BALLYMENA ACADEMY
PUPILS WHO HAVE WON IRELAND INTERNATIONAL RUGBY CAPS

 

Tom Smyth

Played for: Malone, Newport, Ireland
Number of Caps: 14
Highlights: International player from 1908 - 1912
Captain of Ireland 1909 - 1910
Captain of the Lions to South Africa 1910

Tom McClelland

                       Tom McClelland is second from the right in the back row

Attended Ballymena Academy: 1914 - 17
Played for: QUB, Ireland
Number of Caps: 16
Highlights: Played for Ireland during the years 1921 – 1925. In 1923 he played in the Ireland and Scotland v England and Wales Centenary Match.
Selected to go on the British Lions tour of South Africa in 1924 but declined because of studies

 

Robin Gregg

 

Attended Ballymena Academy: 1942 - 49
Played for: QUB, Ireland
Number of Caps: 7
Highlights: Won his first Irish cap against France, 1952 - 53

 

Joe Gaston

 

Attended Ballymena Academy: 1942 - 48
Played for: Dublin University, Ireland
Number of Caps: 8
Highlights: Won his first cap against France

 

Sydney Millar

 

Attended Ballymena Academy: 1946 - 50
Played for: Ballymena RFC, Ireland, British Lions
Number of Caps: 37
Highlights: Debut on 19/04/1958 when he won his first Irish Cap against France in ParisPlayed in 9 test matches for the Lions - 3 with the 1969 side to Australia and New Zealand, all 4 with the 1962 team in South Africa and 2 more in 1968, also in South Africa.
Presently Chairman of the International Rugby Board

 

C. J. (Ian) Dick

 

Attended Ballymena Academy: 1947 - 54
Played for: QUB, Ballymena RFC, Ireland
Number of Caps: 8
Highlights: Debut 11/03/61
Won his first two Irish Caps against Wales and France

 

Willie John McBride

 

 

Attended Ballymena Academy: 1952 - 58
Played for: Ballymena RFC, Ireland, British Lions
Number of Caps: 63
Highlights: Debut 10/02/62 when he won his first Cap against England

Made 17 test match appearances in 5 Lions tours

Captaincy of Ulster, Ireland & British Lions 
Captain of the Lions in their epic 1974 Tour of South Africa where they remained unbeaten in 22 matches.

 

 

 J. S. (Jimmy) Dick

Attended Ballymena Academy: 1948 - 57
Played for: QUB, Barbarians, Ireland
Number of Caps: 1
Highlights: Debut 10/02/62when he won his International Cap against England

 

 

Wallace McMaster  

Attended Ballymena Academy: 1950 - 64
Played for: Ballymena RFC, Ireland
Number of Caps: 18
Highlights: Debut 29/01/72 when he won his first Irish Cap against France in Paris

 

J. A. (Ian) McIlrath

 

 

 

 Attended Ballymena Academy: 1957 - 64
Played for: Ballymena RFC, Ireland
Number of Caps: 5
Highlights: Debut 17/01/76 when he won his first Irish Cap against the touring Australians

 

 

Steven Smith  

Attended Ballymena Academy: 1972 - 79
Played for: Ballymena RFC, Ireland, British Lions
Number of Caps: 25
Highlights: Debut 23/04/88 when he won his first Irish Cap in Ireland’s Millennium International against England 

Chosen for the British Lions Team to tour Australia, 1988-89, thus becoming BallymenaAcademy’s third British Lion

 

 

Philip Rainey

Attended Ballymena Academy: 1971 - 78
Played for: QUB, Ballymena RFC, Ireland
Number of Caps: 1
Highlights: Debut 18/11/89 when he won his Irish Cap against the All Blacks

 

 

David Humphreys  

Attended Ballymena Academy: 1983 - 90
Played for: Ballymena RFC, Dungannon RFC, Ireland
Number of Caps: 72
Highlights: Debut 17/02/96 when he won his first Irish Cap against France

Ireland’s most capped out-half

Has scored no less than 560 points – an Irish record at the time

Has captained Ireland 5 times
163 appearances for Ulster

 

 

James Topping

Attended Ballymena Academy: 1986 - 93
Played for: Ballymena RFC, Ireland
Number of Caps: 8
Highlights: Debut 12/11/96 when he won his first Irish Cap against Australia

 

Matt McCullough

 

Attended Ballymena Academy: 1993 - 2000
Played for: Ballymena RFC, Ireland
Number of Caps: 4 to date
Highlights: Debut 12/06/05 when he won his first Irish Cap against Japan

 

Bryan Young

Attended Ballymena Academy: 1992 - 99
Played for: Ballymena RFC, Ireland
Number of Caps: 9 to date
Highlights: Debut 17/06/06 when he won his first Irish Cap against the All Blacks

 

All photographs with the exception of Ian McIlrath's and Brian Young's are taken from The Braid.