Munster fans pledge full support to Sheahan

THE Munster supporters’ club, through chairman Declan O’Connell, have pledged full and unconditional support to Frankie Sheahan in his bid to overturn his recent ERC imposed ban.

“Frankie has won 76 caps for Munster and has been instrumental in the magnificent rise of Munster rugby over the past seven years. He is an integral part of Munster rugby, as he is an inspiration not only to his peers but to the thousands of young rugby players throughout the province,” he said.

“We have enormous respect for Frankie as a player and as an individual, on and off the field. The feedback from supporters throughout Munster and further afield has been anger at the terrible manner in which Frankie has been treated by the ERC tribunal.”

“We are concerned that the ERC tribunal, by ignoring the evidence submitted on Frank Sheahan’s behalf, have jeopardised his career, threatened his livelihood and tarnished his good name.

“Frank Sheahan is an asthmatic. The rules and regulations of rugby, indeed all sports bodies, should ensure asthmatics are allowed use their inhalers to enable them to compete on an equal footing with non-asthmatics.

“Frankie Sheahan’s suspension has very serious consequences for all asthmatics involved in rugby and sport in general. We would not wish for any asthmatic who is obliged to use an inhaler to endure the appalling circumstances that Frankie and his family now find themselves in.

“It is the wish of the Munster supporters club that Frankie’s legal and medical team will succeed in overturning this grossly unfair and penal ban at his appeal on September 1.

“It is our fervent belief that for justice to prevail his suspension must be lifted,” concluded O’Connell

A website has been set up in aid of Frankie’s appeal. Supporters can pledge their support on www.frankiesheahan.com.

In the meantime, Connacht Rugby have announced all children will be admitted free to the Sportsground next Tuesday, August 26, when Michael Bradley’s men take on London Irish in a pre-season friendly that marks the official opening of the Connacht Branch’s new headquarters at the ground.

The €1.5m headquarters, grant-aided by the Government and the IRFU, is part of a major restructuring of the ground which also includes a magnificent new stand which has been developed by Bord na gCon.

The Connacht Branch headquarters, opposite the stand, includes dressing rooms, a gym and a medical room, as well as the administrative offices for the professional and development sides of the game in the West.

The official opening will be performed by the immediate past-president of the IRFU, Connacht’s Don Crowley, at a ceremony next Tuesday evening which will also be attended by the President of the IRFU, John Quilligan.

Next Tuesday’s game between Connacht and the Zurich Premiership side promises to be a hugely entertaining encounter.

The match brings together two former Irish internationals with Conor O’Shea in charge of London Irish, and new Connacht coach Michael Bradley will run the rule over his charges.

Connacht have been busy in the close season with nearly a dozen new faces arriving, yet have retained the bulk of last year’s squad which reached the quarter-finals of both the Celtic League and Parker Pen Challenge Cup.

Players like Mark McHugh, Tim Allnutt, Darren Yapp, Eric Elwood, Peter Bracken, Marnus Uijs, Damian Browne and John O’Sullivan will again play key roles.

New faces in the Connacht squad include hookers Bernard Jackman and John Fogarty, ex-Australian U-21 lock Andrew Farley and the Irish-qualified Wasps lock Mike McCarthy, former Irish winger Matt Mostyn and St Mary’s College winger Conor McPhillips.