In our new series, Behind the Player in association with Deloitte, Ulster’s Women players share a little bit about themselves, as well as recommendations for coping during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This week, Ulster Rugby spoke to Old Belvedere, Ulster and Ireland back-rower, Claire McLaughlin about her rugby pathway, as well as her work as an A&E doctor.
Tell us a little about your rugby pathway to date.
I started playing tag rugby when I was 16 at school. I played a bit of everything then; hockey, football and athletics. When tag rugby was offered, I thought, “oh my goodness, this is what I want to do!”. Being at an all-girls school, there were a lot of us excited to try it out. From the off, I just loved it. My local club, Ballymoney RFC started up a women’s side and I jumped at the chance to get involved. That first year, I did a lot of learning! I had watched a lot of rugby before then and thought I knew most of the laws, but there are a lot of things you don’t really learn until you play.
I then went to Queen’s University to study medicine and I had to decide whether I was going to play rugby or hockey. It wasn’t really a hard decision for me because rugby was something I loved so much. I started playing with Cooke RFC and in that first year at uni, I got into the Ulster squad and played in the Interpros. It was when I took a year out from medicine to do a BSc. degree, I had a lot more time to train, get to the gym and throw the ball about with the girls. That was when I really started to push on, and it was the following year that I got called up to the Ireland squad.
I never expected that I might play for Ireland; I thought Ulster would be the peak of my career, but through hard work and training, I managed to get myself in there. Since then, I’ve played 16 times for Ireland and got to be involved in the World Cup. I still feel I have quite a lot I want to achieve with my rugby!
Who have been your main influences on your rugby career?
My dad taught me a lot about work ethic growing up. He was always working on the farm and that was part of what has shaped the person I am today and why I strive to be the best I can be. He’s a big rugby fan and my younger brother, Jonny played rugby and represented Ulster at underage level. They would have been pretty influential for me.
Since then, a lot of coaches have really influenced me too. Starting with tag rugby, Benjy van der Byl coached our school team, and got me excited about the opportunities in women’s rugby. He went on to be head coach of the Ulster women’s squad, so it was nice to have the same coach coming through, teaching me the basics. I’ve had other brilliant coaches with likes of Gareth Bronte who coached with Ulster and later on with Queen’s - he helped teach me how to run lines; and then Simon Fitzgerald - he was one of the first coaches who said I should be playing in the back row instead of centre! There was a season when he had me playing in the back row but I was jumping in the lineout, then playing the next phase as a centre! It was a crazy season but I loved it. That was the first time I thought playing in the back row could be fun! Derek Suffern, the current coach of the Ulster women’s team was the one who nudged me further to move into the back row. He was fantastic at showing me what my strengths were and how I could be of use in the back row.
When you’re on a rugby team where everyone is striving to do better as a squad, you get motivated and influenced by the people you train with too. The other Ulster and Irish girls have really pushed me on to improve.
What barriers have you had to overcome to reach this point?
What have you been up to in the last couple of months since the onset of COVID-19?
The past few months have been pretty hectic for me! I’ve been working in A&E at the Ulster Hospital, and for the first while, I wasn’t too busy but I was still there 30-40 hours a week. The last few months, it’s gone from being quiet and uncertain to being hectic. It’s busier than it was before the onset of COVID-19; it’s a more difficult environment with the extra measures and social distancing we have in place.
I’ve been trying to train as much as I can. I’ve borrowed some weights to keep me going, and treated myself to a Wattbike. I’ve been trying to do some running as well, although that’s being put on hold for the time being as I had surgery on my ankle a couple of weeks ago. I’m now going into a period of rehab – I’ve essentially been rehabbing on and off for the past year, but I’m really hoping this is the final stint of rehab before I get back to playing.
Life has been a matter of working, training and socialising to some extent – initially with Zoom calls, quizzes and now we’re able to do more socially distanced gatherings. There have been a few exciting things going on too – I got engaged a few weeks ago, so I’ve been trying to plan a wedding on top of all that as well! It’s been a busy few months but I’ve really enjoyed it.
