Benson proud of alternative route to the Ireland squad

Out-half, first centre, second centre, full-back, neuroscientist. Jamie Benson can do it all.

The 24-year-old could be an Ireland international by the end of the week, just two-and-a-half years since playing for English Championship strugglers Cambridge RFC.

This is no underdog story though.

Out-half on an England U20 side in 2022 which also contained players like Fin Baxter, George Hndy, Henry Arundell and Chandler Cunningham-South, the Richmond native was always on course to play at the top level.

During that U20 Six Nations campaign, Benson admits he was often up until the early hours of the morning submitting essays, at the time juggling his rugby career with a natural sciences degree from Cambridge University.

A Harlequins academy kid at the time, the club facilitated his education by sending him on loan to the Championship club for the final year of his degree in 2023/24, while his primary research project, 'The Effects of Rugby Training Exposure on the Magnitude of the Patellar Reflex', studies the links between his sport and how it affects the nervous system.

"It was tricky enough," Benson says of juggling professional sport and study.

"It feels like a lifetime ago now, but yeah, it's a pretty tricky place to go and study, especially a natural sciences degree, which was the course title in my first year.

"Everything was pretty hectic, especially going away, playing U20s and stuff, traveling around Europe in that Six Nations period. I've got vivid memories of trying to scramble to finish essays at three, four in the morning the night before [games].

"In hindsight, it's something I'm very proud of achieving because the motivation I had to continue to do that and continue to get my studies done while also pursuing this career path is something that I'm sure, looking back, I kind of struggled to see how I was able to do that."

That commitment ensured he couldn't turn his hand full-time to rugby until 2024, and while he had to play second-fiddle behind Marcus Smith at out-half for Quins, his versatility meant he racked up 23 Premiership and Champions Cup appearances for them across the backline before Ulster came calling at the end of last season.

Even before he had made his Ulster debut he was very much on the radar of Ireland head coach Andy Farrell, who invited him into an alignment camp at the end of August.

England-born and a former England U20 international, Benson's mother Carole grew up in Belfast, just a few minutes away from Affidea Stadium.

And he insists representing Ireland at Test level would mean just as much to him as his underage career in the white jersey.

"I'm very proud of my Irish heritage. I spent a lot of time across here in the school holidays. As I mentioned before, I’ve got a lot of family in Belfast, and we used to spend a lot of time on the west coast every summer.

"Growing up, stomping around the house as a toddler, I was always in an Ireland jersey, so it's always been something that's been present.

"But equally, the journey I was on growing up in southwest London, playing for Harlequins, I obviously did England age-group stuff. I'd be lying if I said that that wasn't the goal when I was there, to be on that journey and striving to achieve the most I can in that scenario.

"But in life you don't get to choose your opportunities, and so once this Ulster opportunity came up, the switch from England to Ireland wasn't really a hurdle for me.

"As I mentioned, I'm so proud of my Irish family and my Irish heritage that I'd be very proud to wear the Irish jersey if I've got the opportunity to."

His Ireland call-up obviously caught his parents by surprise. Martin and Carole Benson are currently in Cape Town following Ulster's South African tour, from which their son (below) high-tailed to Ireland camp last weekend.

Through just five games this season, he already looks like shrewd piece of business by Richie Murphy's side, playing every minute of the season so far, starting twice at 13, twice at 12, and once in the out-half shirt.

That versatility could become extremely valuable for Farrell heading into this month, as well as a World up year, while he could be earning a first cap within the next week if Sam Prendergast fails to recover from a wrist injury.

But after "a hectic few months", Benson is just hoping to take every day as it comes.

"Everything's happened pretty quickly for me. So there's a danger of looking too far ahead when things are so hectic. It's hard to really predict what's going to happen in a month or two months' time.

"So now that I'm in in the camp here with the boys my main focus is settling in as quickly as I can, getting as comfortable with the guys inside and outside of me, making sure I'm learning every day, and hopefully get the opportunity to put on a jersey in the next month.

"But if that doesn't happen, then equally, it's been a great start for me to be able to get in here so quickly."