RWC 2023: Brian O’Driscoll - ‘It would be a very special thing for any Irish player’

Brian O’Driscoll, an integral part of Ireland’s RWC 2023 board bid, shared some of his memories in playing in World Cups as a player and the persuasive qualities that the people, the country and the bid will offer.

The former UCD, Leinster, Ireland and Lions centre made 17 World Cup appearances during his playing career across four global tournaments. “From a player perspective it is the ultimate honour to play for your country, but to play in a World Cup is very unique.

“Obviously you only get the opportunity to play once every four years where everyone has the same motivation, one prize.

“At different times of the season, be it summer tours or November internationals, players are at different stages of their season. That’s not the case with the World Cup. I was lucky to play in a few of them with mixed success but you look back on some of the great memories of travelling and touring Australia for six or seven weeks, likewise New Zealand.”

He singled out the victory over Australia in the 2011 New Zealand tournament as a highlight before pointing out that for the Irish players potentially playing a World Cup final at home would be a wonderful experience, one he would have liked to experience.

“As envious as I was of the boys’ superb victory over the All Blacks 10 days ago, I can’t imagine how envious I would be of a team that got the opportunity to play out here (Aviva stadium) in front of their home crowd in a World Cup (final). It would be a very special thing for any Irish player. Fingers crossed we can keep the plan on track.

“When you look back on your career, you realise you have had your time but you definitely look at some of the younger guys with envy knowing what’s in the post for them. We are in a very good place with our coaching staff at the moment. Looking at Japan in a few years time, we are building nicely towards that.

“We have the small matter of winning back-to-back games against the All Blacks. We wait 111 years for the first one and then all of a sudden we are definitely going to do a job on them second time around. I can only imagine the airtime that New Zealand radio are enjoying with our bragging over the last 10 days.

“It’s great that we are pitching ourselves at that level and sometimes it’s about breaking the seal for the first time. Hopefully for the second time we won’t have to wait another 111 years.”

So what does he see as the attractions for World Rugby in staging the tournament in Ireland?

“You are looking at guaranteeing sold out stadia. You look at the passion that has been shown in sport but particularly in rugby over the last 15 years, be it the provincial game or internationally; there is huge excitement surrounding the game.

“You look back to the World Cup last year on a Sunday against Romania – 90,000 people turned up. No matter where you go in the world Irish people are going to fill out stadia. In your own country you have to feel they are going to do likewise.

“I was at the World Rugby awards on Sunday; yes, the All Blacks were licking their wounds but they were excited about coming back to Dublin. You hear, no matter where you go, you talk to people about the atmosphere and the welcome people get in Ireland. We are like that as a people, it is one of our great traits, you get treated with the utmost respect, except on Saturday by the starting 15.”