The former England international has been a part of the Ireland set-up since 2019
Mike Catt: Ten things you should know about the Ireland attack coach
World Cup winner Mike Catt was brought into the Ireland set-up in 2019. Here are a few facts and figures about the coach…
Ten things you should know about Mike Catt
1. Mike Catt was born on 17 September 1971
2. Catt represented the British & Irish Lions in 1997 on their victorious tour to South Africa. He was also selected in 2001 but didn’t play in the Tests because of injury.
3. He grew up in South Africa but his mother, Anne, was English, which is how he qualified to play for the team in his international career.
4. Catt won the World Cup as part of the 2003 team who beat Australia in the final.
5. In all, he won 75 England caps between 1994 and 2007.
6. He started coaching in 2008 in an attack role at former club London Irish. He then worked as a backs coach for England before moving on to look after the attack for Italy and later Ireland.
7. He became the oldest player to feature in a Rugby World Cup final in 2007 when he was aged 36 and one month. The record has since been broken by New Zealand’s Brad Thorn.
8. Catt was a part of England’s coaching team for their dismal 2015 World Cup campaign but he has turned the negative into a positive. He told The Times: “I have always based my life on (the premise) that you have got to fail to be successful, probably because I was dropped so many times by England.
“Losing all those Grand Slams was the sole reason we won the World Cup in 2003.”
9. Catt was awarded an OBE for his services to rugby in 2010 and he said: “I am delighted and honoured to have been awarded an OBE.
“I have been fortunate to have had an enjoyable and successful career in rugby, and to now be recognised in such a way makes me feel very privileged.”
10. He went to Grey High School in Port Elizabeth, which South Africa captain Siya Kolisi also attended.
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