Shefflin not going Down Under

KILKENNY hurling fans can rest easy - Henry Shefflin has no intention of abdicating.

Speculation that he is ready to pack everything in and head off to Australia next year is not more than that - just gossip. And, it has him bemused.

The story has no foundation, he stated yesterday. Shefflin, acknowledged as one of the game’s most accomplished scoring forwards of the modern era, insisted:

“I heard the rumour myself, but I’m not going at all (to Australia),” he said. “I don’t know how it got out.”

Employed by Bank of Ireland’s New Holland Finance division, Shefflin, 25, was hurler of the year in 2002 and has been a GAA All-Star for the past two years.

This season he was controversially injured in the All-Ireland championship quarter-final replay against Clare in Thurles, but came back to play a starring role against Waterford in the semi-final eight days later.