From: Co. Wexford

Plays For: Leinster and Ireland

About:

Andrew Brace is a highly respected rugby referee, officiating top-tier competitions like the Six Nations, Rugby Championship, and two Rugby World Cups (Japan & France) since 2017. His deep understanding of the game stems from his playing days with Belgium and coaching roles with Cardiff Blues and Munster Rugby. Having recently reached 100 United Rugby Championship (URC) matches and 35 international Tests, Brace has cemented his place among the world’s top officials. Off the pitch, he’s a talented Grade 8 violinist. His journey exemplifies perseverance, adaptability, and a true passion for rugby.

Barry is a musician and songwriter from Limerick who plays in the band Hermitage Green. Barry joined the Munster Rugby academy after school and went on to have a 10 year career in professional Rugby playing 84 times for Munster and was capped 4 times by Ireland. Before retiring from Rugby due to a foot injury at 28, Barry started the band Hermitage Green with some friends. When his career was cut short in 2011 he became a full time musician. Since then, the band have toured the world extensively and played thousands of shows releasing 3 studio albums. Barry has always kept close ties to his rugby roots whether coaching his home club UL bohs, commentating on URC or EPCR games and is a co-host of a very popular Rugby podcast “Potholes and Penguins” with his former team mate Andrew Trimble. Barry is an accomplished MC and rugby paneliist and is much sought after on the rugby speaking circuit. Both Barry and Andrew Trimble are often booked together to host awards ceremonies and to moderate or sit on rugby panels where they bring their wealth of rugby knowledge and a decent amount of fun to the proceedings.

Performance Director at the RFU and former Head Coach of the Italian Rugby Team, Harlequins and London Irish, Conor has vast experience speaking about leadership, teamwork, transformation, as well as managing people with different cultures and languages. Informative and entertaining, Conor draws clear parallels between the world of sport and high performing teams in the business world.

RTÉ Sport anchor and commentator, Darragh is very well accustomed to MCing conferences and awards ceremonies having been a regular host for premium events such as the annual Leinster Rugby Awards and the RTÉ Sports Person of the Year Awards. In late 2018, Darragh MC’d the Isa Nacewa Testimonial Dinner where he hosted the event, spoke to the much loved Leinster player himself as well as moderating and presenting a brilliant Q & A session with a panel of Ireland rugby greats Brian O’Driscoll, Leo Cullen and Johnny Sexton. Darragh has hosted several Q&A’s at various Navy Blue Sports events across rugby, soccer and Gaelic events. As RTÉ Sport’s No.1 sports presenter, his knowledge of sport is unparalleled and his ability to keep panel discussions on-topic and entertaining is second to none.

Darren is a former professional rugby player who played for Ulster and Ireland over a career spanning 13 years. On his retirement in 2019, Darren was Ulster Rugby’s most capped player of all time, amassing a total of 229 caps along the way. He won 11 caps for Ireland and played at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Since his retirement Darren has been a regular rugby panelist for RTÉ, TG4, Premier Sports, Virgin Media and BBC NI, gaining a reputation as a knowledgeable, no-nonsense pundit in the process. Darren has previously been an ambassador for the “Tackle Your Feelings’ campaign aimed at normalising conversations about mental health, proving his ability to speak on the often stigmatised topic. Away from rugby Darren works in finance as a currency consultant for London-based foreign exchange brokerage firm Global Reach. Darren is an excellent MC and event host, renowned for his engaging blend of humour and sincerity. He has successfully hosted events for prestigious organizations such as Aer Lingus, FloGas and Rugby Players Ireland to name a few.

From: Belfast

Plays for: Ulster Rugby

Position: Back Row

Former Captain of the Irish Women’s Rugby Team (Grand Slam winning captain in 2013) and current rugby pundit with RTÉ Sport, Fiona was the first female rugby pundit and co-commentator for RTÉ Sport and is also working with BT Sport across their rugby coverage. As well as being a secondary school PE and Maths teacher by day, along with her busy sports punditry work, Fiona regularly delivers talks that delve into the areas of teamwork, resilience, motivation and leadership, as well as being a trailblazer for women in sport and garnering share of voice and success in a predominantly male-centric environment. Ambassador for: Dacia Ireland, LauraLynn Children’s Hospice

Coming Soon

Jamie Heaslip is one of the most decorated players in the history of Irish Rugby. Over the course of a 13 year career he amassed 229 appearances for Leinster and 100 international caps, 95 for Ireland and 5 for the British and Irish Lions. He played a key part in the crafting of both Leinster Rugby’s and Ireland’s winning mindset which took them to the professional powerhouse’s they are today. Jamie believes that great results come from having a plan and sticking to it. Having earned a reputation in the high performing professional rugby world, he then applied what he learned to business and loves to share his learnings with corporate audiences.. He is passionate about high performing teamwork and enjoys sharing his experiences with corporate audiences using his own experiences and answering questions from business audiences. Jamie speaks on various topics including ‘Learning from Failure’, ‘Leadership’, ‘Culture and mindset’, ‘Team Culture’ and ‘High Performance Environments’.

Ireland, Barbarians and Leinster centre Jenny Murphy was part of the Irish squad to win the Grand Slam in 2013 as well as making it to the World Cup semi-final in 2014 and winning the Six Nations in 2015. A qualified PE teacher, Jenny works for PepTalk, engaging people in the workplace. Her media work saw her hosting SportsJoe Show, Play X Play, as well as being a rugby analyst for TG4 on their Guinness Pro14 coverage and commentator for Virgin Media. An engaging and entertaining speaker, Jenny can talk passionately about a number of topics such as wellbeing, resilience and goal-setting.

