How a Ballygarvan GAA player ended up playing rugby for Switzerland

We have often seen GAA players move across and play rugby, with the likes of Ben O’Connor and Darren Sweetnam coming to mind.

But not too many GAA players from Ballygarvan take up the game in secondary school and end up playing at international level for Switzerland.

But that’s what Séadna Forrest ended up doing. His father, Ed Forrest, would be well known in GAA circles, having been an officer of Rebel Óg for a number of years before going on to be PRO of the senior board.

Explaining how this happened, Séadna said: “My parents are from Ballygarvan and my mum, Regina, is from Zurich, a bit of a mix. I never played rugby growing up but I always joked with my family about being eligible to play for Switzerland, even though we were always talking about football.

“When I entered Christians in first year, I was introduced to organised rugby and I was soon engrossed by the college’s sporting culture.

“While searching for some rugby matches to watch on YouTube one day in Transition Year, I thought that Switzerland may have a national team.

“I came across a few U18 matches. This intrigued me, as I was playing U17 and even some U19 Second XV matches for CBC. After some research, I learned these matches were from the U18 Rugby Europe Championships.

BREAKTHROUGH

“2023 was Switzerland’s first year qualifying for the 10-day tournament. I watched all their matches, where they faced Georgia, Belgium, and hosts Czechia in the group stage. I was confident that I was capable of playing at this level. Now all I had to do was find out how to apply. The Swiss Rugby website listed senior players with their clubs and Instagram accounts. I messaged players playing in England, explaining that I played in Ireland, was eligible through my mother, and asked if they knew who to contact for national team trials.

“Most didn’t reply, and those who did couldn’t help — until one response changed everything. A fellow second-row, whose brother captained the senior team, asked around and found the email of the technical director of all the national teams.

“I sent an email, giving my whole spiel as well as a short video of some game clips and, as luck would have it, I was just in time as the next day I was invited to a training camp in Magglingen, the Swiss National Centre of Excellence, ahead of the Rugby Europe Championship qualifiers.

“Now I had to break the news to my parents. 

They were speechless at first as I had never mentioned anything to them up to that point.

“They were concerned it wouldn’t be possible — the camp was at short notice and clashed with my TY ski tour.

“Luckily, my aunt stepped in, offering to host me Friday night and drive the four-hour round trip to Magglingen twice over the weekend, then drop me in Austria a day late to join my ski tour.

“Two weeks later, I was on a snow-covered pitch in Magglingen, straining to understand my French-speaking coaches as training began. Some teammates translated, though I still missed bits. We trained twice daily that first weekend, with two-hour sessions mornings and evenings. There were two main demographics in the squad.

“By now, I’d grown comfortable, picking up bits of French and understanding the game plan clearly. The next day, I was named in the matchday squad for our game against Poland in Geneva. When the team sheet came out later that week, I saw I’d be starting at lock.

BLUR

“Running onto the pitch, I was stunned by the atmosphere — easily a thousand spectators, far more than I’d expected for Swiss rugby. During the national anthems, I looked around in awe. The actual match became a blur after kick-off, though sadly I remember Poland’s physical dominance, especially at scrum time. Our 10-20 loss stung and it ended our qualifying hopes.

Despite the loss, I’m optimistic about Swiss rugby’s future. 

"I remain eligible for U18 selection next year, though balancing school work and commitments to Christians will factor into my decision.”