Alex O'Meara: Overcoming obstacles

Alex O’Meara talks to Talking Rugby Union about his late start in rugby, coming back from injury and his move to Cornish Pirates.

Despite only taking to rugby at the age of 16, Alex O’Meara is already taking to the big time having signed his first professional contract at Cornish Pirates.

After loving football through his early life, as well as playing other sports in school such as cricket, he took to rugby when attending Lord Wandsworth College and began playing socially.

But after a while, O’Meara no longer had the same passion for football and admits his love turned to rugby at the age of 16.

Having left Lord Wandsworth College, the former England Students winger then attended Hartpury College where he was part of a huge rugby community.

Having played in the BUCS League for Hartpury, Alex then got involved in their Saturday side, which was then a National Two team, where he quickly realised the gulf in class between the two levels.

“I could tell that the physicality of it was just a different level to anything I’d been a part of before, and I knew at that point I had to put on a bit more size, just to be able to handle being in those leagues.”

Alex unfortunately suffered an injury to his anterior cruciate ligament during his time with Hartpury, which saw him miss out on winning promotion to National One, as well as winning the BUCS League.

“I think my ACL injury was in a way a god send because it gave me the opportunity to take a bit of time off and put on some size, get myself in the gym and get myself physically ready for what was going to be a season in National One with Hartpury,” he told TRU.

As he returned from injury, O’Meara got involved with the Sevens side at Hartpury, and was available to seal off his three year spell at the college in sensational fashion, scoring the try that meant his side lifted the BUCS League trophy in his final year.

“Winning the sevens league really ticked off my three years at Hartpury, it was a really good way to finish it, and it was nice to score the try that made us win the league.

“It was a nice thing to do with my friends and to look at back at three years at Hartpury, lifting that trophy was a great way to finish it.”

However it wasn’t just school rugby that earned O’Meara his move to Championship side Cornish Pirates, as he’s already got international appearances under his belt for Ireland under-twenties and England Students.

When asked what his greatest achievement in rugby has been, he certainly had a number to choose from, despite only playing the game seriously for the last three years.

“I’ve had a few. Representing Ireland at U20 level, then at University level playing for England students, but I’d say for me, my biggest achievement was receiving my first professional contract at Cornish Pirates.”

O’Meara made his first and only competitive start for Pirates in October, in a home loss to Yorkshire Carnegie, but he’s keep his short term goals realistic having joined the south-west side in the summer.

“For me, being here was always a place where I could start and gain loads of experience.

“It’s about working hard and progressing myself and what comes in the future, comes in the future,” he explained.

Having labelled his pace as his main attribute, O’Meara went on to talk about how playing Sevens, including appearances for Bath Rugby in the Singha Sevens series, helped him realise the pace of the game having made a late start.

“It helped my confidence in the bigger game, one on one tackling and obviously open spaces and running for the tries.

“I found that with the sevens it introduced me to how fast the game can be and the fitness levels of it, because with football it’s a lot more about endurance whereas rugby is more sprinting.”

But now, having taken to full time coaching and training at Cornish Pirates, he feels his reaping the benefits of being in the company of high-level players and coaches every day.

“I came here thinking ‘Hartpury are as close to a professional side as most, with full time training’, but when I came here the level of coaching and the standard of players is just one I’ve not been a part of before.

“For me it’s been an unbelievable experience so far, playing with people so talented, and at one of the top sides in the league despite how we’re doing this season,” he explained.

O’Meara continued: “The players here are a great bunch of lads and there is some serious talent in the side and I can feel myself as a player progressing every day.”

The former Ireland youth player also gives a lot of credit to his father, for helping his success in the game so far, explaining: “Even with the lows, he’s always there to get my head back up.”

Having represented Hartpury, as well as his country at youth level and having signed his first professional contract, Alex O’Meara gave his advice for anyone looking to give rugby a go.

“I would say just put your all in to it. Everyone has knock backs but those knock backs will always make your highs a lot higher.

“So, I’d say just be confident in your own ability and take on as much advice from those who give you it as you can, especially those who have been at the highest levels and played internationally.

“Never give up, keep working hard and take the highs with the lows.”