DAVE CLANCY COULD hardly have dreamt for a better life when he graduated from Limerick with a Sports and Exercise Science degree in 2012.
The 25-year-old Dooradoyle man is the current head strength and conditioning (S&C) coach of the Cayman Islands rugby team having previously worked with the Samoan senior team and volunteered with his beloved Munster.
He’s nothing if not ambitious and always had a thirst for more overseas adventures.
“I was doing a number of things when I graduated from UL,” he explained to The42. “I continued volunteer roles with Munster rugby since my first year of University and I took on roles with various clubs around the county.
“By the time our work experience came around (in third) year I’d already met the requirements for it so on the advice of individuals in the Munster set-up I decided to use it as an opportunity to get abroad and experience something different.
“So I arranged a paid role in Samoa for the 2011 World Cup season which was fantastic as it exposed me to the world of international rugby and particularly 7s rugby which isn’t too big in Ireland but as a new sport in the Olympics is becoming huge worldwide.”
When he graduated, he said he trawled the internet for something abroad – anything.
“I was always networking, scouring the internet, scanning job sites and team websites and reaching out to existing contacts to try and seek a full-time opportunity abroad instead of splitting my time between so many teams in Limerick.
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Clancy with the Cayman 7s team in Vegas
“I had the travel bug after my spell in Samoa and two stints in London so I eventually got in contact with our director of rugby here in Cayman as he was searching for a S&C coach with a grant he had received from the Olympic committee for somebody to work with the 7s program over a 6-month period. I jumped at the opportunity.
“Then, after my 6-month period working for the rugby club in conjunction with the CIOC (Cayman Islands Olympic Committee) the rugby union took over my contract and my role became the head of strength of conditioning, having qualified as an IRB Educator and expanding my attention to all the union’s teams.”
And in the time he’s been there, he’s made quite an impact – and got a fair whack of awesome stamps on that passport.
“As an international team we’ve many tournaments throughout the year for both the 7s and 15s teams.
“Right now the 7s are preparing for the Vegas 7s Invitational and ultimately the Olympic Qualifier tournament in the USA in June which will see us pooled with USA, Canada and the other countries from our region of North America and the Caribbean.
“The senior men’s team have been drawn to play Mexico and a USA representative side in the upcoming NACRA (North America Caribbean Rugby Association) Championships in March and April and since I’ve been here we’ve played Test matches against other nations such as Bahamas and Bermuda.”
He’s helped to raise the profile of the game on the tiny island of 58,000 people and has many fond memories. But he selects a recent tournament in Mexico as the high-point from a professional point of view.
The UL graduate is one four back room staff responsible for coaching all of the Islands' teams Caroline Deegan Photography
Caroline Deegan Photography
“For me it was like being part of a scaled-down Olympics with an opening and closing ceremony that made you feel like you were at the Olympics,” he reflected.
“In the same week I travelled to the NACRA 7s, also in Mexico where I was head coach for the women who managed to finish an incredible 3rd behind Mexico and Trinidad.
“This was my first major success as a coach outside of my role in S&C. I am excited for another tournament in September which will see our U18 men’s 7s team be the only team from this side of the world to compete in the junior Commonwealth Games in Samoa.
“Testing our small nation against rugby giants such as England, South Africa, Samoa, Fiji and Australia will be some test.”
Outside of his hectic work life, time on the island (just over 100 miles squared) is spent chilling with the growing number of Irish on any one of the island’s myriad beaches.
Clancy with a familiar face Picasa
Picasa
“The island is small but developed, there’s a lot of wealth here with the amount of ex-pats working for major law, fund and accountancy firms.
“There are plenty Irish here too, so much so that there’s a Gaelic football league and I just saw the opening of a second Irish bar.
“I really enjoy it here,” he continued.
“Obviously living on an island in the Caribbean has its benefits – the weather mainly! But it’s an exciting union to be involved in with huge steps being taken since I arrived as we rise up the rugby world rankings and develop as a rugby nation.
“The standard is actually high here. There are some hugely talented athletes and the domestic league standard is improving at a rapid rate. I’d compare the level to that of an AIL club team outside of the top eight.
