Dave Kilcoyne on retirement, Christmas traditions and Munster rugby heroes

What is it like for professional athletes to retire? Manon Gilbart talks to former Munster and Ireland player Dave Kilcoyne to find out

Dave Kilcoyne: ' If we finish a game with Munster, we always go ‘1, 2, 3 Axel’. His memory lives on now.' File photo: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Retirement following a 15-year career playing for Munster and Ireland sees Dave Kilcoyne now working in Dublin where he is slowly getting accustomed to a different routine, as well as learning the meaning behind an oft-quoted saying.

“There's that old expression that says athletes die twice. For me it was a little bit different, I presume, because you get to 36, a good age. When you do the same thing for so long, I think I was ready for it,” he told the Irish Examiner.