Luke Murtagh shines for Ireland at U20 World Championship

Former Mullingar RFC youth player Luke Murtagh capped a memorable week by helping the Ireland U20s to victory over Italy at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Georgia on Saturday evening.

The tighthead prop, who came through the youth ranks at Mullingar RFC before moving on to Galwegians and the Connacht academy, came off the bench at half-time in Kutaisi as Ireland won 34-26 to claim ninth place in the 16-team tournament.

Murtagh’s involvement was all the more impressive given the circumstances. Having been sidelined through injury, he only linked up with the Irish squad on the Wednesday before the game, yet made a strong impression when introduced at the break in wet and difficult conditions, anchoring the Irish scrum through a tense second half as Italy fought back to within a point before Ireland pulled clear late on.

The win, secured with tries from captain Josh Neill, Duinn Maguire, Charlie Molony, Charlie O’Shea and Seán Walsh, gave Andrew Browne’s side three victories on the bounce to finish the tournament, following earlier wins over the USA and Fiji.

Murtagh had previously featured for Ireland during their Six Nations campaign, which included a Triple Crown, before injury ruled him out of the early stages of the World Championship.

Everyone at Mullingar RFC has followed Luke’s progress with enormous pride. His journey from the underage pitches in Mullingar to representing Ireland on the world stage is a wonderful example for the club’s current crop of minis and youth players, and a reminder of the pathway that exists for young players in the midlands.

The club extend warmest congratulations to Luke and his family, and look forward to following the next chapter of his career with Connacht.