An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 33 By LT ADAM DOyLE, 27 InF Bn I n Ireland, rugby league is far less well known than rugby union. however, the fast-moving and hard-hitting league version is quickly becoming a popular rival, with new clubs springing up every year. Its main distinguishing features are that it is 13 a side, there is no scrum, and a team must hand over the ball to the opposition after six tackles; this encourages fast, expansive rugby. Having played union with NUI Gal- way for two seasons, my coach nomi- nated me for a provincial trial for the Rugby League Ireland university team. I passed the first hurdle in Galway in February 2017 and was invited to the trial of candidates from the four provinces, as well as players of Irish heritage based in England. Ireland competes annually in the Four Nations University tournament against England, Scotland and Wales, but 2017 was different; it was a world cup year, with the tournament to be hosted by the current world champions, Australia. Approximately 50 trialists went through rigorous sessions, testing physical fit- ness, strength, and technique. Initially I struggled with the pace compared to rugby union and the impact of the tackles. However, with more exposure to the game and guidance from the coaches, I quickly settled in. Fortunately, I played well in the fi- nal trial in April and after waiting two agonising weeks I received a call to tell me I had been selected for the squad. Over the next two months we met regularly to train, before setting off on 29th June for Sydney, where a tough draw left us facing the Pacific Islands (Tonga, Fiji and Samoa), Scotland, and Australia. In the week prior to the tournament two sessions per day put us through our paces and helped acclimatise us to the heat, which, despite being winter in Australia, regularly hit the high 20s C. This proved an extra challenge to play- ers used to milder, wetter conditions. On 7th July we began our campaign, los- ing to a very big Pacific Islanders side. This was followed two days later with a defeat to Scotland. I watched these two games from the sideline before making my inter- national debut against Australia on 12th July, coming off the bench 15 minutes in. I had only just entered the defensive line when I was charged at by a massive Australian prop. In the nick of time I man- aged to sink my shoulder under the ball and luckily he came out second best: this set the tone for the rest of my game. It was a closely contest- ed match until the last 15 minutes when the experienced Australians swung a series of tries around our outside defence. Although we lost, we gave a solid account of ourselves: a week previously, the same Australian team had put 64 points on a very good English side and many had expected them to put a cricket score on us. On a personal note, it was a wel- come bonus to have been high- lighted as a stand-out player and to be mentioned in the match report. Our last game was the 5th/6th place playoff against Wales, and I was named in the squad. After both sides scored early tries, the two evenly matched squads entered into an arm wrestle up and down the pitch until the Welsh broke the deadlock with the game-deciding score. It was a massive honour to represent Ireland and I must thank head coach, Carl DeChenu; assistant coach, Wayne Kerr; team manager, Bill McKelvey; and team physio, Keith Griffin. I also wish to thank the Defence Forces for allowing me the time to pursue this endeavour. Finally, I would encourage people to give rugby league a go and get involved with one of the growing number of clubs. Lt Adam Doyle receiving his Irish jersey from Shannon O'Donnell, former Irish rugby league star. Photo: Bill McKelvey

• Cover