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Billy Burns (rugby union)

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Billy Burns
Birth nameBilly Sean Burns[1]
Date of birth (1994-06-13) 13 June 1994 (age 30)
Place of birthBath, Somerset, England
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight86 kg (13.5 st; 190 lb)
SchoolBeechen Cliff School
Hartpury College
Notable relative(s)Freddie Burns (brother)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fly-half, Fullback
Current team Munster
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2012–2018
2012–2013
2018–2024
2024–		 Gloucester
→ Hartpury (loan)
Ulster
Munster		 101
36
114
4		 (304)
(276)
(120)
(10)
Correct as of 02 November 2024[2]
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)

2013–2014
2020–		 England U18
England U20
Ireland		 10
8
7		 (10)
(84)
(29)
Correct as of 4 July 2021

Billy Sean Burns (born 13 June 1994) is a professional rugby union player who plays for Munster. His favoured position is fly-half. He is the younger brother of England rugby union team fly-half Freddie Burns. Born in England, Burns represented England for youth rugby union teams, before choosing to represent Ireland at the 2020 Six Nations Championship

Early life and family

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Burns was born and raised in Bath, Somerset, the youngest of four sons of Jerry Burns, the director of a plumbing company, and his wife Donna.[3] He attended Beechen Cliff School where he first started playing rugby union,[4] and studied at Hartpury College.[5]

Club career

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Gloucester

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A product of Gloucester Rugby's academy, Burns made his first team debut as a seventeen-year-old substitute in a loss to London Irish in the LV Cup in February 2012.[6][7] That year, he would also have success for the England Under 18 side, winning the European Championships held in Spain, scoring 7 points in the final against Ireland which England won 25 – 13.[8]

He had two loan spells at Hartpury College. In his first spell, in the 2012–13 season, he made 17 appearances in National League 2 South, scoring 71 points which included 6 tries, helping the club to 3rd place in the division.[9][10] He also made several appearances for Gloucester that season in the LV Cup, and was part of the sevens side that won the 2013 Premiership Rugby Sevens Series in the summer, scoring a conversion in the final victory against Leicester Tigers.[11] The following season he signed a new contract with Gloucester, and made debut appearances in the Heineken Cup and Aviva Premiership, but most of the season was spent back on loan at Hartpury College,[9][12] helping the club to win the 2013–14 National League 2 South league title and promotion to National League 1, and being one of the league's top points scorers with 205 points.[13][14] He was also called up by the England Under-20 team for the Six Nations.[15] In the summer he played a key role in England Under-20s victory at the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship held in New Zealand, scoring 11 points as England triumphed 21 – 20 over South Africa in the final.[16]

The following season Burns got more game time at Gloucester, accumulating 17 appearances across all competitions and making the bench for the side that won the 2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup.[17] In 2015–16 he made appearances at fly-half and full-back, before sustaining a knee injury against Wasps in March 2016, which ended his season.[18] He was Gloucester's first choice fly-half for the 2016–17 and 2017–18 seasons, but after the club signed Danny Cipriani, Burns asked to be released from the last year of his contract.

Ulster

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Burns joined Ulster on a two-year contract in July 2018.[19] Ulster were short of an experienced fly-half following the retirement of Ian Humphreys[20] and the termination of Paddy Jackson's contract.[21] After Christian Lealiifano's loan deal ended,[22] Ulster's only recognised fly-half was Johnny McPhillips. Their attempt to sign Elton Jantjies as a long-term replacement was blocked by the IRFU, who required them to sign an Irish-qualified player.[23] Burns, who has an Irish grandfather, fit the bill.[24]

In the 2018–19 season Burns made 17 appearances in the Pro14, scoring 44 points,[25] and seven appearances in the Heineken Cup, scoring 10 points.[26] In the 2019–20 season he made 9 appearances in the Pro14, scoring 19 points,[25] and 7 appearances in the Heineken Cup, scoring 6 points.[26] In November 2019, having established himself in the Ulster team and formed a strong half-back partnership with John Cooney, he agreed a renewed contract until June 2022.[27] In 2020–21 he made ten appearances and scored four tries,[28] sharing time with former Ireland international Ian Madigan.[29] He re-established himself as first choice in the 2021–22 season, playing almost every game.[2] He made his 100th appearance for Ulster against Glasgow Warriors in November 2023.[30] He left Ulster At the end of the 2023–24 season, signing a one-year contract with Munster.[31]

International career

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Burns is Irish-qualified by virtue of his paternal grandfather, Tommy, who was born in Dublin.[24] He received his first cap in a victory against Wales in the 2020 Autumn Nations Cup, coming off the bench to replace an injured Johnny Sexton in the first half, only to be taken off for a head injury assessment in the second.[32][33] He made a second substitute appearance in a defeat against England, replacing Ross Byrne,[34] before making his first international start and scoring his first international try in a win against Georgia.[35] He was named in the Ireland squad for the 2021 Six Nations tournament and came on as a replacement in the 21–16 defeat to Wales at the Millennium Stadium.[36][37] In the dying moments of the game he attempted to kick a penalty to touch, which could have given Ireland a chance to score a potentially match-winning try from the resulting lineout, but kicked it dead, allowing Wales to hold on to win.[38] Johnny Sexton, the player he replaced, said "Sometimes you miss and sometimes you get it and you're the hero but he had to go for it."[39] Burns started the following match, a narrow defeat against France,[40] appeared as a replacement in the following win against Italy,[41] and was an unused substitute in the win against Scotland.[42]

