Sport and business partnership is a catalyst for rugby success in Clonmel
A successful year for Clonmel Rugby Club will be used as a stepping stone to further success
Further enhancement of Clonmel’s place on the national sporting map took place with the historic achievements this season of Clonmel Rugby Club.
Victory for Clonmel Rugby Club in the Energia All-Ireland Rugby League Division 2C against Bective in April at their own grounds marked a joyous occasion and the arrival of the club at a new level.
The officers, players, and everybody associated with the club are determined to use that triumph as a building block towards elevating the club even further.
Key to realising the potential of the club is the powerful sponsorship link the club has developed with Camida, the successful Clonmel-based company that supports community organisations.
As part of that community support policy, Camida sponsors the Clonmel Rugby Club Youth Academy, a structure designed to facilitate further success for years to come.
At an event at the Camida headquarters in Clonmel, Camida staff were joined by representatives of Clonmel Rugby Club, who set out the plans for the future of the club.
David Anchell, Managing Director of Camida, told the group that the company and the club shared values and that the spirit and soul of the club aligned with the Camida policy of supporting groups that bring great benefit to the town.
He congratulated Clonmel Rugby Club on their enormous success this year and said the company was delighted to be part of that success through the sponsorship of the Clonmel Rugby Club Youth Academy.
Ian Cooke, Past President of Clonmel Rugby Club, thanked David Anchell and all of the Camida staff for their support through the Camida Youth Academy.
He said the Camida Youth Academy was the present and the future of the club.
Fergal Buttimer, Director of Rugby, said the Camida Youth Academy was the ‘lifeblood of the club’.
He gave a detailed presentation on the underage structure of the club and the thriving nature of the youth and mini setup.
He said the mini setup for U7 to U/12 was all about participation and inclusivity, and the youth structure starts at u/13 to U18. Between the two categories, there would be between 150 and 200 young players turning up for training every Saturday morning at 11 am.
“It is brilliant. It brings players, parents, and volunteers in. The more we strengthen the mini and youth structures, the easier it is for the club to grow. The club has created something within the club that makes it attractive for young people to want to be part of it,” said Fergal Buttimer.
Fergal told the group that of the 23 players on the panel for the Bective match, 15 of the 23 had played mini or youths for Clonmel.
“That is a phenomenal testament to the structures that are in place at the club. Of the 8 not homegrown, they would have been with the club for some years. We are only starting to reap the benefits of the Camida Youth Academy. Only one or two of the homegrown players that played against Bective would have had experience of the academy,” he said.
Also in attendance was Gerrit Huisamen, a South African who was on the team that defeated Bective and Head Coach of the Camida Youth Academy.
Working in accounts for ESK, Gerrit has made Clonmel his home over the last three years and is excited to be involved with the club at such an exciting time for rugby in the town.
“The improvement from the players attending the Camida Youth Academy is night and day over a season,” said Gerrit.
Gerrit said he was very happy with his life decision to live in Clonmel.
"It is a beautiful place to live and being part of the rugby club has made it very easy for me to blend in.I am very excited about the future of the club and what can be achieved by the Camida Youth Academy,” said Gerrit.
JJ Killian, Honourary Life Vice President of Clonmel Rugby Club said it was a club and also now a business and they believed that the town of Clonmel believed in what the club was doing for the town.
“It is especially important when a company like Camida comes along and backs us, they have the confidence to back us and that gives everybody in the club great confidence,” he said.