DROGHEDA MAN PICKED FOR IRISH RUGBY SQUAD
DROGHEDA BORN TOM O’TOOLE GETS A DREAM CALL UP BY THE IRFU
A DROGHEDA born rugby star, who returned from a life in Australia at 16 to follow his dream, has been selected for the Irish rugby squad for the Guinness Six Nations Championship.
Tom O’Toole, whose parents live in Termonfeckin, was drafted into the Irish training camp last year and has now made the cut for the Championship.
Only 21, the burly prop is seen as a future star of the game and has impressed after winning a contract with Ulster Rugby.
Tom was still at primary school when the family left for Australia due to his father’s work commitments, but he returned at 16, with a rugby career very much on his mind.
He had also sampled Rugby League while in Australia, but settled on Union.
Incredibly, he came home alone, attending boarding school, his parents moving back to the region shortly afterwards.
While in Australia, his talent became obvious - playing withn the Queensland Schoolboys in 2015 - and an opportunity arose for the player to attend Campbell College in Belfast and he jumped at the chance.
He came through the system - playing for the Ulster Academy and Ireland under 20s - and made his debut for Ulster in April 2018 and won a senior contract last year that will keep him in the country until 2022.
O’Toole’s explosive power, great mobility and supreme handling skills has made him a firm favourite with the Ulster fans and clearly with the Irish management.
Ireland open their 2020 Guinness Six Nations campaign against Scotland at the Aviva
Stadium on Saturday, February 1 before welcoming Wales to the Aviva a week later on Saturday,
February 8. Ireland’s final home game is against Italy on Saturday, March 7.