Johnny Sexton retired from rugby in October 2023 (Image: JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty Images)
Johnny Sexton has not settled for a quiet life since retiring from rugby in October 2023. The former Ireland fly-half played his final match as Ireland lost to New Zealand in the World Cup quarter-final.
The 39-year-old, who played for Leinster and French club Racing 92, bowed out of as an legend. With 118 caps, Sexton is celebrated as one of the country’s all-time greats.
“Retirement is never an easy next step for any professional athlete,” he shared on social media when announcing his retirement. Yet, the five-time Six Nations champion had long been laying the groundwork for life after rugby, engaging in various business interests before hanging up his boots.
Work with billionaire
As a Commerce graduate from University College Dublin, Sexton put his education into practice, dedicating one day a week as commercial manager for Ardagh Group, the sustainable metal packaging firm owned by Irish tycoon Paul Coulson. Following his departure from rugby, reported that Sexton had taken on a more permanent role as chief of staff last January.
Before pursuing his commerce degree, Sexton had made savvy business moves with JAS Management and Promotions Ltd since 2008; stated that the firm boasted profits of £1.9million (€2.3million) by September 2022. The former World Rugby Player of the Year then expanded his investment portfolio in February 2023, entering as one of the backers in an £8.2m (€9.8m) funding boost for the sparkling water outfit Dash Water.
Sexton isn’t just working behind the scenes; he has remained the face of Mace convenience stores as a brand ambassador. In October 2024, Sexton returned to the Ireland rugby team, this time imparting wisdom . While it has been estimated that Sexton’s net worth is around £2.5m (€3m), the exact sum remains unknown.
Johnny Sexton kisses his wife Laura Sexton (Image: Oisin Keniry/Getty Images)
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Retirement decision
The decision to hang up his boots was charged with emotion. Despite Sexton’s entrepreneurial flair, his wife Laura was unsure how her husband would cope with life away from rugby—a sentiment shared by many sporting greats.
“This is all I’ve known for 17-18 years so it’ll be a big change but at the moment I’m honestly just thinking about next week… but yeah you’ve got to finish up at some stage,” he explained on the Late Late Show during the 2023 Six Nations. “I was watching that documentary that Brian [O’Driscoll] did about retirement and my wife was pottering around behind me and I just hear sniffles and I turned around and she was bawling her eyes out and [said] ‘That’s you’ as AP McCoy was on the screen.
“He didn’t take retirement very well and she was basically saying she’s worried about me. But once I throw myself into something I’ll be happy, something to aim for.
“But like I said to come out of rugby, the highs that it’s given us, like Saturday walking around the pitch at the end of the game, it’s what dreams are made of so it’ll never fulfil that. But I think you’ve got to just look back and enjoy what you’ve done and then throw yourself into the next thing.”