A teak-hard flanker, he established himself as a big fans favourite during a trophy-laden spell with the Scarlets at the peak of his powers.
Now, after a lengthy time away from the game, he is back involved on the coaching front at Tondu RFC, the club where it all began for him as a player.
That recently saw him heading back to the Principality Stadium 20 years after he had last been involved in a game there.
The former openside played in two WRU Cup finals at the famous ground in the colours of Llanelli, finishing on the winning side against Swansea and Newport in 2000 and 2003 respectively.
Scroll forward two decades and he was back there as part of the coaching set-up with Tondu Youth as they beat Carmarthen Quins to win the WRU National Youth Cup.
To jog the memories even more, the opposing coach was one Wayne Proctor, who he played alongside with the Scarlets for a number of seasons.
A product of Brynteg Comprehensive in Bridgend, the combative Boobyer – whose brothers Neil and Roddy also played to a high level – spent seven years with Llanelli from 1998 to 2005.
He is often best remembered for the part he played in their famous Heineken Cup victory over Wasps in January 2000 when he got the better of England and Lions star Lawrence Dallaglio.
“I think some people think that’s the only game I ever played in!” he quips.
“They never mention anything else. I had about 160 games for Llanelli.
“The one that sticks our for me was actually another Heineken Cup game away to Leinster in 1998. We won and myself, Roddy and Neil were all playing and we all scored a try and my mother and father were out there for the game.
“For memories and everything coming together on the one night, I would probably pick that one over the Wasps game.”
Boobyer hung up his boots at 33, having also had spells with Tondu, Maesteg, Llandovery, Neath and Bridgend Sports.
He then took a long break from rugby, with the day job seeing him working as a carpentry lecturer at Ystrad Mynach College, a post he has held for the past 18 years.
“Tondu was my club and, after I finished, I used to go down and watch them,” he explains.
“For the first ten minutes of every game, I would be like ‘Oh, I wish I could play’. But then someone would come off injured and I’d think again! I never had any major injuries when I was playing and I didn’t want to get a bad bang.”
So, retired he remained. But with his son Jack taking up the sport with Tondu, Ian returned to a hands-on role a few seasons ago.
“His age group was struggling a bit with coaches, so I started helping them out and that’s how I got back involved,” he says.
“I joined them when they were U12s and I’ve carried on through to link up with the Youth team coaches.
“I am just a small cog in the machine. There are about five coaches there. I just help out with the defence, the jackal and contact area. They are a really well organised team. The club has got a good set-up with youth and senior coaches.
“Graham Thomas, who played prop for Bridgend and Caerphilly, is director of rugby and does a massive job for the club. It’s really vibrant. There are fantastic numbers with all the age-groups.
“There is a great camaraderie down there and I have enjoyed being involved with the coaching.”
It was through that role he found himself back at the Principality Stadium for the National Youth U18s Cup final.
“It was a bit surreal,” he admits. “But it was a really good day. Fair play, it was like clockwork in terms of the organisation.”
Tondu, featuring Boobyer’s son Jack on the wing, beat Carmarthen Quins 20-14 to lift the trophy.
Llanelli’s Rupert Moon and Ian Boobyer celebrate winning the WRU Challenge Cup in 2005
“We had got to the final of the Ospreys Cup and lost to South Gower in that, so really it was all to play for then,” says Ian.
“It was a fantastic day for the boys at the stadium because they had worked so hard. A lot of that youth team have been together since they were U7s or U8s and are now moving up to seniors. It was their last chance to win something together.”
In a further reminder of Boobyer’s past, the day also saw a reunion of his Tondu team that had won the Youth Cup 33 years earlier.
“For me, youth rugby was the best time ever. You are with all your close mates,” said the 51-year-old.
“The trouble was I couldn’t join the reunion and go on the beer because I was involved with the coaching! But it was a great day.”
