Doubling up, Galway Races and blow-outs: Irish rugby’s drinking culture

Times have certainly changed.

Former Ulster and Ireland lock Gary Longwell recalls a time, in his early days [1992-95] at Ulster, when An Garda Síochana would meet the team bus as it crossed the border to the Republic of Ireland. Each of the Ulster players that had jobs with the Royal Ulster Constabulary [RUC] needed there own Garda escort, for safety and security reasons. The players were shadowed everywhere, even to the post-match functions. The drinks flowed and just about everybody partook. The late-night jaunts back to the border were lively affairs. Inernational duty was slightly more reserved but not much. Longwell played in rugby's amateur and professional eras. He witnessed, first-hand, how drink became less of focal point. He says, 'Davy Irwin at Ulster would tell you that the Irish forwards, in the 1980s, would have eight or nine pints before a match. That was still going on when I first came onto the provincial scene in the early 1990s. 'Nowadays, Paul O’Connell would deck somebody for drinking out of his water bottle, as he might pick up a cold.' Michael Swift, who retired, last season, after 15 seasons of service with Connacht, recounts a classic tale from the province. In the early days of professionalism, out west, Connacht played most of their home games on a Saturday as The Sportsground. Many of the players went out for post-match drinks and day quickly bled into night. The next day, one of the players with a strong constitution would make the call - 'We're doubling up!' Current Connacht captain John Muldoon tells us that those days are far from gone but they are happening with less and less frequency. He says, 'Look, I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a blow-out. 'Mentally, you need it. When you are in a team environment with the lads, you need it. You need that release valve. 'The Wednesday (drinking) clubs are gone. Those days are over. 'Swifty and Nigel Carolan would often talk about the days when Warren Gatland was here and they'd go into a town on a Tuesday or Wednesday night. Warren used to be with them as well. I don't know whether that was for better or worse.' Muldoon, who has three Ireland caps, adds, 'There is obviously still a huge culture of drinking with rugby. After a good win, you are going to go out and enjoy yourself. 'Personally, I don't think there is a lot wrong with it. Everyone is different and that is the key thing. 'Sometimes, when you are young and come in, you see a couple of the older fellas head out and have a good time. They may think that's the norm. 'One or two fellas can smoke, they can drink, they can do two nights in a row and rock up on a Monday absolutely 100%. 'I can't do that. One night and I'm dust for two days.' 'Each to their own,' he reasons, 'but, from my point of view, one night out after a good win is not going to do any harm. Other times (if you lose), you have to go out and commiserate.' Muldoon believes the growing professionalism within Irish rugby has consigned those drinking days [and nights] to 'the annals of old-school rugby and they'll remain there'. 'It has gone so ultra physical these days,' he says. 'Back in the day, you'd see a young lad come on the pitch and you'd say "Jayz, I'll run at him." 'When they come on now, you can't even tell that they are 20. 21. They're so big and physical. 'Rugby has changed and it has changed for the better but, look, we're always going to enjoy the odd night out.' Muldoon concludes, 'Sometimes it is beneficial for a team to go out and have a good blow-out. 'For example, a lot of us wouldn't have drank much over the summer and came back for five or six weeks of pre-season training. 'A good few of us went out on the Friday night of Galway Race week. It was a good night out. It was out first proper night out as a team. 'Straight away, you come in on the Monday morning. There's a lot of banter going around - Do you remember this, this, and yer man talking to that girl? 'It's good. It builds bonds and builds relationships. There may be a bit of animosity between two lads. They go out and they sort it out - some choice words but they come in on a Monday morning feeling better about themselves. 'It can be a good thing, as long as you know how to control it.'