Trevor Ringland
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UUP (until 2010)
Trevor Ringland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Co-Chairman of the NI Conservatives | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 28 June 2013 – 2 July 2014 Serving with Irwin Armstrong | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Position created | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 13 November 1959 Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Party | NI Conservatives (since 2010) UUP (until 2010) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Colleen Ringland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Larne Grammar School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Queen's University Belfast | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation |
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| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Trevor Maxwell Ringland, MBE (born 13 November 1959) is a Northern Irish solicitor, former rugby union player and unionist politician. From June 2013 to July 2014, he served as co-chairman of the NI Conservatives. After attending Larne Grammar School, he read law at Queen's University Belfast. He is a spokesperson for the unionist campaign group Uniting UK.[1]
Ringland made 31 competitive appearances for Ireland, scoring nine tries. The majority of his appearances came in the Five Nations, with the remainder coming in the 1987 Rugby World Cup.[2][3] He also represented Ulster and Ballymena.
In 1983 he toured New Zealand with the British & Irish Lions. Since retirement, he has coached at Ballymena and been a committee member of the Irish Rugby Football Union.[4]
In his later years he joined Belfast Club CIYMS where he played for the golden oldies 4th xv, known as the Dream Team, consisting of former senior players. The team was managed by Tommy Andrews the former hooker and current club chairman. Another notable player on the team was Rab Irwin who went on to win the European Cup with Ulster.
Career outside sport
As rugby was an amateur sport during his career, Ringland is also a full-time solicitor for Macaulay and Ritchie. In 2006 he was appointed as a member of the new Northern Ireland Policing Board. His Policing Board profile states he is a director of Independent News & Media, Mediation Northern Ireland and The Ireland Funds.[5]
Ringland is also active with Peace Players International, an organisation devoted to promote inter-religious unity in Belfast through sport. Ringland and David Cullen won the 2007 ESPY Arthur Ashe for Courage Award.
Ringland was awarded an MBE for services to the community in Northern Ireland in the New Year Honours 2009.[6]