Young prop, Tom O'Toole picked up the CD Group Ulster A Player of the Year Award as last night's Ulster Rugby Awards dinner, an accolade which demonstrates how impressively he has performed this season.
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Reflecting on the highs and lows the season presented, O’Toole commented:
“The season has gone pretty well for me so far. Playing with Ulster A throughout the year was a really good experience and a great opportunity for me to develop and grow as a player. It made me feel more comfortable and confident within this environment and obviously getting a couple of senior caps over the last few games has been great.
“Personally, it’s been a good year for me but it’s still not over yet. I leave for France at the end of May with the Irish U20 squad for the Junior World Cup. We’ve got a pretty tough pool so we expect some demanding and physical games. It’s going to be a great experience but I hope to finish off strong so that we come out in a good place.”
Having delivered a series of outstanding performances for Ulster A in the British & Irish Cup, O’Toole was rewarded with his senior debut in April against Edinburgh which, as he admits, was a pleasant surprise.
“It was a bit of a shock. Earlier that week I was talking to my dad and saying that maybe in the next couple of years I might get a start - I didn’t expect it this soon. It was an extraordinary feeling and gave me a huge amount of pride and honour. I was on a high that whole week and nothing could upset me or bring me down; it was a good feeling.”
As O’Toole explains, for someone who dreamed of playing professional rugby as a boy, getting your first senior cap for Ulster is both a memorable and surreal experience.
“There was a huge step up in intensity for the senior team. It’s the highest level I’ve ever played at in my life. A lot more is expected of you and the speed of the game is a lot faster. I remember sitting in the changing room and I felt a bit of panic. Besty [Rory Best] was beside me and put his hand on my back and said ‘just do your job, you’ve worked hard all week and you know your detail’ so that made me comfortable and then Tommy Bowe came over and said something similar and it really just helped me to focus.
“You can get caught up in the day-to-day routine, just training and playing rugby. It’s what I’ve been doing since a boy and it feels natural, but when it comes to the game days and you see all the fans and how they react to the players, you realise how big a deal it actually is to be a professional rugby player and reality kicks in. For me as a 19-year-old it’s an amazing experience to see some of the players that I used to watch on TV and now I’m running out with them, it’s unreal.”
O’Toole grew up in Australia, where he played for the Queensland Schoolboys before swapping life down under for Ulster and enrolling at Campbell College. The 19-year-old joined the Abbey Insurance Ulster Rugby Academy last summer and credits their intensive rugby development programme with his rapid advancement.
“I’ve loved the Academy. It is exactly what I wanted and exactly the environment that I wanted to join out of school. The Academy this year has prepared me for when I’ve been called up to the seniors. The physical preparation they do and how close they work with us in the Academy, with our nutrition, speed, agility, our fitness and gym work, getting in early with us has allowed our bodies to develop quickly and has gotten us prepared for when we have to go out and train or play with the seniors. I think they’ve done an amazing job.
“It’s three years since I moved from Brisbane and I’ve no regrets at all. I really consider Ulster my province and home now so I wouldn’t want it to be any other way. There is an amazing setup here and it’s not just in a good environment to work in, it’s fun and enjoyable. The guys that I work with are hugely competitive, hugely ambitious players and they drive you on each and every day while the facilities and the coaches allow us to make the most of every single day. I don’t think I would be able or up for these bigger challenges if it wasn’t for how they have helped prepare us.
Looking ahead to next season, O’Toole is determined to continue to develop so that he can challenge for inclusion in the senior squad on a more regular basis.
“I’m hungry to keep growing as a player. It’s great to hit that milestone and get your first cap and then add a few more to it but you’re always looking to improve. Hopefully, I’ll do pre-season with the seniors and develop my body even more and get more comfortable in the environment working with them. I’ll just try to work as hard as I can during training, listen to the older players and what the coaches are saying, then try to replicate that during any opportunities I get to represent the team.”
Reflecting on the highs and lows the season presented, O’Toole commented:
“The season has gone pretty well for me so far. Playing with Ulster A throughout the year was a really good experience and a great opportunity for me to develop and grow as a player. It made me feel more comfortable and confident within this environment and obviously getting a couple of senior caps over the last few games has been great.
“Personally, it’s been a good year for me but it’s still not over yet. I leave for France at the end of May with the Irish U20 squad for the Junior World Cup. We’ve got a pretty tough pool so we expect some demanding and physical games. It’s going to be a great experience but I hope to finish off strong so that we come out in a good place.”
Having delivered a series of outstanding performances for Ulster A in the British & Irish Cup, O’Toole was rewarded with his senior debut in April against Edinburgh which, as he admits, was a pleasant surprise.
“It was a bit of a shock. Earlier that week I was talking to my dad and saying that maybe in the next couple of years I might get a start - I didn’t expect it this soon. It was an extraordinary feeling and gave me a huge amount of pride and honour. I was on a high that whole week and nothing could upset me or bring me down; it was a good feeling.”
As O’Toole explains, for someone who dreamed of playing professional rugby as a boy, getting your first senior cap for Ulster is both a memorable and surreal experience.
“There was a huge step up in intensity for the senior team. It’s the highest level I’ve ever played at in my life. A lot more is expected of you and the speed of the game is a lot faster. I remember sitting in the changing room and I felt a bit of panic. Besty [Rory Best] was beside me and put his hand on my back and said ‘just do your job, you’ve worked hard all week and you know your detail’ so that made me comfortable and then Tommy Bowe came over and said something similar and it really just helped me to focus.
“You can get caught up in the day-to-day routine, just training and playing rugby. It’s what I’ve been doing since a boy and it feels natural, but when it comes to the game days and you see all the fans and how they react to the players, you realise how big a deal it actually is to be a professional rugby player and reality kicks in. For me as a 19-year-old it’s an amazing experience to see some of the players that I used to watch on TV and now I’m running out with them, it’s unreal.”
O’Toole grew up in Australia, where he played for the Queensland Schoolboys before swapping life down under for Ulster and enrolling at Campbell College. The 19-year-old joined the Abbey Insurance Ulster Rugby Academy last summer and credits their intensive rugby development programme with his rapid advancement.
“I’ve loved the Academy. It is exactly what I wanted and exactly the environment that I wanted to join out of school. The Academy this year has prepared me for when I’ve been called up to the seniors. The physical preparation they do and how close they work with us in the Academy, with our nutrition, speed, agility, our fitness and gym work, getting in early with us has allowed our bodies to develop quickly and has gotten us prepared for when we have to go out and train or play with the seniors. I think they’ve done an amazing job.
“It’s three years since I moved from Brisbane and I’ve no regrets at all. I really consider Ulster my province and home now so I wouldn’t want it to be any other way. There is an amazing setup here and it’s not just in a good environment to work in, it’s fun and enjoyable. The guys that I work with are hugely competitive, hugely ambitious players and they drive you on each and every day while the facilities and the coaches allow us to make the most of every single day. I don’t think I would be able or up for these bigger challenges if it wasn’t for how they have helped prepare us.
Looking ahead to next season, O’Toole is determined to continue to develop so that he can challenge for inclusion in the senior squad on a more regular basis.
“I’m hungry to keep growing as a player. It’s great to hit that milestone and get your first cap and then add a few more to it but you’re always looking to improve. Hopefully, I’ll do pre-season with the seniors and develop my body even more and get more comfortable in the environment working with them. I’ll just try to work as hard as I can during training, listen to the older players and what the coaches are saying, then try to replicate that during any opportunities I get to represent the team.”