James Brugger creates history at Kinsale Rugby Club

It was a historic day for Kinsale Rugby Club recently when James Brugger presented them with his Ireland jersey.

Jamie became the first player to start at underage with club and work his way up to the adult side to be capped for Ireland.

He was also the first pupil of Kinsale Community School to be capped in rugby for Ireland, another milestone for the school.

He started playing with the club when he was around five, after a radiator ended his soccer career!

Living in Mallow at the time he was playing indoor soccer when he was three or four and ran into a radiator and gave up soccer after that. His family moved to Kinsale shortly afterwards and he soon joined the rugby club where he continued to play up to this season.

James is currently studying for his Leaving Cert at Bruce College and is balancing that with now playing All-Ireland League Rugby with Highfield.

He is one of the youngest, if not the youngest, players in the AIL as he bids to advance his rugby career, with hopes to play for Munster and Ireland well into the future.

TOUGH

The scrum-half knows well how tough that will be but hopes that playing in the AIL will increase his chances of being noticed.

His first start for Ireland was on Saturday, November 2, 2024, as they faced Italy U18s at the Stadio Gianni Vistentin. On the previous Wednesday, he came off the bench to make his debut against the same opposition and his display earned him a starting spot in their second clash a few days later.

Not bad for a player who, like many others, missed out on important years in his rugby development due to Covid.

“We had games on Saturdays at the pitch in Kinsale when I was about five and that’s where it started for me,” said James.

“It was mainly training and friendly games at that stage and you are learning the basics of the game. The league structure starts to kick in a bit more when you get to U10 or so and it goes on from there.

But I didn’t play are real competitive rugby really until I was U16 due to Covid as there were no games.

“I started at Kinsale Community School during the lockdowns so that was strange as well, so because of that rugby really only got going properly at the school in the last few years. Eddie Farren would have been the coach and driving force behind getting it up and running.

“I played with the school from second to fifth year, before I moved to Bruce College for sixth year, where I am now.”

Over the last few years he was called up to the Munster U16 team and then the U18 side first and got to play in the inter-pros where a particular game against Leinster is one he looks back on fondly.

I managed to score a hat-trick of tries against Leinster at U18 level so that is a game that I really look back on with some good memories.

“I managed to get two more in our next game against Connacht and it was from that the call from Ireland came for the clashes with Italy.”

Reflecting on what it was like to take to the pitch for the first time in an Irish shirt James added: “It was just the biggest sense of pride you feel when you run out. They had music playing and it was deafening and the atmosphere in the ground was amazing.

During the anthem it was so emotional and it was a dream come true and one that hopefully I will get to experience again.”

James recently presented Kinsale Rugby Club with his Irish jersey which is now framed and on display at their clubhouse to mark the historic day for the club.

But for now, James in concentrating on playing with Highfield and studying for his Leaving Cert and trying to balance the two isn’t easy, especially he is the only secondary school student playing in the AIL.

BUSY

His busy week revolved around their games at the weekend.

“We have games on Saturday, so I do all my study on a Sunday. Then on Monday I stay at school until about 7pm to study. On Tuesday I leave school about 4.30pn, after an hour of study and go do gym work and training with the club.

“Then’s it the same on Wednesday as Monday and Thursday is similar to Tuesday. On Friday I try to take some time off and get myself ready for the game on Saturday, so it’s a busy week.”

It’s a busy time for the LC student as he hopes to fulfil his ambition of playing professionally for Munster and Ireland in the next few years, but for now he continues to work hard with Highfield in the AIL.