Clare Connection To Belgium U20 Side In World Rugby Challenger Final

There's a very strong Clare connection to an international rugby story unfolding thousands of miles away in Santiago, Chile. Thomas Ironside Wickham, whose mother is from Spanish Point, is captain of the Belgian U20 rugby team, and he and his teammates have produced a superb run of performances to reach the final of the World Rugby U20 Challenger. Belgium defeated Portugal in their opening match, followed that with a remarkable 41–12 victory over Canada, and then overcame Namibia to book their place in Saturday's final against the host nation, Chile. Thomas is also studying at the University of Limerick and plays All-Ireland League rugby with Garryowen, so he has strong links with the Irish rugby scene as well as his Belgian international career. Thomas joined Alan Morrissey from Santiago ahead of what could be the biggest match of his young career. Photo (c) Pablo Hsm from Pexels via Canva