Darragh Leader was best known for being a Connacht rugby player, until he set his sights on the NFL.
He has spent years in America before training for the NFL Combine in 2024, with the athlete turning to coaching and studying.
He can also thank the country for his love life.
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Childhood
Darragh was born on 22 May 1993, making him 31 years old.
He is originally from Galway and grew up in Castlegar.
He studied at St. Joseph's Patrician College and later attended NUI Galway, where he graduated with a Commerce degree.
Rugby runs in his family, with his older brother, Tadhg, previously playing for the Connacht academy. His other brother Greg also played for the province at underage level..
Their parents were also involved in sports, with their mum Breda serving as secretary for Rowing Ireland. Their father Noel played for and served as president of the Galwegians rugby club.
Rugby career
Darragh signed to the Connacht academy ahead of the 2012–13 season and made his senior debut that season during a match against Ospreys.
It was announced in April 2014 that he had signed a contract with Connacht. He ended up injuring his wrist and missed out on the majority of the 2016/17 season.
His final season with Connacht was 2019/20. He still holds the record for Connacht rugby with the longest scored kick in their history of 63m versus Rotterham Titians.
After eight years with the province, he played 95 times and amassed 96 points
Darragh represented Ireland at under-age level and was part of the Ireland under-20 squad that went to the 2013 IRB Junior World Championship.
The athlete later turned to coaching and spent two years at Clemson University in South Carolina. He also obtained a Master of Business Administration at the same time.
He was also the head coach of the Kansas City Blues for the 2023 season.
In January 2024, he was selected for the NFL International Player Pathway, which was created to find the best athletes in the world outside of America.
He was 1 of 15 players selected for the program. He performed 23 reps on the 225lbs bench press test at their Pro Day - it was the highest of any NFL IPP player and the most of any Linebacker, Defensive Back or Wide Receiver at the 2024 NFL Combine.
Relationship
Darragh is rumoured to be in a relationship with an American woman named Madyson.
The pair “hard launched” their romance on social media back in September 2024, with them posing together while on holidays in La Roque-Gageac, France.
Madyson enjoyed spending time in Ireland during the winter of 2024, when she visited Galway and Dublin. She shared snaps of her holiday, including a snap of a cute date with Darragh.
