Queen's Charlie Irvine juggling academic studies with rugby career as lock prepares to line out for Ireland A against English counterparts

The Queen’s lock has been receiving rave reviews for his performances in the white shirt of Ulster this season and scored a crucial try in the win over Cardiff last Saturday night.

The 23-year-old is studying medicine and is juggling his academics with making the breakthrough into professional rugby.

“There's a balance there, it teeters either way sometimes,” Irvine said. “I'm in my fourth year now at Queen's; I had a bit of a conversation with Queen's Sport, Queen's Medicine there around the middle of last year, around how can we make this work? To study medicine and play professional sports.

“We decided that it wasn't going to work to be a full-time medical student, while being involved here (Ulster). They gave me the option to go part-time which has worked pretty seamlessly to be honest, they've been great.

“The hospital staff who organise the placements and where I need to be have been great as well.

“I'm full-time over in the Royal but as a part-time student if that makes sense; it can be quite hard to explain to some of the doctors and patients.

“Sometimes I'm not full-time and I'm going to be here for another four years. It's making a very long uni course even longer just to make things as difficult as possible for myself!

“I'd say I'm busy would be the best way to summarise it. I have to make up two and a half, three days’ worth of uni placement sessions a week.”

Providing an insight into the commitments involved, Irvine said there wasn’t much time for socialising.

“For example last week, on Monday we finished around lunchtime (with Ulster). I headed over to the hospital for the afternoon, I was in the clinic; Wednesday we're off, we're not training, so I was in the hospital all day or at least until I get enough stuff done to feel I've made worth of the day, and then it's about picking up another afternoon or two, so Thursday or Friday after training is done, head over [to the hospital] for a couple of hours.

“Whether it's a clinic or being on a board or being in a theatre, yeah, it's busy. You finish training and maybe go for a coffee, or you go home and sit about or sort of relax. Maybe there's not as much of that or socialising – it definitely affects the social life.”

Irvine will have a tough decision to make at the end of the year as he contemplates his future.

“This year I'm [on a] development contract, next year I'm on a full senior [contract] so it's a two-year contract and that'll take me up to the end of my fourth year, which I'm doing over two years. And you know, all being well, I'll be offered a new contract for after then.

“It's a discussion then to have with Queen's about, ‘is going part-time for fifth year an option here?’ And that's another two years and then after that, I suppose it's anyone's guess as to how it'll be worked from there, but at the minute I'm not thinking about it too much.

“I'm focusing on playing the best rugby I can and getting through the degree as well, I suppose on the side a wee bit, just so that when eventually I am finished playing… I have something to fall back on.”