In recent years, the IRFU’s use of the ‘Emerging Ireland’ and Ireland A sides has proved to be a great reintroduction.
The two tours to South Africa have proven vital in the development of now seasoned Internationals like Sam Prendergast, Jack Crowley, and Calvin Nash, to name a few. And while Tom Stewart and Co. will get a good opportunity to play in Green on Saturday, Ireland A’s match against Spain also offers a huge opportunity for their opponents.
It’s not often that players from Spain, especially those based domestically, get the chance to play against seasoned pros and internationally capped players like Harry Byrne, Tom O’Toole, and Robert Baloucoune. However, there’ll be one man in the Spanish ranks in Leganes familiar with the Irish, full-back Alejandro Laforga.
Alejandro Laforga. Pic: Richard Wainwright/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Former Spanish 7s star Laforga doesn’t have the run-of-the-mill journey to his national team. It’s seen him go from Kilternan to New Delhi, with a dozen or more countries sprinkled in between.
It was on the marshy pitches of De La Salle College in Churchtown, Dublin, where Laforga first made his name on these shores. He rocked up as a 16-year-old, coming over to learn English for a year at the only public school to win the Leinster Senior Cup. He was always a keen rugby player, starting at the age of six in Madrid.
He soon caught the eyes of Irish coaches on the rugby pitch, and he was brought up to Kirwan Park in Kilternan to play with De La Salle Palmerston, the club where the likes of John Cooney and Leinster’s James Culhane made their first steps into rugby.
Alejandro Laforga playing for De La Salle in the Vinnie Murray Cup in 2017. Pic: Matt Browne/Sportsfile
‘I first arrived when I was 16 [at De La Salle Palmerston], thanks to Kevin O’Neill, who was a huge support for me during my time there.’ Laforga said ahead of Spain’s test against Ireland A. ‘Actually, he’s come to see me a few times since then: once in London and the last time in Madrid, he even stayed at my parents’ house.’
Everyone at the club soon realised how good he was. He ended up staying in Ireland past his initial year, playing in the Vinnie Murray Cup with his school, and also played senior club rugby with “Salmo” just after graduating at 18. He soon caught recognition from all at Leinster, as he was selected for the Leinster Junior squad for the Interprovincial tournament in 2019.
It was that tight-knit, family atmosphere in both the De La Salle school and club that Laforga was looking for when he came over as a wily teen.
Alejandro Laforga lining out for Leinster juniors in 2019.Pic: Courtesy of Leinster Rugby
‘I left Madrid because I wasn’t in my best moment, neither in rugby nor personally. I went to Ireland with zero expectations, but with a huge desire to keep learning. During my time there, I had some incredible coaches who helped shape me into the person and player I am today.’
One of those former coaches at both the school and club spoke about Laforga’s stereotypical Spanish passion. ‘Alejandro was fiery and pacey, with a willingness to learn, although keeping a lid on his Spanish fire was a challenge in itself!’
It was that temperament and fire which was always going to see Laforga go further than the Leinster League. He returned to Spain in 2020 after spending five years in Dublin. Initially, he thought his playing days were behind him, as he looked towards a career after earning a degree from TUD. However, after playing for his boyhood side, Cisneros, he soon received a call-up he couldn’t turn down.
He was selected to play for the Spanish 7s side, and he would make his debut in Los Angeles in 2022. From then on, he would star for the side as they would go from minnows on the circuit to finishing runners-up this year, racking up over 100 caps over three years.
Laforga got to play at all the big tournaments, from London to Hong Kong, and earlier this year, he played in the new Rugby Premier League, an Indian startup 7s competition that also featured Irish stars like Jordan Conroy and Terry Kennedy.
Alejandro Laforga. Pic: Christopher Pike/Getty Images
Laforga lined out for the Delhi Redz, who lost in the grand final to the Chennai Bulls. After his stint in India, Laforga decided to step away from 7s and actually looked to return to Ireland.
‘This season I’m not going to be part of the 7s setup. It was a tough decision, but after last season, I felt it was the right moment to step aside. I needed to come home — after three years of travelling around the world and making sacrifices, I felt I needed to slow down a bit. I’m really grateful for everything I experienced, though.
‘I was actually looking at options to go back and play in Ireland. I have great memories from my time there, and I felt it would be a good moment to reconnect with myself and with rugby.’
However, Laforga didn’t end up returning to Ireland and instead went back to Madrid to play for Cisneros once more. Playing 15-a-side for the first time in years, Laforga didn’t expect too much, but as seems to be a running theme for him, he exceeded his own expectations again and got called up to train with the Spanish squad for their November Internationals against ‘A’ sides from Ireland and England, as well as Fiji’s first team.
‘It didn’t work out in the end [coming back to Ireland], and you know how it is… when one door closes, another one opens. After playing a few games in Spain’s top league, I got the call for the camp. To be honest, it was a bit of a shock for me when I found out I’d been called into the XVs squad.
Alejandro Laforga. Pic: Rodger Bosch/AFP via Getty Images
‘I’m really happy to have gotten this far. Making the final squad is secondary — if it eventually happens, it’ll be thanks to the work I put in since my time in De La Salle and De La Salle Palmerston, the years in 7s, and everything I’ve done since coming back home.’
It’s stories like Laforga which show the value 7s still has in rugby, and especially in Ireland. With professional spots so few in Ireland compared to England or France, 7s is the perfect pathway to keep players in elite programmes who aren’t quite ready for the full test sphere just yet.
Ireland A team to face Spain: M Lowry, R Baloucoune, J Postelthwaite, D Kelly, S Bolton, H Byrne, B Murphy, M Milne, T Stewart, T O’Toole, E O’Connell, D Murray, A Soroka, R Quinn, P Boyle. Replacements: L Barron, A Usanov, S Wilson, D Mangan, D McCann, N Doak, C Forde, Z Ward.