On Saturday Jack Boyan got to the opportunity to do something very special, he captained his country on the international stage. It is truly a special experience to pull on the green jersey and lead your country onto the field to face the best players in the world. On Saturday the opposition were Italy and the venue was Rome as Ireland put in an impressive performance to win 43-10.

Jack took his first steps towards this honour when he signed up for rugby with Mullingar RFC U13’s and under the tutelage of Paul Isdell and the other coaches Jack learned the basics of the game. At U16 Jack was selected for the Midlands which is the first rung on the Leinster player development pathway for club players. Unfortunately that season coincided with Covid and there was no club rugby for the entire season but the Midlands programme adapted to the restrictions imposed by Covid and at U17 Jack got to play for the Midlands in a delayed Shane Horgan cup against the four other regions in Leinster. On foot of his performances for the Midlands Jack was selected for the Leinster U18 Club side who won the Interprovincial title in September of this year, nine of this squad including Jack, were included in the Ireland U18 Club season. While sometimes it can seem that the opportunities for players outside the traditional school pathway are limited, Leinster Rugby have invested a lot of resources in the club pathway to provide players like Jack a chance to make it to the top of the game and Jack is proof that if you have the talent and are willing to make the commitment required you can make it. The next step for Jack and the other members in the Ireland Club squad will be to mix with the school pathway and try to earn selection for the Ireland U18 squad which will compete in the U18 Six Nations Festival in April as they try to follow in the footsteps of other players, such as Ciaran Frawley and Jamie Osbourne, who have come through the club pathway.