UCC Rugby’s own Michael Francis “Mick” Lane died on Sunday 09 November 2025 in Cork, aged 99 years. Mick had been, for many years, the oldest living British & Irish Lion.

Mick, born on 03 October 1926, after a school’s career at CBC played his club rugby with UCC, represented Munster, was capped 17 times for Ireland and was a member of the British & Irish Lions team that toured Australia and New Zealand in 1950.

Mick was a Civil Engineering student at UCC when he made his international debut for Ireland against Wales in March 1947 in the then Five Nations Championship. He missed out on the 1948 Ireland Grand Slam through injury. He was back for all four of Ireland’s matches in the 1949 Championship. They retained the Championship and the Triple Crown, narrowly missing out on back-to-back Grand Slams. Another highlight for 1949 was his only appearance for the Barbarians during the Easter Tour against Cardiff, also scoring a try.

He impressed sufficiently in his four international appearances in 1950 to be selected for the B & I Lions Tour to New Zealand & Australia. He made a total of 11 appearances, scoring four tries on tour. A test winner against Australia and his appearance against New Zealand resulted in a narrow loss.

He made three appearances in the 1951 Five Nations when Ireland once again won the Five Nations Championship. It would have been a second Grand Slam in four years had Wales not equalised to make it 3-3 in the final game at Cardiff Arms Park. He also played twice against South Africa in December that year, a test match for Ireland, and also with Munster. That was his only non Five Nations International.

In the second of his two appearances in the 1952 Five Nations, Mick scored his only points for Ireland with a try against Scotland. His final (17th) appearance for Ireland came during the 1953 Five Nations. This was also his last season with UCC before transferring to Dolphin RFC for his last two playing seasons.

Mick was inducted into the Rugby Writers of Ireland Hall of Fame in 2011.

Our deepest sympathies to Mick’s sons Joe and Martin and his daughters Margaret, Liz, Eleanor and Adrienne. UCC Rugby will honour our former player on Saturday 15 November at our annual Colours Lunch ahead of the AIL Division 1B fixture against Queen’s University Belfast.