Togetherness helps Munster with pain of losing Anthony Foley

Last October the Irish sports world was left reeling by shocking news from Paris. The sudden passing of Munster coach Anthony Foley ahead of his side’s clash with Racing 92 stunned the country. How have the Munster players been able to process that shock and grief — and then taken the field for subsequent matches?

Leading sports psychologist Dr Kate Kirby offers a professional viewpoint. “I’m not working with Munster, just looking at this situation from afar,” she says.

“But in a group environment like that, the greatest comfort is in being together — just having company, not even in a particularly structured way in the early stages but just having a shared experience. If some players want to talk about their experiences, fine, and if they don’t want to talk, that’s fine too. I think people find comfort in that rather than being at home and being isolated.