When Conor Oliver and I connect via Zoom, I find my screen is upside down — and I can’t seem to fix it.
“I’ll try to keep a straight face,” he says, suppressing a laugh. Two years into a pandemic and I’m starting to lose my patience with video calls, I admit, adding that it will be nice to be back in the office soon as I haven’t yet had to meet colleagues I’ve been with since the summer work from 2020.
The Dubliner, who joined the Connacht rugby squad from Munster in July 2020, knows the challenges of joining a team in the midst of a pandemic.
“It was tough at first,” he admits.
“I moved to Galway and lived on my own and I didn’t really get to meet the lads outside of training.” But there was a silver lining – the squad was ‘bubbled’ in six to eight for training in those early days divided up.
“I ended up getting really close to these guys,” he says. “And then it expanded to 12 people.
“It worked out in the end because it was a lot easier to get to know people little by little than to have to meet 40 people at once.”
And what about the support at Connacht – how does it compare to Thomond Park?
“It’s crazy. I remember playing at Galway Sportsgrounds when I played against Connacht with Munster. One thing that has always stuck in my mind was how loud the crowd was.
“I love that.”
Conor Oliver from Connacht applauds the fans full time
- Connacht rugby player Conor Oliver encourages runners of all skill levels to sign up for Red Bull’s Wings for Life World Run by downloading the app or visiting WingsForLifeWorldRun.com
I try to get up at five-thirty or seven and walk my dog Mac for half an hour before I head out for the day. He’s a bulldog and a little heavy… so we’re not going very far. When I come back I’ll feed him and get some overnight oats myself and then go to training. We have an hour of individual preparation – a lot of guys have injuries so they would have to do different stretches and things they have to do. We have a team meeting at 9 a.m. and then start the day.
be organized. I do the weekly shopping on a Sunday or Monday and get everything I have for the week. I don’t necessarily prepare meals, but I try to have food in the fridge throughout the week and I don’t like wasting food, it encourages me to keep cooking myself.
Really sour jellies are my weak point. I’m particularly vulnerable at weekends.
Mistakes I’ve made and thinking about what’s next.
Conor Oliver with his beloved pooch Picture: @conoroliver / Instagram
Walking my dog without headphones. I used to always walk around with headphones, always listening to music or other things. I think it’s nice to switch off sometimes. I now live by the sea in Galway. It’s nice to go to the beach and have a bit of rest.
Steven Gerhard. I grew up in a very football-dominated family and my brother is a die-hard Liverpool fan. I always noticed Gerard. The way he played the game, wore his heart on his sleeve…you could really see the passion he had and when he played how much it meant to him. In rugby, it’s Richie McCaw, the captain of the All Blacks. I appreciate these guys very much. It’s hard to play [soccer and rugby]but it’s even harder to lead world-class teams.
You only have one body, so take care of it as best you can.
selfishness. I think that’s one of those things that can really drag a group down. A team environment needs to be built on teamwork and people who look out for each other. You want the person next to you to look good, and when everyone does that, it comes full circle.
My dog. When I’m having a bad training day, when I walk in the door, he’s always happy to see me.
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
Vietnam. I backpacked there about three years ago and stayed in hostels with some of my buddies. This part of the world is just amazing. A lot of people there may not have much, but they are happy. It puts life in perspective. It was a really eye-opening time for me, I came back humbled.
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