WHEN Enya Breen ran onto the pitch at Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton, on August 24th, in the second half of Ireland’s Rugby World Cup clash with Japan, she joined a very exclusive West Cork club.

The Castletownshend woman became just the fifth rugby player from her home patch to appear at a Rugby World Cup.

Clonakilty’s Laura Guest, a veteran of three tournaments (2006, ’10 and ’14), was the trailblazer. Maeve Quirke, also from Clon, travelled to the 2002 World Cup. Eimear O'Sullivan, yet another off the Clon conveyor belt, was a member of the Ireland Women's Rugby World Cup squad in 2006. Jack Crowley, a product of Bandon Rugby Club, is on course to become West Cork’s greatest player – he featured at the men’s Rugby World Cup in 2024. And now Enya, who came through the ranks first at Carrigaline and then at Bantry Bay RFC, has added her name to a small yet distinguished list.

‘It’s incredible to think we were part of the World Cup. It’s something special,’ she says, reflecting on Ireland’s journey through the tournament held in England. Its closeness to home meant Ireland fans travelled in their thousands. A sea of green wherever they played. Sold-out stadiums.

‘The stadiums in Northampton, Brighton, Exeter – they were all jam-packed, and that’s not something we experience every week, or every year even. To be part of that was incredible,’ Enya adds.

It was the days leading up to Ireland’s third Pool C game, against New Zealand at the Brighton and Hove Albion Stadium, that revealed the true size of the competition. England had played in the same venue the day before, creating a constant buzz around the city. A huge contrast to Ireland’s opening games – wins against Japan and Spain – in Northampton.

‘We spent the week in Brighton and we were right in the city. Because in Northampton we were a little bit out of the way, we didn’t really get to see what the buzz was like. But in Brighton, the closer it got to game-day the atmosphere was incredible. There were so many Ireland fans,’ Enya explains.

‘To play in a World Cup was something I had dreamed of as a kid, and you don’t realise how much the sport has grown, how big the fanbase is, until you see the sights we saw in Brighton. You’d be stopped walking down the street, and that’s not something that really happens.

‘To experience that, and be part of it all, was unreal. We created so many great memories as a squad, and even though it’s hard and it’s challenging, we had a lot of fun too.’

Enya Breen with her sisters Aoife, Shauna and Róisín after Ireland's opening World Cup win over Japan in Northampton.

Enya certainly had a smile on her face on the super Sunday she made her World Cup debut – she scored a try in the 42-14 win against Japan with her first touch of the ball. An instant impact, exactly what she wanted and needed.

‘It was a bit mad!’ she laughs.

‘Scoring tries is not something that I would be known for at the best of times, so to be able to do that at a World Cup was unreal. It was nice to show myself that the hard work was worth it, and that I can take opportunities when they come.

‘The first game, you’re on the bench and you just want to make an impact, so to be able to do that was a pretty good feeling. It’s definitely something I’ll remember for a long, long time.’

What made it even more special was that Enya’s family were there to witness her moment. Her parents, Catherine and Ian, and her sisters Aoife, Shauna and Róisín were all in Franklin’s Gardens to see her shine on the World Cup stage.

‘It was great to have them in the crowd, to celebrate and spend time with them after games,’ says Enya, who, while based in Dublin now, loves getting back to Castletownshend, outside Skibbereen, whenever she can. Her connection to home remains strong.

‘I love going home. It’s a place where I can reset and be myself, and not be Enya the rugby player for a while, and that’s nice,’ she adds.

After Ireland’s World Cup exit at the quarter-final stage following defeat to France, Enya spent some time at home, reflecting on an unforgettable experience that had its ups and downs – the biggest down being a back spasm in the second group game against Spain. It ruled her out of the New Zealand match, though she worked her way back into contention for the quarter-final.

‘That niggle impacted my tournament, so it didn’t go the way I had planned it to,’ the Munster star admits.

‘It held me back a bit because you want to be at your best, but I couldn’t train. It was frustrating, but it’s part of sport as well. But to put myself in contention for the quarter-final was rewarding too, because it took a lot of work.

‘Still, away from that niggle, to experience the World Cup and be part of it all was just unreal.’

Enya is still only 26, so the hope is there’s more to come. She loved her first Rugby World Cup experience and wants more. That drive saw her reach the highest level, and ensured West Cork was represented on the sport’s biggest

stage once again.

Just like Laura Guest, Maeve Quirke, Eimear O’Sullivan and Jack Crowley, Enya stands out from the crowd. Little wonder the club she’s joined is so exclusive.