Who is Justin Tipuric: Ten things you should know about the Wales flanker

Find out more about the Ospreys back-rower who is proud of his Trebanos roots

Who is Justin Tipuric: Ten things you should know about the Wales flanker

Justin Tipuric has played for Wales for a decade, a stalwart of the side for his tireless work-rate, back-line skillset and raw speed. He is a true one-club man, having played for the Ospreys throughout his professional career.

Here are ten more titbits about the back-rower…

Ten things you should know about Justin Tipuric

1. Justin Tipuric was born on 6 August 1989 in Trebanos, near Neath. His father had previously captained Trebanos RFC, and Justin and his younger brothers all played for the club.

2. His background is Croatian, with his grandfather Dragotin Tipuric moving to Swansea when released by the Germany army having been a prisoner of war. He worked as a coal miner, played for Trebanos RFC and was known as ‘Mad Mike’.

Justin Tipuric

Tipuric still spends time at Trebanos RFC, where he played as a junior (Getty Images)

3. He started wearing a scrum cap on his mother’s insistence and wears a blue one to match the Trebanos colours.

4. Flanker wasn’t always the position he wanted to play – in his younger years his coach revealed that Tipuric was desperate to play at fly-half. Looking at his current skill-set, it’s clear to see why!

 

5. His favourite player growing up was a flanker but not a Welsh one! It was Saracens and England blindside Richard Hill.

6. Tipuric made his international debut in the 2011 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches, replacing another legendary Welsh flanker in Martyn Williams. He ultimately failed to make the squad and was involved in a battle with Sam Warburton for the openside jersey for many years.

Justin Tipuric

Tipuric training with Wales ahead of his international debut in 2011 (Getty Images)

7. Tipuric has been selected for three British & Irish Lions tours. He appeared as a replacement in the final Test against Australia in 2013, helping his side to a 41-16 victory, but didn’t play in any of the Tests against New Zealand in 2017. His third tour is as part of the Lions 2021 squad to tour South Africa.

8. He had to take three months away from rugby after suffering a serious concussion in 2016 and was forced to stay at home for five weeks.

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9. The Six Nations is a happy hunting ground, with Tipuric having won four titles, including two Grand Slams.

10. Tipuric was the top tackler in the 2021 Six Nations, racking up 86 hits.

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