At club level he played with Cobh and Collins and was also a member of the Cork senior hurling team.
He first appeared on the inter-county scene as a member of the Cork junior hurling team that won the Munster JHC in 1925.
[2] Higgins missed the delayed All-Ireland series of games as his performances earned an immediate call-up to the senior team.
[3][4][5] His debut season was a successful one as Cork made a clean sweep of National League, Munster Championship and All-Ireland titles.
[6] Higgins won a second successive provincial title the following year, however, Cork were later beaten by Dublin in the 1927 All-Ireland final.