John Cooney

Background

John Cooney is an Irish professional rugby union scrum-half who plays for CA Brive in the Pro D2. He spent eight seasons at Ulster, where he made 154 appearances and scored 1,168 points, was a four-time Pro14 Dream Team pick and twice Ulster's Player of the Year, after earlier spells at Leinster and Connacht. He has 11 Ireland caps. His goal-kicking, his control from the base of the ruck and his decision-making under pressure are what the No. 9 jersey is built around.

Honours

• Pro14 Dream Team, four times
• Ulster Player of the Year, twice
• Nominated for EPCR European Player of the Year
• Emerging Ireland (2013-, 5 caps)
• Ireland U20 (2009-2010, 11 caps)

Career

• Leinster (2011-2015)
• Connacht (2014-2017)
• Ulster Rugby (2017-2025), 154 apps, 1,168 points
• CA Brive (2025-present)
• Ireland (2017-present), 11 caps

Strengths

• Tactical Kicking
• Game Management
• Leadership
• Decision Making
• Ball Handling
• Pressure Situations

Free guides

Guides with John Cooney

• Rugby Passing Drills: 12 Drills From Warm-Up to Match SpeedFrom two-line handling warm-ups to catch-pass under real defensive pressure, the passing drills elite teams use, and the coaching points that make them stick.