Career
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 1926-1927 season. In 1926 he captained the club against the New Zealand Māoris in a game which ended in a 0-0 draw.
Ireland
He made his debut against England at Lansdowne Road on 14 February in a 14-11 defeat.
He then played against Scotland on 28 February at Inverleith in a 19-0 defeat. While playing for Ireland, his team mates included Ernie Crawford.
British Lions
Roche was also selected for the British Lions squad for their 1924 tour of South Africa. However he did not play in any of the Test matches against South Africa.