He also played club rugby for both University College Cork and Newport.
Between 1920 and 1927 Roche played club rugby for Newport and was captain during the 1926-27 season.
In 1926 he captained the club against the New Zealand Māoris in a game which ended in a 0-0 draw.
He won his final cap against France on 3 April in a 15-7 defeat at Lansdowne.
[2][3] Roche was also selected for the British Lions squad for their 1924 tour of South Africa.