Home is where the heart is after French sojourn for Con star Scannell

The Cork native is more than happy to be lining out for his boyhood side in the AIL after his professional experience with Biarritz.

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS: Cork Constitution's Billy Scannell

Whether it is celebrating on the top deck of a Cork City sightseeing bus or driving to Dublin with the Energia All Ireland League trophy strapped into the passenger seat, Billy Scannell has plenty of reasons to justify his decision to walk away from professional rugby.

The Cork Constitution hooker was representing the newly crowned men’s Division 1A champions in the capital this week and delivered the trophy as league title sponsors Energia announced they were renewing their multi-level partnership with the IRFU for another five years to 2029. At the age of 24, the three-and-a-half year stint at Biarritz he began as a 19-year-old is disappearing into the rear-view mirror and Scannell is perfectly at ease with his direction of travel, both literal and figurative.