Trailblazer Darren Sweetnam thrilled to see others follow his footsteps

Talented young rugby players from West Cork are a plentiful commodity these days with the Wycherley brothers and the Coombes’ cousins among those making a mark at Munster. And that trend is set to continue with a new crop, many of them attending Bandon Grammar School, on the horizon.

All are following the trail set by Darren Sweetnam, who turned his back on Cork hurling so as to concentrate on a career in rugby — though he admits his introduction to the game as a child was memorable for all the wrong reasons.