree in UCD on a sports scholarship, winning a Colours match in 1999 playing with Brian O'Driscoll. He later returned to his home club by joining Old Belvedere RFC, where he won 2 Leinster Senior Cups, and three All Ireland League titles - Division 2 (2006/7), Division 1B (2009/10) and finally was captain for the Dublin 4 club's All Ireland triumph of 2011.

The flyhalf represented Ireland in the 2001 Rugby Sevens World Cup in Mar Del Plata in Argentina, scoring the tournament's fastest try (7 seconds). In his first season of Premiership rugby in the UK the young Irish man won the Daily Telegraph Try of the Season.[citation needed] In the same season he went on to score the winning conversion in the 2004 European Challenge Cup vs Aurelien Rougerie's Clermont. His career did not progress significantly in the following years as expected due to a combination of injuries, club transfers and non-selection.

He was a member of the 2008 Six Nations training squad and won two caps with the Ireland A team that season.

Retirement

[edit]

Following knee surgery Dunne, retired in 2009 aged 29.[citation needed]

He qualified as a Chartered Physiotherapist soon afterwards and went on to work with Cricket Ireland in the 2014 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh.[citation needed]

He is currently a member of the ISCP based in Dublin.[3][4]

References

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Andrew Dunne

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Andrew Dunne (born 1979) is an Irish former professional player and physiotherapist known for his career as a fly-half in the early .
He began his professional career with in 2001 after progressing through the under-21 setup, where he earned international caps.
In 2003, Dunne moved to NEC Harlequins in , where he played a pivotal role in their 27-26 victory over Montferrand in the 2004 European Challenge Cup final, contributing five points through a penalty and the winning conversion for Simon Keogh's try.
He later joined in 2005 on a two-year contract before returning to in 2006 as a backup to and concluding his professional tenure with until his retirement in 2009 at age 29 due to persistent knee injuries.
Following his playing days, Dunne studied physiotherapy at the Royal College of Surgeons in and transitioned into rehabilitation work, eventually founding Personal Health, a medical exercise clinic in in 2016 that has provided personalized programs to over 6,000 clients.
He has also served as a rugby pundit for , offering analysis on major matches including the 2025 Champions Cup.

Early life and education

Childhood and schooling

Andrew Dunne was born on 18 October 1979 in , . He grew up in the nearby area, immersing himself in a variety of sports from an early age amid 's vibrant sporting culture, where rugby holds a prominent place, particularly in 's educational institutions. Dunne attended , a Jesuit school renowned for its strong emphasis on rugby and other sports. During his time there, he developed his skills in multiple disciplines, including with St Brigid's club and soccer with Verona FC outside of school hours. His early involvement in rugby centered on the fly-half position, where he showcased his playmaking abilities. At Belvedere, Dunne earned selection for Ireland Schools representative teams, securing caps in as a fly-half. He also excelled in , playing for the school and progressing to represent Irish Schools and under-19 squads, highlighting his versatility in Belvedere's competitive sporting environment.

University studies

Dunne was educated at (UCD) in the late 1990s. During this period, he balanced his academic commitments with the demands of his emerging rugby career, including youth development and early professional opportunities with , where he had a successful initial spell before injuries impacted his progress. He earned a degree from UCD in the early 2000s while transitioning into full-time professional rugby.

Rugby career

Club career

Andrew Dunne, a fly-half measuring 1.73 m in height and weighing 88 kg, began his professional career with in 1999. During his initial spell with the province from 1999 to 2003, opportunities were limited. In 2003, Dunne transferred to NEC in the English Premiership, where he enjoyed his most productive professional phase from 2003 to 2005. He featured in 31 appearances across league and European competitions, amassing 161 points, including multiple tries that earned him recognition for his attacking flair. Notably, in the 2003–2004 season, Dunne scored a standout try awarded the Daily Telegraph Try of the Season, highlighting his speed and vision as a . That same campaign, he kicked the winning conversion in ' 27–26 victory over Montferrand in the 2004 European final, securing the club's first European title. Dunne moved to for the 2005–2006 season, where opportunities were limited, resulting in 6 appearances and 23 points scored, mainly from penalties and a try. He returned briefly to in 2006–2007, contributing to a total of 6 appearances and 7 points for the province across both spells. He joined for the final stage of his professional career from 2007 to 2009. At , he made 26 appearances in the Magners League (now United Rugby Championship) and European competitions, contributing 78 points through his reliable goal-kicking.

International career

Dunne earned caps for at under-21 level during his early career. Dunne made his international debut for in the sevens format, representing the nation at the held in , . As part of the squad, he contributed to the team's efforts in the tournament's challenging conditions, including scoring early in a pool match against to give a temporary 5-0 lead, though the side ultimately fell 56-5. His participation highlighted an early focus on the fast-paced sevens discipline, where competed against established powers like and . In the fifteen-a-side game, Dunne earned representative honors with the Ireland Wolfhounds, the national 'A' team, during the 2008 season, accumulating two caps and 8 points. A standout performance came in the February fixture against the at Welford Road, where he started at out-half and kicked two penalties and a conversion for all of Ireland's points in a 31-13 defeat. His accurate place-kicking, including an early third-minute penalty to open the scoring and a conversion of Tommy Bowe's first-half try, helped the Wolfhounds lead 10-8 at halftime before the pulled away. Dunne was also included in Ireland's extended training squad for the , providing an opportunity to impress ahead of the senior campaign, though he remained on the development pathway. Despite consistent provincial form and these representative appearances, he did not progress to a full senior international cap, with his career emphasizing and contributions over the test arena.

