Young fans dazzled by Irish rugby heroes and 6 Nations trophies

Pupils from Howard Primary School at Moygashel and Bocombra Primary School and Killicomaine Junior High School – both in Portadown – won the coveted experience in a reader competition through the News Letter, Portadown Times and Lurgan Mail.

Ten starstruck pupils from Howard Primary School enjoyed an audience with former Irish back row forward Alan Quinlan and Ulster’s British and Irish Lion Stephen Ferris.

Asked how she had selected which pupils would avail of the experience, teacher Jane Winslow said: “Well, we chose the 10 children who took the most interest in the Rugby World Cup.”

Towering Ferris pulled out all the stops to make it a memorable occasion.

One diminutive girl asked why Ferris took up professional rugby, at which point he brought the full weight of his sporting fame to bear on his efforts to inspire her.

“Well what are you good at?” he asked, to which she answered “piano and hockey”.

He added: “Well the reason I took up professional rugby was because I was good at it. And in the same way, you should pursue your hockey and piano to see how far they can take you.”

Asked what his biggest regret was, he confessed: “Playing the match on November 2 2012 in which I got the knee injury which eventually forced me out of the game.”

He went on to list an exhaustive string of other injuries – gleefully holding up one painfully misshapen thumb and adding that he can no longer run.

But asked if all the injuries were worth it, the warrior heart leapt to answer without hesitation: “Yes!”

At only 30 years of age and having picked up his last international cap four years ago, he confessed: “I’d love to be still out there.”

After their visit to the News Letter offices, Ferris and Quinlan left with the trophies to visit sick children in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.