
Dancing with the Stars contestant announces rugby retirement after 10 years
The Rugby Sevens star announced he will hang up his boots after 10 years playing with Ireland.
In an emotional statement on Instagram, the 31-year-old admitted to it having been a difficult decision to make.
The Tullamore native said: "I didn't think it would be this difficult writing this, saying goodbye to something that's been apart of your life the last 10 years.
"Trying to put everything into words is quite impossible or not shedding a tear while writing this."
Conroy first started playing rugby when he was 18 and played 15s with Tullamore and Buccaneers.
He made his Ireland Sevens debut in 2016 and was the highest try scorer at the 2020 World Series as the Boys in Green qualified for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
He has played 171 World Series games for his country, scoring 123 tries in that time.
Conroy, who also took part in RTE's Dancing with the Stars, added: "First of all I'd like to thank my teammates..my friends..my brothers..who I've known from the beginning of when I started this, to those who I met along the way.
"Thank you for allowing me to share this journey with you, the good times and the bad times." SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 29: Jordan Conroy of Ireland scores a try during the 2023 Sydney Sevens match between Ireland and Great Britain at Allianz Stadium on January 29, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by)
He said "we were more than just a team".
"We were more than just a team, we were a bunch of lads who believed in each other when others laughed at us.
"To you I give thanks and I am honoured to have shared this journey with you.
"To the special people who I've met around the world who stuck with me since the very beginning and saw something in me to @padinphx@therealdenimdan@trevorleander_trev@meenu___apr@clorabella@kobay_okeeffe@lalainejoyce thank you for your kindness your blessings.
"It makes me sad that I might not meet some of you ever again, but that's okay because we can cherish the memories we had.
"Finally to myself for believing in me for braving the toughest storms that this sport has thrown at me but also taught me so many things.
"I wouldn't be the Jordan I am today if it wasn't for this sport.
"I now officially announce my retirement from professional Rugby 7s it's been on heck of a ride folks.
"Peace and Love," he added.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
‘They were actually disappointed', says RTE star Jennifer Zamparelli as she reveals biggest career ‘regret'
RTE star Jennifer Zamparalli has opened up on her career regrets following her pregnancies. The host and her husband Lauterio share two kids together, Florence, 10, and seven-year-old Enzo. Advertisement 2 Jen opened up about her career regret Credit: Instagram 2 Jen left her radio show to spend more time at home Credit: Instagram In May 2024, Jennifer broke the news to heartbroken listeners that she would be leaving her long-standing radio post at 2FM. At the time, she said the decision was made to allow her to spend And in retrospect, with more time to spend with her kids, Jen has said she now wishes she had done so sooner. She told RSVP: 'Everything has fallen into place, to be honest. I probably regret not taking enough time off with the kids in the initial stages. Advertisement read more jennifer zamparelli 'I probably should have pushed out my maternity leave, even by a couple of weeks. But I'm making up for that now.' She continued: 'I don't know if they would notice that much to be honest. 'They were actually disappointed when I said I wasn't going to be on the radio any more! 'They were like, 'What? What about Dancing With The Stars?'. But I explained to them I was still doing that. Advertisement Most read in News TV 'They used to like listening to me on the radio when they could, and they liked the idea of mommy being on the airwaves. 'It's so funny, Lau recently got this offer on a massive job that was filming away and he turned it down because he wanted to be around the kids more and just take jobs locally. He said, 'I'm not going to take this big job we were talking about, I'm going to be here with you'." Jennifer Zamparelli returns on air Recently, Jen made a brief return to radio alongside Virgin Media star Dowling . The pair stepped in on Today FM for Dave Moore from 9am to 12pm while he took a two-week break. Advertisement After two weeks of covering separately, the pair joined forces for one final show on Dave Moore's morning slot - and fans absolutely loved it. After their two week long The Brian also said it was an "absolute joy" to co-host with Jen on their final day. Advertisement He wrote: "Today was the cherry on the cake as I got to co-host with the powerhouse that is @jenzamparelli. "I swear to God we laughed and gossiped the whole way through the show. It was an absolute joy!!!"


