Valley Rovers searching for the summit

One of Ireland’s greatest coaching personalities, Declan Kidney, once said during his second reign as Munster Rugby head coach - one that saw the Cork man guide his province to European Cups in 2006 and 2008 - that “if you keep knocking, the door will eventually open”. Munster had been to two finals (in 2000 and ’02) and lost; then, against all odds, his teams realised what some deemed the impossible dream.

Eoghan Delaney isn’t a dreamer. Very much a realist, the Valley Rovers forward might see some truth in Kidney’s words of wisdom. Sporting philosophies are, arguably, transferable to both team and individual pursuits.

Valleys, like Munster and similar to many teams or individual sportspeople out there, are on an odyssey of sorts. With County U21 ‘A’ successes from 2013 and 2015 offering hope for the breakthrough, the time may be ripe for the Innishannon-based club to knock down Heaven’s door.