Birth name | William James McBride | ||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 6 June 1940 | ||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Toomebridge, County Antrim, Northern Ireland | ||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||||||||||||||||
Weight | 110 kg (17 st 5 lb; 243 lb) | ||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||
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William James McBride, CBE, better known as Willie John McBride (born 6 June 1940) is a former rugby union footballer who played as a lock for Ireland and the British and Irish Lions. He played 63 Tests for Ireland including eleven as captain, and toured with the Lions five times; a record that gave him 17 Lions Test caps. He also captained the most successful ever Lions side, which toured South Africa in 1974.