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'So proud': US President Joe Biden celebrates Ireland's win over All Blacks
By Sam Smith
United States of America President Joe Biden has celebrated Ireland’s win over the All Blacks by calling the side in the wake of their upset victory in Dublin.
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Ireland clinched their third win in five years over the All Blacks in a 29-20 victory at a packed out Aviva Stadium on Sunday [NZT], and Biden was one of many from around the globe cheering for the men from the Emerald Isle.
Biden, who succeeded Donald Trump as US President in January, has strong Irish heritage via his mother and is a distant cousin of ex-Ireland stars Rob and Dave Kearney.
During his time as vice-president to Barack Obama, Biden attended Ireland’s first-ever win over the All Blacks in 2016, when they beat the Kiwis for the first time in 111 years at Soldier Field in Chicago – a match which Rob Kearney started at fullback in.
While he wasn’t in attendance this time round, Biden sent a letter to the Irish squad wishing them luck in the lead-up to last weekend’s test, and video called them in the wake of their success.
“We’re really proud of you guys,” Biden, accompanied by siblings Valerie and Jim, told Andy Farrell’s squad – who he said he and his family were “gigantic fans” of – in a video shared on Twitter.
Joe Biden and family congratulate the Ireland rugby team!#IRLvNZL pic.twitter.com/LqnS6x2OC9
— JJ Bowles (Limerick’s Oldest Pub) (@jjbowlespub) November 14, 2021
“Congratulations, fellas… You guys, we’re so damn proud of you. Really and truly.”
Biden added that he talked Ireland up during a recent trip to New Zealand, presumably in 2016 when he was presented with a personalised All Blacks jersey by Jerome Kaino and Charlie Faumuina.
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“By the way, when I was down in New Zealand not long ago, I was bragging about you guys and they almost didn’t let me off the island.”
? Ireland Team Hotel
Incredible to have @POTUS address the team after today’s win over the @AllBlacks! ?#TeamOfUs #IREvNZL pic.twitter.com/aUTkqEYN2a
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) November 13, 2021
At the beginning of the video, Jim jokingly asked the Ireland squad “how in the hell” they managed to defeat the All Blacks “without the Kearney brothers”, to which both he and Joe proudly exclaimed they were cousins with.
An alumni of the University of Delaware and Syracuse University, Biden played rugby during his time at law school, joining the likes of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush as American presidents to play the sport during their college years.
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Let’s go Brandon!