Stephen Payne OBE praises Paddy Jackson

Stephen Payne OBE pays a personal tribute to Paddy Jackson to mark his 30th rotation of the sun.

Stephen Payne is a naval architect who designed the Queen Mary 2. Two years ago, Stephen met the London Irish fly-half Paddy Jackson, saying “I’ve never met a more charismatic and talented individual.”

Throughout a lifetime, the opportunity exists depending on circumstances, to meet some remarkable people. For me, meeting and hosting the late Duke of Edinburgh at several professional dinners and functions counts as a real highlight. The Duke was always engaging and so much fun; I also consider Paddy Jackson, the London Irish Rugby Union Flyhalf, as someone I have been most privileged to meet. As this convivial Northern Irishman turns 30, why should I feel an obligation to highlight his career.

Born in Lisburn near Belfast in Northern Ireland on 5 January 1992, Paddy Jackson soon moved with the rest of the family to Sutton Coalfield. The middle of three siblings with an older brother and younger sister, his mother describes Paddy as the one that always got into the most scrapes. He would be there with his mates at the top the highest tree, tombstone from the greatest height, and would emulate the all round action hero in the image of his own superhero, Spiderman. On an historical note, whilst assisting in the construction of the infamous White Star liner RMS Titanic, Paddy’s Great Grandfather lost his life, apparently falling from a ladder according to the player. All Paddy wanted to do from an early age was play rugby and play it seriously well. He first joined Veseyans Ruby Club’s Minis squad at the age of six before moving onto Sutton Coalfield’s RFC Minis. In 2000 the family having returned to the Province; Paddy was pleased to substitute his acquired Brummie accent with a more Northern Irish drawl. Now aged eight, he was admitted to the all-boys Methodist College like his father beforehand, where he studied until 2011. Whilst at Methodist he initially played with the affiliated Belfast Harlequins Minis before moving onto the main college team in 2003. Uncharacteristically, Paddy’s first outing for the senior team as out half for the 1^st fifteen didn’t go well and he was relegated to the 2^nd fifteen for the next match. Demotion didn’t sit well with Jackson’s psyche and he worked hard to get back on form and move back into the first team. This was to become a personal trait -working hard to be the best and such was Paddy’s ability and motivation, he was already playing at one year above his age level when he was signed with the Ulster Rugby Academy’s feeder program for talented young players aiming to channel them into senior club squads and onwards to PRO14, European and International standard. Systematic of what would develop into his principled character, Paddy praised his Methodist coaches for their contribution to his developing success.

Upon leaving Methody in 2011, Jackson joined Dungannon RFC where he showed great promise, being amongst the top scorers in his first year in the All Ireland League being praised for his forward vision and ability to meet and engage the mythical rugby gainline. That year he was named a member of the Ireland Junior World Championship squad, whilst in 2012 he was captain of the U20 Ireland side for the Six Nations contest. Paddy’s rise within the echelons of the Irish rugby elite took a further significant step when he joined the Ulster XV squad at the end of the season in time to make the starting line-up for the semi-final and final of the Heineken Cup. In 2013 he earned his first full cap playing for his country in that year’s Six Nations against Scotland. All this was a precursor to a sparkling playing career for Ulster Rugby and Ireland seniors with constant “man of the match” and “season” accolades. Paddy himself noted that it meant “absolutely everything to him to be wearing the fly-half number 10 shirt” as part of the teams.

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND – DECEMBER 10: Paddy Jackson of Ulster converts a penalty during the European Champions Cup game between Ulster and ASM Clermont Auvergne on December 10, 2016 in Belfast, United Kingdom. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

