Nick’s star on the rise in world of AIL rugby
Doyle delighted with Rising Star award
NICK DOYLE towers above most of those around him on the rugby field. Previously that might have applied to his height, but nowadays it’s the quality of his output that leaves him at the top table of the All Ireland League Division 2C tree.
When you excel to the extent the Enniscorthy Rugby Club man has done these past few years, recognition isn’t always easy to come by, however, that changed when Nick was named the Energia AIL Division 2C Rising Star award winner.
‘Yeah it was,’ Nick said, agreeing it was a pleasant surprise to win the award. ‘You’d think you are just tipping away yourself and nobody is really taking notice of what you are doing, but then to get that will help drive me on a bit more.
‘To be honest, I had seen that the AIL awards was going on but that was it, I didn’t know I had been nominated for anything.
‘The lads actually put it into the group chat first and I hadn’t even known what I was after winning, so it was a nice surprise to get, so it was.’
Given that the awards were pushed into the virtual realm, another unfortunate by-product of the current pandemic, he’s going to have to wait just a little longer to get his hands on his newest prize.
‘I just got a text off my manager and he said you will probably get something out in the post in a few weeks, so I haven’t received anything yet,’ Nick explained.
It’s four years since Doyle made his senior debut in a firsts jersey for Enniscorthy on a wickedly wet Dublin afternoon. While the opposition has slipped his mind, the conditions and the result haven’t.
‘The match was nearly called off, and I was like “ah god, first match now and getting stuck with this, it’s going to be a big tough match”, but we ended up going out and putting up a good score and a good win so it was a nice way to start off.’
There have been some highlights along the way. Nick is quick to mention the last two Towns Cup wins, huge victories that screamed Enniscorthy were ready for the step up, but one other memory tops those.
‘Probably the best memory that stands out is when we went out to Galway to play the last round robin game last year.’ Nick explained about the game that confirmed their spot in this season’s AIL.
‘We all stood around after we got promoted on the pitch, all the supporters and all, there was nearly as many supporters up there as we would have had at our home games.
‘Even though it was that far a distance to travel, they all came and it was special there, linked around after getting promoted.’
Enniscorthy had taken to their new surroundings with supreme confidence and were in a great position to take the 2C title and gain promotion again when they were stopped in their tracks by Covid-19.
‘It was heartbreaking,’ Nick admitted. ‘It was between ourselves and Skerries to win the league and we still had to travel up there to play them, which was probably going to be the biggest game of the year.
‘[We were] disappointed not to get to play in it in the end.
‘There was one or two lads who had been out injured and were just getting back to fitness so we were just kind of getting back to full strength.’
Fitness is not something Doyle has struggled with this season. He credits the balance he has been able to keep between his G.A.A. duties with Rapparees-Starlights, his college sport with I.T. Carlow, and his rugby with ‘Scorthy, as key.
‘I think the game management, they allow me to take certain nights off training which allows me to stay fresh, and this year is probably my best injury-free season.
‘I didn’t pick up any knocks and niggles and I’d say that’s all down to being let take these nights off here and there.
‘I have missed one or two [games], it will always overlap. If you miss the start of the rugby season, you might miss the start [of the other] because the two will overlap, but just going with what you want to do and hoping you can get out injury free [is key].
‘At the start of last season I was due to play G.A.A. on the Sunday and we had our first match [with rugby] the Saturday, the G.A.A. manager wasn’t wanting me to play at all. I had to think about the decision.
‘I said I wasn’t going to be starting for Enniscorthy because I hadn’t been around that much, but I said I was going to tog. He wasn’t too happy about it but as long as I came out with no injuries for the next day and I had a good game, so he was happy enough!’
The prospects for Nick, who has lined out for his county in football in the past, look great on the rugby field.
He feels like the sky’s the limit for Enniscorthy, with plenty more left in the tank when the game does get back up and running.
‘Hopefully now next year we’ll have a good auld run and finish top four anyway, [that] will be the main aim to give ourselves that chance to get promoted again.
‘I can see Enniscorthy playing in another league or two above, there are players there still that are young enough that we should be able to compete at a level or two higher.’