Jacob Stockdale

Jacob Alexander Stockdale (born 3 April 1996) is an Irish professional rugby union player who plays as a wing for United Rugby Championship club Ulster and the Ireland national team.

From 2018 to 2025 he held the record for tries scored in a single Six Nations Championship, scoring seven tries for Ireland in the 2018 tournament, for which he was also named Player of the Championship. The record was eventually beaten by Louis Bielle-Biarrey's eight tries in the 2025 tournament. He won the Nevin Spence Irish Young Player of the Year award in 2018, and was nominated for EPCR European Player of the Year in 2019.

Early life He was born in Newtownstewart in County Tyrone before his family settled in Lurgan. He grew up idolising Tommy Bowe and Jonah Lomu. He attended Wallace High School in Lisburn, where he played in the back row before moving to centre. He played for the school's first team in his final year, was selected for Ireland at Schools and under-18 level,

Stockdale is a Christian (his father is a Presbyterian minister) and prays before each game.

Stockdale has been married to Hannah since 2021 and they have two daughters, Phoebe and Bonnie.

Professional career Stockdale joined the Ulster academy ahead of the 2014–15 season, while studying criminology at Ulster University at Jordanstown. He moved to wing from centre because of Ulster having strength in depth at that position. He was named in the Ireland squad for the 2017 Summer Tour, and made his international debut against the United States.

In 2017–18 he made 19 appearances for Ulster, including 18 starts, and scored ten tries. Two weeks later in the same November series he won "man of the match" after scoring two tries in Ireland's 28–19 victory over Argentina. He was named Player of the Championship in the 2018 Six Nations Championship, after setting a tournament record for most tries scored with seven as Ireland won the Grand Slam. He was awarded the Nevin Spence Young Player of the Year award by Rugby Players Ireland in May 2018, and won BBC Northern Ireland Sports Personality of the Year in December 2018.

In 2018–19 he made twelve appearances for Ulster, including eleven starts, and scored seven tries. For Ireland, he won eleven caps, including five in the 2019 Six Nations Championship and four at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, and scored three tries,

In 2019–20 he made 13 appearances, all starts, for Ulster, and scored two tries. He made his 100th appearance for Ulster at the end of the 2022–23 season. He was called up to Ireland's preliminary 42-man squad ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, and made his first international start since 2021 against Italy on 5 August 2023. He was called up to the Ireland squad for their two-match tour of South Africa in July 2024. On 5 February 2026, Stockdale started his first Six Nations Championship match in close to five years when he named in the team to play France.

Career statistics List of international tries Number Position Points Tries Result Opposition Venue Date 1 Wing 5 1 Won Red Bull Arena 10 June 2017 2 Wing 5 1 Won Aviva Stadium 11 November 2017 3–4 Wing 10 2 Won Aviva Stadium 25 November 2017 5–6 Wing 10 2 Won Aviva Stadium 10 February 2018 7–8 Wing 10 2 Won Aviva Stadium 24 February 2018 9–10 Wing 10 2 Won Aviva Stadium 10 March 2018 11 Wing 5 1 Won Twickenham Stadium 17 March 2018 12 Wing 5 1 Won Aviva Stadium 17 November 2018 13 Wing 5 1 Won Murrayfield 9 February 2019 14 Wing 5 1 Won Rome 24 February 2019 15–16 Wing 10 2 Won Millennium Stadium 31 August 2019 17 Fullback 5 1 Lost Aviva Stadium 31 October 2020 18 Wing 5 1 Lost Twickenham Stadium 21 November 2020 19 Wing 5 1 Won Aviva Stadium 3 July 2021

Honours Ireland 1× Six Nations Championship: 2018 1× Grand Slam: 2018 1× Triple Crown: 2018

Individual 1× Ulster Schools Player of the Year: 2014 1× Ulster Young Player of the Year: 2017 1× Six Nations Player of the Championship: 2018 1× BBC Northern Ireland Sports Personality of the Year: 2018 1× EPCR European Player of the Year nominee: 2019