Antony Perry
27 March 2017: He’s already living his dream of playing rugby professionally, but Ryan Lonergan is keeping one eye very much on the future.
Lonergan became the envy of all rugby-loving school-leavers when he signed a development contract with the ACT Brumbies at the end of 2016.
But the 18-year-old halfback isn’t getting too swept away. Lonergan is juggling his rugby commitments with university study this year as he undertakes a Bachelor of Applied Business (Management) at the University of Canberra.
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Ryan Lonergan is undertaking a business degree at the University of Canberra while he trains full-time with the ACT Brumbies. Photo: supplied
The former Trinity Christian School student said it was important to be prepared for when he is no longer able to play rugby.
“I’m training full-time with the Brumbies squad and studying part-time at the University of Canberra,” Lonergan said.
“It’s an online course and completely self-paced. Studying and training means I have a busy schedule, but I’m only doing one unit at a time.
“It doesn’t really bother me how long it takes to complete my studies, just as long as I’m doing something that’s going to prepare me for life after rugby because you never know what’s going to happen on the field.
“I could suffer a career-ending injury or stop enjoying the game. Having a plan for when I stop playing is important to me and I think studying is the right way to go.”
It was only a few months ago that Lonergan was sitting his final exams as a college student. Now the Tuggeranong Vikings junior is mixing with some of the very players he idolised growing up.
Lonergan has represented the ACT since the age of 12 and last year he played for the Australian Barbarians. He isn’t guaranteed game time as a development player, but he hopes to gain as much as possible from the opportunity.
“Coming in as an 18-year-old was a bit daunting but I’ve been made to feel very welcome by the senior players,” he said.
“I’m already starting to notice small improvements in my game training alongside these really good players. I’m just looking to mature as a player and learn as much as I can so I can progress in the following years.”
Despite his course being online, Lonergan has easy access to his tutors, should he ever need to visit them. The Brumbies train at the Sporting Commons at the University’s campus and are just one of several sporting organisations to call the state-of-the-art facility home.
“The coaches want me to train with the team as much as possible, but I’m confident I’ll be able to juggle my rugby commitments and studying,” he said.
