Forget Gatland, BOD’s Raking It In

It looks like Gatland hasn’t affected Irish Rugby hero Brian O Driscoll at all after dropping him in the last lions test and shocking the rugby world cause Brian’s company made a massive €3.2million profit last year, new figures have revealed.

The Irish legend – who is married to Amy Huberman – made sure his firm defied the recession as profits shot up by nearly €300,000.

Accounts recently filed by O.D.M. and Promotions Ltd show the company’s profit had increased from €2.88million to €3.196million at the end of August 31, 2012.

It proves that BOD is clearly the country’s most marketable rugby star – with playing earnings topped up by various sponsorship deals and endorsements that includes a deal with Gillette.

The continuing rise in fortunes of the firm coincided with O’Driscoll helping Leinster to a third Heineken Cup in 2012.

But the Companies Office documents show Brian’s film also saw its cash pile slightly shrink from €1.45million to €1.12million during the year.

During the period, the 34-year-old more than doubled the value of the investments the company owns – from €945,504 to €2million.

However, the accounts show that the amount owed by debtors to the firm increased from €534,128 to €704,697 during the year.

O’Driscoll set up the company – of whom his dad Frank is also a director – when he was 22-years-old in 2001.

It was part of his bid to capitalise on being the most marketable Irish player of the modern rugby era.

Last month, the dropping of Ireland’s most decorated rugby player for the final Lions Test against Australia – the first time in O’Driscoll’s professional career to be dumped – convulsed the nation.

But after the Lions won the Test series, O’Driscoll conceded that it was a “bittersweet” to watch on as the Lions won the decisive match.

He also signed a lucrative one-year IRFU contract extension to next June with Leinster and Ireland that will involve O’Driscoll trying to achieve a career long ambition of defeating New Zealand this coming November.

However, BOD will still be earning huge sums of cash after signing a book deal with Penguin Ireland for his autobiography last year.

The much-anticipated book – which is being ghost written by award-winning author and journalist Paul Kimmage – is not due to the published until after the 34-year old retires in a year’s time.

Experts expect O’Driscoll’s illustrious career – which saw him captaining Ireland to a Grand Slam, winning four Triple Crowns and captaining the Lions in New Zealand along with winning three Heineken Cups with Leinster – will see it fly off the shelves.

The Dubliner was even voted World Rugby player of the decade by the influential magazine Rugby World.

After signing on to play one more year with Ireland, O’Driscoll said: “I want to thank the IRFU and Leinster for allowing me the time to think about my future and discuss my options with my family.

“The support my family and the Irish and Leinster fans have shown me over the past few months, and indeed years, has been phenomenal and I am now very much looking forward to one more year playing with Ireland and Leinster.”