Forget the rugger boys, I want a GAA star - Roz

MF

THE penchant among Irish models for hunky rugby players is a long-established phenomenon on the Dublin dating scene.

BUT former Miss Universe Ireland Rozanna Purcell (22) is determined to buck the trend - and wants to score a GAA star.

The Tipperary model has a new-found interest in the sport as a result of taking part in RTE's Celebrity Bainisteoir and revealed to the Diary how she has no interest in becoming a rugger hugger. For the single stunner, it's all about becoming a GAA WAG.

"I didn't know much about it before the show but it's all I talk about now. I love it, I've gotten so into it. I really enjoyed it, it was the best experience and was so much fun.

Adopted

"It's all I talk about now so when I meet a boy, the first thing I say is, 'Do you play GAA?' and if they don't, then I'm not interested. I should really be going to Coppers from now on," she laughed.

The full lipped beauty has been tasked with mentoring Newtowncashel GAA club in her home county of Tipperary and has spent the past two months learning all the intricacies of the game.

The top model, who won the last Celebrity Come Dine With Me, even promised to strip down to her bikini for the team if they prove victorious in the programme, which starts airing this weekend.

"I was really competitive. But the best part of it for me was making 32 new friends and I'll be friends with them forever. It was like being adopted into a whole new parish, they were all so nice and I just loved it. It's amazing how quickly you get used to the cameras," she continued.

This year sees the programme taking on the added twist of pitting the celebrities up against each other so Rozanna is going up against the Cork team mentored by Stephen Ireland's other half Jessica Lawlor (left).

But far from it being handbags at dawn, she revealed how the pair got on like a house on fire.

"We have become really good friends and we're both so attached to our teams that when we felt bad for the other person that one of us was going to lose. We are really competitive but we still get on great," she added.

Rozanna celebrated her 22nd birthday on Sunday but was too busy shooting the show to celebrate it properly.

She explained how when she got back home on Monday night, her room-mate had bought her a big cake and put up balloons as a surprise. She also managed to have a birthday lunch in the Rustic Stone with a few pals as she marked the occasion properly this week.

"I was too busy shooting to do anything properly and I hadn't got to see anyone for it so I'm having a nice lunch today," she added.