YOU COULD LOOK at Tadhg Beirne’s rugby journey and see a player who’s made it the hard way.
You could point to the injuries he had as a young man trying to push through in the Leinster Academy. The days where he thought he’d pack the game in, delivering pizza and starting a Masters with a view at a career in real estate. The moment Leinster told the Kildare man there was no contract for him. The decision to try a different route by moving to Wales. The injuries that saw him playing semi-professional rugby with Llandovery RFC before he started to make an impact at the Scarlets.
Beirne frames it differently. “I’ve had a lot of luck on the way, for sure.”
Perspective is everything.
His side of the story focuses more on the people who helped him along the way. Noel McNamara at Clongowes. Declan Fassbender and Mike Ruddock at Lansdowne.
“Lansdowne was pretty important to my career, for sure. I don’t think I’m where I am now if we didn’t win a Schools’ Cup in Clongowes to be honest with you.”
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Beirne playing for Lansdowne in 2013. Cathal Noonan / INPHO
Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO
It was Ruddock who helped Beirne get a foot in the door at Scarlets, and after a slow start in his new surroundings this promising young Irish forward delivered on that reference, and then some.
“It definitely took time to adjust,” Beirne says. “Someone told me before that when you move somewhere, it takes at least three months to settle and I’d say it probably took me a bit longer.
“It was in the middle of nowhere. I didn’t have a car when I first got over. One of the players, Dylan [Evans], he looked after me from the get-go. He drove me everywhere and helped me source a car and everything like that. He helped me to get on to two feet over there. Over time, I think I slowly made friends, especially outside of the rugby circle as well. I spent a lot of time with them and once I settled I loved it there.
“I was properly absorbed in that Leinster bubble and I hadn’t really experienced anything outside of it, so going over there and being on my own and away from everyone, that was probably the biggest shock to the system – learning to fend for myself properly. I’d say that was probably the biggest thing to adjust to.”
A switch was flicked and Beirne’s career, and life, took off. Six months after landing in Wales he met Harriet, who he married in 2022. Having played a total of 39 minutes for Leinster in the 2015/16 season, his first year at Scarlets brought 17 starts and ended with a Pro12 medal in his pocket.
“That whole year is still one of the most enjoyable years of my career because I went from not playing to playing every game. We pretty much went unbeaten for a long stretch of the season in the league. I don’t think we lost (at home) after the third game. The enjoyment we had within the group of players, they are the things I think back and say I enjoyed the most for sure.”
Beirne reflects fondly on his time with Scarlets. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
Those glory days feel a long way removed from the current state of Welsh rugby. The regions are struggling, and Wales are rooted to the bottom of the Six Nations table having parted ways with Warren Gatland mid-championship. Ireland v Wales is always a special game for Beirne and he recalls the love for the game he saw during his time as a Scarlets player.
“Scarlets are similar in some ways to Munster in terms of the passion they have for the sport. The one thing I found similar when I came to Munster was how passionate the fans were in terms of the club and rugby in general and I got that sense in Scarlets as well, and just as a nation they are very proud of their achievements and the quality of rugby players they have produced. It’s something they live and breathe over there.”
Had things worked out differently, he might still be on the Scarlets’ books.
I was very close to signing on with Scarlets in the January of my first year. At the time, the person who did the contracts, I won’t name him, he was away skiing so he wasn’t replying to my agent’s emails.
“I got a bit fired up, so I was very close to signing. I probably would have signed in that month or the following month. I wanted them to rip up my second year [of my contract] and re-sign a two or three-year contract.”
Only halfway through his first season at Scarlets, the idea of coming home and playing Test rugby was not on the radar. Then as the contract situation stalled, Munster entered the conversation. Before Beirne had even put on a Munster shirt, Joe Schmidt had him on board for Ireland’s 2018 summer tour to Australia, where he came off the bench in both games. He’s since become a central figure for both club and country, taking on the Munster captaincy last year.
“I was probably lucky I didn’t end up signing that contract (with Scarlets), for sure, because I would probably be in a different place.”
All these years later, the 33-year-old could hardly be in a better place. He signed a new two-year contract this week, and is playing some of the best rugby of his career. There’s a fair chance that if you offered any of Ireland’s remaining Six Nations opponents the opportunity to take one player out of the Ireland team, Beirne’s name would be near the top of the list.
“The lads kind of slag me that I was a bit late getting to the game so I have a few more miles in the tank maybe at my age,” he continues.
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“I feel pretty lucky to be in the situation I’m in. When I was 23 to 25, this was never really on the cards for me. The opportunities came quite late in my career so you certainly value it a lot more – well, I wouldn’t say more because I don’t know what it would have been like to win my first cap at 20, but I certainly value it very highly.
Beirne has been in superb form for Munster and Ireland. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
“I definitely remember knowing that I felt that I had the capabilities. I always felt that I was as good on the training field as a lot of players out there. I just felt like I wasn’t getting the opportunity. Injuries get in the way as well and timing can be a big thing – I’ve said it before, my timing in Scarlets was just luck in terms of getting my opportunity.
“I did believe I was good enough, hence my decision to go over to Scarlets and give it one more crack. I think the belief was there. It probably started to dwindle a bit as my Leinster career started to dwindle a bit. That’s probably where I started to second-guess myself but I had enough belief there to give it one more go at Scarlets.”