[caption id="attachment_35375" align="alignnone" width="769"]
Claire post-run before she had ankle surgery[/caption]
How do you stay motivated?
A lot of it for me is that inner self-drive. The competitiveness within me makes me want to be the best that I can potentially be. That has been the case since growing up, going through school, wanting to be the best in class, best at sports, wanting to win things. I’m pretty competitive even playing crazy golf, or boardgames! Certain people will tell you I always want to be right about things as well!
Being motivated comes naturally to me to an extent, but when you train with people who also have that same drive, that forces you to train harder. Looking at other teams is something that drives me on too. You can see where other teams like England and New Zealand are with their skill levels and how they play; that’s where I want to be and the the girls in the Ireland squad want to be as well. We want to be able to compete with the best teams in the world.
I tend to set goals in order to keep me focused, and try to be accountable to these. At the gym, I might aim to hit certain numbers or set myself goals to improve on a certain skill. In the past year, I’ve struggled with motivation on and off, mainly because of the ankle injury, where I’ve started to see progress, and then had setbacks and flare ups. It’s been a season of peaks and troughs.
[caption id="attachment_35380" align="alignnone" width="576"] All smiles after ankle surgery.[/caption]
What have you been doing to stay fit – any tips you can share?
I’ve been doing a lot of training- I love it! Initially during lockdown, we had a programme of strength and conditioning to follow, so I’d been doing a lot of gym sessions, running and a bit of Wattbike. We also had weekly Zoom challenges with the Ireland girls and our Strenght & Conditioning coach, which was a bit of craic, and recently Jemma Jackson has been taking classes for the Old Belvo girls over Zoom! At the start of lockdown, I also got pulled into doing a lot of challenges, with the likes of 5Ks and The Big Rugby Run with Johne Murphy for Feed the Heroes.
We’ve had a bit of a break now, with a few weeks off our scheduled training. It has been great as it has given us the chance to do whatever training we fancy. For me, it has been a strange few weeks, with getting surgery and not being able to do very much. Now that’s done, my focus is going to be getting my ankle right. The running will have to wait for a while!
Claire recently bought a Wattbike to keep fit during lockdown.[/caption]
What about any healthy eating advice? What’s the best meal you’ve made at home?
I tend to eat healthily for most meals, but I do enjoy going out for dinner, brunch and coffee - I treat myself quite often! Everything in moderation and having a balanced diet is the way it should be in my eyes.
Nutrition is really important to fuel yourself properly for training and matches. You’ll get more out of a session if you properly recover as well. A lot of that is to do with what you put into your body. I would be mindful of getting enough carbs and protein, and some fats with plenty of fruit and veg.
I’ve been cooking more and trying out new recipes lately. I tried making Nadiya Hussain’s peanut chicken and gnocchi traybake; it was so easy to make and tasted unbelievable!
[caption id="attachment_35378" align="alignnone" width="768"] Chicken and chorizo paella[/caption]
What have you been doing to stay calm and enjoy yourself while at home?
[caption id="attachment_35379" align="alignnone" width="768"] A photo of Botanic Gardens Claire took while out on a walk.[/caption]
Have you picked up any new skills or hobbies?
I got engaged just over 6 weeks ago and have been sending emails and organising things flat-out, so I would say that project managing is a new skill I’ve developed! I’ve had to learn how to use spreadsheets better than I had done previously. Keeping tabs on everything and who you have replied to, who you still need to contact, looking at budgets… There’s so much to do when planning a wedding! I think I have most bits organised now and just need to get a dress now that bridal shops are opening again.
[caption id="attachment_35374" align="alignnone" width="762"] Claire and her fiancé, Jonny[/caption]
Have you got any streaming or book recommendations?
I recently read ‘Why We Sleep’ by Matthew Walker. It was fascinating; it was all about the science of sleep and how getting sleep affects so many aspects of your life. I started reading a marriage book as well. I’m not sure if many people would be interested in reading it but it’s called ‘The Meaning of Marriage’.
