From economics to gym records, get the lowdown on the Leinster tighthead
A power-packed player, Andrew Porter has been part of the Ireland front-row mix since his debut in 2017.
Here are a few facts about the Leinster front-rower, who has a starring role in the new Six Nations: Full Contact Netflix documentary.
Related: Full Contact is rugby union through a Hollywood lens” – Netflix documentary review
Ten things you should know about Andrew Porter
1. He was born on 16 January 1996 in Dublin, and weighs in at 6ft and 19st. He came from an athletic family, with his parents playing hockey and rugby to a high level.
2. Porter attended St Andrew’s College, a Presbyterian school in the suburb of Booterstown. Another notable alumni is Ireland team-mate Jordan Larmour, who was two school years behind him.
Fantastic photo. Can you spot the young Lion cub? https://t.co/mlbC4CfYik
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) May 18, 2021
3. After leaving school he attended University College Dublin, one of the most prestigious universities in the country. He studied economics – but used to only manage to achieve a couple of lectures each month due to training.
4. He has worked as an ambassador for the Irish Cancer Society after losing his mother, Wendy, to breast cancer when he was 12 years old. There is a tattoo on his arm as a tribute, which he designed himself.
5. Unlike most modern props, Porter can play both tighthead and loosehead. He now specialises at tighthead, although his age-group experience across the scrum means he is a genuine loosehead option at international level.
6. Porter was part of the Ireland U20 squad that finished second to England in the 2016 Junior World Championships, scoring two tries for the team.
You could build a shed on Andrew Porter's back.
— Paul Williams (@thepaulwilliams) February 14, 2021
7. He was selected in Warren Gatland’s initial 37-man British & Irish Lions 2021 touring party, but was ruled out a month before the squad departed for South Africa by a toe injury. He picked up the injury in a Leinster match and was replaced in the squad by Kyle Sinckler.
8. Ireland capped him for the first time against the USA in 2017. They won 55-19 in New Jersey, with Jacob Stockdale and James Ryan also making their debuts.
Andrew Porter taking part in the captain’s run before his Ireland debut (Sportsfile/Getty Images)
9. He has surprising pace – he once scored with a 50m sprint from behind halfway for UCD.
10. Porter has previously said his max squat is 325kg – though this may need some updating! – making him one of the strongest rugby players in the world.
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