Ireland head coach Andy Farrell beats Ronan O'Gara to top award

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has been named the RTÉ Sport Manager of the Year, following Ireland blockbuster campaign in 2023.

In a week that saw Farrell sign a new long-term contract with the IRFU, extending his tenure until the end of the 2027 Rugby World Cup, the coach has now been honored for guiding the Ireland team to a national record of 17 consecutive Test wins and securing their first Grand Slam championship since 2018.

Farrell, who beat other prominent figures like Limerick hurling manager John Kiely and La Rochelle head coach Ronan O’Gara for the award, becomes only the second rugby recipient of this prestigious honor. His predecessor, Joe Schmidt, received it in 2014 following Ireland’s Six Nations triumph.

Despite significant challenges, including injuries and a tough quarter-final loss to New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup, Farrell’s team had already achieved both Grand Slam and Triple Crown glory earlier in the year. Under Farrell, Ireland has sustained a winning rate of 81.4 per cent, with the coach giving 33 players their debut since his first game in charge in 2020.

At the RTÉ ceremony, which Farrell could not attend having been at the Leinster versus Sale Champions
Cup at the RDS earlier, former Ireland captain Johnny Sexton accepted the award on his behalf.

“He’s a special guy, a special manager, a special coach. I’ve not really seen a manager tick all the boxes like he does,” Sexton said.

Sexton, who was himself a nominee for the RTÉ Sport Sportsperson of the Year award, reflected on his 17-year career, emphasizing the collective efforts aimed at achieving World Cup success and the disappointment of not realizing that goal. He expressed confidence in the team’s future under Farrell’s leadership.

“It’s very hard to sum it up,” said Sexton. “Everything we did over the last four years was to get us to the World Cup and to achieve on the world stage, that’s what our goal always was.

“All the special things that we did in terms of winning the series in New Zealand, and a Grand Slam, was only to get us to the World Cup. So we’re gutted that we didn’t do it. It will be a long time leaving us, I reckon.

“I know the lads will be in a great position again in four years’ time to go and do it. Great coaches, and Andy’s signed up now which is amazing news. I’m sure they’ll go on and achieve great things now.”