Past Pupil: Tommy Bowe (Ulster, Ospreys, Ireland and Lions Rugby)

Thomas John "Tommy" Bowe (born 22 February 1984) is an Irish rugby union footballer from Monaghan, Ireland. He plays on the wing for the Ospreys and Ireland. He can also operate as a centre. He represented Monaghan minors at Gaelic football. His father, Paul, won a Leinster Schools' Cup with Newbridge College on the 1970 team, captained by Mick Quinn and went on to win a cap for Leinster Schools. His sister, Hannah, is an Ireland hockey international.

A former pupil of The Royal School, Armagh, Northern Ireland, he was a Schoolboy provincial full-back, only converting to wing whilst playing for Ireland U-21s. His form both here and at Irish club level prompted a call-up to the Ulster squad at the end of the 2003-2004 season, scoring on his debut against Connacht and soon made his name as an Ulster regular. He became, and remains, a firm crowd favourite at Ravenhill and won Guinness Ulster Rugby Personality of the Year Award at the Ulster Rugby Awards Dinner in May 2005.

Bowe made his international debut against the USA during the 2004 IRB Autumn Internationals becoming the first player from CountyMonaghan to win an Ireland cap since the 1920s. He marked his introduction to test rugby with a second half try. Bowe won further caps during Ireland's tour to Japan and their Autumn Internationals in 2005. With that experience and an impressive run of form for Ulster in the Celtic League, he made the 22-man panel for Ireland's 2006 Six Nations opener against Italy, and went on to score a try in that game.

After Ireland's poor first half against France in the following Championship match, Bowe was axed from the squad - prompting allegations of him being made a scapegoat by Ireland boss Eddie O'Sullivan. An injury-plagued latter part of 2006 precipitated a downturn in form, though a rejuvenated Bowe came back with 5 tries in 6 matches to earn his place in Ireland's 2007 28 man 2006 Six Nations squad. Tommy earned himself a place in Ireland's original 2008 Six Nations squad after a very good season with Ulster. However, he was overlooked for the Ireland matchday squad to play Italy in the tournament's opening game, despite his scintillating form. He was again excluded from the Squad the following week when Ireland were narrowly defeated by France in Paris, however on February 19, 2008 Tommy was named in the Irish XV at Right Wing for the visit of Scotland to Croke Park, a match in which he scored two tries. He was a constant on the right wing for the national side up to the end of 2008. He also won both the Ulster and Ireland Player of the Year awards for the 2007/2008 season - emphasising his return as a major international force.

On the 25th of January 2008 he confirmed that he would leave Ulster at the end of the 2008 Celtic League, season, to join the Ospreys on a two year deal. In his first season with the Welsh club, he scored a club-record four European Cup tries in a match against Treviso, as well as becoming the leading Magners League try-scorer.

With his form for the Ospreys continuing in the superb vein that it had for Ulster in the previous season, Bowe retained his right-wing position for Ireland during the Autumn internationals -scoring the team's only try against Argentina. In the subsequent 2009 Six Nations, he has consolidated his Ireland position, with a string of quality performances and tries against Italy and, most memorably, in the Grand Slam winning match against Wales. He was a crucial member of the Ireland team that won the 2009 Six Nations Championship and Grand Slam, the first for Ireland in 61 years. On 21 April 2009, Bowe was named as a member of the British and Irish Lions for the 2009 tour to South Africa.

In 1948, Jimmy Nelson, another former pupil of the Royal School, was a member of the Grand Slam side. Jimmy also played for the Lions in 1950 in New Zealand and Australia.