‘Eddie the Eagle’ floored by fan is hooker’s brother

IT has emerged that the Connacht rugby mascot who was injured when he was tackled by an exuberant Glasgow fan at the weekend is a brother of Irish hooker Sean Cronin.

And to compound matters, Colm Cronin was celebrating his 21st birthday on Friday night when he suffered a dislocated shoulder after being floored by a kilt-wearing Glasgow Warriors fan.

But the University of Limerick student will be back wearing the Eddie the Eagle costume for Connacht’s next home match against Benetton Treviso despite his ordeal.

Eddie the Eagle has become a huge favourite with rugby fans at the sports ground over the years and Colm has been entertaining the crowd since taking on the job a couple of seasons ago after older brother Sean moved to Connacht.

On Friday night, as Connacht romped to a 37-8 win over Glasgow, Eddie the Eagle was victim of a blindside tackle from a Glasgow supporter who leapt over the perimeter fence.

“I just didn’t see him coming, one minute I was running and then bang. I know he didn’t mean any harm but it was sore,” said Colm, who is studying industrial biochemistry.

It’s the third time he has popped his shoulder having suffered a similar injury playing American football and soccer and may now have to have surgery to get it sorted as he wants to resume his rowing career.

Colm said that in the first few months of performing his Eddie the Eagle duties, older brother Sean was blissfully unaware he was doing it, even though he would often throw the ball back to the Connacht hooker when it would go out of play.

“When he found out he told me to stay on the opposite side of the pitch and not come near him as he was afraid of bursting out laughing.”