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Scrubs and Scrums

Medical practitioners are a brave breed: they need to be – even though they act as the bumpers for someone’s health and wellbeing, it doesn’t always mean that the ten pins ahead will be knocked down. Their true talent lies in adapting to the unforeseen.

While we might overly-dramatise the game of rugby, its players are of a similarly brave disposition. They all know how to get from A to B, but the ones who stand out are those who rise above the obstacles in their path.

Trainee doctor Eimear Corri is a good example. In her own telling, she dulls her story as if mere happenstance saw her earn her first Irish cap last year. She adopts the same humble tone when speaking of her imminent internship at a leading Irish hospital.

Of course, both pursuits may indeed simply form part of Eimear’s picture but to most, it’s a remarkable balance of elite disciplines over many years of dedication.

It has stepped up a few gears in recent months too. Last September Corri’s longstanding ambition to play for Ireland was realised when she was called upon by Scott Bemand for WXV3. She had been impressing for several months as an athletic forward for both for Blackrock College and Leinster Rugby.

Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Tom Maher

Yet the timing was far from ideal. She was already entrenched in her final year of medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), juggling demanding placements and continuous assessments which would shape her trajectory in a competitive healthcare sphere.

“When I got the call-up for WXV3 I was already on placement and working towards my finals, so it wasn’t really a case of whether I commit to one or the other – that decision was already made,” Corri explains.

“I had never really been in the equation to remove myself from it, so there was never a call to say I wasn’t up for selection or anything,” she continues. “I was just enjoying myself and put my hand up through my performances even though I knew that if the call ever were to come, there’d be a fair bit of work involved.”

Balancing the demands of her studies with the expectations of an elite international athlete required careful communication and planning. It was a path fraught with challenges and so Corri came to rely on people like Aoife Lane (Player Development Manager for the Women’s XVs) to ensure that she remained on track.

“With the support of RCSI, my coaches and Aoife, it felt like we were all on a little journey together. It was important that everyone was on the same page, especially me. There were times when I had to understand that if they felt something couldn’t be done, I had to accept it.  

“Yet as difficult as I knew it was going to be, playing for Ireland wasn’t something I was prepared to turn down.”

Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Martin Seras Lima

Growing up in Portlaoise, Corri always harboured dreams of playing for Ireland and so while her commitments were often taxing, she kept the potential trade-off in her sights.

“I think the toughest thing was actually being on my feet all day and then trying to be as energetic as possible at training. My placement schedule didn’t really allow for what was recommended in terms of rest, recovery, and nutrition.

“As a student doctor, I also had to be mentally switched on throughout the day. You’re effectively learning on the job and while you don’t have the same hands-on responsibilities, you can’t just go ‘screw this, I’m off to lunch!’

“It wasn’t easy, but the things you once could only dream about never are.”

Integrated into the provincial system at a young age as a flying winger, by 18 she had already been part of a successful interprovincial campaign with Leinster prompting her to recalibrate and set her sights on the next step: a senior Irish cap.

However, her early progress was soon halted by a series of severe injuries.

“I fractured my ankle in 2017 and did the other one on my comeback. All in, I was sidelined for about three seasons,” she recalls. “I had rehabbed with a huge goal in mind, but the reality was that I was several rungs down the ladder. I noticed I didn’t have the same agility and the fast feet I relied on had gone missing.

“Above all it was a massive mental adjustment and there were times when it might have been easier to say: ‘you know what, I think I’ll leave it.’ I don’t think anybody would have batted much of an eyelid. Yet I think it all made me realise how much I wanted to play for Ireland and I was very willing to learn and work hard.

Having failed to make the Leinster squad and struggled to establish herself in Blackrock’s first XV, Eimear spoke openly with her coaches about the difficulties she was experiencing and sought assurances that this wasn’t the beginning of the end. In return she promised to work diligently at whatever they suggested. As it happened, there was an opening in their pack.

Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Lorraine O’Sullivan

“In hindsight I do wonder if they suggested it just because I was tall but I made the move to the second row nonetheless!” she says. “It was definitely a different kind of enjoyment. I had so much to learn: the technicalities of the position, all the set-piece information and figuring out how to work in a pod rather than being at the end of a move!”

Ultimately, Eimear’s perseverance paid off. Her form saw her rise through the ranks again and she made her Irish debut from the bench against Kazakhstan in Dubai last October. She followed it with a start in the crunch WXV3 clash with Colombia and was part of the squad for their recent Six Nations campaign. 

“That first cap will remain with me forever. My parents travelled over to Dubai from Portlaoise. The whole thing was an unbelievable experience. It was such an enjoyable environment and I loved having the extra time in the day to build real connections with the other players. It was also a massive opportunity to learn how elite players prepare, how they approach their day and how they analyse the opposition.

“I had to adopt a common-sense approach too despite how easy it would have been to roll with everything and go for coffees with the girls, but with it being my final year there was no let up from an academic point of view.”

Royal College of Surgeons

With her next step in her medical journey determined by her national ranking, Eimear also found herself in the midst of a competitive academic environment. The potential to burn out was vast, yet she relied on others to ensure she remained on track, as she will do into the future.

“Obviously it’s a massive year from a medicine point of view but at the back of my mind I’m very aware that there is a Rugby World Cup on the horizon. Once I settle into my internship I’ll sit down with Aoife [Lane] again and we’ll figure out what meshes with the rugby calendar.

“Aoife has been amazing. She’s one of the first people I’ll call about all of this stuff. As players we can be totally immersed in our rugby and it can often blur the picture but Aoife is able to step in a put her pragmatic stamp on things.

“She’s also the kind of person to get stuff done. I’m obviously quite busy but there are times that I put awkward tasks on the long finger too, yet nothing is ever an issue and she’ll always sort me out. I still work off an excel sheet she created for me – I think I shared it with half of the squad!

“And yet I also appreciate that she is her own person too, and I enjoy her company and how I can bounce things off her. God, if I told you the number of times I’ve popped my head around the door in the HPC to see if she was there…!

“That’s the importance of Rugby Players Ireland for me. They are the link between it all.”