William Iain Henderson, commonly known as Iain Henderson, is a professional rugby union player from Northern Ireland. He was born on February 21, 1992. Henderson primarily plays as a lock and represents Ulster in the United Rugby Championship. He is also a member of the Ireland national team and has been selected for two British & Irish Lions tours.
Henderson attended Belfast Royal Academy, where he played for the school's 1st XV and reached the Ulster Schools' Cup final in 2010. He initially planned to study actuarial studies at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh but changed his plans after being offered a place at the Ulster Rugby Academy. Instead, he enrolled at Queen's University Belfast.
His professional career began when he made his debut for the senior Ulster team in April 2012. In October 2012, he signed his first professional contract with Ulster. Prior to that, he had represented Ireland at the U19 and U20 levels, including playing in the 2012 U20 World Championships. Henderson made his senior Ireland debut in November 2012 against South Africa.
Throughout his career, Henderson has achieved various honors and accolades. He was named Young Player of the Year at the 2013 Ulster Rugby Awards and was later awarded Personality of the Year at the 2021 Awards. He has been a key player for Ulster, helping the team reach the Pro12 and Pro14 Grand Finals in different seasons.
With the Ireland national team, Henderson has had significant successes. He has been part of the squads that won the Six Nations Championship in 2014, 2015, and 2018, as well as the Grand Slam in 2018. He also played in the Rugby World Cups in 2015 and 2019. Henderson captained Ireland for the first time in February 2021.
In addition to his achievements with Ireland, Henderson has had the honor of being selected for the British & Irish Lions. He was part of the Lions squad for their tour to New Zealand in 2017 and the tour to South Africa in 2021.
As of May 2021, Henderson had signed a contract extension with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), securing his stay with Ulster until 2023.
Ahead of the Rugby World Cup 2023, Henderson has been named in the squad for Ireland.
KG(29/06/2023)
Career
 |
Ulster Rugby No 5 Lock |
2011 - present |
 |
Ireland No 5 Lock |
2012 - present |
 |
British & Irish Lions No 4 Lock |
2017 - present |
 |
Belfast Royal Academy No 4 Lock |
