Irish rugby star Trevor Hogan joins flotilla to break siege of Gaza

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AS thousands of Leinster rugby fans begin the exodus to Cardiff for this weekend's Heineken Cup final, one rugby star is preparing for a far more formidable journey.

Trevor Hogan (31), who played over 100 games for both Leinster and Munster, will next month be one of 30 Irish people on a major flotilla hoping to break through an Israeli sea blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The Nenagh man said that the Irish vessel, Saoirse, will be one of 11 ships hoping to provide much needed humanitarian aid to Palestinians next month. The flotilla departs for Gaza just over a year after an Israeli raid on the first Freedom Flotilla resulted in the deaths of nine passengers.

Hogan, who played four times for Ireland, was forced to retire from professional rugby because of a knee injury last January. While playing for Leinster, he studied Arab-Israeli conflicts in UCD with his former coach -- Michael Cheika.

"The injustices there are something I slowly became aware of. I can see the parallels with Palestinian history and Irish history," Trevor explained.

"What has happened to the Palestinian people is unjust and we are hoping to provide humanitarian aid as part of a peaceful mission next month." more

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