From colleagues to friends: The making of Grand Slam champions

PLAYING international rugby for Ireland in the late 1980s and early 1990s was tough. Having to compete with the might of Jack Charlton’s Irish soccer team for the hearts and minds of the nation in the wake of the European Championship of 1988 and Italia ‘90 was extremely difficult.

All you could do was admire their relative success from afar and dream that one day the thronged streets and pubs, the colour and the bunting hanging from the lampposts and a similar sense of national pride would attach to an Irish rugby side. Finally, that day has arrived. With last Saturday’s victory, this Irish team has become the talk of the nation.

There is no doubting that the growth in popularity for rugby and the audience it now attracts can be traced to Munster’s successes in Europe and the massive support that the team attracts. It is also true to say that there are plenty of passionate rugby supporters outside of Munster, those who follow Leinster, Ulster and Connacht with a fervour, who admire Munster’s achievement but cannot share the same sense of ownership. That too is perfectly understandable. That is why Ireland’s success this season is, as Declan Kidney pointed out, “for everybody”. Kidney has cleverly made this team inclusive. It is no coincidence that the Grand Slam is the only topic of conversation everywhere you go this week.