“It’s also an opportunity for me to be fully in charge of a program and put my stamp on it with my ideas which is something I have always wanted to do.”
It sure beats taking the warm-up and carrying water bottles on a muddy GAA field in West Limerick.
A University Limerick graduate is the driving force behind the Cayman Islands' rugby evolution
DAVE CLANCY COULD hardly have dreamt for a better life when he graduated from Limerick with a Sports and Exercise Science degree in 2012.
The 25-year-old Dooradoyle man is the current head strength and conditioning (S&C) coach of the Cayman Islands rugby team having previously worked with the Samoan senior team and volunteered with his beloved Munster.
He’s nothing if not ambitious and always had a thirst for more overseas adventures.
“I was doing a number of things when I graduated from UL,” he explained to The42. “I continued volunteer roles with Munster rugby since my first year of University and I took on roles with various clubs around the county.
“By the time our work experience came around (in third) year I’d already met the requirements for it so on the advice of individuals in the Munster set-up I decided to use it as an opportunity to get abroad and experience something different.
“So I arranged a paid role in Samoa for the 2011 World Cup season which was fantastic as it exposed me to the world of international rugby and particularly 7s rugby which isn’t too big in Ireland but as a new sport in the Olympics is becoming huge worldwide.”
When he graduated, he said he trawled the internet for something abroad – anything.
“I was always networking, scouring the internet, scanning job sites and team websites and reaching out to existing contacts to try and seek a full-time opportunity abroad instead of splitting my time between so many teams in Limerick.
“I had the travel bug after my spell in Samoa and two stints in London so I eventually got in contact with our director of rugby here in Cayman as he was searching for a S&C coach with a grant he had received from the Olympic committee for somebody to work with the 7s program over a 6-month period. I jumped at the opportunity.
“Then, after my 6-month period working for the rugby club in conjunction with the CIOC (Cayman Islands Olympic Committee) the rugby union took over my contract and my role became the head of strength of conditioning, having qualified as an IRB Educator and expanding my attention to all the union’s teams.”
And in the time he’s been there, he’s made quite an impact – and got a fair whack of awesome stamps on that passport.
“Right now the 7s are preparing for the Vegas 7s Invitational and ultimately the Olympic Qualifier tournament in the USA in June which will see us pooled with USA, Canada and the other countries from our region of North America and the Caribbean.
“The senior men’s team have been drawn to play Mexico and a USA representative side in the upcoming NACRA (North America Caribbean Rugby Association) Championships in March and April and since I’ve been here we’ve played Test matches against other nations such as Bahamas and Bermuda.”
He’s helped to raise the profile of the game on the tiny island of 58,000 people and has many fond memories. But he selects a recent tournament in Mexico as the high-point from a professional point of view.
“For me it was like being part of a scaled-down Olympics with an opening and closing ceremony that made you feel like you were at the Olympics,” he reflected.
“In the same week I travelled to the NACRA 7s, also in Mexico where I was head coach for the women who managed to finish an incredible 3rd behind Mexico and Trinidad.
“This was my first major success as a coach outside of my role in S&C. I am excited for another tournament in September which will see our U18 men’s 7s team be the only team from this side of the world to compete in the junior Commonwealth Games in Samoa.
“Testing our small nation against rugby giants such as England, South Africa, Samoa, Fiji and Australia will be some test.”
Outside of his hectic work life, time on the island (just over 100 miles squared) is spent chilling with the growing number of Irish on any one of the island’s myriad beaches.
“The island is small but developed, there’s a lot of wealth here with the amount of ex-pats working for major law, fund and accountancy firms.
“There are plenty Irish here too, so much so that there’s a Gaelic football league and I just saw the opening of a second Irish bar.
“I really enjoy it here,” he continued.
“Obviously living on an island in the Caribbean has its benefits – the weather mainly! But it’s an exciting union to be involved in with huge steps being taken since I arrived as we rise up the rugby world rankings and develop as a rugby nation.
“The standard is actually high here. There are some hugely talented athletes and the domestic league standard is improving at a rapid rate. I’d compare the level to that of an AIL club team outside of the top eight.
It sure beats taking the warm-up and carrying water bottles on a muddy GAA field in West Limerick.
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