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who spoke several languages and had a range of skills, including allegedly working as a barbershop singer, a Scottish dancer and Rob was passionate about spreading his love more glorious in the world than rowing with your friends, or by yourself, particularly when it’s going smoothly.’ a champion toastmaster. His dress sense for rowing with all. He was much commented on: he favoured truly believed in Trinity The Van Mesdag Summer Rowing Camps tweed jackets and bow ties on dry land Rowing’s long-held ethos in Islandbridge were fortunate to be held but on the water would ‘wear a singlet of inclusivity, respect in June, a month of glorious sunshine in Dublin (unlike July, when the going was with moth-holes over once white shorts, and welcome a lot less smooth!). Isabel Doyle, Captain held up perhaps by a safety pin’. Generous to friends and charities, he was personally frugal, of DUBC, said: ‘Rob was passionate about and abhorred waste. spreading his love for rowing with all. He truly believed in Trinity Rowing’s long-held ethos of inclusivity, On 17 July, 2018, Rob was filmed preparing to launch his boat, respect and welcome for anyone willing to put in the hard ‘Oranje Boven’ (Orange on Top) for London Rowing Club. He work, regardless, and irrespective of background. Rob would remarked presciently: ‘This boat was made of wood for me in be incredibly proud that over 100 young people, many of them Holland in 1953; it may get older than I do.’ He died the next coming from areas of disadvantage, have been introduced to day, having declared in that same interview: ‘There is nothing a sport we all love.’ Inspire through a Legacy When you remember Trinity in your will, you join a tradition of giving that goes back over 400 years, and reaches far into the future. Legacy gifts of all sizes have huge impact. A legacy gift is an expression of your values. You can choose an area that fits with your passions and priorities, be that rowing, like Rob, or academic scholarships, or research, or you can make an unrestricted gift for the university to use where it is needed most. Your generosity and foresight will have a lasting imprint on Trinity’s future. Click here to find out more Click here to email Niamh McCourt, Donor Development Manager, Trinity Development & Alumni or call her directly on +353(0)86 128 4114
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Rising to greatness From the classroom to the pitch, Trinity student and rugby star, Ryan Baird, chats to Trinity Today about Rugby World Cup 2023 T rinity student athlete and Ireland Senior International Rugby player, Ryan Baird, made his Ireland senior debut against Italy in 2021. Since then he has gone on to earn 11 caps with his most significant contributions coming in the last three of those. His performances in the Six Nations campaign against Italy, Scotland and England, which Head Coach Andy Farrell labelled ‘immense’, earned him a place in the 33-man squad for the Rugby World Cup 2023. ‘All I’ve ever known is competition,’ says 24 year old Baird. Growing up with two younger brothers, he remembers weekends packed with sports activities, including the annual Baird Cup Tennis Trophy. ‘This was a handicapped event that pitted the five family members against each other in a winner- takes-all tournament. First won by my younger brother at age five, there were many tears shed over defeats and many hotly contested line calls. It wasn’t for the faint-hearted but was great fun. It’s where it all began!’ ‘My parents were big believers in playing many sports. They believed it provides a well-rounded skill set: hand-eye coordination from the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and golf, speed and acceleration from athletics, mental toughness from tennis, and the importance of being part of a team from GAA and rugby,’ he adds. What set the Baird family apart was not just their love of games but their father’s analytical approach to coaching. While other parents cheered from the sidelines, Ryan’s father analysed games and captured statistics, providing constructive criticism which still benefits Ryan to this day. ‘He would have his review done by the end of the day, not mincing words about where we fell short and how we could improve. He cared deeply about us and wanted us to fulfil our potential. This was one of the ways he showed it. His feedback, though occasionally harsh, was always warranted and constructive. It still benefits me to this day (only when I allow him though!)’. After gaining a variety of skills from different sports, Ryan specialised in rugby from the age of 13 at St Michael’s College and at Old Wesley RFC. Since then, Ryan has grown immeasurably as a person and a player, ‘The greatest part of being a professional athlete is the person and athlete you become. At an early age, all you are doing is playing and having fun, and of course, you want to keep that at the heart of why you play professionally. But there’s more going on at a professional level. It’s your job, the stakes are higher, there’s more competition for selection, and you’re expected to win.’ Ryan has developed strategies to compete at a professional level by focusing on his preparation and his mind. ‘I’ve worked with various sports psychologists and performance coaches, both individually and with teams in Ireland and Leinster Rugby. I’m beginning to understand what puts me in the best headspace to perform, balancing emotion with the process. Because at the end of the day, if you aren’t 100% committed to the game and to the moment in front of you, you won’t perform to your potential.’ ‘I’m a big believer in habits. My Ireland coach, Paul O’Connell, always says, “Under pressure, we are our habits.” So, for me, I focus on building the right ones. This involves gym work to keep my body strong, any video work for scouting the opposition, what visualisation I need to practise to get me mentally primed for training and gamedays, what skills I need to practise pre and post-training to become world-class and finally, what my focus is for the training session itself. The phrase ‘9/10 of High Performance is preparation and the other 1/10 is trusting the preparation to allow you to flow’ really resonates with me. All high performance entails deliberate
