Sean O'Brien agrees to play at grassroots AIL level in Ireland

Former British and Irish Lions back-rower Sean O’Brien has agreed to prolong his career at grassroots level in Ireland by signing for Naas, the Division 1B side headed up by Johne Murphy. The 35-year-old announced his retirement from playing professionally earlier this year, drawing a line under his career at London Irish when appearing in their Gallagher Premiership match at Bath at the end of the 2021/22 season in May. 

He has since taken up contact skills coaching as an assistant at Leo Cullen’s Leinster and had hoped to be able to return to Tullow, his junior-level grassroots club, to play some games with family and friends. However, that idea was quashed last month, the domestic level section of the Leinster branch deciding there would potentially be a safety issue if O’Brien was permitted to play at that level. 

With regulations barring recent professionals from playing junior rugby, O’Brien had a rethink and it has now emerged that he has joined Naas, the ambitious Co Kildare club where ex-Leicester and Munster player Murphy is in charge.

They started their league campaign last weekend with a 37-7 loss at Old Wesley, but the news that they have now signed O’Brien will significantly boost preparations heading into this Saturday’s round two home match versus Highfield. 

O’Brien won’t be named in the Naas squad as he has just joined and anyway, Leinster have a URC home match the same day against the Sharks at the RDS. However, the prospect of having a veteran player who was capped on 56 occasions by Ireland playing in the amateur senior-level club league will be a huge boost to the profile of the All-Ireland League tournament.   

Head coach Murphy said: “We had a very successful season last year and, as we start off the season, having a player of Sean’s calibre will develop our players. They will learn a lot from the experience that Sean brings from his playing career.

“The whole club, from grassroots upwards including all our players from minis upwards, all our coaches right across all age groups and also the amazing supporters that we have in Naas, he will bring plenty of enjoyment to everyone in our amazing club. We are all looking forward to having him on our team.”