Cheering families and friends waving green flags and young fans seeking autographs greeted Ireland’s Under-20 rugby team as they returned to Dublin after finishing as runners-up in the World Championship.
The team, who earlier in the year won a Grand Slam in the Under-20s Six Nations, came up short against a physical French side in the World Championship final in Cape Town on Friday.
Walking through the arrival gates in Dublin Airport on Sunday afternoon, the squad were greeted by waiting family and friends. Team-mates posed for photos, while some of the players signed young fans’ Ireland jerseys.
Sorcha O’Tighearnaigh (25) was in Terminal 2 waiting for her brother Conor O’Tighearnaigh, who plays second row for the team.
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“I wasn’t able to go over with work and stuff, I’ve been home alone the last month because the whole family were in South Africa supporting them. We’ve been so proud of them all along,” she said.
“I think they’ve grown super close together, even though this is the end of 20s for Conor and a lot of them,” she said.
Joe Osborne, whose son Andrew Osborne plays on the wing, said the underage team were “absolutely brilliant”. Those gathered for the homecoming in the airport were “so proud” of the team, he said.
The group had to manage significant adversity during the tournament, with the shock death of Munster coaching official Greig Oliver following a paragliding collision.
The former Scottish rugby international had been in South Africa supporting his son, Jack Oliver, who was part of the Irish under-20s team.
Speaking on Sunday, Gus McCarthy, the captain, said the tragedy had brought the group of young men closer. “There was moments and days that were very tough but you know we stuck together, kept pushing each other on,” he said.
The tournament had been the end of an “incredible year” for the squad, he said.
“Obviously we would have liked to put a better performance out there on the last day against France, but that’s sport, not everything goes your way every time,” he said.
“I expect big things to come from many of the boys, I expect lads to go on and represent their provinces plenty of times and even the Irish seniors, so it is going to be exciting to see what happens,” he said.
Sam Prendergast, one of the stars of the team at number 10, said the result in the final was “disappointing”, but the tournament had been an “unbelievable” three and a half weeks.
“I think a lot of us are very sad to part now after spending so much time in close quarters together,” he said.
The death of their teammate’s father had been “incredibly difficult” for the group, he said.
“It was a real tragic thing to happen, I don’t think anyone has quite come to terms with it yet. It’s still quite raw and very upsetting,” he said.
The recent deaths of two 18-year-olds from St Michael’s College, Andrew O’Donnell and Max Wall, who had been on a post-Leaving Cert holiday on the Greek island of Ios, had also affected the group, he said.
“A lot of those lads who are in our squad now would have went on that same Leaving Cert holiday the year before. I think it was very close to home with a few of them, just very tragic news,” he said.
