News

Highlights: April 2025

Highs & Lows

Despite a third-placed finish, Ireland will be frustrated by the way their Six Nations campaign came to a close. A last-gasp defeat to Scotland in the final round meant that Edel McMahon and her team were narrowly deprived of three away victories in the Championship for the first time since 2017. 

Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Ben Brady

Nevertheless, there were plenty of positives to take from their five outings ahead of their Rugby World Cup preparations. Notably, Aoife Wafer has once again been nominated for Player of the Championship. Wafer was also joined in the Team of the Championship by Neve Jones and Aoife Dalton. 

Our congratulations to Aoife Corey and Jane Clohessy who earned their first Irish caps in the outing against the Scots. Jane is the daughter of former Irish international, Peter Clohessy. 

Thinking of You! 

Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Ben Brady

Sadly, both Erin King and Dorothy Wall will miss the Rugby World Cup due to injuries sustained during the Six Nations. King, named World Rugby’s Breakthrough Star of 2024, carried her impressive form into 2025, while Wall has emerged as a key leadership figure thanks to her experience at this level despite being just 24 years of age. They will be sorely missed. 

On the Move

Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Mike Jones

Having committed to the club ahead of the 2025/26 season, Lee Barron and Michael Milne joined the Munster Rugby ranks a little earlier than scheduled. Both have already made their respective bows for the province.

The duo’s former club Leinster have announced the signing of Rieko Ioane from The Blues on a seven-month contract which will begin following the November Test window. The 28-year-old has 81 caps for the All Blacks. We look forward to welcoming him to these shores.  

Following their defeat to the Sharks, the Ulster Rugby faithful bid farewell to departing players Corrie Barrett, John Cooney, Michael McDonald, Matty Rea, Kieran Treadwell, Alan O’Connor and Andy Warwick. Earlier this season, both O’Connor and Warwick passed the 200 cap mark for the province. 

Meanwhile, former Ireland U20s captain Reuben Crothers has announced that he is to step away from the professional game. The 23-year-old has stated that he wants to focus on his studies. 

Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

The Hooker’s Cut

Our congratulations to Rob Herring who this month became the most capped player in Ulster Rugby history. In the following weeks, Herring also launched his new business venture and premium biltong brand, ‘The Hooker’s Cut’. 

Moving On

Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

It was a similarly momentous month for Stephen Archer who passed the 300-cap mark for Munster Rugby. A cornerstone of the province’s pack for almost 16 years, he became the province record cap holder back in November 2023. As the month drew to a close, Archer announced that his long tenure with the club and as a professional player will come to an end upon the expiry of his current deal.  

Incidentally, Stephen was also involved as Tackle Your Feelings paid a visit to Carrigaline Community School to present the school’s rugby team with new kit as they closed in on the latter stages of their competitive season. 

EU Sport Integrity Day

Our thanks to both Kathy Baker and Jeremy Loughman who joined players, athletes and organisations across Europe in promoting fairness, transparency and the fight against match-fixing.

First launched over 10 years ago, EU Sport Integrity Day is part of a series of initiatives from PROtect Integrity Responsibly, an EU-funded Erasmus+ project coordinated by the European Athletes and Players Association (EAPA). Rugby Players Ireland is a project partner. 

Player Voice

Our congratulations to former Irish 7s players Billy Dardis and Harry McNulty who have been elected to Team Ireland’s Athletes Commission for the next Olympic Cycle (2025-2028). Along with seven fellow Olympians, the pair will represent the voice of Irish athletes and help shape the future of the Irish Olympic movement. 

McNulty is currently in training for the Rugby Premier League (RPL) is the world’s first franchise-based rugby sevens league. Led by Rugby India, the tournament will take place in the first weeks of June at Mumbai Football Stadium and will also feature Terry Kennedy and Jordan Conroy. 

Meanwhile, Rugby Players Ireland CEO Simon Keogh addressed the EU Sport Forum about the increasingly demanding scheduling and performance standards elite athletes face. Simon shared how members of Rugby Players Ireland are supported by their players’ association. 

Player Development Programme

In addition to career planning CPDs, our Player Development Team were their usual busy selves throughout April. 

Some notable highlights included a Transition Workshop at Munster Rugby with Scott Deasy, Steve McMahon and Ronan O’Mahony, facilitated by Marcus Horan. Deasy is a Management Consultant with KPMG, while McMahon is the owner of X35 coffee shop in Dungarvan. Forced into early retirement through injury in 2019, O’Mahony is the owner of O’Mahony Property in Limerick, while he also acts as a Player Manager with Navy Blue Sports. 

Meanwhile, Dr Emma Burrows accompanied Joe McCarthy, Ryan Baird and former player Jamie Heaslip to Trinity College where each participated in a summit based on ‘Leading for Good in Sport and Business’ at Trinity Business School, in collaboration with Trinity Sport.  

AIL Triumph

Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Bryan Keane

Our congratulations to current professionals Hugh Cooney and Andrew Smith who were part of the Clontarf side that claimed the Energia AIL title at the Aviva Stadium recently. Cooney stamped his mark all over the game with a player of the match performance, while Smith was fresh from his experience of Munster’s recent titanic Champions Cup outings in France.  

In the women’s final, former Ireland international Chloe Pearse led UL Bohs to the title in a tight battle with a Railway Union side featuring a 44-year-old Lindsay Peat. 

Beyond the Game

Mandatory Credit INPHO/Billy Stickland

In advance of their Champions Cup clash, we caught up with La Rochelle’s Contact Skills Coach and former Munster Rugby player Sean Dougall. Dougall tell us us how his MSc in Performance Coaching from Setanta College facilitated by Rugby Players Ireland led him to the top tier of French rugby. 

Read the interview here.

Johnny Sexton‘s appointment to Ireland’s backroom team was announced as it was also made known that he will travel to Australia as Assistant Coach to Andy Farrell and the British & Irish Lions.  

In a recent interview with the Irish Times, Shane Jennings lauded the work of Rugby Players Ireland and the work the players’ association does in helping players make the transition to a life beyond professional rugby. Jennings is the CEO of Dovida, Ireland’s biggest homecare operator. 

Read the article here.

In an interview with Business Plus Magazine, Tommy Bowe spoke of how ‘there’s a lot of living to be done in life after rugby.’ The Ireland AM presenter also spoke of the importance of staying connected with is former teammates. 

Read the article here.