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{{short description|Ireland international rugby union player|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2014}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2014}}

{{Infobox rugby biography
| name = Justin Fitzpatrick
| image = Justin Fitzpatrick.jpg
| caption =
| full_name = Justin Michael Fitzpatrick
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1973|11|21}}
| birth_place = [[Chichester]], [[West Sussex]]
| height = {{convert|1.88|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|117|kg|stlb lb|0|abbr=on}}
| occupation =
| school = [[The Regis School]]
| university = [[Brunel University London]]
| relatives =
| position = [[Prop (rugby union)|Loosehead prop]]
| currentclub =
| ru_amateuryears = 1998-2010
| ru_amateurclubs = [[Dungannon RFC]]
| ru_amupdate =
| years1 = 1994-1998
| clubs1 = [[London Irish]]
| apps1 =
| points1 =
| years2 = 1998-2003
| clubs2 = [[Ulster Rugby|Ulster]]
| apps2 = 73
| points2 =
| years3 = 2003-2005
| clubs3 = [[Castres Olympique]]
| apps3 = 38
| points3 =
| years4 = 2005-2010
| clubs4 = [[Ulster Rugby|Ulster]]
| apps4 = 79
| points4 =
| repyears1 = 1998-2003
| repteam1 = [[Ireland national rugby union team|Ireland]]
| repcaps1 = 26
| reppoints1 =
| clubupdate =
| repupdate =
| coachyears1 = 2010-2013
| coachteams1 = [[Dungannon RFC]]
| coachyears2 = 2013-2017
| coachteams2 = [[Seattle Saracens]]
| coachyears3 = 2017-2019
| coachteams3 = [[Houston Sabercats]]
}}

'''Justin Michael Fitzpatrick''' (born 21 November 1973) is an Irish former [[rugby union]] player who most recently was head coach of the [[Houston SaberCats]] of [[Major League Rugby]] (MLR). He previously played for [[London Irish]], [[Castres Olympique]], [[Dungannon RFC]] & [[Ulster Rugby|Ulster]]. He had also held several other coaching positions, including head coach of Dungannon RFC and the [[Seattle Saracens]], and assistant coach of the [[United States national rugby union team]].

==Playing career==
Fitzpatrick joined [[London Irish]] at the age of 16, and played for their first team from 1994.<ref name=strikers>[https://djcoilrugby.com/2017/04/04/strikers-rugby-name-justin-fitzpatrick-head-coach/ "Strikers Rugby Name Justin Fitzpatrick Head Coach"], DJCoil Rugby, 4 April 2017</ref> Born in [[Chichester]], [[West Sussex]], England, he qualified for [[Ireland rugby union national team|Ireland]] through his mother, and he was selected for Ireland's [[1998 Ireland rugby union tour of South Africa|1998 tour of South Africa]],<ref name=the42>[https://www.the42.ie/justin-fitzpatrick-houston-sabercats-4434794-Jan2019/ "Ex-Ireland prop Fitzpatrick embedded in US rugby's exciting rise"], The 42, 13 January 2019</ref> making his debut in a 13–37 defeat against the [[South Africa national rugby union team|Springboks]] on 13 June 1998. He went on to win 26 caps.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.irishrugby.ie/history/css/arch_history.htm |title=www.irishrugby.ie |access-date=29 October 2008 |archive-date=27 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181227235812/http://www.irishrugby.ie/history/css/arch_history.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1998 Ireland coach [[Warren Gatland]] began a drive for Irish-qualified players to be based in Ireland.<ref name=the42 /><ref>Jonathan Bradley, ''The Last Amateurs: The Incredible Story of Ulster Rugby's 1999 European Champions'', The Blackstaff Press, 2018</ref> Fitzpatrick moved to [[Dungannon RFC]],<ref>Susan Thompson, [https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/rugby-fitzy-aiming-to-stay-in-irish-fold/28149701.html "Rugby: Fitzy aiming to stay in Irish fold"], ''Belfast Telegraph'', 23 April 2003</ref> making him available to play for [[Ulster Rugby|Ulster]]. With Ulster, he was part of the team that won the [[1998-99 Heineken Cup]], defeating [[US Colomiers|Colomiers]] 21–6 in the final before 49,500 fans at [[Lansdowne Road]] in Dublin.<ref>Bruce McKendry, ''Champions: The Players' Story'', IRFU, 1999</ref> He also helped coach [[Willie Anderson (rugby union, born 1955)|Willie Anderson]]'s Dungannon side win Ulster's first [[All-Ireland League (rugby union)|All-Ireland League]] title in 2001, beating favorites [[Cork Constitution]] in the final.<ref>Micheal McGeary, "Willie's boys get job Dun", ''Sunday Life'', 27 May 2001</ref>

