From basketball to rugby and a very different ball game

Irish rugby union player Lauren Delany was set to be an international star in basketball before choosing an entirely different path and swapping the court for a pitch

Irish rugby union international Lauren Delany (PA)

When Lauren Delany was first starting out it was a very different ball game she planned on making her name in.

Now capped 14 times by the Ireland rugby union team, the 31-year-old was a basketball star in the making as she won All-Ireland medals before graduating to international honours at age group level.

It was only after moving to England to do her master’s degree that Delany, who now works in performance nutrition for rugby league side Leeds Rhinos, swapped the court for a pitch.