I watched ‘The Last Dance’ on Netflix about Michael Jordan which was class. And I’ve started re-watching ‘Desperate Housewives’ on Amazon Prime; it’s so good and such an easy watch.
I listen to a lot of podcasts and have had more time to listen to them lately. I’ve been listening to ‘Baz and Andrew’s House of Rugby’ which I think has just finished for this series. ‘The Food Medic’ is a doctor called Hazel Wallace, who talks about everything from medicine, to food, to training, and she has lots of interesting guests on her show. I also listen to the British Journal of Sports Medicine podcast, which I find interesting as I’m hoping to potentially move into a career in sports medicine at some point. More recently, I’ve started listening to Niall Annett’s podcast called ‘Wind Yer Neck In’. He has lots of different guests from elite athletes to coaches, covering all sorts of topics. I’ve been pretty well-entertained during lockdown!
What has been the best advice you’ve received?
There was a player who has now retired told me, you should always give 100% in everything you do, so you can look back - even if things don’t work out the way you would hope - that you won’t have any regrets about it. That is something that I have incorporated into how I live and train. I try to give my all in everything that I do.
A couple of coaches have said to me not to forget working on my strengths. People tend to focus on working on their weaknesses, but if you don’t work on what you’re good at, you might lose those strengths. It’s really important to remember what you’re good at and keep working on those skills. They are the reason you get yourself selected for your club team, or Ulster or Ireland, because you can offer certain skills in your position within the team. That has been really useful advice for me.
What has been your proudest moment in rugby?
My proudest moment was getting my first cap for Ireland during the Six Nations in 2016. The whole year leading up to that was pretty mad. The previous season, I was on the Six Nations training squad, but never made it into in the matchday squad. At that point, I was happy enough as I knew I had to work on certain areas of my game. I worked on those over the summer and got onto the 23 for the Autumn International against England at The Stoop. I thought this would be my first cap and was so excited, but I never got the opportunity to get onto the pitch as I was an unused replacement, and this was really disappointing for me.
Then I picked myself back up and had the Six Nations to train for. That was also my final year studying medicine and I was revising for my final exams. They were in February, the same time as the Six Nations start. Going to Six Nations camps in January, I was bringing my revision with me to study before and after training and team meetings, trying to cram in as much as I could.
In the run-up to the first match against Wales, I was given the impression by the coach that I would be involved in the matchday squad and was training really well. My medical finals were also meant to be the following week, but unfortunately, I started getting heart palpitations during an Irish training camp. I was expecting to play against Wales and do my medical finals, but instead found myself in hospital getting a heart procedure! It wasn’t what I imagined February to look like, but thankfully three weeks later, I got to run out wearing the Irish jersey against Italy. It was unbelievable. My main emotion was relief but I was buzzing to have made it to that point. There were so many things that had gone against me, to finally get out there was special.
Another moment was getting my first cap in the back row. We played that match at Twickenham after England men played Australia in the Autumn Internationals. There were 80,000 people in the stadium when we came out to warm up. I don’t know how the men hear each other on the pitch with that many people in the stadium! The numbers dwindled by the time we came out to play, but when we went out to sing the anthems, the Australian guys were clapping us out, encouraging us. I had head tape on for the first time after moving from the centre a few weeks earlier. David Pocock looked at me and said, “good luck” as I ran past– I thought, “oh my goodness, one of the best back rows in the world just wished me luck!” So yes, getting to run out at Twickenham and play number 8 was pretty amazing.
You’ve already achieved so much but do you have any other rugby aspirations?
I feel like I have unfinished business with rugby. It’s been tough not being able to play over the last year because of my ankle. I hope I’ll be able to get back into the Ireland squad and there’s quite a big year ahead with the potential World Cup qualifiers and World Cup in 2021 in New Zealand. I would absolutely love to be involved in that. The World Cup we had in Ireland in 2017 was a massive disappointment for the team and me personally, so I’d love to be involved in another World Cup if we qualify and be able to say I’m happy with how we performed.
Claire post-run before she had ankle surgery[/caption]
How do you stay motivated?
