STEPHEN SMYTH – Men’s Rugby

When Stephen Smyth scored a goal for the Carlow minor footballers in a tournament game the Askea player at the time could well have found himself at a crossroads. Rugby or Gaelic Football?

The oval ball was his choice and the former Kilkenny College and County Carlow FC hooker has never looked back. He led Leinster under 18s to provincial success and captained Ireland at under 19 level.

In the U20 Six Nations Championship in 2024, he started for Ireland against Italy in Musgrave Park.

The U20 World International Championships was held in South Africa which saw the young Carlow player selected in the match day panel against Italy (Ireland won 55-15). He did get game time but subsequently started against Georgia where he scored a try in a 22-16 win.

It was huge for Stephen when he was selected to start against the mighty New Zealand in the third place play-off. Ireland acquitted themselves well in a 38-24 defeat.

The former Askea GAA player plies his rugby club trade in the All-Ireland League with Old Wesley but he won his first Leinster cap when he came into the action against Connacht in the BKT United Championship at Dexcom Stadium in the early part of the 2024-25 season. With six minutes to go he got the nod and replaced Gus McCarthy as Leinster maintained their 100% record in the league with five bonus point victories on the trot.

Since featuring with the Irish Development Squad, it was something that Smyth hoped would eventually come. He was thrilled to get the few minutes with Leinster and has since made a second appearance for the province.

He is also a member of the Leinster Academy squad where he says players are constantly moving between club, provincial and international squads.

In a sport where rugby is becoming more popular by the week, the Carlow man is ideally placed. The standard is getting higher but so far Stephen has risen to the occasion every time that he has been asked to do so with Leinster and Ireland.