UCD graduate, Kevin McLaughlin will start his first international alongside David Wallace and Jamie Heaslip in the Ireland backrow in the opening game of the 2010 RBS 6 Nations Championship against Italy this Saturday.

Yet another graduate of the UCD Rugby Academy has made the Ireland team for the opening  Six Nations match against Italy this Saturday.  Latest cap, Kevin McLaughlin(Academy entrant 2003), joins Brian O’Driscoll(1996) and Rob Kearney(2004) on the starting side while Sean O’Brien(2005) and Paddy Wallace(1998) are on the bench.

Kevin graduated with a degree in Commerce three years ago and has been a regular with the Leinster Heineken Cup team this season. 

We wish him and his Ireland colleagues our best wishes for the coming campaign.