{{Short description|English rugby union player}} {{EngvarB|date=August 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox rugby biography | name = Andi Kyriacou | image = | caption = | birth_name = Andrew Stephen Kyriacou | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1983|1|4}} | birth_place = Liverpool, England | height = {{height|m=1.80}} | weight = {{convert|105|kg|st lbs|abbr=on}} | ru_position = Hooker | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Ormskirk RUFC | youthyears2 = | youthclubs2 = West Park RFC | years1 = 2003–2004 | clubs1 = Sale Sharks | apps1 = 1 | points1 = 0 | years2 = 2003–2004 | clubs2 = → Leeds Carnegie | apps2 = 1 | points2 = 0 | years3 = 2004–2009 | clubs3 = Saracens | apps3 = 34 | points3 = 5 | years4 = 2006–2007 | clubs4 = → Munster ''(loan)'' | apps4 = 9 | points4 = 5 | years5 = 2009–2012 | clubs5 = Ulster | apps5 = 54 | points5 = 5 | years6 = 2012–2013 | clubs6 = Cardiff Blues | apps6 = 1 | points6 = 0 | repyears1 = 2004 | repteam1 = England U21 | repcaps1 = | reppoints1 = | repyears2 = 2009 | repteam2 = Ireland A | repcaps2 = 2 | reppoints2 = 0 | ru_ntupdate = 9 October 2021 | spouse = | children = | relatives = | school = Kirkham Grammar School | university = }}
'''Andi Kyriacou''' (born 4 January 1983) is an English-born, Irish-qualified former rugby union player and current coach. Kyriacou played as a hooker for Sale Sharks, Leeds Carnegie, Saracens, Munster, Ulster, and Cardiff Blues before moving into coaching.
==Personal life== Kyriacou was born 4 January 1983 in Liverpool, England. He is of Irish and Greek Cypriot heritage. Kyriacou is married to Rebecca and has three children.<ref name="Kyriacou grasps opportunity this time">{{cite web|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2009/1021/1224257144587.html|title=Kyriacou grasps opportunity this time|work=The Irish Times|date=10 October 2009|accessdate=3 July 2012}}</ref>
==Playing career== ===Early playing career=== Andi Kyriacou started his rugby playing career at Ormskirk RUFC and later moved to West Park RFC in St Helens, Merseyside, where he was amongst a string of Lancashire representatives from the club. From here, Kyriacou represented England at u16 and u18.
===Sale Sharks 2001–2004=== Kyriacou's first senior season in top flight English rugby at Sale Sharks included a debut in the Zurich Premiership.<ref name="gpprofile">{{cite news |title=Guinness Premiership Profile |publisher=Guinness Premiership |date=7 November 2007 |url=http://www.guinnesspremiership.com/112_146.php?player=4816&includeref=dynamic |accessdate=7 November 2007 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071215141145/http://www.guinnesspremiership.com/112_146.php?player=4816&includeref=dynamic |archivedate=15 December 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
More recognition came at an international level in 2004, when Kyriacou was part of the England U21 Grand Slam winning side in the U21 Six Nations championship.<ref name="saracenssigning">{{cite news|title=Saracens sign up England U21 trio |publisher=Saracens |date=7 November 2007 |url=http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=816 |accessdate=7 November 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110517070135/http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=816 |archivedate=17 May 2011 }}</ref>
===Saracens and Munster 2004–2009=== Kyriacou joined Saracens on 1 July 2004,<ref name="saracensprofile">{{cite news|title=Saracens Profile |publisher=Saracens |date=7 November 2007 |url=http://www.saracens.com/players/view.php?Id=100 |accessdate=7 November 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071124082246/http://www.saracens.com/players/view.php?Id=100 |archivedate=24 November 2007 }}</ref> one of a number of players to make the move from Sale to Saracens in that season including Alex Sanderson, Iain Fullarton and Kevin Yates, as well as Matt Cairns who was returning to the club after a single season with the Sharks.<ref name="saracenssigning"/> He made his debut in European competition against Rugby Parma on 4 December of that year, with his Guinness Premiership debut soon after 2005–06 .<ref name="saracensprofile"/>
Working alongside Matt Cairns, Fabio Ongaro and Shane Byrne, Kyriacou was selected by Declan Kidney to join Munster Rugby for the 2006–07 season, making multiple appearances for the club in both their Celtic League and Heineken Cup campaigns. The playing experience drawn from Munster Rugby meant that the 2007–08 season presented greater opportunities for Kyriacou back with Saracens, ready for their 2007/8 European Cup campaign.<ref name="saracensprofile"/>
