Niall Armstrong

Niall Armstrong

Date of birth	(1999-08-19) 19 August 1999 (age 25)[1]
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) [2]
Weight	86 kg (190 lb; 13 st 8 lb)[3]
School	Royal Belfast Academical Institution
University	Exeter University
Rugby union career
Position(s) Scrum half Current team Exeter Chiefs Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2023- Exeter Chiefs 14 ()

Niall Armstrong (born 19 August 1999) is an Irish rugby union player who plays at scrum half for Exeter Chiefs.

Early life

From Ulster, he attended Royal Belfast Academical Institution with whom he won two Schools Cups.[4][5] He also attended Exeter University where he captained the first-XI rugby union team.[6]

Career

He made his debut for Exeter Chiefs in September 2023.[6] During his first season for Exeter, he was mainly used as a replacement at the start of the season but scored two tries for the club in the opening weeks of the season.[7] In November 2023, he was given a red card in the Rugby Premiership for a high boot striking Northampton Saints fly half Fin Smith in the face which was deemed as reckless.[8] It was an action that his Exeter head coach Rob Baxter described as "not deliberate" and Smith described as just "one of those things".[9][10] In April 2024 after making eleven appearances for the Chiefs he agreed a contract extension.[6]

References

1. "N.Armstrong". Ultimate Rugby. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
2. "Niall Armstrong". Its Rugby. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
3. "Niall Armstrong". All Rugby. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
4. Sadlier, Michael (16 January 2025). "Why Exeter Chiefs scrum half Niall Armstrong is looking forward to a school reunion at Ravenhill". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
5. Bradley, Jonathan (19 January 2024). "How Ulster rejection sent Niall Armstrong, a Schools' Cup winner with RBAI, on a journey to Exeter". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
6. "Scrum-half Armstrong extends Exeter Chiefs contract". BBC Sport. 30 April 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
7. Pilnick, Brent (16 November 2023). "Niall Armstrong: Exeter scrum-half banned after red card at Northampton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
8. Evely, John (16 November 2024). "Disciplinary panel deliver verdict on Exeter Chiefs scrum-half Niall Armstrong's red card ban". Devon Live. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
9. Nickson, Frank (16 November 2023). "Exeter Chiefs scrum-half Niall Armstrong suspended for three games". Talking Rugby Union. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
10. Vickers, Tom (16 November 2023). "Saints fly-half Smith reflects on red card incident as Exeter's Armstrong is hit with suspension". Northampton Chronicle. Retrieved 1 May 2024.