St Mary's College RFC Yearbook 2020-21

Richie in
support
Oxford, where he did a masters in law and
finance. During his time there, he had the
dream experience of playing in the 2015
Oxford vs Cambridge match in Twickenham.
Getting an Oxford Blue is a marvellous and
memorable experience. His time in Oxford
not only favoured him but us also, for he had
a brought, close friend, fellow Blue, and
former under-age English international 7,
Gus Jones to Mary’s. Gus was a brilliant
player for us and a most agreeable young
man.
Richie qualified as a solicitor in 2019 and
joined Matheson. He always had an interest
in psychology, and has gone back to Trinity
to add that to his list if you don’t mind!. He is
obviously working his way through life by
degrees
When asked, what he had being doing
during Covid-19, he replied, “When last
season was called off a group of us kept the
bodies ticking over by following a weekly
programme from Marcus O’Driscoll
(Modser). I have done a lot of reading and
87
must have walked almost every trail in
Dublin now. Pre-season couldn’t come soon
enough, even just to see and socialise with
the lads again. I’ve taken a couple of
staycations in Ireland (Giants Causeway,
Kerry, Clare) when the restrictions permitted,
including a brilliant trip on the west coast
with Tommer. I’ve been brushing up on my
golf, which I absolutely love and can’t wait
for plenty more of it when I am eventually
dragged out of rugby”.
It is hard to hariolate the rest of the season,
but Richie is at the ready, come what may.
He deserves the many things that go with
captaincy, the club dinner, post-match
celebrations and very many more things, but
sadly it may not be. However, he has an
admirable attitude and stoically takes all
adversity as it comes. We are very lucky to
have a philosopher as captain this year. The
players all remain ready for action and every
one of them will tell you how popular their
skipper is and that Richie is ever ready to
lend a “Halpin hand”.
D. O’Brien