DUBLIN (AP) — Fergus Slattery, the former Ireland rugby captain and British and Irish Lions flanker, has died. He was 77.
His death was confirmed by the Irish Rugby Football Union on Thursday. Slattery was diagnosed with frontal lobe dementia in 2019.
“Fergus Slattery was a giant of Irish rugby and a player who defined excellence in his era,” IRFU president John O'Driscoll, a former teammate, said in a statement. “His leadership, skill and unwavering commitment to the jersey set standards that continue to inspire generations of players. Off the field, he carried himself with humility and integrity, embodying the very best values of our game.”
Slattery made his Ireland debut in 1970 against South Africa in an 8-8 draw. He earned 61 caps, 18 of them as captain, and finished in 1984 with four Five Nations titles. He was part of the great Irish back row with O'Driscoll and Willie Duggan.
Slattery also featured on the Lions’ two most iconic tours, the 1971 series win in New Zealand and the 1974 Invincibles who went undefeated in South Africa. He lost just once in 25 Lions appearances.
“We were all so fortunate to have been around together at the same time,” Slattery told the Lions website. “When you look at the quality of the players we had to choose from then, it was superb.”
Between those tours, Slattery appeared for the Barbarians in the celebrated 1973 win over the All Blacks at Cardiff Arms Park, scoring a try himself and setting up JPR Williams. He played 18 times for the Baa-baas.
Blackrock College was a renowned production line of Ireland talent and at 17 he joined the club, which gave him a moving tribute.
“Blackrock College RFC bows its head in gratitude, pride, and sorrow as we remember one of our greatest sons,” the club said. "There are players who wear a jersey, and there are players who define it. Fergus defined ours. He played with ferocity and grace, but without ego or theater.
“It was not unusual for Slatts to turn out for Blackrock on a Sunday after playing an international at Twickenham or Cardiff the day before, often having fully embraced the post-match celebrations. Fergus Slattery was not simply a legend. He was a legend of legends.”
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Amy Sousa, a women's rights activist and psychologist, Keith Lierre, founder of Women's Libe… Read moreTalk at RWC Library - The transgender assault on Women and Girls
Join the San Mateo Daily Journal in Fiesta Hall at the Community Expo at the San Mateo County Fair! Read moreSan Mateo Community Expo at the Fair
Connie Weiss said:
CA Is Burning said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.