Ormond aiming to make their mark - Long
By Thomas Conway
As Director of Rugby, John Long had the honour of collecting Nenagh Ormond’s prize for the Munster Senior Club of the Year 2024/25 at the Munster Rugby Awards recently.
It is an accolade which all in the club can be immeasurably proud of, the third year in a row they have been chosen as the best in the prov ince.
Nenagh’s story over the past several years has been nothing short of sensational. Last season’s Munster Senior Challenge Cup triumph was historic. The way they attained promotion to Division 1A, in that surreal play-off against UCC, defied all plausibility. So, the awards were a nice way to bookend a truly special journey.
But perhaps there is even more in this Nenagh team. Ask any player or member of the management team and they will tell you that this is very much an ongoing journey, and that Nenagh have no intention of stopping. That is certainly the sentiment Long exudes when he talks about the upcoming AIL campaign, starting at home to Old Belvedere on Saturday.
“It’s a massive achievement for the club to be playing at this level,” Long says.
“But we cannot take it for granted. We have put in a lot of work to get here, and we don’t want that work to go undone.
“Old Belvedere will be a big one - that is our first game here at home and you would imagine the crowd will be huge. But we have always had good crowds, and that is going to be the same this year.”
It is very evident the Nenagh players are enjoying their rugby. They are on a rollercoaster, having the time of their lives. But their lives will be made much more difficult this season by the presence of clubs like reigning champions Clontarf, Cork Constitution, St. Mary’s, and Lansdowne - the top four from last season. The stark reality is, Nenagh will be underdogs going into most fixtures, but that might suit them.
Nenagh’s pre-season has been intense. They looked sharp in their Munster Senior Challenge Cup opener against UL Bohemian. Their subsequent defeat to Cork Constitution was, however, a reality check. But Long says the management has treated both games as a learning process.
“There are a lot of positives to take out of the pre-season,” he says.
“We have learnt lessons, we have learnt some things that work, others that don’t. But this is new territory for us. We are going to have to put in big performances week in, week out if we want to compete.”
Of the ten clubs in Division 1A, six are from Dublin - Clontarf, Old Belvedere, Lansdowne, St. Mary’s, Terenure and UCD. That is a lot of spins up and down the M7, into the proverbial heartland of Leinster rugby. There will also be a trip up north to Down-based club Ballynahinch, a swing down south to Cork Con, and a foray into Limerick to play Young Munster. Every one of those away games will test Nenagh.
They will need their supporters to travel, in numbers, and the players will need to be psychologically ready for the roar of the home crowd.
As for Nenagh’s own home games, the encounter with Cork Con on October 11th should be a cracker, but the really special occasion will be the visit of reigning AIL champions Clontarf on December 6th, just as the festive season kicks into gear.
Even though Nenagh are a newly promoted side, expectations in Lisatunny are still high. The players know this, Long says.
The season will be long and difficult, but they intend to relish every bit of it.
“We are looking forward to it.
As I said, it is new territory for everyone, but we have prepared well and we are ready for it,” Long concluded.