JUST A FEW before Christmas, James Tracy stood up in front of the rest of the Leinster squad and told them he had to retire from rugby.
At the age of 31, having won six Ireland caps and played for Leinster 141 times, the neck injury Tracy suffered in April of last year meant the hooker couldn’t play on.
Andrew Porter was among those sitting in the room at Leinster’s headquarters and describes it as an emotional day.
“It hit us all very hard because of the player and friend he is,” says Porter.
“He’s an incredible presence around the dressing room and it’s definitely hard to replace someone like that who means so much to everyone in the club.”
Porter admits to still feeling a bit emotional now as he praises Tracy as a player and person, underlining that he knows “the most organised man you’ll ever meet” will continue to have success in the future.
Porter and his Leinster team-mates will remain in close contact with Tracy, but his enforced retirement has been a reminder to them all of how suddenly professional rugby can be taken away.
Tracy and Porter arrive for a Leinster game in 2018. Bryan Keane / INPHO
Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO
“Over the Christmas games, some people might have thought, ‘I wish I wasn’t playing on Stephen’s Day, I wish I could enjoy my Christmas Day’ but when you put it in perspective that it could be your last game… he didn’t know that his last game would be his last game,” explains Porter.
“It puts things hugely into perspective about how lucky I am as a player, how lucky we all are in the job we do to play the game we love.
Advertisement
“There are risks with the game like that and James just got very unlucky with his injury.”
With some fortune, Porter himself still has plenty of road ahead of him in the game. He will turn 27 later this month but has already amassed a huge amount of experience for province and country.
The loosehead prop is a key man for Ireland with 48 caps to his name, while he earned his 100th Leinster cap in their win over Munster at Thomond Park on St Stephen’s Day.
Porter says he still feels like “the pup of the group” in one way but understands that he’s now a senior figure in Leinster. His debut off the bench against Benetton at the RDS in 2016 doesn’t feel all that long ago.
“It has flown by really,” says Porter. “It was an incredibly proud moment for myself and my family being able to lead the team out against Munster.
Porter runs out for his 100th cap at Thomond Park. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
“I’m not used to it, so I turned around thinking the lads would all be behind me and I was just thinking, ‘Jeez, where the hell is everybody’ and nearly going out on the wrong side of the pitch.”
Mention of his family is pertinent because Porter is speaking in his capacity as an ambassador for Tackle Your Feelings, for whom he features in a new video looking at the importance of his loved ones’ support since losing his mother, Wendy, to cancer when he was just 12.
Porter’s family have supported him through thick and thin as he has risen to become one of the best players in the country. So while he might have tried to treat it like any other game, Porter’s family were in the mood for celebrating him hitting 100 caps last month and they all travelled to Limerick to watch the game.
“It’s incredible the amount of support they’ve given me over my whole life really. It’s strange for me because it’s just me doing my job, but for them I can see how happy it makes them. It makes you want to keep going and striving for bigger and better things to make memories not just for myself but also for them.”
There were plenty of celebrations for the Porters post-match too.
“They had a proper one, I was the designated driver all over Christmas but it didn’t keep me away from the food, so I was happy enough with that!”
Porter ended up playing on New Year’s Day too after an injury to Marcus Hanan meant the Ireland international was needed to come off the bench against Connacht, so he was kept busy over the festive period.
Porter with his dog Pablo. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
It’s very early in 2023 but already the rugby public and media are looking towards the 2023 World Cup, which is eight months away.
Porter says it has popped into his thoughts too but there’s lots of other important rugby to occupy his mind in the meantime, as well as the important matter of getting married to his partner Elaine.
“We have the Champions Cup next week, which is huge over in Gloucester, then Racing at home,” says Porter. “Then we’re into the Six Nations, which is huge as well – same as every year.
“Then I’ve got my wedding in the summer before the World Cup so I’ve that to plan for.
“It’s going great. My fianceé is doing a lot of the leg work so I’m trying to help out as much as I can. I don’t think she trusts me with some things which is fair!
“But then the World Cup will come around just like that, it will come around so quickly after the Six Nations. It’s an incredibly exciting year for myself and Irish rugby as a whole.”
