What a difference a day makes: Simon Zebo on anxiety and euphoria of becoming a dad

What a difference a day makes! Each week, we ask people to share the 24 hours that changed their lives. When Helen O'Callaghan invites rugby legend and father-of-four Simon Zebo to share his with us, he immediately knows he’ll talk about the day he became a dad.

Simon Zebo and family in Limerick. Pic: Brian Arthur

“I had no doubt. It was the first thing that came to mind. It was one of the most memorable days of my life, one that will stick with me forever more – May 14, 2015, when Jacob came.

“My wife had been preparing for the day, we both had, but Elvira was the one who’d be doing all the work. He arrived at 8 in the morning. Elvira was scheduled to have a C-section. She initially wanted to try naturally for as long as she could. I was very nervous really. I felt very helpless as a father, not being able to do so much, except hold her hand.