Bruff and tumble just the ticket for O'Regan
A WEEK in the life of Cathal O'Regan, hooker and captain of Bruff and member of the Garda Siochana.
Monday:
Up at dawn in Bruree, Co Limerick, a quick bite and then the journey to Cork city for the 6am shift in Anglesea Street. Work until 2pm, back to the house he shares with his girlfriend, where there's a list of chores to be done, quick nap then off to training -- about a quarter of an hour away -- for fitness and weights. He says, "By the end of the day, you're too tired to talk. It's tough on my girlfriend but she knows the way it is, that's the commitment."
Tuesday:
Same drill except tougher training. Full-on scrummaging, full contact practice matches, leg-sapping rucking drills.
Wednesday:
Work as usual but no training, so a welcome opportunity to kick back a bit in the evening.
Thursday:
Work, travel, training, sleep.
Friday:
O'Regan tries to get fluids on board at work and give the body as much rest as possible -- not easy when you're a garda. Friday is often the day designated for the night shift, not ideal with a match the next day. Sometimes, if Bruff are playing away, he can travel with the team which means a day off or, worst case scenario, working a morning shift before travelling.
Saturday:
Match day. Division 3 is a competitive place, as evidenced by the fact that Bruff won the division title via the play-offs last season but were unable to secure promotion. Afterwards, the warm down, the ice baths (like the pros) and a rare chance to unwind with a few pints. "On Saturday night, you can let the hair down a bit but you can't go mad. If you have a few, you'll find yourself trying to run it off on Sunday and wishing you'd taken it handy."
Sunday:
Rest day, a bit of stretching, a light jog to loosen the limbs and an early night because the following morning it all starts again.
The All-Ireland league has been with us for 17 years and is credited with sparking the revival in Irish rugby which kicked in at the turn of the century. However, while the commitment has gone up dramatically, the exposure has fallen in equal measure and its amateur participants operate in a vacuum.
Go back to the mid-1990s and it was very different.
Most teams only trained on Tuesday and Thursday, players showed up overweight and out of shape at the start of the season (now there are strict summer programmes and pre-season camps abroad) and the social scene was rampant. It was not uncommon for clubhouses to be packed on a Thursday night with members and players sharing a few jars, while Saturday night was a proper, tie the dog loose session when club blazers thronged the bars and nightclubs and all bets were off 'til Tuesday.
And the media were all over it. Special pre-season supplements, Regular RTE coverage (even Sky Sports got involved) and proper reports in the papers. The now defunct 'Title' Sunday paper threw vast resources at the AIL -- covering every match and even holding a special awards ceremony at the end of each season.
The crowds were also out in force because clubs still had big names. Limerick derbies could draw crowds of over 5,000 and even in the lower divisions you could expect a decent gate and healthy bar returns -- nowadays you're doing well to get 300 out.
"I remember the AIL as a kid when it was massive -- it's nothing like that now. There's talk of going semi-pro, having a smaller first division of higher quality and there is sense to it, but it would be a kick in the teeth to the smaller clubs," says O'Regan.
With so much commitment and so little obvious reward, what's in it for the players? Money?
"God no," he laughs. "I know players were paid in the '90s, and maybe some still are, but clubs can't afford it."
Is it a stepping stone to a professional career?
"I'm 26 now and it would have happened if it was going to. But there are very talented young players in the AIL and you hope the provinces notice."
Motivation
So, no money, no exposure, no stepping stone, no Saturday night blow-out, what's the motivation?
"It's not about recognition. It's a personal thing and a club thing. I've been playing for Bruff since I was 11 and I grew up with these players, hurled with and against them and there's a great camaraderie.
"We won an U20 title a few years ago when we beat a UCC team with Stephen Keogh and Denis Leamy and, last April, we beat Wanderers in Dublin to win the Division 3 title. Those are special days.
"I'd be the first to bitch and moan when you're running around in the muck in winter but, ultimately, you do it because it's your club and you love the game. That's why you put in the work. For all its flaws, the AIL still has a special place in Irish rugby."
- Hugh Farrelly
