I’m an all-time Ireland rugby great, now I run a Pilates studio with my wife
In sport, there’s few things as sweet as winning a trophy or a medal.
After all, athletes dream of becoming the best of the best.
Unfortunately for former Ireland rugby international Gordon D’Arcy, he had to wait some time before he had his hands on some major silverware.
It wasn’t just a drought that lasted a handful of years though.
Instead, it was 11 agonising seasons that came and went before D’Arcy was on the podium with his Irish and Leinster teammates.
What was D’Arcy’s finest hour in rugby?
The setting was the final of the 2008/09 Heineken Cup, now known as the European Rugby Champions Cup, at Murrayfield in Edinburgh.
That day in May 2009, D’Arcy was a part of Leinster’s triumphant team that beat Leicester Tigers 19-16.
Aside from being the first major trophy in D’Arcy’s career, it was Leinster’s first piece of continental silverware.
So it’s no surprise that when D’Arcy was asked by talkSPORT.com which was his most treasured trophy, the 45-year-old didn’t hesitate with his answer.
“I’m very, very lucky,” D’Arcy told talkSPORT as part of Buffalo Trace’s sponsorship of this year’s Irish Open.
“I played just under 17 seasons and for the first 11 years, I didn’t win any trophies. So the first one is the one that really resonates the most.
“With Leinster, winning that trophy with players like Shane Horgan and Malcolm O’Kelly, because we’d been through so much together after 11 years and eventually getting that first win, it was really special.”
What made the victory all the sweeter for D’Arcy was how close he came to being forced into retirement the year earlier.
How close did D’Arcy come to hanging up the boots early?
In 2008, D’Arcy broke his arm in seven places and wrist in three players during a Six Nations match against Italy.
“I had three surgeries on it and almost didn’t play again,” D’Arcy said.
“The surgeon was saying, ‘Listen, if the last surgery doesn’t work, you’re going to have to retire.’
“So I was always very lucky that I got back to playing rugby.”
Luckily, D’Arcy recovered in time to help Ireland win the Grand Slam, achieved when a nation wins every match in a single Six Nations campaign, in 2009.
It marked the first time Ireland had done it in the Six Nations era, having expanded from five in 2000.
That was the only time D’Arcy won the grand slam in the Six Nations, although he did help Ireland win the tournament in 2014 and scooped up two more European Cups with Leinster.
How does D’Arcy spend his post-playing days?
Inevitably, the time came for the 45-year-old to turn his eye to life post-rugby following his retirement in 2015.
Unlike many who try their hand at coaching, D’Arcy opted to throw himself into a completely different path alongside his wife Aoife Cogan in the twilight of his career.
The pair opened up a Pilates studio, named Form School, in 2013.
D’Arcy experienced the benefits of Pilates first-hand during his career and wanted to share the gift with those living in Dublin.
“It is absolutely brutal for men to do it, just because your legs and everything weigh heavier,” D’Arcy said.
“So all the extra resistance means men massively underestimate it going into it.
“But one thing I have noticed is you hit 45, it’s getting harder to touch the toes, harder to play with the kids. So doing a bit of exercise and stretching is very welcome and needed.”
Although D’Arcy’s playing days are well in the past, he still has a vested interest in all things Irish sport.
It’s why he is a keen spectator at this weekend’s Irish Open in Straffan,
This year, the event is sponsored by Buffalo Trace, an Irish whiskey company.
Along with being a visible presence around the course at the K Club, Buffalo Trace is also giving punters an alternative choice of refreshments, with one being the Buffalo Trace and ginger at the 19th hole.
Although D’Arcy enjoys a pint of Guinness as much as the next Irishman, he welcomed the option to try something a bit different.
“I think everyone needs to try a little bit of everything,” D’Arcy said.
“It’s definitely something new and I think it’s giving everybody a little bit of something.
“Sometimes it’s about having a pint of the black stuff (Guinness), but it also is about trying something new, trying something different.
“I’ve tried it myself and it’s a nice way to finish a nice round of golf.”
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