Brunell looking for cup final berth in intriguing Cork derby

It’s crunch time in the Women’s National Cup, and tonight’s first semi-final which immediately catches the eye is Singletons SuperValu Brunell v Fr Mathews (Neptune Stadium, 8.30pm).

The fact that it’s an all-Cork derby reflects the strength of the game on Leeside, says Brunell chair Ann O’Halloran.

“The fact we have three teams in the top-flight (Women’s Superleague) has added a new dimension. For us as a club — and looking at other clubs in Cork — there’s a momentum building at underage level, there are more women and girls playing basketball.

“We have more teams this year than we ever had and we also seem to be keeping them when they get to 16, 17 years of age. We’re catching up with Dublin in terms of teams, certainly.

“There’s a lot of effort put in at county board level here as well as at national level, with camps and development teams. That helps to keep teenagers involved — you’ll always lose a few, but the really talented players stay on — but definitely there is a lot of work being done in Cork.

“The number of national competitions helps as well — at U18 level the teams which didn’t qualify for the cup itself can play in a shield competition, and that’s as important to those teams as the cup is to us.”

There’s also the fact that perennial powerhouse Glanmire have seen players head to other clubs, as pointed out by former Brunell coach Francis O’Sullivan.

“There’s no beating around that bush, there’s been a bit of movement in terms of players. Glanmire had major success for a number of years and now some of the players have moved on to Fr Mathews.

Obviously, Fr Mathews is an ambitious club, though it can be hard to be successful in both men’s and women’s basketball — traditionally the women’s clubs have been stand-alone clubs. They’ve developed very fast, though, and now they’re on the cusp of a cup final, and possibly winning it.

Their opponents this evening have a traditional identity centred on their headquarters, says O’Halloran: “It probably is a factor, where we’re located. Being based in the Parochial Hall means we do have a big catchment area, and the northside of the city has always been a huge basketball area, traditionally.”

O’Sullivan teases that point out further.

“Brunell’s identity would also come from their success at underage level, and I’d have said before that they’re the closest you could come to a GAA-type club, that kind of model. Their base, geographically, is the northside of the city, that’s where their young players come from, but they have also realised the need to open up a bit, and they have players coming to them from other parts of the city as well.

“I think they realise that it’s so hard to bring through a group of players who can play at Superleague level, that you need to engage positively in finding players from other areas as well. Brunell have opened their doors because I think they realise that you won’t be successful at that very top level with players produced within the club itself. They’ve also recruited imaginatively and they now have three non-Irish players in their first five.”

O’Halloran says some of those overseas pros could be deployed more proactively to promote the game but points out that Brunell can also provide its own role model.

“We could maybe use some of the professional players more, get them out to schools and clubs and so on. One thing I’ve noticed is that sponsorship, which seemed to have dried up in recent years, is coming back a little bit again, and we’re also getting more publicity in the media.

“And there’s also the accessibility of games played overseas. From listening to the girls on the bus, for instance, there’s definitely an element of that — a lot of them watch the NBA closely.

“Add in the fact that we have a player who’s in America, Edel Thornton, and it brings all of that closer, as does the fact that you can stream the games she’s playing in and see them.

“Every club has someone like that at this stage, a former player who’s in an overseas league, and that has improved the profile of the game as well. Edel helps that way as well — she comes home between semesters of college and any camp we run, she’s involved in it, she’s very good like that, as are the girls in other clubs playing overseas.

“She’s fantastic with the kids and even though she’ll probably end up playing professionally in Europe, her heart is with Brunell.”

With the presence of non-Irish players in the starting five of so many teams this weekend, however, is that a concern for the development of Irish players in the future? O’Sullivan sounds a note of caution.

Are Irish girls going to improve because they’re playing with American and European pros? I think that’s a question that’ll only be answered in time. The U18 girls national team qualified for Europe, which is great, but is that an outlier?

“You’d have to ask how high the standard would be without two American players on most teams, and it’s something that should be reflected upon by the authorities, teams and coaches.”

A question for another day, perhaps. Ann O’Halloran is looking forward to this weekend: “It’s our fourth-ever semi-final, so we’re going in as underdogs. It’s very exciting, the fact that Fr Mathews would have players who’ve won the Cup before, they’d have an edge, but we’re hoping for a great game.”