ONE of the great aspects of sport is watching younger sports people and trying to spot the stars of the future. Then when he or she is a national or international sports star in years to come, you can turn to your mate and say, I saw them playing when they were 15 and I said then they would be a star and the most important line of all - ‘and I was right.’
Along with the club the greatest nursery of future sporting talent is the school. It is here that talented kids hone their skills, advance and take the giant steps to becoming great sports men and women.
And at the present moment in Waterford all the signs are good that the future of sport and sporting exports from this county are very very bright as Waterford schools right across the whole sporting spectrum are currently on a crest of a wave.
This week St. Augustines College in Dungarvan will host the European Super-schools competition where they will be hoping to retain their title and win it for a fifth time in tenth entries.
The competition is based on a plethora of different sports and cultural events and each event gives points which are added up to find the overall winning school after three days of tough competition.
Last weekend in Temple-more, two Waterford schools competed in their respective colleges All-Ireland hurling semi-finals. Both De La Salle (who are reigning Munster and All-Ireland champions) and Blackwater CS from Lismore beat teams from Galway to make the All-Ireland finals, once again demonstrating the strength of Waterford’s sporting schools.
Before Christmas St Paul’s College also won their Munster Colleges hurling title, while De La Salle also won the Dean Ryan Cup (Munster U-16 1/2 hurling).
In recent times too both Mount Sion and St Paul’s have reached Munster soccer finals, Waterpark and Newtown are both doing well in Munster rugby circles, and the victories achieved by Waterford schools in basketball in recent times are far too numerous to list.
And only a few weeks ago Niall Tuohy and Lorraine McCarthy tasted National success at the Munster schools cross-country and I could go on and on. Yes indeed my friends these are wonderful times for sport in Waterford schools. Long may it continue as success in sport in school almost always leads to adult success in the future.
Well done to all involved and keep up the good work.
NOWLAN PARK DATE
No surprises that Waterford and Cork turned in another rip-roaring clash when they met at Walsh Park (common sense thank-fully kicked in) on Sunday last. Despite the result this was a great work-out for Waterford and I’m certain it will have brought them on for Sunday’s tie with Tipp in Nowlan Park. Let’s hope it’s a repeat of last year’s run. Tipp in the quarters, then Cork in the semis and the Cats in the final……well you never know.
MUNSTER GO FORTH
Saturday sees Munster go to Gloucester in search of yet another Heineken Cup semi-final berth. It’ll be tough of course but I for one won’t be backing against the mighty men in Red.
