Ireland boss Andy Farrell explains why son Owen’s name wasn’t always ‘Farrell’

Owen Farrell’s birth certificate has been doing the rounds once again on social media – and fans are shocked to see that his name wasn’t always Farrell.

Andy Farrell has been married to his wife Colleen O’Loughlin since 1995.

The pair met as teenagers and had their first child Owen when Colleen was 16 years old.

As a result, Owen was not at first registered as a Farrell, but took mum Colleen’s family name of O’Loughlin. 

The couple married in 1995, changing Owen’s surname to Farrell the following year. They also have three other children, Elleshia, Gracie and Gabriel.

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Owen Farrell facts:

1. The Saracens star went to school with England teammate George Ford
2. His education began in rugby league – he joined Wigan St Patricks at the age of eight
3. He became the youngest ever player to appear in English professional rugby, making his debut aged 17 and 11 days. This record was later beaten by schoolmate Ford
4. It’s well known that Owen is the son of Ireland head coach Andy Farrell. However, it’s less commonly know that his uncle Sean O’Loughlin is also a rugby league legend, winning 34 caps for Great Britain between 1993 and 2009
5. He was not at first registered as a Farrell, but took mum Colleen’s family name of O’Loughlin. The couple married in 1995, changing Owen’s surname to Farrell the following year.

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A fans poll has ranked rugby’s five biggest d***heads

We all love to hate. For every force of good there is in rugby union, there is an equal force of bad to provide balance. A yin to their yang. For every hero, a villain.

As much fun as it is to see the sport’s most treasured icons succeed, audiences can sometimes take equal pleasure in seeing a star plummet from the heavens and fall to the depths below.

We’ve ran a poll to discover who, whether it be for their antics on or off the pitch, have developed an unenviable reputation in the game.

Find out the top five below.

#5. Dan Biggar (Wales)

Biggar is the epitome of players you hate until they are on your team.The way the fly-half continues to moan to referees vociferously has seemingly only got worse throughout his career. It got so bad that popular online personality and diehard Scotland fan Glove39 made a video called ‘birdman’ mocking the way in which he always raises his arms in frustration to officials.

Dan Biggar facts:

1. Biggar has twice been selected to tour with the British and Irish Lions (2017 & 2021)
2. On 7 December 2015, Biggar won the BBC Cymru Sports Personality of the Year Award
3. Biggar came through the Ospreys development pathway, having attended Gowerton Comprehensive School in Swansea
4. The fly-half has his own routine before kicking goals, which fans now call “The Biggarena” after Los Del Rio’s 1995 hit, Macarena

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