Murphy: ‘Every game that I get to play is a cherry on top’
It is coming up on six years since she last donned a green jersey at the international grade, but Jenny Murphy’s appetite remains undimmed as she looks to help Leinster regain their Women’s Interprovincial Championship crown.
A two-time Six Nations winner in the past – including the groundbreaking Grand Slam success of 2013 – Murphy opted to step away from the Ireland squad in the aftermath of their disappointing eighth-place finish at the home-based World Cup finals in 2017.
A subsequent anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained while playing for Old Belvedere kept her sidelined for an extended period, before she bounced back to feature again for the Dublin club on a regular basis. While Murphy hasn’t added to her 31 international caps, she continues to line out for Leinster and bagged a brace of tries in their 38-10 victory against Connacht last weekend.
“When I first started I obviously loved the competition. Loved the physicality of it and I still do, but because of the injuries and the knocks and the niggles that I’ve had, I’m just a lot more grateful that I’m actually able to do it,” Murphy explained.
“Every game that I get to play is a cherry on top because after one injury it was ‘oh, you’ll never play again’ and I did. Then I got another injury and it was like ‘you’ll never play again’. I’m fairly stubborn, got to play again and now I just enjoy it.
“I Still take it seriously, still work hard, but now it’s a game and I’ll smile and I’ll have a look around. I’ll play with friends. Some of them are a fair bit younger than me, but still have the craic and I still get that lovely knot of anxious energy come game day.”
Although she has become known for her exploits on a rugby field, Murphy tried her hand at a number of sports in the past. Before securing the All-Ireland intermediate club ladies football championship with London outfit Parnell’s in 2012, Murphy enjoyed a career in women’s soccer with Peamount United.
In addition to Irish boxing legend Katie Taylor, Murphy played alongside two international centurions during her time with Peamount – her close friend Louise Quinn and Aine O’Gorman.
While it is tempting to think she could have been heading to this summer’s World Cup with the Republic of Ireland squad, Murphy is more than happy to be taking on defending Women’s Interpro champions Munster at Musgrave Park this Saturday instead.
“I always really liked soccer and really enjoyed it, but when I first started playing rugby I genuinely fell in love with it. I think that’s the difference,” Murphy added.
“I love soccer. Got to play it at a decent level with some fantastic players that are now qualified for a World Cup and doing amazing things, but I just fell in love with rugby and it’s something that I knew I wanted to do and be better at.”