In 2003, after making 73 appearances for Ulster, he moved to [[Castres Olympique]],<ref>Barry Coughlan, [https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/arid-10092618.html "Castres deal lures Fitzpatrick from Ulster"], ''Irish Examiner'', 4 April 2003</ref> and in his first season there he helped the club win the [[Coupe de France]], beating [[CS Bourgoin-Jallieu]] 27-26 in the final.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rugby365.fr/challenge-sud-radio-castres-l-emporte-9237.shtml|title=Challenge Sud Radio : Castres l'emporte|date=20 July 2011|language=fr|first=Mélaine|last=Pontet|via=rugby365.fr}}</ref> He returned to Ulster in 2005.<ref>David Kelly, [https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/fitzpatrick-back-in-ulster-fold-25993945.html "Fitzpatrick back in Ulster fold"], ''Irish Independent'', 9 March 2005</ref> He was forced to retire through injury in 2010.<ref name=the42 />

==Coaching==
On his retirement from playing, Fitzpatrick became director of rugby at [[Dungannon RFC]], assisted by player-coach [[Kieran Campbell]].<ref>[https://www.irishrugby.ie/2010/08/30/fitzpatrick-takes-charge-of-dungannon-2/ "Fitzpatrick Takes Charge Of Dungannon"], IrishRugby.ie, 30 August 2010</ref> He led them to win the [[Ulster Senior League (rugby union)|Ulster Senior League]] twice and the [[Ulster Senior Cup]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/9297383.stm|title=Dungannon beat City of Derry in Senior Cup final|date=17 December 2010|publisher=[[BBC Sport]]}}</ref> the first time Dungannon had won the "double". He also took them to their first [[All-Ireland Cup]] Final, losing a closely contested match against Bruff Rugby Union Football Club 24-18.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thefrontrowunion.com/2011/04/bateman-cup-bruff-24-dungannon-18/|title=Bateman Cup: Bruff 24 Dungannon 18|date=9 April 2011|publisher=The Front Row Union}}</ref> During this time was invited to join [[Philip Doyle (rugby union)|Philip Doyle]]'s staff as an assistant coach for the [[Ireland women's national rugby union team|Irish women's national team]],<ref name=the42 /> and spent a month as head coach of the [[Pakistan national rugby union team]] for the HSBC [[Asian 5 Nations]] in [[Kuala Lumpur]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2012/0514/320893-pakistans-irish-coach-is-aiming-high/|title=Fitzpatrick eager to get to work with Pakistan|date=14 June 2012|publisher=RTÉ Sport|accessdate=27 December 2017}}</ref>

In 2013 he became head coach of [[Seattle Saracens]] then known as Seattle OPSB.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thisisamericanrugby.com/2013/03/new-seattle-opsb-coach-fitzpatrick.html|title=New Seattle-OPSB Coach Fitzpatrick Hungry For Wins|date=1 March 2013|publisher=This is American Rugby|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141229070811/http://www.thisisamericanrugby.com/2013/03/new-seattle-opsb-coach-fitzpatrick.html|archivedate=29 December 2014}}{{self-published source|date=August 2021}}</ref> During his first spring season, Fitzpatrick guided the club to [[USA Rugby Elite Cup]] semifinal and a [[USA Rugby]] Division 1 final in XV's, and assisted [[Waisale Serevi]] and [[Ben Gollings]] guide the club to win the National 7's title. Soon after arriving in Seattle, he was appointed forwards coach for the Collegiate All-Americans, and in October 2013 he became assistant coach for the [[United States national rugby union team|U.S. national rugby team]], spending three years in the position<ref name=the42 /> and helping the team qualify, prepare and compete in the [[2015 Rugby World Cup]].<ref>[https://punditarena.com/rugby/thepateam/exclusive-irelands-justin-fitzpatrick-and-his-great-american-journey/ "Exclusive – Ireland’s Justin Fitzpatrick And His Great American Journey"], Pundit Arena, 29 July 2016</ref>

In Spring 2017, he was recruited by the [[Houston SaberCats]] to become their Head Coach and build Houston’s first professional rugby team to compete in the inaugural season of [[Major League Rugby]]. He left the position on 2 May 2019.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.chron.com/sports/article/SaberCats-rugby-coach-Justin-Fitzpatrick-resigns-13814635.php|title=SaberCats coach Justin Fitzpatrick resigns|newspaper=Houston Chronicle|access-date=May 2, 2019}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080217194634/http://www.ulsterrugby.com/13_2655.php Ulster profile]

{{Ireland Squad 1999 World Cup}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzpatrick, Justin}}
[[Category:1973 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of Brunel University London]]
[[Category:English rugby union coaches]]
[[Category:English rugby union players]]
[[Category:Ireland international rugby union players]]
[[Category:London Irish players]]
[[Category:Irish Exiles rugby union players]]
[[Category:Ulster Rugby players]]
[[Category:Castres Olympique players]]
[[Category:Dungannon RFC players]]
[[Category:Houston SaberCats coaches]]
[[Category:Rugby union players from Chichester]]
[[Category:Rugby union props]]
[[Category:1999 Rugby World Cup players]]
[[Category:Irish expatriate rugby union players in France]]
[[Category:English expatriate rugby union players]]

Justin Fitzpatrick - Revision history

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