| Sport | Athletics and rugby union |
|---|---|
| Event | 100 metres |
| Birth date | 19 July 1901 |
| Birth place | Newcastle West, County Limerick, Ireland |
| Death date | 15 December 1980 (aged 79) |
| Death place | Richmond, London, England |
| Education |
| Position | Wing |
|---|---|
| Repyears 1 | 1921–1927 |
| Repteam 1 | Ireland |
| Repcaps 1 | 15 |
| Reppoints 1 | 15 |
| Repupdate | 17 January 2022[1] |
Denis Cussen (19 July 1901 – 15 December 1980) was an Irish sprinter, rugby union player and doctor.[2] He competed in the men's 100 metres at the 1928 Summer Olympics.[3]
Early life and education
Born in Newcastle West, County Limerick in Ireland,[3] Cussen was educated locally before attending Blackrock College in Dublin.[4] He played rugby union while at Blackrock College and won several Leinster Schools Rugby Senior Cups with the school.[4] He entered Trinity College Dublin in 1919 and, after studying medicine, qualified as a doctor in 1925.[4]
Rugby
Playing as a winger, Cussen made his debut for Ireland in 1921.[4] He won fifteen caps for the country between 1921 and 1927, scoring five tries, including two in victory over England in 1926.[4] After moving to London, he represented the Barbarians and St Mary's Hospital, London.[4]
Athletics
As a sprinter and jumper, Cussen won Irish titles in the 100 yards, 220 yards and long jump.[4] His 1928 Irish record of 9.8 seconds for 100 yards equalled the world record on grass.[5] He represented Ireland at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics.[3]
Later life and death
Denis Cussen practised medicine in London and was later a medical adviser to Shell Oil.[4] According to his biography in the Dictionary of Irish Biography, he was a "pioneer in the new speciality of physical medicine" and was one of the founders of the British Association of Sport and Medicine.[4] Based in London in later life, Denis Cussen died at his home in Richmond on 15 December 1980.[4][6]
References
- ^ "DENIS CUSSEN Ireland". espnscrum. Archived from the original on 18 January 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ "The august history of the Dublin Hospitals Cup". The Medical Independent. Archived from the original on 29 December 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ "Denis Cussen Olympic Results". Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
- ^ Shanahan, Jim & Rouse, John, "Cussen, Denis John", Dictionary of Irish Biography, Royal Irish Academy, doi:10.3318/dib.002351.v2, retrieved 17 October 2025
- ^ "Glory days of a true Olympian". Irish Independent. 15 July 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
- ^ Owen, J. Raymond (1981). "Obituaries - Dr. D. J. CUSSEN". British Journal of Sports Medicine. 15 (5). doi:10.1136/bjsm.15.1.5