Most of us imagine what it is we’d be doing if we ever received that life-changing phone call.
It’s an exciting thought. If offered your dream job, would you laugh or cry? Stay silent in disbelief or hug the person next to you?
When Niamh Briggs received that phone call to tell her that she would be taking over as retired Ireland captain Fiona Coghlan’s successor, she did none of the above. “I was driving my car and nearly crashed it,” she recalls.
There isn’t much that can prepare you for the elation of hearing you’ve achieved a lifelong ambition, it seems.
It was announced that the Waterford native was awarded the captaincy last Tuesday. Two days later, she was in London for a short trip to face the media alongside her counterpart Paul O’Connell at the launch of the 2015 Six Nations Championship. She appears ready for the challenge.
“I was very shocked and very honoured to be asked,” Briggs says, charmingly and beaming with pride. “To represent your country in any sport is great but to be captain is an absolute privilege and I really hope that I can do this squad justice moving forward.”
The 30-year-old is no stranger to the Ireland camp. The Munster full-back was part of the squad that won a Six Nations title securing a Grand Slam in 2013.
Briggs also featured prominently in the World Cup campaign last summer, when Ireland secured a shock victory over defending champions New Zealand, despite falling short to England in the semi-final.
The Limerick garda wants to lead her team from the front. “I’m a policewoman in Ireland so I’m incredibly busy between shift work and training and all that kind of stuff, so I don’t get time for a lot of other stuff during the season,” she says.
Now that she’s captain of the national team her schedule is only going to get busier, but it’s something that the former Waterford Gaelic footballer admits that she’ll take in her stride. “I think I prefer to be busy, I don’t like to be idle,” she adds. “I’m generally a happy-go-lucky person that kind of goes with the flow and I’m happy enough to do it.”
Does she ever have time to relax? “I’m a big movie buff, we go to the cinema a lot together in Limerick, a group of us from my club (UL Bohemians).”
For now, there won’t be much time for anything else but preparation ahead of Ireland’s Six Nations opener against Italy at the Stadio Mario Lodigiani on Friday.
Briggs admits that she’s relishing the prospect of guiding her team out onto the pitch, despite replacing one of Ireland’s most successful rugby captains, who stepped down last summer following the 2014 World Cup.
“I’ve taken Fiona’s advice on board, Fiona and Lynne Cantwell were very good mentors for me from the moment I started playing rugby. It’s very big boots to fill, Fiona was unbelievable at what she did, she’s an incredible leader.”
Much has been said about the new-look Ireland, with 12 uncapped players named in the extended squad. With a mix of experience and a healthy number of newcomers into the fold, does she feel the pressure?
“It’s good, it’s a breath of fresh air into the squad, having some new faces and new management it’s all different,” she added. “We can all play rugby. We’re all there for a reason, just trust in that and believe in each other. We’re incredibly close, we always have been, we’re known for that. The spirit in the squad is very good.
“We have a very strong squad, I know we have 12 uncapped players, but we also have a lot of experienced players so it’s important to recognise that.”
With an array of talent on offer, is this a pivotal time for women’s rugby in Ireland, in establishing a new generation of players? “The time that we have together is very limited so we’re trying to find a healthy balance between moving onto something new and being able to bring the newer girls with you.
“We’ve expressed our expectations with each other there’s just a good buzz. I think that women’s rugby in Ireland is definitely on the up and we’ve got some fantastic players, I don’t see why it shouldn’t be.”
With that in mind, it’s evident that Briggs’ appointment will reinvigorate Ireland’s title chances. Well-deserved, it’s fascinating it all stemmed from that one phone call.