Extra.ie
3 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Olympian Rhys McClenaghan gives fans post-surgery update
Olympic gold medalist and Dancing with the Stars champion Rhys McClenaghan has shared a health update from the hospital after his shoulder surgery. Rhys gave the camera a thumbs up from his hospital bed as he shared the update on social media. The Olympic gymnast is recovering from having surgery on his shoulder which he remarked can be the 'reality of sport'. Rhys is in good spirits after the surgery. Pic: Instagram/Rhys McClenaghan Rhys wrote: 'Day 1 of recovery from shoulder surgery'. 'I've been struggling with this injury for a while now, so I'm delighted that everything went to plan with the operation and I can make my way back to maintaining my spot as the best in the world at what I do. 'This is the reality of sport, and I love all of the challenges it throws my way. Champion Mindset.' Rhys McClenaghan in action at the Olympics. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile Earlier this year, the gold medalist was forced to withdraw from the European Championships in Leipzig because of an unspecified injury. At the time, he said: 'I tried my best to push through preparation but an injury kept holding me back. 'I chose to prioritise being healthy and recovering for future competitions this year and be sure that I can put out my best work yet. The Olympic gymnast is recovering from having surgery on his shoulder which he remarked can be the 'reality of sport'. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile 'I may not be retaining my European title but the path to being the GOAT is still very clear.' His fellow Dancing with the Stars team were quick to send their well wishes in the comment section of his recent post. Kylee Vincent wrote: 'Speedy recovery', with Karen Byrne adding the same message and Brian Redmond saying: 'Get better soon champ. I hope the feet are still at their exceptional best.' Earlier this year, the gold medalist was forced to withdraw from the European Championships in Leipzig because of an unspecified injury. Pic: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile Rhys shared an additional post on Instagram from the hospital bed with him narrating over videos from the hospital and clips from his gymnastics. He said: 'This time last year, I was at the Olympic Games and today I'm in a hospital bed. 'I think this is why sport is such a great example for life. 'One moment, you're on top of the world and the next, well, you're not. 'Well because to have the good days, I think you have to have the bad days. 'I also think that this is one of the reasons why I love what I do so much because even though I'm in a bad situation currently, I know that when I'm back competing in front of millions again, when I finish that routine, it's going to feel so much sweeter. 'But that comeback starts today.'


Extra.ie
3 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Olympian Rhys McClenaghan shares health update after surgery
Olympic gold medalist and Dancing with the Stars champion Rhys McClenaghan has shared a health update from the hospital after his shoulder surgery. Rhys gave the camera a thumbs up from his hospital bed as he shared the update on social media. The Olympic gymnast is recovering from having surgery on his shoulder which he remarked can be the 'reality of sport'. Rhys is in good spirits after the surgery. Pic: Instagram @rhysmcc1 Rhys wrote: 'Day 1 of recovery from shoulder surgery'. 'I've been struggling with this injury for a while now, so I'm delighted that everything went to plan with the operation and I can make my way back to maintaining my spot as the best in the world at what I do. 'This is the reality of sport, and I love all of the challenges it throws my way. Champion Mindset.' Earlier this year, the gold medalist was forced to withdraw from the European Championships in Leipzig because of an unspecified injury. Rhys McClenaghan in action at the Olympics. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile At the time, he said: 'I tried my best to push through preparation but an injury kept holding me back. 'I chose to prioritise being healthy and recovering for future competitions this year and be sure that I can put out my best work yet. 'I may not be retaining my European title but the path to being the GOAT is still very clear.' His fellow Dancing with the Stars team were quick to send their well wishes in the comment section of his recent post. Kylee Vincent wrote: 'Speedy recovery', with Karen Byrne adding the same message and Brian Redmond saying: 'Get better soon champ. I hope the feet are still at their exceptional best.' Rhys McClenaghan with dance partner Laura Nolan on Dancing With The Stars. Pic: Kyran O'Brien/KOBPIX Rhys shared an additional post on Instagram from the hospital bed with him narrating over videos from the hospital and clips from his gymnastics. He said: 'This time last year, I was at the Olympic Games and today I'm in a hospital bed. 'I think this is why sport is such a great example for life. 'One moment, you're on top of the world and the next, well, you're not. 'Well because to have the good days, I think you have to have the bad days. 'I also think that this is one of the reasons why I love what I do so much because even though I'm in a bad situation currently, I know that when I'm back competing in front of millions again, when I finish that routine, it's going to feel so much sweeter. 'But that comeback starts today.'