Jun 4, 2026
Ruth O’Reilly learnt early on that rugby was more than a sport for her.
For years, the Galwegians and Connacht prop meticulously balanced a demanding high-level career in the MedTech sector alongside a professional rugby career, which involved spending mornings, evenings and weekends at training pitches and matches. But when the final whistle blew on Ruth’s professional rugby career, the transition was far from easy.
“When I finished up playing rugby at a high level, I really struggled with my identity, quite honestly. For me, I was no longer Ruth the rugby player, so what was I? How would people perceive me, or how should I present myself to the world? I think I definitely struggled with that for a good number of months.”
A raw admission. But Ruth was only reacting in the way many people do when they lose a defining role: filling the empty hours with things that feel familiar:
“I threw myself into work quite a bit. I definitely replaced the hours that I would have been on the training pitch or at matches with work. And that wasn't a sustainable way of living. What I missed so much from rugby, was the camaraderie of your teammates and I was trying to find a way to keep that integrated into my life.”
Fast forward to today, and Ruth has found a way to keep that balance: working in Global Strategic Marketing at Johnson & Johnson, as well as supporting the minis section at Galwegians RFC, maintaining her connection to the sport she loves.
Ruth strongly believes that rugby players gain significant skills and develop a strong set of values during their playing days. She believes these traits are highly transferrable to other realms of life:
“There are so many things that I was taught from being a high-level athlete that I was able to translate into business, and into my home life. Discipline, first and foremost, and having a sense of accountability for yourself: what you put into something and what that reward brings you and the people around you. I think I still have a very high teamwork ethos. I love working with people, collaborating with people, and bringing people along with me when I'm doing things.”
Those traits have guided Ruth through new projects in her current role: leading cross-functional teams, launching innovative products, and delivering sustained revenue growth for one of the world’s leading players in the MedTech sector.
“I’m very focused on targets and objectives, whether it’s trying to qualify for a World Cup or trying to get a project over the line at work. The mindset you need for success in rugby or at work is the same.”
While Ruth’s transition out of her playing career came with its challenges, she remains determined to help others avoid the uncertainty she felt, as she recently told Rugby Players Ireland.
“I suppose if I had any advice for current players thinking about their life after rugby is that it's never too early to start thinking about it. I think almost from as soon as you begin getting into the high performance or professional realm, you've got to understand your exit strategy, and ask yourself what your options might be after finishing playing. Be that through training and upskilling while you can, in parallel with the rugby training that you're doing, I think it's important that you have an idea of where you want to go after rugby, so that at least you can begin to make steps towards that while you're still in that environment. And also find out about the support you can leverage through – in Irish rugby players’ cases - Rugby Players Ireland [RPI] and the Irish Rugby Football Union [IRFU].”
What began as a difficult transition became the start of a new chapter; shaped by the values of rugby, but with new purpose, new direction, and a brand-new opportunity to reach her full potential Beyond the Game.
