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Leinster winger Barry Daly retires from playing with immediate effect

(Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Leinster winger Barry Daly has retired from playing with immediate effect following two injury-hampered years, the 27-year-old deciding to travel to the United States to continue his education with a masters in business at Boston College. 

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Daly’s fortunes in the pro ranks were always viewed with curiosity in Ireland as rather than emerging from the famed Leinster academy, he made the breakthrough via the amateur All-Ireland club league where his try-scoring consistency with UCD secured him a trial with Leo Cullen’s side. 

He went on to score 19 tries in 36 appearances and was even called up to Ireland training, but he has now deiced to step away from the game after his initial momentum was stalled in recent years through injury. 

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Explaining his decision on the Leinster club website, Daly said: “It was a combination of things, the knee, two years of injuries, I got the opportunity to study abroad. I’ve got a scholarship to study in Boston for two years, I’m doing an MBA there.

“I didn’t really know for sure until towards the end of my injury rehab. I was coming back, looking to play and the whole pandemic was just kicking off then.

“Thankfully, Ella McCabe (Rugby Players Ireland) had been on my case hard the last couple of years with all the injury time to prepare for after rugby and she put me on to this scholarship.

“I actually got that fairly shortly after the whole lockdown kicked off so that was pretty much the decision made for me. I wasn’t able to play for Leinster anymore and I’d gotten this incredible opportunity to go and study in Boston College.

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“I had given up on the rugby dream,” he added, reflecting on his circuitous route into the professional ranks. “I decided to enjoy playing in the AIL with UCD. The main catalyst to get me back going was when Noel McNamara started coaching in UCD. 

“We had an incredible team that year, 12 out of the 15 from that team are now pro players or something like that. But Noel really lit the fire back under me, to get back going, and actually try and love the game again. 

“Then I got the chance with Leinster to go on trial for a month, that feels like a very long time ago now but it was an incredible experience. I was always so thankful that I got to see both sides of the coin of the disappointment of being turned down and having to face the real world and also getting the second chance.”

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JW 15 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

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