Jack Carty (30) is a rugby player whose position is fly-half. He is Connaught’s captain in 2022-23 and also plays for the Ireland national team. He is from Athlone and lives in Galway.
I have two older sisters and two younger brothers, and we lived in the countryside, but we were 15 minutes from Athlone. Every day after school, I went to the store with my friends and a ball. I kick about it. It was all outdoors, playing soccer and building huts.
Choose three words that describe yourself.
Loyal, honest and conscientious.
what drives you?
Proud of my family and fear of unrealized possibilities.I don’t want to look back to the end
A rugby career that I wanted to do more.
Please tell us about you and the piano.
All my siblings learned to play instruments, and my mother insisted that I learn to play the piano. I went to class and cried. She said I have to try it for a while. There was no reason for me to quit. It was an important life lesson. In sports, there are things you don’t want to do, but you have to do.
Best advice?
My Dad’s Words – When things are going your way, put your face in the mud.
What’s the best advice you can give?
Life is so much easier when you know what makes a tick.
How competitive are you off the pitch?
When you enter the sauna, if someone is already in it, you will end up staying longer.
What is your pre-match ritual?
I was over the top with this one. I had to wear the same boxers, or socks in a certain order, but I found this actually added tension. If I forget my socks, my whole routine is out of place. On game days, I wake up at 8am, eat breakfast and sleep for two hours. It’s the only thing I do regularly.na
Seriously injured rugby players may have to retire with immediate effect and move on to another career. What was Plan B thinking?
I’ve seen some rugby players come into their final years and panic – how are they going to pay the bills? There are people who do measurement evaluations and understand player preferences. They have different courses for all kinds of interests. It may be welded or baked.
Any ideas?
I know two retired rugby players who have turned their hobby into a job. Johnny Murphy played a prostitute and now she goes on Instagram as @the_hungryhooker. He loved baking so much that he opened a kitchen and supplies various bakeries around town.
Matt Healy is obsessed with coffee and opened a coffee shop. I will probably go into the family business. This is Oliver Carty, a pork and bacon factory.
How do you stay focused when the game goes wrong?
The hardest part is if you miss one and go again. To prevent head noise from creeping in, I do breathing and mindfulness. I don’t want the rest of the game falling apart if the kick goes bad. they are two separate things.
what do you do for laughter?
I’m around a lot of people, so the best way to recharge is to spend time with myself. After trying to do something you don’t want to do but feeling amazing, it’s for the mental component. It’s about creating resilience.
What kind of music do you listen to before a game?
Many players turn on dance or rap music. He seems nervous before the game. I use headphones with classical music to cancel it out.
Jack Carty is an ambassador for the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation. Proceeds from the limited edition “Odlums Big Book of Baking” will go to the charity Home Nursing Services. 25 euros at Dunnes Stores or jackandjill.ie
