'Say ‘yes’ and figure it out afterwards': How one decision changed Jane Clohessy's life

Back in November 2022, not long after Jane Clohessy got off stage with her band, a message arrived on her phone. It was from former Ireland captain, Niamh Briggs – ‘Any interest coming to a Munster session?’

It was not an immediate ‘yes’ but, from that moment, Clohessy’s life would set off down a different path.

The Limerick native hails from a rugby-mad family. Her father is Munster and Ireland legend, Peter Clohessy. Many childhood years were spent in and around stadiums and clubhouses. Born in December 1998, Clohessy would have been too young to clearly recall her dad, ‘The Claw’, chasing down Heineken Cup and Six Nations glory. What remains is that feeling of being embraced by a wider family.

Clohessy said: “One thing that stands out to me – and it may be because of the photographs we have back home – is wearing a Munster t-shirt, when I was three, when they were playing a Heineken Cup semi-final. It had a Munster crest on the front and ‘My Dad is No. 1’ on the back. I still have that t-shirt.

“We went through some old videotapes, a few years back, with my younger brother. When he realised who my father was, and what he had done, he was really sad to have missed out on all of it. It is great to have that footage, though.”

Clohessy’s early sporting pursuits were through Gaelic football and basketball. It was not until she turned 22 that rugby returned to her life. She was coaxed into heading along to training sessions with UL Bohemians, in Limerick.

“I was training for a few weeks before my first game,” she said, “and I just fell in love with it. In my first game, I dislocated my shoulder in the first phase of play. I was gone for about 11 months, after that. Lasted 30 seconds. My older brother was convinced that would be it. I was like, ‘No. Of course I’m going back’.”

The following year, Clohessy had finished a set with her band, Beats N’ Keys, when that fateful message from Briggs landed.

“I recently posted on social media about this – why you should never say no to an opportunity, even if you don’t think that you’d be able or good enough. If I had said no, I wouldn’t be where I am now.”

Briggs pinged Clohessy just after 10pm, but she did not read the message until well after midnight, as she was driving back to Limerick from Kilkee.

“Niamh texted me to make up numbers for a Munster trial that was on,” Clohessy added. “She asked if I would have any interest in coming along. It was really late, the night before, coming home from work. I was in a really bad mood, so I said no.

“My mum, Anna, was with me. She said, ‘Why don’t you just go? You’ll find the energy somewhere’. I was worried that I would not have enough sleep. The trials started at 9:30am. I told Niamh I’d do it. I went along and got picked for Munster, from that. It just made me realise – and I try to get this point to others, now that I’m coaching – say ‘yes’ and figure it out afterwards.”

Clohessy made her Munster debut in 2023 and was called in to train with Ireland, the following year. She had hoped to be involved in the WXV jaunt to Vancouver, in late 2024, but a knee injury ruled her out.

The forward’s Ireland debut would have to wait until April 2025, but the grind to get back in the mix made the moment even more special. She replaced Edel McMahon 20 minutes into Ireland’s narrow loss to Scotland, in Edinburgh. Proud parents, Peter and Anna, were there to embrace her after the full-time whistle.

Clohessy and her father’s rugby journeys are decades apart, but there are similarities they often reflect on. Peter was well established with Munster when rugby turned from amateur to professional, in 1995. One of the reasons he missed out on the Rugby World Cup in South Africa, that year, were his working commitments on the farm, at home.

 

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Women’s rugby has professional contracts for top-level players but others in Ireland have to work part-time jobs or make money elsewhere. Clohessy has been running ‘Train by Jane’ for a number of years.

“I work at a couple of different gyms,” she explained, “have a few online clients, and just love having an impact on their lifestyle, whether it’s advice food or exercise. Sometimes you’re a listening ear, or a shoulder to lean on. I do find great joy in it. I also love working with children in the schools.

“I’m going through a similar stage, when dad was playing 30-odd years ago. Trying to find that balance between work and sport. It’s interesting. We do talk about it, the juggling of different things. Himself and my mum might get frustrated sometimes with changes not coming about fast enough [in women’s rugby]. We all know it has a lot more to go, but it is definitely going in the right direction.”

Clohessy was hoping to add more Ireland caps during this year’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations. We first spoke, back in April, at Ireland’s High Performance camp, as she was nearing the end of a comeback trail. On Munster duty, against Ulster in January, she broke her arm during the Celtic Challenge. She had a couple of plates inserted in her arm and was aiming for one of Ireland’s home games, when disaster struck. During a training session, she broke her left arm in a different spot.

‘My dreams of playing for Ireland are still very alive and real,’ she wrote on Instagram, ‘but have just been put on hold again.’

Last weekend, Clohessy was back in Munster red and helping her team to a dominant 39-19 victory over a stacked Leinster side in the opening round of this year’s Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship. The 27-year-old partnered Clodagh O’Halloran in the second row.  Elsewhere two Anna McGann tries went a long way to helping Connacht to a 15-10 win over Ulster at Affidea Stadium.

Munster captain Maeve Óg O’Leary has been blown away by Clohessy’s perseverance, and impact.

“Jane is unbelievable,” O’Leary said. “I think of her journey so far, this year. She broke her wrist and then got back for Six Nations camp and broke it again, on her return to contact, which is crap for any player. But it just says so much about her character and her attitude.

“She has such a fighting character. Every setback for her, it feels like she takes it as an opportunity. She dips back into other parts of her life, but always comes back hungrier. Her positive attitude is really infectious amongst the squad.

“Everyone will be familiar with her dad, his fiery attitude and the way he played on the field. Jane brings that same sense. It’s unreal. She is so fun to play with. When Jane gets the ball, she could have four defenders hanging off her before she goes down. She is great to play with but her positivity off the pitch is unbelievable, as well. She’s always pushing for a higher standard.

“She’s so helpful to the younger girls who are coming up, and helping them out. She is open to improve her own game, all the time. That’s why she is where she is, and is pushing for these international squads. I’m really excited for her to now, hopefully, get a long run without injury and see how she can go.”

Up next for Munster, O’Leary and Clohessy is the visit of Ulster to Cork’s Virgin Media Park. Matt Brown’s side got off to a fantastic start against Leinster. Clohessy is delighted to have former teammates, and mentors, Chloe Pearse and Nicole Cronin involved as coaches.

“Chloe and Nicole were a couple of leaders that really brought me through the process, when I was starting out. Chloe is one of the most intelligent players I would have played with. She has a crazy IQ and knows the game inside and out.”

“I first thought about getting involved in rugby when I was 18,” Clohessy reflects. “For about four years, I was texting my friend Ciara, over and back, asking questions about it. Building myself up to it. Eventually, at 22, I bit the bullet.

“There are days when I wished I started earlier but, looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing. It hasn’t been all brilliant, sunshine and perfect, the whole way, but I’ve had some unbelievable opportunities and experiences, so far. Hopefully, there will be a lot more to come.”