Retirement and later career

Retirement from rugby

Andrew Dunne announced his retirement from professional rugby in 2009 at the age of 29, following a series of recurring injuries that culminated in a severe tear sustained during his final season with . The injury occurred in the week of 2009, after which Connacht opted not to renew his contract, effectively ending his ten-year professional career that had spanned , , Bath, and . This marked the close of a tenure plagued by persistent physical setbacks, including earlier problems, broken limbs, and a near-severed foot , which had repeatedly sidelined him and limited his opportunities at the elite level. The physical toll of these accumulated injuries over more than a decade left Dunne with significant ongoing challenges, including prolonged rehabilitation that ultimately made a return to professional play untenable. Emotionally, the timing compounded the hardship; retiring just as achieved its historic 2009 Six Nations Grand Slam filled him with a mix of national pride and personal regret, as he watched the triumph from a pub while grappling with self-pity over his abruptly ended career. Following his professional exit, Dunne transitioned to amateur rugby with his former club, Old Belvedere RFC, where he served as captain during the 2009–2010 and 2010–2011 seasons. He contributed to the team's success, including scoring in the 2011 All-Ireland League Division 1 final victory over , before stepping away from playing in 2011. In the immediate aftermath, Dunne began exploring non-playing avenues, developing an early interest in rehabilitation and injury prevention informed by his own experiences. He later qualified as a chartered physiotherapist, applying his rugby background to support athlete recovery.

Physiotherapy and medical career

Following his from professional rugby in 2009, Andrew Dunne transitioned into physiotherapy, enrolling at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) where he earned a BSc in Physiotherapy in 2012, qualifying him as a Chartered Physiotherapist. His decision to enter the field was influenced by the injuries sustained during his rugby career, which underscored the importance of effective rehabilitation and sparked his interest in . As a member of the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP), Dunne maintains professional standards in his practice, focusing on evidence-based interventions for musculoskeletal and chronic conditions. Early in his career, Dunne applied his expertise in sports settings, serving as lead physiotherapist for the Hero (CPL T20) from July 2013 to September 2014, where he managed player injuries in high-stakes professional cricket. He later contributed to as their physiotherapist at the 2014 ICC T20 World Cup in , providing on-field treatment and recovery support, including attending to players like during matches. These roles honed his skills in acute sports rehabilitation and , drawing directly from his own experiences with rugby-related trauma to emphasize proactive mobility and strength training. In February 2016, Dunne founded Personal Health, a clinic in , , dedicated to integrating physiotherapy, , and for holistic patient care. The clinic specializes in rehabilitation programs for post-surgical recovery and chronic conditions, mobility and speech enhancement for patients with through prescribed exercises and programs like LSVT BIG, PD Warrior, and LSVT LOUD, and injury prevention strategies via baseline testing and personalized plans. Dunne's approach is informed by his athletic background, promoting "exercise as " to address clinical populations, with the clinic having served over 6,000 individuals as of 2023. As of 2025, Dunne continues to contribute to public discourse on sports-to-healthcare transitions, appearing on podcasts such as "From Rugby to Rehabilitation" in October 2025, where he discussed his career pivot and the role of personal injury history in shaping his rehabilitation practices. His work extends to expert commentary on exercise for conditions like osteoarthritis and skin health, reinforcing the clinic's commitment to preventive and restorative care.

References

  1. https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/dunne-close-to-signing-for-bath-1.435948
  2. https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/inside-back/29908292.html
  3. https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/2025/04/05/andy-dunne-i-was-given-more-opportunity-at-harlequins-than-i-ever-was-at-leinster/
  4. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/english/3738181.stm
  5. https://www.irishrugby.ie/2005/05/10/dunne-makes-move-to-bath/
  6. https://aimssummit.com/team/andrew-dunne/
  7. https://www.irishrugby.ie/2007/11/05/challenge-cup-connacht-factfile/
  8. https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/arid-30201941.html
  9. https://www.irishrugby.ie/2006/06/29/andy-searching-for-dunne-deal/
  10. https://ie.linkedin.com/in/andrew-dunne-3198a429
  11. https://www.itsrugby.co.uk/players/andy-dunne-978.html
  12. https://www.irishrugby.ie/2004/05/22/harlequins-win-the-challenge-cup/
  13. https://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/features/moment-in-time/1422/moment-in-time-tony-diprose-and-the-2004-challenge-cup-final/
  14. https://www.offtheball.com/rugby/keenan-sevens-ireland-dunne-1095686
  15. https://www.irishrugby.ie/report/ireland-a-go-down-fighting-against-saxons/
  16. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/irish/7223637.stm
  17. https://www.offtheball.com/racing/andy-dunne-grand-slam-injuries-1026057
  18. https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/dunne-looking-to-better-times-1.1100172
  19. https://oldbelvedere.ie/about/history/past-captains/
  20. https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/old-belvedere-record-famous-win-1.1282730
  21. https://issuu.com/rcsi/docs/rcsi_undergraduate_prospectus_2026?fr=sMDE0YTg3ODEzNzg
  22. https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/from-rugby-to-rehabilitation-andrew-dunnes-journey/id1641562780?i=1000732085983
  23. https://www.iscp.ie/find-a-physio/andrew-dunne-6782
  24. https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/26670448
  25. https://personalhealth.ie/our-team/
  26. https://personalhealth.ie/
  27. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8SE8pLUxGo
  28. https://www.skinconscious.ie/ask-the-expert/60-fit-body-fit-skin
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