'It was terrifying': Aoife McDermott on leaving basketball for rugby

By Daire Walsh

Despite still being in the infancy of her international rugby career, towering lock Aoife McDermott is ready to assume greater responsibility with Ireland.

For just her fourth appearance in green, head coach Adam Griggs has entrusted McDermott to call the line-outs for Sunday’s test with the USA at Energia Park.

“It’s definitely my favourite part, I love the lineouts. The systems of the movement and things like that. I’ll be calling them on Sunday, so this will be my first time calling them at international level,” said McDermott.

Prior to taking up rugby in 2016, McDermott was a gifted basketball player.

In addition to lining out for UL Huskies and DCU Mercy in the Women’s Super League, she represented Ireland from the U16 grade all the way up to senior level.

The Sligo native admits it was a difficult decision to change codes but similar transitions made by Lindsay Peat and Louise Galvin convinced her it was possible.

“It was a very scary decision. I was literally walking away from the starting five of an Irish basketball team after a European Championships to see if this was going to work out or not, so it was terrifying.

“I don’t regret it. I think I had done as much as I could with the basketball and had achieved as much as I could.

"I just needed something new and I had seen Lindsay Peat and Louise Galvin cross over.”