Biography
Kyran Bracken was born in Dublin and educated at Stonyhurst College and Bristol University; he graduated from the University of West of England.
Kyran Bracken played rugby for England for ten years, making his debut against the All Blacks, when Jamie Joseph famously stood on his ankle. Although plagued with injury, he gained 50 caps - the highlight being his contribution to the World Cup win in 2003.
He played for England Under-16’s, Under-18’s and Under-21’s and Bristol in the 1993 UAU Final before enjoying a fairytale 1993/’94 season. It all started by playing twice for England ‘A’ on their Summer tour of Canada prior to playing against the All Blacks for the South West and England again. This lead to him being selected as a reserve for the full international against the All-Blacks in November ’93 but when Dewi Morris withdrew injured Kyran was called up to win his first cap. Further caps followed against Scotland and Ireland but with England losing the latter game Kyran made way for Morris to return for the games against France and Wales.
Kyran was not available for the ’94 summer tour to South Africa due to his studies and was again a replacement against Romania in November of that year. However he returned to the side against Canada the following month — scoring his first international try — and retained his place for the whole of the 1995 Five-Nations campaign and he also played twice during the 1995 World Cup. However after playing against South Africa in November 1995 he lost his place in the side and did not play again for England until coming on as a replacement against Italy in ’96. After that game he again had a lengthy spell on the side lines until he returned to play in both games against Argentina during the summer of 1997.
After those tests he was called up as a replacement to the Lions squad for the tour to South Africa. In the 1997-98 season, he played against Australia, New Zealand (twice), France and Wales but after the Welsh match in March 1998 he was injured and missed the rest of the campaign. In 1999 he returned to the squad and won his 20th cap.
In 2000 he captained Saracens and more recently, he captained England on their 2001 summer tour to North America where all three Tests against Canada and the USA were convincingly won by a predominantly young side under Clive Woodward.
More recently, Kyran swapped his rugby shirt for all-in-one lycra, and appeared on ITV's Dancing on Ice, eventually going on to be crowned winner. The spray tan and sparkly outfits obviously made their mark, as Kyran's passion for ice skating continues.
As a coach for the Saracens, Kyran has stayed close to Rugby. His knowledge of the game has allowed him to offer occasional analysis on sporting programmes. After dinner, Kyran reflects on his career and compares those who have influenced him. Who is the more fearsome trainer: Sir Clive Woodward or Torvill & Dean?
He was awarded the MBE for services to the sport in 2004.
Kyran is involved with the rugby charity, Wooden Spoon, which works with disadvantaged children and young people in Britain and Ireland.
With a combination of different but complimentary skills, Kyran is well equipped to speak with flair on a wide range of topics.
To book Kyran Bracken for your event, please call Parliament on +44 (0)1202 242424
Choosing a Speaker
Parliament Communications presents about 500 conference and after dinner speakers on this web site. If you have not been able to find the ideal speaker for your event, please call +44 (0)1202 24 24 24.
We have access to thousands of other speakers covering business, economics, politics, sport, adventure, technology, etc. We can offer speakers to motivate, inspire, inform, entertain, host, chair and make your event memorable!
So much more than a virtual database of speakers, Parliament has experienced staff who are ready to help you choose the perfect speaker for your event.
