Ulster back-row James McNabney earns first Ireland call-up and could debut in November Nations Championship

James McNabney, a 23-year-old back-row forward for Ulster, has been called into Andy Farrell's Ireland squad for the first time while in South Africa and could make his international debut in November's Nations Championship. The selection is McNabney's first senior Ireland call-up and comes after he returned to club action following a long injury lay-off.

McNabney grew up on a farm in Ballymena and did not watch much rugby as a child, instead concentrating on horses before taking up the sport at school. He represented Northern Ireland and Great Britain's equestrian teams and said: "I rode horses from when I was about six until I was 16," adding, "Horses was sort of a main hobby, then it became a sport for me." At 16 he received an ultimatum from Michael Black [a provincial talent coach] from Ulster — "you need to make the decision whether you're going to put on a bit of timber and play rugby or stay lean and ride a horse" — and chose to pursue rugby.

When the Ireland email arrived McNabney was in South Africa with Ulster, without an eSIM and trying to connect to WiFi while out for coffee; he saw the message that he had earned a call-up from Andy Farrell. His father responded light-heartedly to the news by asking, "Will you ever be home to the farm again?" McNabney said: "I was delighted. It was a big moment for the family as well," adding, "My mum was very proud and I don't think my dad knew what way to take it at the start. But no, they're both delighted for me and I appreciate the support they've given me."

McNabney won the Under-20 Six Nations Grand Slam with Ireland in 2022 and 2023 and had been included as a training panellist for the 2025 Six Nations. He had been in line for the summer fixtures against Japan and Georgia while many front-liners were with the British and Irish Lions, but sustained an ACL injury that prevented him joining that squad; he returned to action for Ulster in pre-season this summer after a year out. Reflecting on the recovery he said it was the worst injury to get as a player but that "you just have to be patient," adding: "I tried to set a goalpost of where I wanted to be to get back. And then different things happened. I learned to just take it a day at a time. Each player is different and their bodies react differently to everything. So I just had to learn that there are going to be setbacks. We've got it here now and I'm delighted that I pushed through."

Standing 6ft 5in and almost 19 stone, McNabney's physical profile drew praise from Farrell, who described him as "some specimen of a man". Farrell's decision to include him in the Ireland panel again at the first time of asking was noted in the selection announcement and reported as an indication of how highly he is rated by the coaching group.

McNabney said his aim for the camp is to "learn as much as possible and hopefully earn my first cap" and stressed he is prepared to contribute even if he does not play. He stated: "I don't have the expectation that I'm going to get capped. I'm here to work hard, show what I'm about. Just because I'm picked in the squad doesn't mean I'm necessarily going to play. Hopefully I train hard, get picked, and hopefully Faz [Farrell] sees what I see in myself and backs me. I'll just work hard and prepare the team as best as I can for the games coming up." He added: "Every young player wants to play for Ireland someday. It's hard to get into the team, that doesn't just happen," and: "Someday I might wear the green, but I still haven't worn it yet."

McNabney is part of the Ireland panel for the November Nations Championship and could make his debut in matches against Argentina, Fiji or South Africa, or during the finals weekend in London at the end of the month.