Club honours

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Gloucester

Hartpury College

International honours

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England (U18)

England (U20)

References

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  1. ^ England & Wales Births 1837–2006, Genes Reunited
  2. ^ a b Playing stats at ItsRugby.co.uk
  3. ^ About Us, Roman Rod Plumbing and Drain Clearance
  4. ^ "RUGBY AT BEECHEN CLIFF SCHOOL". Beechen Cliff School. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  5. ^ "Hartpury's rugby roll of honour grows with class of 2015". Hartpury College. 6 August 2015. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  6. ^ "Teen star Burns gets his chance". Gloucester Citizen. 4 February 2012.[permanent dead link‍]
  7. ^ "Hartpury try machine Ian has a debut to remember". Gloucester Citizen. 6 February 2012. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015.
  8. ^ a b "Euro stars Burns, Moriarty help lift crown". Gloucester Citizen. 9 April 2012.[permanent dead link‍]
  9. ^ a b "Billy Burns Record by competition". Rugby Statbunker. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  10. ^ "English National League 2 – South Table". BBC News. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  11. ^ "Gloucester Rugby champions of the J.P. Morgan Premiership Rugby 7s at The Rec". Gloucester Citizen. 9 August 2013.[permanent dead link‍]
  12. ^ "Billy Burns agrees new deal with Gloucester Rugby". Gloucester Citizen. 1 December 2014. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  13. ^ "Hartpury College RFC crowned National Two South champions". Hartpury College. 14 April 2014. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  14. ^ "National Two South 13/14 Leading scorers". Statbunker. 26 April 2014.
  15. ^ "Ross Moriarty and Billy Burns named in Gloucester Under-20s side to face France in Six Nations". Gloucester Citizen. 29 January 2014. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  16. ^ "Junior World Championship: England 21–20 South Africa". BBC News. 20 June 2014.
  17. ^ "REPORT: Gloucester hang on to take second title". epcrugby.com. 2 May 2015. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  18. ^ "Billy Burns rues his luck at missing the end of Gloucester Rugby's season". Premiership Rugby. 18 April 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  19. ^ "Billy Burns makes shock Gloucester Rugby departure as he joins Ulster to pursue World Cup dream with Ireland". Gloucestershire Live. 9 July 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  20. ^ "Ulster's Ian Humphreys: My body says it's time to quit", Belfast Telegraph, 9 March 2016
  21. ^ "Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding's contracts revoked", BBC News, 14 April 2018
  22. ^ "Christian Lealiifano Dashes Hopes Of A Contract Extension With Ulster", Pundit Arena, 22 November 2017
  23. ^ "IRFU block Ulster move for South Africa fly-half Elton Jantjies", BBC Sport, 22 May 2018
  24. ^ a b Gerry Thornley, "Sibling rivalry driving younger Ulster Burns to aim for next level", The Irish Times, 20 January 2020
  25. ^ a b Billy Burns' profile at Pro14Rugby
  26. ^ a b Billy Burns' Heineken Cup profile, European Professional Club Rugby]
  27. ^ "Ulster fly-half Billy Burns agrees new two-year deal to stay at province". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 19 November 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  28. ^ Ulster 2020–21 – Who Did What?, The Front Row Union, 12 August 2021
  29. ^ "The Ulster depth chart: A World Cup winner and the thrilling back three", The42, 17 September 2021
  30. ^ "McNabney To Make Debut In Much-Changed Ulster Side", Irish Rugby, 24 November 2023
  31. ^ Shane Donovan, "Confirmed: Ulster out-half Billy Burns seals Munster move", irish Examiner, 19 March 2023
  32. ^ Michael Glennon, Murray a 'genuine option' at out-half against England, RTÉ, 14 November 2020
  33. ^ "Ireland pile pressure on Pivac as Wales slip to sixth straight defeat". The 42. 13 November 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  34. ^ Simon Thomas, England 18–7 Ireland: Jonny May scores superb try double as warning sent to Wales, Wales Online, 21 November 2020
  35. ^ Michael Morrow, Ireland 23–10 Georgia: Irish secure second place in Autumn Nations Cup Group A, BBC, 29 November 2020.
  36. ^ Ireland Squad Named For Guinness Six Nations, IRFU, 25 January 2021
  37. ^ "Ireland battle in Cardiff defeat but fail to overcome early O'Mahony red card". The 42. 7 February 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  38. ^ "Billy Burns using 'devastating' missed kick against Wales as 'driving force'", BBC Sport, 23 April 2021
  39. ^ "6N: Wales veterans overcome 14-man Ireland 21–16", AP News, 7 February 2021
  40. ^ Michael Morrow, "Ireland 13–15 France: France make it two out of two while Ireland remain without a win", BBC Sport, 14 February 2021
  41. ^ Johnny Watterson, "Italy 10 Ireland 48: Ireland player ratings" The Irish Times, 27 February 2021
  42. ^ "Scotland 24–27 Ireland", Scottish Rugby, 14 March 2021
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