 Carty in 2023 for Connacht | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1992-08-31)31 August 1992 (age 33) Athlone, Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft11+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 88 kg (13 st 12 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Marist College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | NUI Galway | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative | Luke Carty (brother) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jack Carty (born 31 August 1992) is arugby union player from Ireland. His primary position is atfly-half. Having started with his hometown club,Buccaneers, Carty currently plays for the team of his native province ofConnacht in theUnited Rugby Championship, having come through the team's academy. He is Connacht's all-time leading points scorer.[1] Carty is anIreland international, having made his debut for the side againstItaly in 2019.
Carty received his secondary education atMarist College, Athlone. He attended university atNUI Galway.[2] Before becoming a professional rugby player, Carty played a number of other sports. He representedRoscommon inGaelic football at minor level, and also playedsoccer, representing theRepublic of Ireland internationally as far as under-15 level. He was offered a trial with English football clubSouthampton, but turned it down in favour of a trial atWest Ham United.[3][4]
In his early career with Connacht, Carty primarily featured for the province's secondary team theConnacht Eagles, playing in theBritish and Irish Cup. Despite still being in the Connacht academy, Carty made his first appearance for the senior Connacht team on 21 September 2012, in a match against theGlasgow Warriors in the2012–13 Pro12. He was a replacement atfullback forGavin Duffy, coming on after 28 minutes.[5] In the2013–14 season, Carty regularly served as the team's captain. His next game came on 4 October 2013 when he made a substitute appearance against Italian teamBenetton Treviso. On 27 December that year, he made his third appearance for the team, against inter-provincial rivalsMunster.[6]
Carty made his first start for Connacht on 4 January 2014, when he played at fly-half against the reigning Pro12 and Amlin Cup championsLeinster, in another derby.[7] On 11 January, he played his first European match for the province, starting in their2013–14 Heineken Cup match withZebre, kicking two penalties and two conversions.[8] In February that year, Carty signed his first professional contract with Connacht.[9]
Following the retirement ofDan Parks,[10][11] Carty became Connacht's first choice at fly-half for the 2014–15 season. He made 21 appearances in thePro12, with 16 of these coming as starts. Carty played in five of the team's six2014–15 Challenge Cup games, starting all but one of these. He also started the team's final game of the season, aplay-off againstGloucester.[8] The following season saw Carty continue to be first choice through to February 2016, when he injured himself on a water slide inDubai and to have hisspleen removed. He returned to first-team action that April, but couldn't dislodgeAJ MacGinty andShane O'Leary and missed out on a place in thePro12 Final on 28 May.[12] Carty appeared in 12Pro12 and fiveChallenge Cup games in the 2015–16 season before his accident, and only two Pro12 games afterward.[6][8]
The departure of MacGinty toSale Sharks and injuries to new signingMarnitz Boshoff saw Carty return to first choice for the 2016–17 season.[13][14] He started 18 games in thePro12, featuring as a replacement in three more,[6] and started five of the side's six games in theChampions Cup, missing the home game with Zebre through injury.[15] Carty also started the team'sChampions Cup play-off withNorthampton Saints at the end of the season.[8] He became Connacht's record points scorer in the Pro14 overtakingIan Keatley in March 2019.[16]
Following a strong season in the 2020–21 Championship, Carty was named to his second Pro14 Dream Team.[17]
In January 2023 Carty overtookEric Elwood as Connacht's leading points scorer.[1] In December 2023 Carty earned his 200th cap for Connacht in 55–36 loss to Saracens in the2023–24 European Rugby Champions Cup.[18]
Carty has represented Ireland at various underage levels internationally. He was named in theIreland under-20s team and represented them at the2012 IRB Junior World Championship.[3]
Carty was named in thesenior squad for the opening rounds of the2019 Six Nations.[19] He made his debut on 24 February 2019, when he came on as a replacement in the 26–16 win againstItaly in theStadio Olimpico inRome.[20]
NUI Galway became Connacht's Academy and University partner in 2013, and since then 19 Connacht players have graduated, or are about to graduate, from NUI Galway including current senior squad members Denis Buckley, Eoin Griffin, Eoin McKeon, Andrew Browne, Dave Heffernan, Jack Carty, Darragh Leader, Eoghan Masterson, Seán O'Brien and Conor McKeon.