On 25 March 2016 Paddy reached the milestone of achieving his 100^th cap for Ulster. He was one of the team’s golden boys and was selected to join the Irish team for a three match test series in South Africa. Upon the team’s return, Paddy hosted a party for some of his friends at his Belfast home on 27/28 June 2016 after a night of celebrations in a city nightclub. A young woman at the party who allegedly tagged along when the group moved to Jackson’s house, would claim that she had been raped and sexually assaulted by Paddy and his Ulster team-mate Stuart Olding. The party group were subsequently extensively questioned by the police, with Jackson and Olding vehemently denying the charges. Amidst the ensuing media frenzy, the players were allowed to continue playing pending a decision on whether charges would be brought. Paddy continued playing for Ulster and Ireland, delivering some outstanding performances until a full year later when charges of rape and sexual assault were finally served on him on 25 July 2017. Now grounded, the trial was set to begin on 22^nd January 2018 after two earlier preliminary hearings in November. Lasting an unprecedented nine weeks with 30 witnesses giving evidence, one juror would be excused, and it was up to the remaining eleven jurors to deliberate whether the defendants were guilty or not guilty. Given the amount of testimony and its complexity, it was thought that considerations would take several days. In the event, consensus was reached in just three hours and forty minutes. The result wasn’t a majority verdict -it was unanimous.

TOKYO, JAPAN – JUNE 24: Paddy Jackson of Ireland prepares for a conversion attempt during the international rugby friendly match between Japan and Ireland at Ajinomoto Stadium on June 24, 2017 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)

Despite the not guilty verdict Jackson and Olding were revoked from both their Ulster and Irish team positions, with “bringing the game into disrepute” being cited as the deciding factor. A string of infamous lurid WhatsApp messages between the party goers was seized upon by the media and feminist groups, decrying the players’ off field conduct and ethics. Public opinion and lucrative team sponsorships had undoubtedly conspired to force Ulster Rugby and the Irish Rugby Football Union hand. In fact, whilst Jackson is frequently attributed to ALL the damming WhatsApp messages, he was only responsible for one of them and it could be argued it was an off the cuff remark in response to one of the other messages. Despite being cleared of the charges brought against him and acknowledging his faults, Paddy lost his appeal for legal aid and had to foot the £450,000 bill through his own resources. Viewed as a pariah, Paddy was now out of work and those British clubs that apparently showed interest were quickly admonished by pressure groups wishing to see the player removed from all future fixtures.

Jackson finally secured a contract to play for the French Perpignan USAP side, but the club’s dismal performance led him to leave after a single season (2018/9) when he was thrown a lifeline by London Irish where his former Ulster coaches Les Kiss and Declan Kidney were now in residence. In his second season with Irish, Paddy was named as one of the three senior leadership players of the squad and he continues in this role with the 2021/2 season. The sparkle that exemplified Paddy’s performance at Ulster has returned and he consistently delivers outstanding performances adding many points to the team’s tally and orchestrating opportunities for others to do the same. Once again, he is garnered with a string of awards including “man of the match” accolades, nominations for the Premiership “player of the month” and winning the 2020/21 Supporters’ Player of the Year award.

BRENTFORD, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 09: Paddy Jackson (2r) of London Irish cuts a dejected figure alongside team mates after conceding a try during the Gallagher Premiership Rugby match between London Irish and Leicester Tigers at Brentford Community Stadium on October 09, 2021 in Brentford, England. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

Upon joining Perpignan in 2018, Paddy did an interview where he gave an insight into how difficult it had been for him and his family before the verdict of not guilty was given in court; “It’s been difficult but it’s something that me and my family have just had to get used to. You only can really understand if you have been in my shoes or my family’s shoes.” It is appalling that many groups and individuals are allowed to continue to promote the “fact” that he is a rapist and a misogynist, in many instances hijacking social media with blatant libellous deformations which are often delivered through a string of profanities. It is testament to the stoic nature and character of Paddy, that he can put this to one side and live his life and perform at what is frequently described as “world class” level. Whilst being the apotheosis of the consummate athlete being totally focused and committed to his craft, he is a most engaging and thoroughly decent person. In promoting ambition to youngsters at talks and school functions, I am immensely proud to be able to enliven the proceedings by showing off one of Paddy’s Number 10 London Irish shirts, delivering a cautionary tale of what life can deliver.

As Paddy turns 30, he still has many years of professional playing ahead of him and this talented and amicable Irishman deserves the recognition that his fortes provide. When asked why I choose to champion his cause, in deference to Paddy, I can honestly say that I believe it to be one of the most worthwhile objectives.