60 seconds with Joy Nevlle
School:Salesians, Limerick – primary and secondary.
Sport:Rugby.
Other school sports:Everything! Basketball, squash, soccer, badminton, hockey, you name it.
Who got you started?As the only girl in the family I'd have to credit my four brothers, they toughened me up – although I was always very competitive any way. Second best? Don't go there! But my brothers were all big into sport (Paul Neville captained Garryowen to a senior treble – AIB League, AIB Cup and Munster Senior Cup – in the 2006-07 season). My father loved rugby, my mother loved tennis, so I couldn't miss – sport was in the family blood.
I’d also have to pick out Fiona Steed, who’s married to John Hayes and is coach of Munster. She represented Ireland over 60 times. She was with Shannon when I joined the club and really taught me everything I know. An inspirational figure.
The best of days:Well, basketball was a passion for years so winning the AIL Division D title was special – made all the better because we'd lost in the semi-finals the year before.
The worst of days:Losing in the semi-finals of a squash tournament when playing for Limerick Lawn Tennis Club. I was around 12 or 13. I had huge expectations for myself – losing taught me to lower my expectations!
Most inspiring sporting memory:Too many to choose from, but I'll go for Andre Agassi winning Wimbledon (in 1992). He was just so exciting, brilliant to watch and had a great attitude.
I wished I was: Sonia O'Sullivan. Just from an early age there was so much enjoyment watching her races, the pure commitment and determination, she was fantastic.
If I could turn back time: I wish I'd started rugby earlier – I was around 17, 18 when I got going. I asked around about a ladies team and was told to come along to Shannon, so I turned up at Thomond Park and wondered why no one was there – it turned out I should have gone to Coonagh. Embarrassing. But it was hard then to get started when you were young, these days there are even under-10 teams, which is brilliant.
The value of school sport to you:Well, I don't have any sisters in my family but I have dozens of them from playing sport! More than anything it's the friendships you build up, you have the same disappointments, the same highs, you go through it all together. Most admired: Paul O'Connell. I know, he's a Limerick man, so I might be accused of bias, but he's just such a lovely person, a very honest, hard-working player and an inspiration to his team-mates.
Not too keen:It's a hard one, but I'll go for Cristiano Ronaldo. He just seems quite arrogant to me, a bit of a mé féiner.
One sporting wish: Can I have two? (Go on then). One, for the Irish women's team to win the Six Nations. We have the platform now, we have the belief and we certainly have the talent. Two, the ultimate dream: to win the World Cup, maybe even in England next year.
Shannon’s Joy Neville is captain of the Ireland women’s rugby team that beat France in their opening Six Nations’ game in Ashbourne last Friday. They are away to Italy next Saturday, before taking on England in Dublin.
