Biography
Jonathan Jeremiah “Johnny” Sexton was born on 11 July 1985 in Dublin and grew up with rugby running through the family veins. With roots in North Kerry and West Clare and an uncle, William Sexton, who played for Garryowen, Munster and Ireland, the game was always close. Young Johnny first showed his class with Bective Rangers mini rugby in Donnybrook before starring for St. Mary’s College, where he famously slotted a late drop goal to win the 2002 Leinster Senior Schools Cup.
Those clutch moments became his trademark. Sexton moved into the Leinster system, slowly at first, then exploding onto the scene as he took control of the No.10 jersey. From there he built a career as one of the greatest fly-halves in rugby history: a ruthless competitor, elite game manager, and prolific points-scorer for Leinster, Racing 92, Ireland and the British & Irish Lions.
Internationally, Sexton earned 118 caps for Ireland between 2009 and 2023, scoring over 1,100 points and eventually becoming Ireland’s all-time record points scorer. He captained his country from 2019 through the 2023 Rugby World Cup, leading them to Grand Slams and historic series wins. In 2018 he was crowned World Rugby Player of the Year and has been widely described by teammates and coaches as the world’s best fly-half and even Ireland’s greatest player.
Even after hanging up his boots, Sexton stayed close to the game. He moved into coaching roles with Ireland and the British & Irish Lions, bringing his tactical brain and relentless standards to the next generation of playmakers and leaders.
- List of Teams Played For
- Bective Rangers (mini rugby)
- St. Mary’s College (schools rugby)
- Leinster
- Racing 92 (Racing Metro)
- Ireland U18
- Ireland U21
- Ireland A / Ireland Wolfhounds
- Ireland (senior team)
- British & Irish Lions
Rugby World Cups Played
Johnny Sexton enjoyed a remarkable four-tournament World Cup career with Ireland.
He featured at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, starting Ireland’s early pool games and coming off the bench in others, including the quarter-final against Wales.
He then played at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, where he scored a try against Canada at the Millennium Stadium and remained a central figure in Ireland’s campaign.
Sexton returned again for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, where he captained Ireland, becoming the 106th player ever to lead the national side and starting key pool matches, including the fixture against Samoa.
Finally, he captained Ireland at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, his fourth World Cup. There he smashed multiple records: Ireland’s biggest World Cup win (82–8 over Romania), most Irish World Cup points, and then overall Irish international points record, before playing the full 80 minutes of his final match in the quarter-final against New Zealand.
Key Career Moments
Sexton’s career is stacked with defining moments. One of the earliest came on 2 May 2009 in the Heineken Cup semi-final when he stepped in for the injured Felipe Contepomi and steered Leinster past Munster, then followed it up by starting the final against Leicester Tigers. In that final he nailed a monster drop goal from halfway and the decisive penalty as Leinster claimed their first European Cup.
In the 2011 Heineken Cup final against Northampton Saints, Sexton produced one of the all-time great European performances. With Leinster trailing 22–6 at half-time, he scored 28 points, including two tries, masterminding a dramatic comeback to win 33–22 and earning man of the match. He dedicated that performance to his late grandfather, John Sexton.
For Ireland, his international debut in November 2009 against Fiji saw him kick 16 points and claim man of the match. A week later he famously scored all of Ireland’s points – five penalties – in a 15–10 win over world champions South Africa, playing with a broken hand.
In the Six Nations, Sexton became a serial big-game performer. He was man of the match in Ireland’s 2011 win over England that killed off their Grand Slam hopes, then drove Ireland to the 2014 Six Nations title, scoring two tries and 17 points in the decisive win over France in Paris. In 2018, he wrote another iconic chapter with that 83rd-minute long-range drop goal in Paris to beat France and launch Ireland’s Grand Slam season.
The honours piled up. With Leinster he won four European Rugby Champions Cups (2009, 2011, 2012, 2018), a European Challenge Cup (2013) and a stack of domestic titles, becoming Leinster’s all-time leading points scorer by 2017. With Ireland he helped secure multiple Six Nations Championships, Grand Slams (2009, 2018, 2023), Triple Crowns and landmark test series wins in 2014, 2018 and 2022.
On the global stage, Sexton was shortlisted for World Rugby Player of the Year in 2014 and 2022 and finally took the main prize in 2018, only the second Irish player to ever win it. Across two British & Irish Lions tours (2013 to Australia and 2017 to New Zealand), he played all three tests in 2013 and started the second and third tests in 2017, even battling through a broken wrist and an ankle tendon rupture in the final test.
His final chapter with Ireland in 2023 was pure legacy. He captained Ireland to another Grand Slam, broke Ronan O’Gara’s all-time Six Nations and Ireland points records, then at the World Cup overtook O’Gara again for Irish World Cup points and overall international points before bowing out against New Zealand in a gripping quarter-final.
Personal Life
Away from the pitch, Johnny Sexton’s life has been just as rooted in family and community as it has been in trophies. He is married to Laura (née Priestly); they wed in 2013 and have three children.
Education has played its part in his story too. Sexton attended St. Mary’s College in Dublin before going on to University College Dublin, where he completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 2012.
Rugby is very much a family affair: his brother Jerry Sexton is also noted, and his uncle William Sexton represented Garryowen, Munster and Ireland. Johnny’s early rugby with Bective Rangers in Donnybrook came through his father’s long-standing ties to the club.
He has also built a profile beyond the pitch. Sexton served as the cover athlete for the video game Rugby 20. His autobiography, Obsessed (written with Peter O’Reilly), was released in October 2024 and went on to win the Irish Book Awards “Sports Book of the Year” in November.
Sexton has a strong track record in charity work. Since September 2009, he has been an ambassador for Make-A-Wish Ireland, helping to grant wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions and supporting various fundraising campaigns.