===Ulster Rugby 2009–2012=== In July 2009, Kyriacou signed a contract with Ulster Rugby.<ref name="Ulster bring in hooker Kyriacou">{{cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/ulster/8012861.stm|title=Ulster bring in hooker Kyriacou|publisher=BBC Sport|date=22 April 2009|access-date=3 July 2012}}</ref> Whilst at Ulster, Kyriacou was selected for the Ireland squad and was capped for the Ireland Wolfhounds.<ref name="Ireland A 48-19 Tonga">{{cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/irish/8360005.stm|title=Ireland A 48–19 Tonga|publisher=BBC Sport|date=13 November 2009|access-date=3 July 2012}}</ref>
===Injury and retirement === Kyriacou signed a two-year contract at Cardiff Blues at the beginning of the 2012–13 Pro 12,<ref name="Cardiff Blues confirm Andi Kyriacou signing from Ulster">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/17867005|title=Cardiff Blues confirm Andi Kyriacou signing from Ulster|publisher=BBC Sport|date=14 May 2012|access-date=3 July 2012}}</ref> but his anticipated place as first-choice hooker and his playing career was cut short by a serious neck injury early in the season.<ref name = skysports>{{cite web|url=http://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/15189/8776340/andi-kyriacou-forced-to-retire-and-joins-cardiff-blues-coaching-staff|title=Andi Kyriacou forced to retire and joins Cardiff Blues coaching staff|publisher=Sky Sports|date=14 June 2013|accessdate=30 August 2017}}</ref>
==Coaching career== Cardiff Blues then signed Kyriacou in a coaching role, supervising the scrum and skills in the first instance, later moving on to coach the forwards.<ref name = skysports/> In 2015, Kyriacou went on to become the forwards coach for Russia Rugby, alongside working as the scrum coach for his original club Sale Sharks. Kyriacou was signed by Nottingham Rugby as Defence and Forwards Coach at the beginning of the 2018/19 season, where he built one of the most successful defensive systems and strongest packs in The Championship.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}
Ahead of the 2021–22 season, Kyriacou joined Irish province Munster's academy as a forwards coach, with time spent as an assistant coach with the Ireland 18s group. Kyriacou had spent time on loan with the province during his playing career.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.munsterrugby.ie/2021/05/12/greencore-munster-rugby-academy-update-may-2021/#post|title=Greencore Munster Rugby Academy Update {{!}} May 2021|date=12 May 2021|work=Munster Rugby|access-date=27 March 2022}}</ref> Kyriacou was promoted to forwards coach with Munster's senior squad on a two-year contract from the 2022–23 season, when previous forwards coach Graham Rowntree was promoted to head coach.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.the42.ie/andi-kyriacou-munster-forwards-coach-5761982-May2022/|title=Andi Kyriacou confirmed as Munster forwards coach under Rowntree|date=12 May 2022|work=The42|access-date=12 May 2022}}</ref> Following Munster’s URC title-winning campaign, it was announced that Kyriacou had signed a contract extension with Munster until the end of the 2026-27 season.
Kyriacou joined Portugal Rugby as Defence and Forwards Coach from the 2025-26 season, which culminated in beating Georgia in the Rugby Europe Championship. During this campaign Kyriacou’s defence was recorded as the best in the championship.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20071124082246/http://www.saracens.com/players/view.php?Id=100 Saracens profile] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20110517070135/http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=816 Saracens Signing Announcement] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20160304031601/http://www.premiershiprugby.com/squads.php?player=87982&includeref=dynamic Guinness Premiership profile] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20120526063520/http://www.ulsterrugby.com/rugby/ulster_first_team.php?player=87982&includeref=dynamic Magners League profile] *[https://www.munsterrugby.ie/player?PlayGuid=AK285299 Munster Profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kyriacou, Andi}} Category:1983 births Category:Living people Category:English rugby union players Category:Sale Sharks players Category:Leeds Tykes players Category:Saracens F.C. players Category:Munster Rugby players Category:Ulster Rugby players Category:Cardiff Rugby players Category:Rugby union hookers Category:English people of Irish descent Category:British people of Greek Cypriot descent Category:Irish people of Greek Cypriot descent Category:Irish people of Greek descent Category:Lancashire County RFU players Category:Irish Exiles rugby union players Category:Munster Rugby non-playing staff Category:Rugby union players from Liverpool Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Ireland Category:Expatriate rugby union players in Ireland Category:English expatriate rugby union players Category:English rugby union coaches