Jack Hanratty: the Irish coach shaping Canada’s rugby future

Ireland continues to punch above its weight on the world rugby stage. For a small nation in the middle of the Atlantic, we have made our mark globally as leaders in this sport. Among those carrying that influence abroad is Jack Hanratty, who has become a central figure in Canadian university rugby as head coach of the UOttawa Gee-Gees women’s rugby team.

Hailing from Skerries, Dublin, Jack Hanratty found his love for Rugby in his local club, Skerries RFC where he followed many of his family including his brother, cousins, and grandfather, as well as his uncle Jim Glennon, who has represented Leinster and Ireland.

Hanratty first dawned the coach’s whistle locally with Skerries RFC and secondary school, Skerries Community College, before moving onto work with Leinster Rugby in their development department for five years.

Hanratty made the move to Canada in 2013, taking up the position of Technical/Executive Director with Rugby Nova Scotia, leading the Keltics provincial programs. In his eight years there, the sport saw significant growth, seeing their provincial programming more than double, while also achieving their first ever national medals.

An undeniable impact

From working as the Rugby Canada Academy coach for the Atlantic Region, working with Canadian national teams for both Men’s and Women’s programs to taking over as head coach with the U20 Canada women’s program and coaching in New Zealand for the 2021 XVs World Cup, where Canada made it to the semi-finals, Hanratty’s expertise and insight in the sport has had an undeniable impact on rugby in Ireland and Canada.

More recently, Hanratty took over as head coach of the Rugby Canada women’s 7s program following the Tokyo Olympics and led the team to 4th place at the commonwealth games, a silver medal at the PANAM games Bronze medal at Vancouver 7s and a historic Olympic Silver Medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Outside of Rugby, in 2017 Hanratty was a recipient of the Canadian Association for Mental Health “Difference Makers” for his work in mental health and in 2025 was awarded Sport Nova Scotia Coach of the Year and the Coaches Association of Canada “Coaches Excellence award”

To learn more about Hanratty’s experience abroad and at home we sat down with him to discuss his Irish heritage, love for sport and life in Canada.

You have had great success here in Canada, can you tell us about your coaching in Ireland and Canada?

“I just loved rugby from day one, its wasn’t just the on field but it was packing your bag before a game, putting on the tracksuit, doing your pre-match routine or something so simple like the after match vegetable soup after a school game.

Early on in my playing "career" I recognised that I wasn’t going to be the next household name in Irish Rugby but I loved being involved no matter what role it was.

My first ever coaching role, if you can call it that, was for Skerries U11s where I just enjoyed the fun the players had every week and I only got involved because a neighbour and friend, Robert McAuley, asked me to give him a dig out - I loved it. I followed that group for a number of years and if I think about the mistakes I made in my early days, I cringe at the coach I was.

Working for Leinster came very early for me, a role in the development department meant this was my first time to work fulltime in Rugby. When people think about Leinster Rugby, they often think about the top schools such as Blackrock and Belvedere, my job was different. My job was to sell the game to newer groups from non-traditional areas. The job ranged from educating on coaching courses, to trying to use Rugby's values as a way to empower students, to higher their attendance in school through the power of sport.

In 2012 through my Leinster Rugby role, I was given the opportunity to travel to Halifax. When arriving in Nova Scotia, I had no idea how welcoming Canadians and particularly, Nova Scotia people would be.

In 2013 I was offered the position of Provincial Coach with Rugby Nova Scotia, a position I held proudly for eight years, and I was given amazing opportunities to prove myself in in Nova Scotia, the Atlantic region, before moving onto my first involvement with Canada when with the under 17 men’s team which moved on to multiple national teams before finally landing with the Women's Olympic 7s team.”

How did your background of coaching rugby in Ireland benefit you in Canada?

“Rugby in Ireland is mainstream and certainly me having experience with such a big rugby franchise like Leinster was seen as a positive thing once I had arrived in Canada. Although, I came over with my own thoughts and I often say I learned my love for rugby in Ireland but I also say I learned my coaching craft in Canada.

Canadian people are very open to outsiders coming in with new ideas and they were also very open to some of my ideas not working, or needing development.”

You are just one of the many success stories of Irish people excelling across a myriad of fields in Canada, why do you think Irish and Canadian people work so well together?

What would you say has been the greatest lesson you’ve learned working as a leader in both Ireland and Canada?

“Biggest lesson I have learned in leadership is to find out everyone's "why" before then finding out if they are a personality that needs trust before performance or performance before trust.”

What does being part of the Irish diaspora in Canada mean to you?

“I am an incredibly proud Irish person, from music, arts, culture, and of course, sport. Canada not only welcomes the Irish people but also celebrates our traditions from coast to coast. I am still like a teenager when I hear an Irish accent in a Canadian crowd and will have to ask the regular question of "Where are you from?". The excitement I have in asking the question is reciprocated in the return answer.”

Which sportsperson inspires you the most in both Ireland and Canada?

“On the Canadian side, and being so tied to Nova Scotia, it’s hard to look past Sidney Crosby, and seeing athletes change their sports with Christine Sinclair and Marie-Philip Poulin. Although I love many of our Irish characters in Roy Keane and Shane Lowry, I get incredible inspiration in Lynne Cantwell and Ronan O'Gara who have not just applied their craft at home but abroad as well.”

What’s next for you?

“Since leaving the Olympic program, I have started working as head coach of the UOttawa women's rugby program but the itch to coach at another Rugby World Cup is still alive. I am enjoying developing the game on the grassroots but the international game is never too far out of my mind.

No matter where my next move is that my pride in representing Canada at the Olympic Games will never go away and the support that Canadians gave our team and an Irish man leading it is something that will stay with me forever.”