There’s been some bumps in the road and a touch of good fortune along the way, but you couldn’t say Beirne hasn’t worked hard for it.
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'When I was 23 to 25, this was never really on the cards for me'
YOU COULD LOOK at Tadhg Beirne’s rugby journey and see a player who’s made it the hard way.
You could point to the injuries he had as a young man trying to push through in the Leinster Academy. The days where he thought he’d pack the game in, delivering pizza and starting a Masters with a view at a career in real estate. The moment Leinster told the Kildare man there was no contract for him. The decision to try a different route by moving to Wales. The injuries that saw him playing semi-professional rugby with Llandovery RFC before he started to make an impact at the Scarlets.
Beirne frames it differently. “I’ve had a lot of luck on the way, for sure.”
Perspective is everything.
His side of the story focuses more on the people who helped him along the way. Noel McNamara at Clongowes. Declan Fassbender and Mike Ruddock at Lansdowne.
“Lansdowne was pretty important to my career, for sure. I don’t think I’m where I am now if we didn’t win a Schools’ Cup in Clongowes to be honest with you.”
It was Ruddock who helped Beirne get a foot in the door at Scarlets, and after a slow start in his new surroundings this promising young Irish forward delivered on that reference, and then some.
“It definitely took time to adjust,” Beirne says. “Someone told me before that when you move somewhere, it takes at least three months to settle and I’d say it probably took me a bit longer.
“It was in the middle of nowhere. I didn’t have a car when I first got over. One of the players, Dylan [Evans], he looked after me from the get-go. He drove me everywhere and helped me source a car and everything like that. He helped me to get on to two feet over there. Over time, I think I slowly made friends, especially outside of the rugby circle as well. I spent a lot of time with them and once I settled I loved it there.
“I was properly absorbed in that Leinster bubble and I hadn’t really experienced anything outside of it, so going over there and being on my own and away from everyone, that was probably the biggest shock to the system – learning to fend for myself properly. I’d say that was probably the biggest thing to adjust to.”
A switch was flicked and Beirne’s career, and life, took off. Six months after landing in Wales he met Harriet, who he married in 2022. Having played a total of 39 minutes for Leinster in the 2015/16 season, his first year at Scarlets brought 17 starts and ended with a Pro12 medal in his pocket.
“That whole year is still one of the most enjoyable years of my career because I went from not playing to playing every game. We pretty much went unbeaten for a long stretch of the season in the league. I don’t think we lost (at home) after the third game. The enjoyment we had within the group of players, they are the things I think back and say I enjoyed the most for sure.”
Those glory days feel a long way removed from the current state of Welsh rugby. The regions are struggling, and Wales are rooted to the bottom of the Six Nations table having parted ways with Warren Gatland mid-championship. Ireland v Wales is always a special game for Beirne and he recalls the love for the game he saw during his time as a Scarlets player.
“Scarlets are similar in some ways to Munster in terms of the passion they have for the sport. The one thing I found similar when I came to Munster was how passionate the fans were in terms of the club and rugby in general and I got that sense in Scarlets as well, and just as a nation they are very proud of their achievements and the quality of rugby players they have produced. It’s something they live and breathe over there.”
Had things worked out differently, he might still be on the Scarlets’ books.
“I got a bit fired up, so I was very close to signing. I probably would have signed in that month or the following month. I wanted them to rip up my second year [of my contract] and re-sign a two or three-year contract.”
Only halfway through his first season at Scarlets, the idea of coming home and playing Test rugby was not on the radar. Then as the contract situation stalled, Munster entered the conversation. Before Beirne had even put on a Munster shirt, Joe Schmidt had him on board for Ireland’s 2018 summer tour to Australia, where he came off the bench in both games. He’s since become a central figure for both club and country, taking on the Munster captaincy last year.
“I was probably lucky I didn’t end up signing that contract (with Scarlets), for sure, because I would probably be in a different place.”
All these years later, the 33-year-old could hardly be in a better place. He signed a new two-year contract this week, and is playing some of the best rugby of his career. There’s a fair chance that if you offered any of Ireland’s remaining Six Nations opponents the opportunity to take one player out of the Ireland team, Beirne’s name would be near the top of the list.
“The lads kind of slag me that I was a bit late getting to the game so I have a few more miles in the tank maybe at my age,” he continues.
“I feel pretty lucky to be in the situation I’m in. When I was 23 to 25, this was never really on the cards for me. The opportunities came quite late in my career so you certainly value it a lot more – well, I wouldn’t say more because I don’t know what it would have been like to win my first cap at 20, but I certainly value it very highly.
“I definitely remember knowing that I felt that I had the capabilities. I always felt that I was as good on the training field as a lot of players out there. I just felt like I wasn’t getting the opportunity. Injuries get in the way as well and timing can be a big thing – I’ve said it before, my timing in Scarlets was just luck in terms of getting my opportunity.
“I did believe I was good enough, hence my decision to go over to Scarlets and give it one more crack. I think the belief was there. It probably started to dwindle a bit as my Leinster career started to dwindle a bit. That’s probably where I started to second-guess myself but I had enough belief there to give it one more go at Scarlets.”
There’s been some bumps in the road and a touch of good fortune along the way, but you couldn’t say Beirne hasn’t worked hard for it.
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