A lot of it for me is that inner self-drive. The competitiveness within me makes me want to be the best that I can potentially be. That has been the case since growing up, going through school, wanting to be the best in class, best at sports, wanting to win things. I’m pretty competitive even playing crazy golf, or boardgames! Certain people will tell you I always want to be right about things as well!
Being motivated comes naturally to me to an extent, but when you train with people who also have that same drive, that forces you to train harder. Looking at other teams is something that drives me on too. You can see where other teams like England and New Zealand are with their skill levels and how they play; that’s where I want to be and the the girls in the Ireland squad want to be as well. We want to be able to compete with the best teams in the world.
I tend to set goals in order to keep me focused, and try to be accountable to these. At the gym, I might aim to hit certain numbers or set myself goals to improve on a certain skill. In the past year, I’ve struggled with motivation on and off, mainly because of the ankle injury, where I’ve started to see progress, and then had setbacks and flare ups. It’s been a season of peaks and troughs.
[caption id="attachment_35380" align="alignnone" width="576"] All smiles after ankle surgery.[/caption]
What have you been doing to stay fit – any tips you can share?
I’ve been doing a lot of training- I love it! Initially during lockdown, we had a programme of strength and conditioning to follow, so I’d been doing a lot of gym sessions, running and a bit of Wattbike. We also had weekly Zoom challenges with the Ireland girls and our Strenght & Conditioning coach, which was a bit of craic, and recently Jemma Jackson has been taking classes for the Old Belvo girls over Zoom! At the start of lockdown, I also got pulled into doing a lot of challenges, with the likes of 5Ks and The Big Rugby Run with Johne Murphy for Feed the Heroes.
We’ve had a bit of a break now, with a few weeks off our scheduled training. It has been great as it has given us the chance to do whatever training we fancy. For me, it has been a strange few weeks, with getting surgery and not being able to do very much. Now that’s done, my focus is going to be getting my ankle right. The running will have to wait for a while!
[caption id="attachment_35377" align="alignnone" width="768"]Ulster’s @claire__mcl has put together some great stretching exercises in association with @DeloitteNI to help keep you mobile and healthy at home 💪
Give it a go! pic.twitter.com/xhSDKABhYF — Ulster Rugby (at 🏡) (@UlsterRugby) July 9, 2020
Claire recently bought a Wattbike to keep fit during lockdown.[/caption]
What about any healthy eating advice? What’s the best meal you’ve made at home?
I tend to eat healthily for most meals, but I do enjoy going out for dinner, brunch and coffee - I treat myself quite often! Everything in moderation and having a balanced diet is the way it should be in my eyes.
Nutrition is really important to fuel yourself properly for training and matches. You’ll get more out of a session if you properly recover as well. A lot of that is to do with what you put into your body. I would be mindful of getting enough carbs and protein, and some fats with plenty of fruit and veg.
I’ve been cooking more and trying out new recipes lately. I tried making Nadiya Hussain’s peanut chicken and gnocchi traybake; it was so easy to make and tasted unbelievable!
[caption id="attachment_35378" align="alignnone" width="768"] Chicken and chorizo paella[/caption]
What have you been doing to stay calm and enjoy yourself while at home?
[caption id="attachment_35379" align="alignnone" width="768"] A photo of Botanic Gardens Claire took while out on a walk.[/caption]
Have you picked up any new skills or hobbies?
I got engaged just over 6 weeks ago and have been sending emails and organising things flat-out, so I would say that project managing is a new skill I’ve developed! I’ve had to learn how to use spreadsheets better than I had done previously. Keeping tabs on everything and who you have replied to, who you still need to contact, looking at budgets… There’s so much to do when planning a wedding! I think I have most bits organised now and just need to get a dress now that bridal shops are opening again.
[caption id="attachment_35374" align="alignnone" width="762"] Claire and her fiancé, Jonny[/caption]
Have you got any streaming or book recommendations?
I recently read ‘Why We Sleep’ by Matthew Walker. It was fascinating; it was all about the science of sleep and how getting sleep affects so many aspects of your life. I started reading a marriage book as well. I’m not sure if many people would be interested in reading it but it’s called ‘The Meaning of Marriage’.
