The Baggage Master – Rala Takes On One Last Match

Patrick, or Paddy, everyone knows him as Rala. Tha baggage master who in 1995 first took on the job with the Ireland National team, and since then has been to almost every corner of the world, before he left the Senior setup back in 2015.

Along the way he also managed kit on numerous Lions Tours and in the 1999 World Cup, he was tasked with helping out Argentina in Lansdowne Road, a week after they knocked out Ireland of the competition. He has helped with the underage Ireland teams and he bows out this weekend on another Irish Clubs tour.

So where did it all begin for Rala?, sipping on a pint of Guinness in the Terenure club bar back in early 80’s, he was asked would be become the bag man for the following season, and with a simple shrug agreed, in his mid 30’s he was still knocking around Lakelands, but agreed to take on the role knowing little about what it entailed. He still blames the pints.

“That actually happened by accident”. He explains, “I was standing at the bar in my club, Terenure, and I was having a pint of Guinness, and beside me, there stood the incoming coach and manager or whoever, and they were discussing the season coming up. And one of them turned around to me, I think it was Barry (Coleman). He said, “ Rala, will you be the bag man next season?”.

I said, “yeah”. And that’s how it started. Not knowing what a bag was because there was no bag man in those days, except for Leinster and Ireland, of course. And you brought your own socks and jersey and etcetera. I went and studied a couple of lads in Leinster and that to try and learn about the game, and that’s how it started. That was about ’82 or ’83. Before your time!.”

Rala became the baggage master to a host of Ireland players for 21 years. In that time he was there for the good days, and in the bad days was a shoulder for players to lean on.

Many spoke fondly of the role that Rala had in the group before he retired, and on the other tours he made sure to have almost everything you could need. From tights, to nail clippers, almost everything has been put on the “Rala List”.

When players have forgotten something Rala was the man to go to. His room on a tour acted as a safe space for players to relax amidst the pressure of International rugby. From spare studs, laces, socks, gumshields, he created a list that was bit around in the early days, learning the tools of the trade from other bag men along the way. Nail clippers might be a strange item to have in the bag, but have their importance, admits O’Reilly.

“Back in those days, there wasn’t but I invented one, if you understand. Starting from the boots to the top of the head, I went through everything. Learning all the time, Rainbow (Jimmy Smyth) from Blackrock and Guggs (Dave Gargan) from Old Wesley.

I didn’t know everything. And then you learn from other bag men around. So bit by bit, I put a sort of an ensemble together, which really has traveled with me all over the world several times.”

Nail clippers, spare jocks, spare socks, toothbrush. The essentials of course, water, cones, footballs, etcetera, shields. Candle, sweets, all sorts of stuff like that. But nail clippers are an important thing, actually, because players like to clip their nails before going out. Because if they grab a jersey they could rip their finger off.”

From his many travels Rala has collected plenty of souvenirs along the way, the most of which are in his mind. Stories like smuggling a Guinness cake in an ice box for the King of Tonga…

He has collected items along and keeps them to this day. Some sit proudly on his neck, a Lions tour lanyard, a rugby ball, and a whistle from a tour to Australia in 2003. A whistle that has its own unique code, as Rala squeaks the rubber whistle to indicate a response or action.

“Most of the stuff I have from tours, etcetera, is in my mind. It’s the memories,” he recalls.

“A lot of stuff I acquired along the journey, I gave it out to charities and this, that, and the other, you know. I have a few things, but it’s mostly memories, the great memories which come up every so often. Like meeting so and so, or doing this, or getting thrown off this or so many memories. You could be here for two hours.”

He squeezes the whistle. That goes back to 2003, to Australia, and we were with Ireland, and we were training in a school. And the coaches had no whistle, and Rala had no whistle. So a guy on the sideline, a teacher said “you couldn’t grab me a whistle there, could you?”

“So he ran off and came back with this.*squeak* *squeak*. I said, “a whistle?”. He said, “that is a whistle”. That’s the whistle we use in school. I said, thank you so much. And it’s been with me ever since. I use it as a code, no and yes and all that sort of stuff. But that’s part of me now that is.”

A butler to The Captains and Kings is how Rala described life as being a bag man. Not one player can be singled out and describe them as being his favourite, akin to what member of The Beatles is his favourite.

“In my book, they’re all of that nature. You can’t pick out, it’s like being asked, who’s your favorite Beatle?. I have no favorite Beatle, but I love the Beatles. It’s the same with the players. I I love all the players, including this club team. And they don’t know that I do.”

The Ireland Club XV squad have been put through their paces in preparation for Friday’s clash with Portugal A, as players from across the Energia All Ireland League look to build on last season’s successful trip and pick up a result.

Rala has been with them in the camp, and like he did for countless players prior, continues to act as a babysitter for the players. Some from his own club of Terenure, others hailing from clubs he would see visit Lakelands on a Saturday.

But all of which he believes have given terrific service to Irish rugby and feels it is not only a privilege for him to be their bag man, but also for the players to represent Ireland from the All Ireland League.

“It’s an amazing opportunity for the chosen 23, for themselves, for their country, for their family, and indeed for their clubs. It’s a great privilege. And in fact, for me, it’s a great honour to try and help them. It ends up that they help me, by the way. It’s the other way around.” He says.

“But what a chance for these guys, and they’re great guys, you know, you see them in bits and pieces from week to week versus Terenure. But then when they come together, you know they bond. It’s sort of like the Lions in a way. The bonding has to be rapid in a way.

And you can see it with these lads. You saw it yourself out on the field field, they’re laughing, they’re joking, and they’re lala when they’re off the field, not when they’re on it. I’m so delighted for them and indeed they’ve given so much to Irish rugby, Energia All Ireland League rugby, and now the AIL club international team. What a privilege, amazing.”

Known for his many words of wisdom, he always left little notes to inspire the players. Indeed he helped Brian O’Driscoll with the famous speech about the tomato and the fruit salad. Going into the game in Lisbon at 5pm on Friday, Rala continues to provide those impactful words of wisdom for the players.

“I got this one from Donncha (O’Callaghan), Measure twice and cut once, and Ní aon go cur le chéile, the strength in unity. That’s the key one. The strength in unity. I mean, I could go on like, a good sailor never learned to sail on a calm sea.”