At 65 Ciaran Gannon is currently the oldest regular player at London Irish Amateur RFC, running out for our veterans, The Bs. He kindly gave up his time to tell us about his career and feelings on the game.

Q. Can you kindly tell us how and when you became involved in London Irish Amateur RFC?

Well, that’s a long story! I pitched up in the centenary season (1998/99) to play one game for the bottom side who in those days were the B2s captained by a guy called Colin Murphy. My cousins (the Frost brothers, Jonny and Mike) played for the Irish in the ‘70s and ‘80s and I thought before I retired from the game it would be great craic to wear the green shirt just once. I was 43, 16½ stone, a journey-man back-5 forward, with gentle hands! I’d farmed for ten years but was now ensconced in Esher and working in London, so Sunbury suddenly became very accessible. I played that first game, and we won. I then trained with the B2s on Thursday evenings when the Geese were also training. In those days the B2s ended their training sessions by being cannon fodder for the Geese, who were then coached by Alex Newberry, Gerry Holland and Des Quaid, all legendary figures at the Club. Well, I quite enjoyed those sessions and I think Alex quite liked my gentle hands, because two weeks later he picked me on the bench for the Geese against Blackheath. I played the 2nd half of the Blackheath game which we also won and I continued with the Geese for the rest of the season. Within two years I’d toured with the Geese to New York, played in their first league game as a newly reconstituted club, won promotion with them and won an honours tie. The next few years after that were busy and I got involved in the administration of the club being Head of Adult rugby for a while, captain of the Wanderers, the Bs and playing my final game for the Geese aged 50 against Jersey. Since that last Geese game, I have played on a regular basis for the Bs, one of the pre-eminent touring teams in England, with annual raids to Ireland (pre-Christmas) and a tour to somewhere exotic at the season’s end.

Q. What motivates you to still run out when most of your former playing colleagues are now focused on spectating and the après-match?

I can’t speak for former playing colleagues and I don’t pick the team, but I can make myself available for selection. So why do I make myself available for selection? Well, I have been playing team sport on a Saturday since the age of 8 and the cycle of a season suits me. There is the season start, which should be in October when the grounds are softer, but is usually in September. Whenever, it does represent a target date to get reasonably fit for. The next focal point is the raid to Ireland, usually at the end November, so it’s good to be half-fit for that, a bit of escapism around a game of rugby, and not to be missed - just one night away and an enjoyable game before the hurly burly of Christmas. And finally, there is the tour at the season’s end when you need to be ready and able.

In recent years I have played in Bologna, Split, Istanbul, Bucharest, Naples, Catania and Sofia, all of which have generated some very memorable moments. In between these international forays there are league games, friendly games and if we are lucky, and get ourselves organised, Friday night games under lights during a 6-Nations weekend, which in my view has a great future particularly for Vets rugby. Most of my current work entails overseas travel so my involvement in the Bs in recent times has been less regular, but the feeling when you get into the changing room pre-match and the first 2 hours after the match are good for my wellbeing. So, to answer the question of why I do this, well why wouldn’t I?

Q. I know many dads of mini and youth players will be reading this and be inspired by your story. What words could you offer them that might encourage them to come back to the game and run on for the Bs?

The Bs are a good bunch of individuals and characters, with the team constantly renewing itself through a regular influx of players from other clubs and from within the club. We have always welcomed dads from the mini and youth sections, and indeed many recent B captains have started their club lives with their sons and daughters as they embark upon their own rugby journey. You will enjoy yourself, play decent rugby and forge new friendships, so why not give it a go?

London Irish Amateur RFC Bs are generally made up of those players looking to play at a decent standard but with more than one eye on enjoying the social side that the game brings. Their season is filled with a mixture of friendly matches, league matches against local clubs and tours. They play touch rugby on Thursday evenings at 7.30pm on the 4G pitch at Hazelwood.

If you are inspired by Ciaran's story why not contact the Bs’ manager, Simon Browne and come down on Thursday evening. You will be made very welcome. (Click Here)

Photo from Wild Geese first promotion in 2002.

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