Live

Repeat: Off The Ball

10:00 PM-12:00 AM

Repeat: Off The Ball
Advertisement
Football

Robbie Henshaw has dreams of making a return to Gaelic football

Ireland international rugby star Robbie Henshaw believes he will make the transition back to Gael...



Robbie Henshaw has dreams of m...
Football

Robbie Henshaw has dreams of making a return to Gaelic football

Ireland international rugby star Robbie Henshaw believes he will make the transition back to Gaelic football when his career with the oval ball winds down to an end. 

Coming from a multi-sport background in Athlone, Henshaw's rugby capabilities developed as he continued to play the likes of soccer and Gaelic football.

On OTB Sports' Saturday Panel, the Leinster player admitted that he is tempted by the possibility of one day returning to Gaelic football to play with his club Athlone GAA.

"I haven't ruled it out," he admitted. "It is something I'd love to do actually.

"To go back to where I'm from and I've a lot of schoolmates playing there, to just relive those good memories and play a junior came or something.

"Nothing too competitive, I'll stand in full-forward and not do too much!"

The British & Irish Lion went on to explain how Gaelic football helped him become a better rugby player.

"I think it was vital in my development as a rugby player to get to the next level," stated Henshaw of what he believes Gaelic football did for him.

"I think one of the attributes I brought through was the high-ball skill [and] when I started off playing for Connacht at 19 I was thrown it at full back so it was vital that I could deal with the high balls that were coming.

"Just having that base line of fitness that you have in Gaelic football, I was just speaking with Rob Kearney during the week and he's gone back to play a little Gaelic with Cooley.

"He was saying that in comparison to any game he's played that the fitness level with the guys there now is on a whole different level.

"So, if you have that base line of aerobic fitness from Gaelic that definitely helps when you go across to rugby."

Robbie Henshaw was speaking to OTB Sports in conjunction with the Sport Ireland Campus, the heartbeat of Irish Sport where high performance, participation and recreational sport live side by side, who are celebrating European Week of Sport to help people | #BeActive


Read more about

Athlone GAA GAA Gaelic Football Ireland Rob Kearney Robbie Henshaw Rugby Westmeath GAA