Stethoscopes, scrubs and surgical masks are not the typical clothing that you would expect to see in a rugby player’s kitbag but for medical student and Ulster second row Charlie Irvine, it is normal attire.
Irvine is a fourth-year medical student at Queen’s University Belfast, balancing his studies with a full-time rugby career at Affidea Stadium.
The 22-year-old signed a development deal at Ulster last season to keep him at the province until at least 2027 and, when available, also captains his university rugby team.
“I have gone part-time and I am in there [university] two or three days, living as a normal student I suppose,” Irvine told BBC Sport NI.
“When I am in, I am in the wards or a clinic and that is all I am thinking about. When you have tough training or a tough weekend, it helps getting out of the rugby sphere to not worry about it at all.
“It’s been a whirlwind two months. [This week’s] day off from rugby I think I am in a labour ward all day, it is a bit of a change of scenery from out on the pitch.”
Irvine started playing rugby at Lisburn Rugby Club and represented Wallace High School before joining the Ulster academy.
He made his senior debut for Ulster against Bulls last season in what was his sole appearance of the campaign but Saturday’s game against Cardiff in the United Rugby Championship [URC] will be his sixth of 2025-26.
“The Benetton game in November I was 24th man. I was due to play for Queen’s the next day, so my mindset was to do the warm-up, go home and get ready for the match the next day,” Irvine said.
“Hendy [Iain Henderson] went down in the warm-up unfortunately and I went ‘flip, I am now on the bench’, then [Matthew] Dalton went down five, 10 minutes in and I thought ‘flip, I am on the pitch now’.
“In 20 minutes, I went from going home to put my feet up, getting food and going to bed early to you’re on the pitch in front of a full Affidea. It was pretty special.”