Career
Started his adult rugby career in Bristol with local side Imperial. Maggs played for Ireland because Brian Ashton, who was Irish coach at time, came to Bristol to watch flanker David Corkery and was told by Ralph Knibbs (Bristol"s player-manager), that Maggs had a grandfather from Limerick. He was then called up to the Irish development tour to New Zealand in 1997.
He made his international debut for Ireland against New Zealand at Lansdowne Road on November 1997 and played at the 1999 and 2003 Rugby World Cup.
Maggs is widely remembered for his hard-running, direct style of rugby. The overwhelming success of Maggs as a proverbial cannonball perhaps overshadowed the more subtle elements of his game.
Maggs was a fine passer of the ball, and was also fond of spiralling the ball off either foot deep into opposition territory. He tutored Peter Stringer and Ronan O"Gara in the arts of passing and kicking when the pair broke into the Irish squad, so is in a way responsible for much of the success enjoyed by Ireland"s golden generation.
In his youth, Maggs enjoyed a successful tennis career, reaching the semi-finals of Junior Wimbledon before losing out 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 to a young Andre Agassi.
Maggs enjoyed popularity across the rugby playing world. He was, and remains especially admired in France, where he is remembered especially for creating Brian O"Driscoll"s hat trick during the Ireland versus France clash during the Six Nations of 2000. In recognition of his services to French rugby, which is most popular in the south of the country, the Paris-Marseille TGV line was renamed "The Kevin Maggs Expressway".
Former French President Francois Mitterande spoke at the renaming ceremony, where he said "The TGV and Kevin Maggs share many admirable qualities.
The TGV, like Maggs travels at high speeds along an arrow straight line with remarkable consistency, just like Kevin in the early 2000s." Upon his retirement from international rugby the Federation Francaise de Rugby renamed the home of french rugby from Stade de France to "The Magical Maggs Arena". 2006 Celtic League winners medal.
