HE HAS BEEN operating in the world of professional rugby for well over a decade at this stage, but Ireland and Leinster scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park isn’t the only member of his household who understands what it is like to be an elite sportsperson.

An Oceania champion in 2013, Gibson-Park’s wife Patti was due to represent New Zealand in Judo at the following year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow before ultimately being forced to withdraw because of health issues. Before then, Patti had been ranked second in the Commonwealth in the 52kg weight division of Judo.

Initially introduced to it as a youngster in Gisborne – where Gibson-Park moved to from Great Barrier Island at the age of 10 – Patti has spent time away from the martial art combat sport in more recent times to place her focus on family life. Yet now that their children Isabella, Iris and Jai are getting that bit older, Gibson-Park revealed that his other half is looking to get back into the competitive arena.

“She represented New Zealand, she has done a bit of stuff at international level. She’s kind of getting back into it. She did end up qualifying for the Commonwealth Games, but she didn’t end up going. So she’s pretty keen to give it another crack. The kids are kind of at the age where she feels like she’s got a bit of time back,” Gibson-Park explained at a Leinster media briefing on Monday.

“They’re over the baby age and they’re all into school and creche. So she has a bit of time to get after something herself. There’s a 10-year period of pretty much being a full-time Mum, so she’s looking forward to getting into something herself.

“She’s a little bit older, on the older side compared to a lot of the opposition, but she’s going to give it a crack over the next couple of years and see how she gets on.”

It remains to be seen if Patti ends up back at the international grade of her chosen sport, though Gibson-Park did suggest she might consider pushing on for Irish national level.

Of course, Gibson-Park has just come off the back of donning the green jersey himself as he started all five games that Ireland played in the 2025 edition of the Six Nations. Having fallen short in a bid to claim the third Championship title of his career – albeit victories over England, Scotland and Wales ensures that he has three Triple Crowns to his name – the 33-year-old is now eager for a switch back to provincial mode.

However, he did have some time off and watched on from afar as another group of Leinster players claimed five points across their United Rugby Championship bouts with the Bulls and the Sharks in South Africa.

While they returned to Leinster training last week, Gibson-Park and the majority of the province’s international contingent also recently spent time at a retreat in Wicklow with renowned sports psychologist Ronan Conway.

“It [the retreat] was our first time back together as a Leinster squad, minus obviously the lads who were in South Africa. It touched on a little bit of goal-setting and that kind of thing. Some stuff rugby related, some not. It was awesome down there with Ronan Conway. It was a great first session to get the lads together, and outside of UCD. Which was great as well.”

After already facing Bristol Bears and Bath in this season’s competition, Gibson-Park and Leinster will encounter another English side in the form of Harlequins in a European Champions Cup Round of 16 affair at Croke Park tomorrow [KO 3pm, RTÉ 2].

In spite of their mixed results to date in the current season – eight wins, one draw and eight losses across Premiership Rugby and Europe’s top-tier – ‘Quins did make it as far as the last-four of the Champions Cup in the 2023/24 campaign. Whereas the London-based outfit lost out to eventual winners Toulouse, Leinster defeated Northampton Saints in the competition’s other semi-final in Croke Park.

A hat-trick of tries from James Lowe had the eastern province in a strong position at GAA HQ, before converted scores by George Hendy and Tom Seabrook meant Leo Cullen’s men were made to work for a 20-17 success. Ahead of his third appearance in Croker this weekend – he also featured for the province there against Munster in the URC last October – Gibson-Park feels there are some lessons from that Northampton game they can bring into their duel with Harlequins.

“We were lucky to get away with it, I suppose, that day. We made it very tough on ourselves and there will be some learnings from that. Probably a similar team. ‘Quins have some incredible players and they like to throw the ball around. We’ll certainly have to have our wits about us, but it will be awesome to be back in Croke Park,” Gibson-Park added.

Daire Walsh