Noel Joseph Henderson (10 August 1928 – 27 August 1997) was a rugby union player from Northern Ireland who mostly played outside centre. He played club rugby with Queen's University, North, was capped forty times for Ireland and was a member of the British and Irish Lions team that toured New Zealand in 1950. Henderson later became a "dedicated" rugby administrator."Obituary: Noel Henderson". Belfast Telegraph, 28 August 1997. Retrieved 12 July 2026 He also played badminton for Ireland at international level. Following Henderson's death, a leading commentator wrote: "His place among the great figures of Irish Rugby is assured". Ireland and Lions great Jack Kyle picked Henderson as part of his greatest-ever Ulster team.Gavin Mairs, "Kyle selects his Ulster dream XV". Belfast Telegraph, 16 September 2004. Retrieved 12 July 2026 Henderson was a pleasant, humorous man who once said: "The state of English rugby is always desperate but not serious … The state of Irish rugby is always serious but not desperate"."Time to calm down". The Guardian, 3 November 2002. Retrieved 12 July 2026
Early life
Henderson was born in Drumahoe, County Londonderry. He attended Foyle College in Derry and then Queen's University Belfast. He was a superb player at school and at Queen's, with whom he won the Ulster Senior Cup in 1951.Angela Murphy, "Henderson, Noel Joseph". Dictionary of Irish Biography, 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2026
Playing career
His first appearance for Ireland came against Scotland in 1949 when he was 20 years old. He also played in the following game against Wales, where Ireland clinched both the Triple Crown and the Five Nations Championship. During the 1950 Five Nations, Henderson made only a single appearance for Ireland due to injury, but was still included in the British Lions squad that travelled to New Zealand and Australia that year. At that stage Henderson was a student at Queen's University."Your Club Your Lions: Queen's University RFC". Lions Rugby, undated. Retrieved 12 July 2026 He played in a total of 15 matches during the tour, including in the third Test match against New Zealand where he played out of his normal position on the wing. The other matches Henderson played in were 10 tour games against local opposition in New Zealand, the match against the New Zealand Maori team, two tour games in Australia and an unofficial match against the Ceylon national team during a stopoff on the journey home.
Henderson played in all of Ireland's games in the Five Nations Championship between 1951 and 1955, with Ireland winning the Championship in 1951. In 1956, Henderson was made captain of the national team. Henderson scored the winning try in Ireland's 9–6 victory over Australia on 18 January 1958, during their tour of Europe. This was the first time Ireland had beaten one of the visiting Southern Hemisphere teams.Ciaran Donaghy, "Past great Noel Henderson made an unforgettable mark for Ireland in famous win over Australia". News Letter, 18 November 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2026 He ran half the length of the pitch to touch down halfway between the goalposts and the touchline."From The Archives: An Historic Victory". Irish Rugby, 27 February 2008. Retrieved 12 July 2026"Ireland:9 Australia: 6 (1958)". British Pathé, 1958. Retrieved 12 July 2026 In all he captained his country 11 times. Henderson scored several very important drop-goals for Ireland.
In his last game as Ireland captain in 1958 against France, Ronnie Dawson taking over from him,"Ronnie Dawson obituary: Captain of Lions rugby team". The Times, 19 October 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2026 Henderson switched position from centre to full-back. He finished his international career at full-back, playing all four games in the 1959 Five Nations championship in the position. Henderson's 40 caps for Ireland placed him fourth at the all-time international appearances list at the time of his retirement from international rugby; five of these came on the wing.
Henderson played four times for the Barbarians, against East Midlands in 1951, Cardiff and Swansea in 1955 and as captain against Swansea in 1956.
In 1953 Henderson was part of the Queen's University team that toured North America."From elite rowing and the Canada Rugby Tour of 1953 to encouraging more girls to take up GAA sports: at Queen's, we like to win. But we love to play". Queen’s University Belfast, undated. Retrieved 12 July 2026
Badminton Henderson's considerable athletic ability enabled him to play representative badminton with his brother George.
Post-playing career
Following his retirement from playing rugby, he became a rugby administrator for his club NIFC and for the Ulster branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU). He was an Irish selector and became elected president of the Irish Rugby Football Union for the 1990–91 season.
Family In June 1953, Henderson married Irish hockey international Elizabeth (Betty) Kyle, brother of Jack, in Fortwilliam Presbyterian Church; they had four daughters"Married". The Northern Whig, 27 June 1953. Retrieved 12 July 2026 His brother George and nephew Graham Henderson were both Irish badminton internationals. Two of his grandchildren, Michael Craig and Hannah Craig, were international squash players for Ireland.Nigel Ringland, "Ireland’s top squash player inspired by family legacy". BBC Sport, 29 June 2026. Retrieved 12 July 2026
External links Henderson playing for Ireland in 1954
References