Tales from the Shamrocks

Article by Jonny Stapleton

It may be as common as Munster’s name in the Heineken Cup quarter final draw in other sports such as soccer, but playing against former team mates is certainly a rarity in Rugby, and almost an unheard of in the Leinster Senior League.
This season, however, for three Clondalkin Rugby players having old team mates and friends as opponents and foes has become surprisingly frequent. Ciaran Cullen, Conor Maloney and Seany Brennan are life long Clondalkn players and have not joined the West Dublin outfit from a rival Leinster League Division 3 outfit, but have still been forced to battle against players who they once went to rugby war with.

As the young trio have been traveling around Leinster and playing vital roles in their clubs promotion challenge they have been facing former Irish Shamrock Team mates.
The Shamrocks were a team comprised solely of young promising junior players brought to New Zeland by former St Mary’s coach and TV pundit Brent Pope for extensive coaching and a chance to pit their wits against young All Black hopefuls.
And the fact that so many former Shamrocks are holding down pivotal roles for their respective clubs shows just how beneficial the six week Kiwi adventure was. For Clondalkin 21 year old Maloney holds the vice captaincy, Brennan a 23 year old former player of the year, is one of the teams most consistent performers, whilst Cullen, who has been attracting interest from Senior Clubs with his performances in the front row this season, captained the club to its greatest success, when he lead them to their first ever Spencer Cup victory.
And after Cullen has seen former Shamrocks play equally effective roles for opposing Leinster League sides, the front row forward is in no doubt the six weeks spent in New Zeland transformed promise into talent for many clubs. “It is really, it was a great opportunity for lads from smaller clubs who would be out of sight of selectors for provincial teams and also for late bloomers from senior clubs who would have been overlooked in their youth. The tour was organised by Brent Pope and the 20 man touring party benefited by increasing our rugby skills (specialist coaches came in daily) , communication skills (having to live with 20 strangers for 6 weeks) and personal development (having to do our own cooking,washing ). On return we found that we had developed immensely both on and off the pitch. On the pitch we were bigger, fitter and smarter. Personally speaking I also found to the tour to be as beneficial off the pitch having developed better communication and social skills that have helped both my club, as could be seen when I became club captain, and also myself in my career off the pitch. Great friendships where fostered on the tour and we have met up both socially and as foes on the pitch since our return. We frequently bump in to Jimmy Mullarkey out in North Kildare on the pitch as well as Conor Parsons in Rathdrum during our league campaign. We also keep frequent contact with the rest of the tour and have attended functions in Barnhall, Belfast, Cobh as well as having them as guests in our own clubhouse.”

Added by Murts January 28, 2008 (3:12PM)

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