Johne Murphy leaves pro ranks to focus on home front

At the relatively tender age of 30, Johne Murphy has called a halt on a professional rugby career that reaped great rewards, but he will remain within the sport to hone the skills of up-and-coming players.

After his departure from Munster recently, Murphy had several options that included more than one in France. Following much deliberation, he said yesterday, the best of those options was to stay at home, concentrate on other possibilities within the sport and also take into consideration the future career of his schoolteacher wife Kate.

Murphy, from Rathangan in County Kildare, enjoyed spells with top English side Leicester Tigers as well as Munster, winning plenty of accolades and trophies along the way.

He never got a full Irish cap but played on many occasions for the Irish Wolfhounds and Emerging Ireland.

Murphy first hit the headlines as a young player with the Tigers after being identified as a rich talent during his time as a schoolboy in Newbridge College.

He now returns to that schools scene, helping out at St Mary’s College in Dublin as well as adding considerable weight to the efforts of Naas RFC to move up from Division 2A of the Ulster Bank League.

“I’m looking forward to the challenges ahead, both in Dublin with St Mary’s and in Kildare with Naas,” he said yesterday.

Murphy made a total of 99 appearances for Leicester, winning the English Premiership three times and an EDF Energy Cup over the course of five years at the club. He was also runner-up in two Heineken Cup finals, before joining Munster, where he made a total of 91 appearances, winning the Pro12 title in 2011.

He also featured on the Ireland ‘A’ Churchill Cup-winning in 2009, the Irish Wolfhounds and the Emerging Ireland team, winning the IRB Nations Cup in 2014. He was included in the Ireland Squad summer tour, facing the Barbarians and NZ Maori in June 2010.

Looking back on his career, he said: “I am grateful for the long and successful time that I’ve had but it is now time to call an end to it.

“I would like to thank all my mentors, coaches, team mates, the fans who have made my time in the sport so special and most of all my family for all the support they have given me throughout the last 10 years.”