THERE will be Donegal interest in the World Rugby U20 Championship which gets underway on Tuesday next in Manchester.
It follows confirmation that Ulster back-row Conall Boomer has been added to Nigel Carolan’s 28-man squad.
Boomer, who plays his club rugby with Ballymena, is the son of Theresa Gillespie from Portnoo and grand son of Mary Angela and Con Gillespie. His cousins include Conor Classon, the current Ardara GAA captain.
Speaking to the Donegal News in Ardara on Wednesday, Boomer said that he was delighted to be added to the squad.
The teenager was getting in some last minute training at Kentucky ahead of joining the squad yesterday, Thursday.
Conall spent 2015 on a gap year in Australia and helped the Western Australia Under-20s claim back-to-back Southern States Championships as a member of Cottelsoe RFC.
Ireland’s tournament opener on Tuesday [KO 5.30pm, TG4] pits them against this year’s Grand Slam champions Wales, who beat Carolan’s men at Donnybrook during the Six Nations, at the Manchester City Academy Stadium.
Four days later, Ireland must front up against New Zealand – the reigning world champions at this level.
Ireland’s third pool fixture pits them against the ever-improving Georgia on 15 June, ensuring a tough schedule in the group stages.
Conall isn’t the first Ardara man to pull on the Irish jersey however. In 2005, Kieran Campbell made his debut at scrum-half for Ireland – replacing Peter Stringer.
Kieran’s father Tom, who hails from Front Street in Ardara, moved to London, where he worked as a head teacher at a primary school, while Kieran played a lot of his rugby at London Irish.