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Ireland U20s out-half Kate Flannery. Ryan Byrne/INPHO

'That was a surreal experience, seeing heroes like Aoife Wafer and getting to train with her'

Out-half Kate Flannery will lean on rugby-playing siblings and personal experience when the U20s Six Nations kicks off next week.

IT COMES IN handy for Kate Flannery that sheโ€™s the youngest of three Tipp siblings playing high-level rugby.

The older of her two brothers, Jake, made 12 appearances for Ulster last season. Alan, meanwhile, two years younger than Jake at 23, plays AIL Division 1A ball with Shannon.

โ€œTheyโ€™ve been class,โ€ beams Kate, 20.

But especially helpful is the fact that she and Jake share a position, out-half, from where Kate will look to shine for Ireland U20s when they kick off their summer Six Nations against England in Parma this day next week.

โ€œHeโ€™s been so helpful,โ€ Flannery says of Ulster 10 Jake, who will battle with new recruit Aidan Morgan for the northern provinceโ€™s starting berth next season.

โ€œEven just doing the odd kicking session with me and even just seeing how resilient and motivated heโ€™s been. Thatโ€™s transferred to me and heโ€™s taught me a lot on and off the pitch.

โ€œItโ€™s so handy when it comes to review. Iโ€™ll send him a few clips and say, โ€˜What do you think of this? What can I improve here?โ€™ and vice versa, so itโ€™s really nice to have that support.โ€

While Jake himself played for the Ireland U20s in 2019 and Alan played age-grade rugby for the Flannerysโ€™ native province, Munster, Kate already holds one distinction over her brothers in the siblingsโ€™ chosen sport: sheโ€™s an AIL champion.

Kate steered the ship expertly last month as UL Bohs claimed their first title since 2018. That her crowning moment to date played out at the Aviva Stadium only accentuated the joy, and it resurfaces instantly as soon as the topic is broached.

โ€œIt was amazing, genuinely,โ€ Flannery says. โ€œWhen I think about that day, it just brings a smile to my face.

โ€œGetting to play at the Aviva for the first time ever, having the crowd there.

โ€œSince then, it gives you confidence when you come into camp to be more comfortable in yourself. Youโ€™re not afraid to express yourself.โ€

Flannery was eight years old when she began playing rugby with boys in Kilfeacle RFC, a 10-minute drive from the family home Bansha. The nearest girlsโ€™ team was Fethard, half an hour away, and it would have required a separate car-drop from her brothers on Saturday mornings, so Flannery made do for a few years until she began to take rugby more seriously.

She also became a serious GAA player: she played U16 camogie and minor football with Tipp, talents which created their own crossroads in her mid-teens when she was also playing underage rugby with Munster.

โ€œI had so many great experiences playing rugby and I just loved it and it made me happy,โ€ Flannery says. โ€œI thought that might be the right decision.โ€

She hasnโ€™t looked back much, going on to represent Ireland U18s, and now U20s, in the oval-ball game. But Flanneryโ€™s experiences in playing for representative teams in both camogie and football inform much of her approach to representing Ireland in her preferred sport.

โ€œThere are a lot of people who you wouldnโ€™t know โ€“ or youโ€™d know from playing against them but youโ€™ve never talked to them before,โ€ Flannery says of joining Niamh Briggsโ€™ 20s squad ahead of their Six Nations.

โ€œOnce you go into camp, thereโ€™s a lot of time where youโ€™re on โ€” training and things like that. But thereโ€™s a lot of off-time as well between meetings.

โ€œEven at lunch, you kind of just find yourself sitting with people you havenโ€™t talked to before, youโ€™ll ask them where theyโ€™re from and how they got into playing rugby as well, and why they want to succeed in it.

โ€œAnd as well, when weโ€™re staying for overnight camps, they pick your roommates and youโ€™d normally be with someone who you havenโ€™t met before.โ€

Is there anyone who she knew only from playing against who turned out to be more sound than she expected?

โ€œAh, thereโ€™s a few!โ€ Flannery laughs.

Iโ€™d say Clara Barrett (Ballina RFC/Connacht). Sheโ€™s definitely one of my best friends now and I hate playing against her, but now that Iโ€™ve gotten to know her, I kind of know what sheโ€™s going to do when Iโ€™m playing against her, so thatโ€™s quite funny.

Flannery has equally gotten a chance to become familiar with what her awaits her if she graduates from U20s level.

Earlier this year, she was one of a few underage players who were called up by Scott Bemand to join his Ireland senior teamโ€™s training camp ahead of their own Six Nations.

Flannery says:

That was such a surreal experience, seeing the likes of these heroes like Aoife Wafer and getting to train with her day to day.

โ€œI think it was a good experience just to see what the standard was like, how professional it is, how much you have to just dial in. Itโ€™s a different standard to what youโ€™d be used to.

โ€œWhen youโ€™re seeing it from the outside, you never know what itโ€™s like but when youโ€™re inside there, you see the hard work, everyoneโ€™s undeniable motivation.

โ€œItโ€™s crazy. How everyone acts; it teaches you that if youโ€™re 15 minutes early, youโ€™re nearly late.โ€

Flannery and her teammates will look to make the right impression when their Six Nations begins in Parma next Thursday.

Ireland U20s Six Nations Womenโ€™s Summer Series fixtures (all to be played in Parma/all times Irish time)

England v Ireland, Thursday, 4 July, kick-off 5:30pm (Six Nations YouTube channel)

Ireland v Italy, Tuesday, 9 July, kick-off 9am (Six Nations YouTube channel)

Ireland v Scotland, Sunday, 14 July, kick-off 9am (Six Nations YouTube channel)

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