‘I went up in the line out and landed on my knee. That’s how my career ended’

It is the moment every player hopes he or she never has to endure; a dreaded scenario not be comtemplated. Not even in the darkest, most pessimistic of days.

A medic, most likely a surgeon, is standing there in his or her white coat and delivering the terrible news. Outlining in stark, technical detail the set of circumstances how the injury - the damage to the ankle or shoulder, perhaps, or the leg break - has conspired to ensure the player's career is over. Caput.

In Niall Ronan's case it was his right knee that was the problem, specifically a slim sliver of tissue over his knee cartilage that helps to separate the two main bones in the leg, the fibula and tibia. "It's like a piece of paper and I cracked that, really sharp pain, it's like someone sticks a knife into the back of your knee," he recalls.

"I tried to rehab the knee and it was getting worse. The surgeon said he would have a look at it. I didn't know for three months because they weren't sure but they went in and did the surgery, technical surgery. It was basically a cartilage issue. I think they've stopped doing surgery now because it doesn't work.

"I knew by his (the surgeon's) body language. I asked could I be back next season and he said: 'I don't think so.' I met him a few weeks later and he said it's time, time to step away."

So that's what Niall Ronan did. He stepped away from his job as a professional rugby player, signed off on his life as an Irish international and talented a back row player with Munster, although it wasn't as simple as that.

He embarked on months of rehab, knowing in the depths of his soul his career as a professional footballer was finished. He was only 31. He had with justification expected, hoped, he would have another couple of years left in him as a pro; a life he loved.

He looks back now, 10 years later, and still marvels at the finality of it all. How it all changed, in an instant. Just like that. The cruel, random suddenness of it all. There he was as happy as a lark in summer going to training one Thursday morning with his Munster colleagues and bang. Everything changed.

"I went training on that Thursday morning as usual. I had been selected on the first choice fifteen for Munster against Gloucester in the Heineken Cup. I went up in the line out and landed on my knee. That's how my career ended."

As it turned out football wasn't completely ruled out for him. Ronan did months and months of rehab. He returned home to Piltown, close to Bettystown beach, and rebuilt his life. He reckons the injury extracted from him "25 per cent of his pace." A lethal reduction in power for a professional rugby player - but there were other options.

Ronan, who says he had no issue with the bane of modern rugby - concussion - regained his fitness to such an extent he could turn out in Gaelic football for his beloved local club St Colmcille's. Not only that he helped them to Meath and Leinster IFC titles in 2016. The Cilles and Ronan pushed on. They reached the All-Ireland Club IFC final in Croke Park where they were defeated by Lee Keegan's club Westport.

Ronan felt it was an ideal time to draw the curtain down on his playing days. He didn't win the All-Ireland medal but he had achieved a cherished ambition by helping St Colmcille's to an IFC title. He was 34 and felt complete. He had travelled the full circle. Now he's hoping he can lead the club to another major success - the SFC - this time as manager although he's not making any bold predictions. Instead he's just going from day to day, week to week. Once the season gets up and going it will be the old mantra, one game at a time. His years as a professional, and life in general, have thought him there can be no other way - because stuff happens.

RUGBY

When he was a youngster, "around nine or 10" Niall Ronan went through another of those moments - an epiphany - that had a profound effect on the course his life would take. The local football pitch in Piltown - the home of St Colmcille's - was, just a few minutes walk from where he lived. That remains the case.

That familiar arena became his theatre of dreams. It was, in effect, his "backyard" and he spent many childhood days there kicking around with his buddies.

One day, one of those buddies asked him if he would like to try out rugby with a local club, Delvin RFC. Ronan liked the game and was encouraged all the way by his parents Teresa and Finbar Ronan. He was, he adds, also fortunate in that he started to move within the orbit of good coaches. Another factor that worked in Ronan's favour was that Delvin and Drogheda rugby clubs joined forces and became Boyne RFC.

"That's where I really kick-started my career because when Drogheda and Delvin amalgamated we became one of the strongest clubs in Leinster at under-age rugby and that's probably how we got noticed. A lot of us got Leinster and Irish youth caps from that time."

He also played Gaelic football and was good enough to get called into the Meath minor team. It looked like he could become a regular senior inter-county player in the green and gold - but the gravity pull of pro rugby was strong.

Ronan was given a full-time contract by Leinster and in his first four years with the Blues he played under four coaches - Gary Ella, Declan Kidney, Gary Murphy and Michael Cheika. All different people with their personalities and ways of doing things. At the end of his first year the young Meath man was voted Leinster's 'Young Player of the Year.'

He found Cheika “a strict coach” but adds that he was very successful. "He won a Heineken Cup so he must have done something right." The various style of management were noted by Ronan who liked Kidney and the way he did things.

St COLMCILLE'S

It was therefore no great sacrifice for him when in 2007 he was brought to Munster by Kidney who had departed from Leinster to take charge of the Reds. Ronan found with Munster, the culture surrounding the team, the people he worked with, to his liking. "I signed a 12-month contract and stayed for seven years, changed my life."

It was hardly surprising then that it was with Munster Ronan won four senior caps for Ireland. He had played at every level up to Ireland A. Then he got his big chance in the first team against Canada in Vancouver in 2009; a day that was memorable for Ronan in all sorts of ways. "It was 45 degrees so it was the hottest day I ever played rugby in." He won three more senior caps against Australia, USA and Scotland.

There were good days too with Munster. He was signed as an understudy for Irish international and Lions back-rower David Wallace, he understood that, but there were times when he got sustained runs in the team - but his progress was blighted by injury.

The 2007/2008 campaign reflects that. The east Meath man played a significant part in helping Munster win the Heineken Cup that year but he wasn't on the team on the big day.

"A lot of the Munster players were in the World Cup squad so I got lots of game time. I broke my thumb before the semi-final so I missed the semi-final and final. Would I have been picked? I don't know but I played some of the best rugby I ever played at that stage of my career."

Ronan's progress was also hampered by a ACL injury that forced him out for nine months. He found it hard to just train and not play. Very difficult. He came to appreciate the need for a strong mental resilience.

He came back from that blow but not the knee injury he picked up that fateful Thursday in 2013 when training with Munster.

For some time now Niall Ronan has earned his living by running his company - Titan Wellness. He and his team "provide workplace well-being solutions to corporate clients all over Ireland."

Married to Jaimie he is also the father of two children, five and seven. It makes for a full-on lifestyle but Ronan is looking forward to guiding St Colmcille's this year.

He intends to bring what he has learned in professional rugby to the table such as the use of video reviews of games. He knows it's better to show things than just talk about them.

At times it has been a rocky road but Niall Ronan has re-built his life and moved on since that day when he grappled with the news every professional sportsperson hates to hear. That they are finished.

He now knows that when one door slams shut others can suddenly, unexpectedly open.