Trophy-laden Bruff are still craving for place in the top flight
They remain very much in contention for the Munster Junior Cup and are now through to the play-offs for the AIB League.
Nothing seems to be beyond this remarkable County Limerick club which enjoys amazing success on the field of play while also contributing players not just to AIL sides but to Munster as well.
One of their finest performances came in the Junior Challenge Cup final. 15-12 behind to arch rivals Nenagh Ormond with 55 minutes on the clock, they rallied so well that they ran out winners on a 34-15 scoreline.
Their three tries were beautifully crafted but it was the spirit that has epitomised their efforts over the years that really captured the imagination.
They then went on to demonstrate commendable consistency in claiming the Junior League for the third time.
Bruff's success story began over 20 years ago when they dominated the Community Games at local, provincial and national level. Mick Cahill was the driving force then and remains so to this very day as he moulded a succession of promising youngsters into outstanding footballers.
Bruff, being a junior club, inevitably lack the flow of the best exponents from the rugby playing colleges.
Instead, they mould their own and it is significant that 12 former Bruff men, all of whom came up through the club's under-age structure, are now playing in the AIB League with six clubs. They include Tom Hayes and Peter Malone, captains respectively of Shannon and Garryowen, and Stephen Keogh, a superb back-row forward edging ever closer to a starting place on the Munster team.
Hayes, of course, is a brother of Ireland prop John, who also learned his rugby at Bruff before moving on to greater things. Eoin Cahill and Garrett Noonan are other first team players at Shannon.
The following list of current players shows the importance of the family to the Bruff cause: Brian Cahill. Born 1984. Knockainey, centre or scrum-half. Playing with Bruff since he was 6. Won Munster Schools Senior Cup medal with St Munchin's. Won gold, silver and bronze at Community Games in Mosney. Son of former club captain and underage coaching expert Michael.
The Carroll brothers, Ballybricken. John (1981), Brian (1983),and (1984) Mike have 29 years of rugby played between them with Bruff. Sons of the late Brendan who was a former club captain (1976) and subsequently youth officer. Brother Tommy plays with the under 16s and mother Lena is vice-president.
Cormac Hayes, Cappamore. Following in the footsteps of his namesake John Hayes. Son of former club captain John (1990). Twelve years playing with the club.
Other towns and villages represented in the panel include Meanus, Kilmallock, Ballyneety, Dromin, Ballingaddy, Grange, Crecora and Holycross. Almost all of these are within a six or seven mile radius of Bruff where the players assiduously gather for training under coach John "Pako" Fitzgerald, the former Ireland prop, and Mike Lynch, the backs coach.
The appointment of Fitzgerald and Lynch (a former Ireland A player) to these two key positions demonstrate that the Bruff club are willing to learn all they can as they chase one of their few remaining goals a place in the All-Ireland League. Having captured the Munster Junior League last season, they lost out in the play-offs, but intend to go all the way this time.
Even if they don't, the future could hardly be brighter for a club that won the All-Ireland under 20 title in 2001, lost in the final in 2002, has qualified for this year's knock-out stages and which in recent years has also claimed the AIL at under 16 and 18 levels.
All the time, too, they are regularly lifting underage trophies from under the noses of the supposedly bigger fish in north Munster.
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