They don’t make them like they used to.
Imagine cycling a 60-mile round trip from Waterford to Kilkenny just to make a club training session during the week. Most of us these days would rather take the car to drive 500m to the shop than get on a bike to cycle a 60-mile journey but that’s what George Strong used to do in order to make training for the Foulkstown club.
To mark Strong’s efforts, a past player and two-time Provincial Towns Cup winner who also happens to be the grandfather of Irish international Josh van der Flier, the club’s men’s junior squad are undertaking a gruelling fitness challenge this week and they’re looking for your support to cheer the players on. It’s a three-stage challenge, pushing players to their limits, and testing their strength, fitness, stamina and endurance as part of pre-season preparations.
The first stage is a 2.5km road run, followed by a 2km weighted run, concluding with a 2.5km sprint.
Proceedings get underway on the Waterford Road at 12pm this Saturday 26 August and all are welcome to lend their support. Over 40 players are already being put through their paces in pre-season but the club are also calling on potential new recruits for the 2023/24 season at all levels so if you’ve been thinking on getting into rugby locally, Saturday’s event could be the ideal opportunity to check out the facilities, meet players, coaches and see what happens under the hood at Kilkenny Rugby Club.
You can also see what Kilkenny’s upcoming Leinster League season looks like here.
