John Fergus Slattery (12 February 1949 – 3 June 2026), nicknamed Slatts,[1] was a rugby union player who represented Ireland. A "tearaway" open-side flanker, "one of the best of his generation",[1][2] and blessed with blistering pace,[3] he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2007 and the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2015.[1]
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| Born | John Fergus Slattery 12 February 1949 Dún Laoghaire, Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Died | 3 June 2026 (aged 77) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 93 kg (14 st 9 lb; 205 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Blackrock College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University College Dublin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Property consultant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Biography
editBorn in Dun Laoghaire, near Dublin, Slattery played schools rugby for Blackrock College[4][5] and then senior rugby for UCD. He then joined Blackrock College R.F.C.
During his senior career Slattery earned 61 caps for Ireland, 18 as captain, and scored three tries.[6] His call-up came in January 1970, an 8–8 draw against the Springboks at Lansdowne Road; his final appearance was against France in the 1984 Five Nations Championship, at which stage he was the game's most-capped flanker.[5][3] Slattery was captain of the most successful Irish touring side ever in 1979 that won seven of the eight matches in Australia, including the two Test matches. In addition to the above honours, he was a member of the Irish team that won the 1974 Five Nations Championship and the Triple Crown in 1982.
In 1971, while still a student,[7] Slattery was a member of the British and Irish Lions squad that toured New Zealand, missing out on a start in the third Test due to illness. He toured with the Lions again in 1974, playing in all four Tests and captaining the side for two provincial matches. In the final minute of the fourth Test, Slattery appeared to have scored a try to win the match but it was controversially disallowed.[8] Of that unbeaten "Invincibles" tour,[9] Slattery recalled: "We were all so fortunate to have been around together at the same time. When you look at the quality of the players we had to choose from then it was superb. If you picked an all-time Lions XV you would probably find it dominated by the players of that era".[10] After his death Lions Rugby called him "an integral part of one of the best British & Irish Lions back rows of all time".[11]
Slattery played for the Barbarians on 18 occasions, including scoring a try in the famous 1973 game against the All Blacks in Cardiff.[12][9]
He continued to turn out for Blackrock College well into the 1980s, winning lower-league medals.[13]
An estate agent,[14] he was married to Margot. They had daughter Nikki and son Cameron and grandchildren.[5]
Slattery, who had been suffering for some time with dementia,[2] died on 3 June 2026, at the age of 77.[15]
Honours
editIreland
edit- Five Nations Championship:
- Triple Crown:
- Winner (1): 1982
References
edit- 1 2 3 David Walsh, "How dementia stole my rugby star husband Fergus Slattery". The Times, 1 April 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2026
- 1 2 Neil Treacy, "Former Ireland rugby captain Fergus Slattery dies aged 77". RTÉ, 4 June 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026
- 1 2 "Fergus Slattery, Ireland". World Rugby Hall of Fame, 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2026
- ↑ "Famous Past Students". Blackrock College, undated. Retrieved 4 June 2206
- 1 2 3 Michael Scully, "'He represented rugby at its purest': Former Ireland captain Fergus Slattery dies aged 77". The Irish Times, 4 June 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026
- ↑ "Fergus Slattery. Ireland". ESPN, undated. Retrieved 4 June 2026
- ↑ Brendan Gallagher, "At last, Slattery gets the title his amazing skill deserved". The Rugby Paper, 28 February 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2026
- ↑ "The greatest opensides of all time: Fergus Slattery". Rugby World, 16 August 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2026
- 1 2 Charles Richardson, "Former Ireland captain and Lions hero Fergus Slattery dies aged 77". Daily Telegraph, 4 June 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026
- ↑ "Slattery’s Unforgettable Record". Lions Rugby, 5 March 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2026
- ↑ "Fergus Slattery: Lions legend dies aged 77". Lions Rugby, 4 June 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026
- ↑ Donal Lenihan, "Donal Lenihan's URC semi-final verdict and Fergus Slattery tribute". RTÉ, 5 June 2026. Retrieved 5 June 2026
- ↑ Brendan O'Brien, "Tributes pour in for Irish legend Fergus Slattery, who 'represented rugby at its purest'". Irish Examiner, 4 June 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026
- ↑ Úna McCaffrey, "Former rugby international winds up estate agency firm". The Irish Times, 5 June 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2026
- ↑ "The death has occurred of Fergus Slattery". Rip.ie, 4 June 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026
External links
edit- British & Irish Lions profile
- Barbarians' profile
- Fergus Slattery at ESPNscrum (archived)
- Fergus Slattery at IMDb