Former International Rugby Player and Ireland Captain and Grand Slam Winner, Joy Neville is a power house of firsts: First woman in the world to officiate in European Challenge Cup. Named World Referee of the Year 2017. First woman to referee in the Challenge Cup and PRO14. First woman to TMO in the Men’s 6Nations. First woman ever to officiate at the Men’s Rugby World Cup. Upon retiring from officiating, Joy took up a role as Referee Development Manager at Connacht Rugby to recruit, educate and retain referees as well as develop refs from Trainee Referee to National. Joy is now newly appointed with World Rugby as the Women’s Elite / XV’s Head Coach which sees her educate, support and further develop the current female rugby referee talent globally. Joy speaks knowledgably about diversity, inclusion, and breaking the mould in a male dominated environment. Working in high performance arenas as a pro athlete, referee and now as Head Coach, Joy has developed a unique style of people management with a focus on engaging with colleagues to create positive outcomes and encouraging buy in for the task execution to help individuals and teams achieve their goals. A regular contributor on the speaking circuit, Joy is a captivating and engaging speaker and a wonderful addition to panels in both sports and business arenas.

A passionate speaker, Lisa draws on her vast experience, insights and expertise as a high-performance Strategy Specialist and UEFA Pro License Manager/Coach to deliver talks in both corporate and educational settings covering topics such as strategy, team work, mindset and high performance. Lisa is a highly respected sports professional with a strong proven track record of success in elite sport. From her time as a sports journalist to her key leadership positions over the last decade, Lisa has shattered glass ceilings as Ireland’s first ever female to coach in the professional men’s game. Lisa’s work in media saw her become the first female football panellist on national TV in Ireland to cover men’s international and Champions League matches. Her expertise in analysis and the development and execution of high-performance strategies have led her to being involved with some of the highest profile teams in soccer and football.

Natalya has forged her career as a multiple-world medallist and Olympic athlete in Modern Pentathlon. Competing in three Olympics, she is adept at speaking about determination, goal setting, resilience and the will to win. Her experience as a dedicated athlete gives excellent insight into how she managed to balance her training and life and the skills that helped her to succeed as an athlete, which are directly transferable to the work environment, for example, time management, goal setting, managing failure, working under pressure, dealing with setbacks, dedication, motivation and preservation.
Natalya is driven to use her voice to amplify change for the next generation. Passionate about sustainability, she has undertaken an MSc in Sustainability economics and policy at UCL, focusing on environmental standards and risk. Natalya since graduating, Natalya landed her dream job with the Sustainability Department in F1. A seasoned speaker, she uses her experience of elite-level competition to describe ways we can take on the biggest race, saving this planet.

She is confident in speaking about a range of topics, including:
• Net-zero
• Climate Change
• Empowering women
• How sport can be a catalyst for change by engaging with fans and athletes alike
• Using events to create an environmental legacy

Niall Breslin is a globally recognised thought leader in mental fitness, high performance, & human potential. A former professional rugby player, multi-platinum-selling musician, endurance & adventure athlete, & award-winning broadcaster, Niall has leveraged his diverse experiences to become one of the most in-demand keynote speakers & corporate consultants today. An honorary fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons & IADT, Niall holds multiple degrees, including a Master’s in Mindfulness-Based Interventions from UCD. Currently pursuing a PhD at Trinity College Dublin, he champions mental health & organisational transformation. Niall is a best-selling author as well as co-founder of ‘A Lust for Life’, an award-winning mental health charity that has impacted over 50% of Irish schools with free, evidence-based early intervention programs. As both creator & host, Niall’s award-winning podcast ‘Where Is My Mind’ explores mental well-being with global visionaries such as Deepak Chopra, Dr Mike Ryan, & Moby. As a keynote speaker & corporate consultant, Niall empowers organisations with mindfulness-based strategies, stress management, & high-performance coaching.

From: Ballina, Co. Mayo

Plays for: Mayo GAA

Ambassador for:Supervalu, Cassidy Motors, LauraLynn Children’s Hospice

Interests: Padraig is a mental health advocate and works for the Mayo Mental Health Association. Away from work and training, Padraig is also very interested in combat sports, sea swimming and kayaking. When possible, Padraig enjoys delivering talks on resilience and mental health in his local area.

Three Time Champion Jockey, Richard was the only jockey to win the ‘Big Three’ National Hunt Races – Aintree Grand National 1986, Cheltenham Gold Cup 1988 and Champions Hurdle 1990 – and was awarded an MBE for his services to sport in 1993. An avid adventurer, Richard competed in the inaugural Polar Race to the Magnetic North Pole, completed an unsupported expedition to the South Pole and walked the length of Japan’s three largest islands covering over 2000 miles in 101 days. With his knowledge of sport at the top level and what it takes to survive in extreme environments, Richard has been delivering speeches and presentations to the business world for over 20 years.

Former international footballer, best known as an RTÉ TV soccer pundit and now award winning author (‘Recovering’ 2019), Richie is also a qualified Psychotherapist and has become a well-known figure on the Irish mental health scene. Richie is one of Ireland’s most trusted voices in both the Irish sporting and mental health arenas. He has been a keen advocate for mental fitness especially in young adults and is regularly booked for talks centering on his career, experience and mental health. He is a regular contributor to RTÉ radio, and the Second Captains sports podcast, presenting The Player’s Chair. He is also a columnist for The Irish Times. Richie’s second book, ‘Let’s Talk’, was published in April 2022, becoming another top seller.