LIMERICK rugby star has passed his latest milestone revolving around a different kind of cap as he graduated from University of Limerick.

Dave Kilcoyne, the Munster and Ireland rugby star was conferred with a Professional Diploma in Aviation Leasing and Finance from UL’s Kemmy Business School, joining more than 3,670 students graduating as part of the University’s autumn ceremonies.

For Limerick man Dave, who recently called time on an illustrious 15-year career with club and country, this latest achievement marks another step towards the exciting next phase.

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“I’m 36 now, so to have gotten that long in the sport, with the way it’s gone, I’m very grateful,” said Dave, who is still recovering from what he describes as a “career-ending” Achilles tendon injury.

“Those were the best days of my life, but I’m also content now to try something else and broaden my horizons.”

This is the third time that Dave has donned the cap and gown at UL, having previously completed the Bachelor of Business Studies (2012) and, later, the MSc in Business Project Management (2019). 

While his heart was always set on playing rugby at the highest level with Munster and Ireland, he credits his mother with instilling in him the importance of education.

“I was just dead-set on playing for Munster and Ireland – that was my goal. I had no interest in college at the start, but my mother wouldn’t let me do the [Munster] Academy unless I finished college. So, it was more about getting through it,” he explained.

By fourth year, Dave was a regular feature on the Munster lineup; but while the demands of his rugby career only increased, so had his appetite for education. Having completed his undergraduate degree, majoring in Accounting and Finance, and with his professional rugby career in full flight, it wasn’t long before he was back on the Castletroy campus.

“I went on to play a good few years with Munster and Ireland, and you start to mature a bit and realise that there is a life after sport,” he said of his decision to pursue the MSc in Business Project Management.

“It was a great course. I did one year full-time, and I did find it tough balancing it with the rugby; but I’m delighted that I got it done. I found it really interesting, and it’s something I might even look to go into now.”

The past few years have undoubtedly been some of the most successful and rewarding of Dave’s career, featuring a Grand Slam title with Ireland along with URC victory with Munster; but with one eye on retirement, he was keen to explore his options.

“You realise you’re pushing on in years with the rugby, and I wanted to try setting myself up as best I can,” Dave said of his decision to come back to UL, to study Aviation Leasing and Finance.

“Sport doesn’t last forever, so you’ve got to be thinking of what you’re going to be doing after. No one has it fully figured out, especially when you’re that deep into the sport; but if you can take a bit of time and think of what your life would look like after, and guide yourself to something you think you might be interested in, you’ll dedicate the time to it.

“I know a lot of people in the aviation leasing industry. Dómhnal Slattery (former CEO of aviation leasing company Avolon) came in and gave us a talk before the World Cup, and it sparked my interest in it. The fact that the course was fully online in UL, where I was training, just suited perfectly, too.”

For an elite athlete, juggling training and games with studies was always going to prove challenging, and Dave credits the support of his lecturers in UL along with those deeply ingrained qualities he honed on the pitch with powering him over the line.

“Rugby teaches you a different skillset set in terms of discipline, motivation, resilience – God knows, there’s enough setbacks; but it’s about how you bounce back. My experience definitely afforded me the skills to get through the course,” he said.

“I never missed a day of training, or a match – that just wasn’t feasible; rugby was my number one priority, and it has to be for all athletes at that level. But the University completely understood that and worked around me. If I couldn’t make a workshop or an assignment, I could do it at a later date. I wouldn’t have been able to complete all three courses without the lecturers being so accommodating of my timetable.”

As he looks to the future, Dave – also a proud Ardscoil Rís alum – is looking forward to some well-earned downtime and taking stock before moving on to the next adventure.

“I’m taking a bit of time to figure out exactly what I’m going to do. I have a few ideas – I’m thinking that I might move away for a little bit. I’ve been in Limerick all my life, and I love Limerick – it’s been very good to me; I grew up in Ballinacurra, I live in Castletroy now. But I think change is always good,” he said.

It’s nothing if not true to his alma mater’s message to ‘stay curious’.

“Andy Farrell would often say ‘you have to figure it out yourself’. You can’t be spoon-fed everything, and that curiosity piece – exploring different things – you have to find out what you like, where your interests are, what your motivation is, what sparks you to get out of bed in the morning. I think that’s down to everyone, individually; to find out what gets them going.”