Darragh chases rugby all the way to Nantes

RUGBY fans from all over the globe have recently descended on France for the sport’s premier competition, the World Cup – and there is no shortage of local support among them.

One such man is Castlederg’s Darragh McLaughlin who was in Nantes on Saturday to see Ireland triumph over Tonga.

On Monday, a hungover Darragh spoke of his great time in the picturesque French city.

He explained, “I came over to France for the game against Tonga with a great bunch of lads I met through the years from all over the country – two from Donegal, a couple from Leitrim and then Dublin and Limerick. It didn’t take long to meet some other Irish fans either; no sooner were we in Nantes but we bumped into a crowd from Stranorlar, Buncrana and Ballybofey.

“Nantes is a gorgeous city, and we took in a bit of the culture, visiting the castle of the Duc’s de Bretagne, but, if I’m being honest, we took a wee bit more interest in the local wine and beers on offer in taverns.”

However, between the beverage tasting and cultural visits, there was a game to watch and so Darragh and the lads set off for the game against Tonga, which saw Ireland emerge victorious with a 59-16 score line, cementing their credentials as a tournament favourite.

Darragh continued, “It was a great game and was delighted to see an Ireland win. The stadium had a wonderful carnival atmosphere, which was helped by the fact Ireland are doing so well, and it lasted back into the city centre with not one trace of bother from anyone.”

Safely ensconced back home in Ireland following a round trip via Bristol and Belfast, Darragh will be cheering on the boys in green from home for the rest of the tournament.