Hogan used rugby to cope after father’s death from wasp sting

Brittany Hogan, Ireland’s back row, described rugby as a way to deal with the grief of her father’s sudden death in 2023.

Hogan has spoken out about the impact of her father’s and grandfather’s passing and how her teammates’ support helped her through a difficult time ahead of her first appearance at the Women’s Rugby World Cup.

My dad and I both passed away in August and my grandad in August. I’m playing for them because they were my parents, and they’re no longer with me,” the 26-year-old told BBC Sport NI’s Orla Bannon.

“My dad went into anaphylactic shock after being stung by a wasp on his way home from work. Without my little sister or the assistance of the air ambulance, he had to pull over in the car and be called in to aid.

Hogan, who was initially told she was too aggressive to play other sports when she was 15 years old, claims she and other team-mates are trying to make their bereaved families proud at the World Cup in England in the coming months.

Because rugby waits for no one, she continued, “I didn’t really take time off after their deaths.”

The most crucial thing to do is to train, and that includes having the ability to look after each other off the pitch while not in training.

On Sunday (12:00 BST), Ireland kick off their Pool C campaign in Northampton against Japan.

In their final games, Scott Bemand’s side travel to Spain on August 31 and New Zealand, which hosts them on September 7.

Hogan, who has 34 caps, says reaching the tournament this year is a relief and that Ireland are trying to get out of their group because he was a member of the squad that missed out on qualifying for the previous World Cup in 2021.

“Ireland is a resilient nation despite having our fair share of ups and downs,” he said. We take pride in being a resilient and diligent group, and our recent successes have demonstrated this,” she said.

“We have stated in full that our goal is to reach London and reach the semi-final,” the company said.