Get instant updates on your province on The42 app. With Laya Healthcare, official health and wellbeing partner to Leinster, Munster and Connacht Rugby.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
'It's just me doing my job, but I can see how happy it makes my family'
JUST A FEW before Christmas, James Tracy stood up in front of the rest of the Leinster squad and told them he had to retire from rugby.
At the age of 31, having won six Ireland caps and played for Leinster 141 times, the neck injury Tracy suffered in April of last year meant the hooker couldn’t play on.
Andrew Porter was among those sitting in the room at Leinster’s headquarters and describes it as an emotional day.
“It hit us all very hard because of the player and friend he is,” says Porter.
“He’s an incredible presence around the dressing room and it’s definitely hard to replace someone like that who means so much to everyone in the club.”
Porter admits to still feeling a bit emotional now as he praises Tracy as a player and person, underlining that he knows “the most organised man you’ll ever meet” will continue to have success in the future.
Porter and his Leinster team-mates will remain in close contact with Tracy, but his enforced retirement has been a reminder to them all of how suddenly professional rugby can be taken away.
“Over the Christmas games, some people might have thought, ‘I wish I wasn’t playing on Stephen’s Day, I wish I could enjoy my Christmas Day’ but when you put it in perspective that it could be your last game… he didn’t know that his last game would be his last game,” explains Porter.
“It puts things hugely into perspective about how lucky I am as a player, how lucky we all are in the job we do to play the game we love.
“There are risks with the game like that and James just got very unlucky with his injury.”
With some fortune, Porter himself still has plenty of road ahead of him in the game. He will turn 27 later this month but has already amassed a huge amount of experience for province and country.
The loosehead prop is a key man for Ireland with 48 caps to his name, while he earned his 100th Leinster cap in their win over Munster at Thomond Park on St Stephen’s Day.
Porter says he still feels like “the pup of the group” in one way but understands that he’s now a senior figure in Leinster. His debut off the bench against Benetton at the RDS in 2016 doesn’t feel all that long ago.
“It has flown by really,” says Porter. “It was an incredibly proud moment for myself and my family being able to lead the team out against Munster.
“I’m not used to it, so I turned around thinking the lads would all be behind me and I was just thinking, ‘Jeez, where the hell is everybody’ and nearly going out on the wrong side of the pitch.”
Mention of his family is pertinent because Porter is speaking in his capacity as an ambassador for Tackle Your Feelings, for whom he features in a new video looking at the importance of his loved ones’ support since losing his mother, Wendy, to cancer when he was just 12.
Porter’s family have supported him through thick and thin as he has risen to become one of the best players in the country. So while he might have tried to treat it like any other game, Porter’s family were in the mood for celebrating him hitting 100 caps last month and they all travelled to Limerick to watch the game.
“It’s incredible the amount of support they’ve given me over my whole life really. It’s strange for me because it’s just me doing my job, but for them I can see how happy it makes them. It makes you want to keep going and striving for bigger and better things to make memories not just for myself but also for them.”
There were plenty of celebrations for the Porters post-match too.
“They had a proper one, I was the designated driver all over Christmas but it didn’t keep me away from the food, so I was happy enough with that!”
Porter ended up playing on New Year’s Day too after an injury to Marcus Hanan meant the Ireland international was needed to come off the bench against Connacht, so he was kept busy over the festive period.
It’s very early in 2023 but already the rugby public and media are looking towards the 2023 World Cup, which is eight months away.
Porter says it has popped into his thoughts too but there’s lots of other important rugby to occupy his mind in the meantime, as well as the important matter of getting married to his partner Elaine.
“We have the Champions Cup next week, which is huge over in Gloucester, then Racing at home,” says Porter. “Then we’re into the Six Nations, which is huge as well – same as every year.
“Then I’ve got my wedding in the summer before the World Cup so I’ve that to plan for.
“It’s going great. My fianceé is doing a lot of the leg work so I’m trying to help out as much as I can. I don’t think she trusts me with some things which is fair!
“But then the World Cup will come around just like that, it will come around so quickly after the Six Nations. It’s an incredibly exciting year for myself and Irish rugby as a whole.”
Get instant updates on your province on The42 app. With Laya Healthcare, official health and wellbeing partner to Leinster, Munster and Connacht Rugby.
Originally published at 12.45
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Andrew Porter Family Ireland Leinster Tackle Your Feelings