Joey Carberry Reveals His Ireland Initiation Song & What Country He Supported Growing Up

Joe Carberry’s rise to the top has been nothing short of amazing.

The Leinster playmaker made his debut this season and found himself playing against the All Blacks this past weekend, in just his tenth senior appearance of his career. It’s been a meteoric rise for the New Zealand born outhalf who came on for the injured Johnny Sexton with 21 minutes to go and grabbed his first points for Ireland.

Carberry has revealed that before the game, as a new squad member, he was tasked with singing an initiation song which is customary for all new players who join up with the Ireland squad for the first time.

When asked what song he chose, he revealed he chose a famous 90’s tv theme.

“Yeah, (I sang) the Friends song.”

The outhalf also revealed that he got All Blacks fly-half Aaron Cruden’s jersey following the game, but chose to keep his own, give the magnitude of the occasion and to reflect his dual nationality. Carberry was born in Auckland and moved with his family to Athy in Co. Kildare when he was 11.

“It was always mixed between the two, I had the jerseys of both,” Carbery said, when asked which was his team growing up, Ireland or New Zealand.

“I would have grown up with Mils Muliaina and Dan Carter being there, but also (Ronan) O’Gara and (Brian) O’Driscoll as well. It’s a dream come true, really, to play against them, and to win, to win for the first time ever, I can’t believe it.”

A super performance from Ireland, and an excellent debut for Carberry. No doubt he has a bright future ahead of him, for club and country.