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From Sandy Park to Sandymount: Rugby Unites for Laura Sheehan

Rugby likes to talk about loyalty, friendship and community. Most days they are only words. Then something happens that puts them to the test and reveals what they really mean.

Those values will very much be on display next week when many of those who crossed paths with Laura Sheehan during her rugby career come together for a special 24-hour walk to show their support for the former Irish international.

A native of Urhan on the Beara Peninsula, Sheehan is currently receiving ongoing treatment in St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin as she continues her recovery following a breast cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

Complications arising from her illness led to the development of a rare autoimmune condition that affected her sight and mobility, leaving the PwC Ireland manager facing an intensive rehabilitation programme alongside her cancer treatment.

Inspired by Laura’s stated goal of one day walking the shoreline of Exmouth Beach again, her former teammates at Exeter Chiefs Women have organised a 24-hour walk beginning at noon on Friday, June 19.

At the same time, Sheehan’s current club, Railway Union, will mirror the challenge in Dublin, with players from across the country gathering in Sandymount in a unique show of support stretching across two countries.

For Edel McMahon, the symbolism could not be more fitting. Indeed, when the former Irish captain was considering a move to Exeter several years ago, it was Sheehan who welcomed her to the club.

“Laura was actually the person who showed me around the place,” McMahon recalls. “She met me at Sandy Park, showed me around the building and the gym, and brought me to the beach – which was the real highlight for her.

“It’s mad to think we’re all headed down there in such circumstances next week.”

For McMahon, however, the event is about much more than fundraising. While there is an important exercise in raising awareness, it is also about celebrating someone who left a lasting impression on every squad she was part of.

“I’ve known Sheehan for a long time. Back home and over here we’d have played against each other many times before becoming teammates with both Exeter and Ireland.

“She couldn’t communicate with us there for a while, so I was delighted to get chatting to her the other day. I was asking her how she was getting on with the nurses because I reckon they’re having a field day with her. She’s got an unbelievable sense of humour… a bit dark maybe!

“I’d say they’re being kept on their toes too,” McMahon adds. “She is very matter-of-fact and really calls things as they are, which is a great asset in any dressing room. 

“Anyways, you’ll be happy to know that even though she is barely able to put her feet underneath her, she hasn’t changed. No bullshit!

“I think that’s just a mark of her general attitude to life. She’s like, ‘Ah yeah, sure what else am I supposed to do? You’ve got to crack on.’”

That resilience has long been one of Sheehan’s defining qualities on and off the field. Notably, she has been a prominent advocate for player welfare through the Women’s Rugby Association in England, giving her time to support player representation and development initiatives.

“She’s always been the kind of person to put her hand up where she thinks it’s needed,” McMahon says. “If the shoe was on the other foot, this walk would be classic Laura. If there was something she could do for someone, she’d go and do it.

“She is very clear on what the right thing to do is in any situation, and I’ve definitely taken inspiration from that.”

Unfortunately, Sheehan is not the first of McMahon’s teammates to have been affected in such a way. Irish international Shannon Ikahihifo revealed her breast cancer diagnosis in August last year. Thankfully, the back-rower is now cancer-free.

“It’s actually crazy how many people are affected in some regard by cancer,” McMahon says. “Just like Laura, Shannon is young, fit and healthy woman so when I heard her news before the Rugby World Cup and I was like: ‘What the hell is going on?’

“As important as it was to us, rugby didn’t matter in that context, but our teammates did.”

These experiences have given McMahon a renewed sense of perspective as she prepares to leave Exeter in the coming weeks. Having sustained significant injuries at the Rugby World Cup, she is steadily working her way back to full fitness with Ireland ambitions still burning brightly.

Yet Laura Sheehan’s ongoing battle provides constant reminders as to what really matters.

The fact that teammates in Exeter and Dublin will walk side by side for Sheehan speaks to a bond that extends far beyond club colours or national borders, and in McMahon’s view, reflects something unique about rugby’s culture.

“Even though Laura left a few years ago, the club is still rallying around her. I feel so lucky to be part of a community that never forgets a teammate.

“It’s something quite special about this sport and I’m not sure you’d get it anywhere else.”

While the Exeter walk will raise funds for the Premiership Women’s Rugby official charity, Breast Cancer Now, those who support Railway Union’s efforts will be supporting Breast Cancer Ireland and St Vincent’s Healthcare Foundation. DONATE HERE.

Yet for everyone taking part, the real objective is much simpler.

Every step taken in Exeter and every step taken in Sandymount will send the same message to a player, teammate and friend who has given so much to the game.

Laura Sheehan is not facing this fight alone.