Murphy played Gaelic football at Minor (U18) level with Kildare GAA in the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship. In 1997 shortly before he joined Leicester Tigers he gained his first U18 rugby cap for Ireland. He gradually made his way into the Tigers' first team squad, while gaining caps for Ireland U21. Opportunities at fullback were limited by the presence of Tim Stimpson, but he gained a place on the right wing. Murphy played in both of Leicester's back-to-back Heineken Cup final wins in 2001 & 2002.
In June 2000, after representing Ireland A and an Ireland XV, he made his full Ireland debut against the United States, scoring twice. The 2000/01 season saw him turning out regularly for Ireland... Read More