I watched ‘The Last Dance’ on Netflix about Michael Jordan which was class. And I’ve started re-watching ‘Desperate Housewives’ on Amazon Prime; it’s so good and such an easy watch.
I listen to a lot of podcasts and have had more time to listen to them lately. I’ve been listening to ‘Baz and Andrew’s House of Rugby’ which I think has just finished for this series. ‘The Food Medic’ is a doctor called Hazel Wallace, who talks about everything from medicine, to food, to training, and she has lots of interesting guests on her show. I also listen to the British Journal of Sports Medicine podcast, which I find interesting as I’m hoping to potentially move into a career in sports medicine at some point. More recently, I’ve started listening to Niall Annett’s podcast called ‘Wind Yer Neck In’. He has lots of different guests from elite athletes to coaches, covering all sorts of topics. I’ve been pretty well-entertained during lockdown!
What has been the best advice you’ve received?
There was a player who has now retired told me, you should always give 100% in everything you do, so you can look back - even if things don’t work out the way you would hope - that you won’t have any regrets about it. That is something that I have incorporated into how I live and train. I try to give my all in everything that I do.
A couple of coaches have said to me not to forget working on my strengths. People tend to focus on working on their weaknesses, but if you don’t work on what you’re good at, you might lose those strengths. It’s really important to remember what you’re good at and keep working on those skills. They are the reason you get yourself selected for your club team, or Ulster or Ireland, because you can offer certain skills in your position within the team. That has been really useful advice for me.
What has been your proudest moment in rugby?
My proudest moment was getting my first cap for Ireland during the Six Nations in 2016. The whole year leading up to that was pretty mad. The previous season, I was on the Six Nations training squad, but never made it into in the matchday squad. At that point, I was happy enough as I knew I had to work on certain areas of my game. I worked on those over the summer and got onto the 23 for the Autumn International against England at The Stoop. I thought this would be my first cap and was so excited, but I never got the opportunity to get onto the pitch as I was an unused replacement, and this was really disappointing for me.
Then I picked myself back up and had the Six Nations to train for. That was also my final year studying medicine and I was revising for my final exams. They were in February, the same time as the Six Nations start. Going to Six Nations camps in January, I was bringing my revision with me to study before and after training and team meetings, trying to cram in as much as I could.
In the run-up to the first match against Wales, I was given the impression by the coach that I would be involved in the matchday squad and was training really well. My medical finals were also meant to be the following week, but unfortunately, I started getting heart palpitations during an Irish training camp. I was expecting to play against Wales and do my medical finals, but instead found myself in hospital getting a heart procedure! It wasn’t what I imagined February to look like, but thankfully three weeks later, I got to run out wearing the Irish jersey against Italy. It was unbelievable. My main emotion was relief but I was buzzing to have made it to that point. There were so many things that had gone against me, to finally get out there was special.
Another moment was getting my first cap in the back row. We played that match at Twickenham after England men played Australia in the Autumn Internationals. There were 80,000 people in the stadium when we came out to warm up. I don’t know how the men hear each other on the pitch with that many people in the stadium! The numbers dwindled by the time we came out to play, but when we went out to sing the anthems, the Australian guys were clapping us out, encouraging us. I had head tape on for the first time after moving from the centre a few weeks earlier. David Pocock looked at me and said, “good luck” as I ran past– I thought, “oh my goodness, one of the best back rows in the world just wished me luck!” So yes, getting to run out at Twickenham and play number 8 was pretty amazing.
You’ve already achieved so much but do you have any other rugby aspirations?
I feel like I have unfinished business with rugby. It’s been tough not being able to play over the last year because of my ankle. I hope I’ll be able to get back into the Ireland squad and there’s quite a big year ahead with the potential World Cup qualifiers and World Cup in 2021 in New Zealand. I would absolutely love to be involved in that. The World Cup we had in Ireland in 2017 was a massive disappointment for the team and me personally, so I’d love to be involved in another World Cup if we qualify and be able to say I’m happy with how we performed.