Jake Heenan

Jake Heenan
Full name Jake Heenan
Date of birth 17 March 1992
Place of birth Whangarei, New Zealand
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 1⁄2 in)
Weight 98 kilograms (15 st 6 lb)
School Whangarei Boys High School
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position Flanker
Professional / senior clubs
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2013–present Connacht 16 (0)
correct as of 19 January 2014.
National team(s)
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2012 New Zealand U20 4 (0)
correct as of 20 October 2013.

Jake Heenan (born 17 March 1992 in Whangarei, New Zealand) is a professional rugby union player from New Zealand. His primary position is Openside Flanker. Heenan currently plays for Irish provincial side Connacht in the Pro 12 and Heineken Cup. He attended and graduated Whangarei Boys High School.

Club career

Early career

Heenan was the Whangarei Boys' High School First XV captain. He signed with Auckland, following successes with the New Zealand schoolboys team. He was also part of the Blues development programme and played for the Blues Under-18 team when they won the National competition.

Connacht

Heenan signed on a three-year contract for Irish provincial side Connacht in May 2013, joining the team for the 2013–14 season.[1][2] He joined former Blues coach Pat Lam, who had been appointed as the team's head coach.[3] Heenan made his debut for the side on 7 September 2013, coming off the bench against Zebre in the Pro 12. His first start came in an Irish provincial derby with Ulster, where Heenan played the full 80 minutes. He made his Heineken Cup debut on 11 October 2013, starting against Saracens. He was named as Connacht's player of the month for October 2013, only one month after his debut.[4] Heenan played the full match at openside flanker for Connacht as they produced one of the biggest shocks in the history of the Heineken Cup, beating Toulouse in the pool stages in the Stade Ernest-Wallon.[5][6][7]

International

Heenan has represented his country at various under-age levels. He is a former New Zealand schools player and also played for the New Zealand Under-20s. Heenan captained the Under-20s at the 2012 Junior World Championship, when the team lost to South Africa in the final.

References

  1. ↑ "Junior rugby star Heenan quits NZ for Ireland". stuff.co.nz. 16 May 2013.
  2. ↑ "Kiwis playing against the All Blacks". nz.zports.yahoo.com. 31 May 2013.
  3. ↑ "Connacht sign former New Zealand U20 captain Jake Heenan". kerikerirugby.com. 16 May 2013.
  4. ↑ "Heenan Is Connacht's Player Of The Month". Irish Rugby. 18 November 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  5. ↑ "Toulouse 14 Connacht 16". Daily Telegraph. 8 December 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  6. ↑ "Lam basks in glow of Connacht's finest hour". Irish Independent. 8 December 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  7. ↑ "Connacht diehards shock French aristocrats". Irish Examiner. 8 December 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2013.

External links