Munster will pay tribute to former captain and coach Anthony Foley when hosting Racing 92 in Saturday’s Investec Champions Cup opener.
The tribute comes 10 years after Foley’s sudden death on the eve of a match against the same opposition.
He died in his sleep, aged 42, on 16 October 2016 from a heart rhythm disorder, just hours before Munster were due to face the French club in Paris.
The former Ireland No 8 spent more than two decades with Munster, winning the Champions Cup in 2005-06 and 2007-08 before moving into coaching. He became head coach in 2014.
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Munster defence coach Denis Leamy, who played alongside Foley for six seasons and under him for one, said the province would be determined to honour his memory.
“He was a very special person, a very special player,” Leamy said. “It’s tragic that he’s not here anymore. We’ll try and do our very best on Saturday to do justice to his memory.”
Foley, affectionately known as ‘Axel’, had been preparing to lead Munster into their third Champions Cup campaign as head coach when tragedy struck. The original fixture against Racing 92 was postponed following his death.
Former Racing loose forward Antonie Claassen recalled the shock that swept through the rugby community when the news emerged.
“One of the images that stayed with me is people just being in a state of shock,” Claassen told AFP.
Foley’s influence on Munster and Irish rugby has endured. Leamy said his former teammate helped shape his approach to the game and what it meant to wear the province’s jersey.
“He gave belief to everyone around him and he was just a super player and he was a super teammate,” Leamy said.
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Munster have arranged a series of tributes for Saturday. The current squad, including captain Tadhg Beirne, will wear commemorative warm-up jackets, while Beirne will exchange a jersey bearing Foley’s No 8 with a Racing 92 player.
A round of applause is also planned for the eighth minute of the match.
Beirne said Foley’s words and actions continued to influence the team.
“We live by some of the words he’s spoken every day, so he’s with us all the time and I don’t think it’s going to be any different this weekend,” he said. “We’re paying tribute to a true Munster man, and rightly so.”
– AFP
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
The post Munster prepare emotional tribute to club legend appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Munster will pay tribute to former captain and coach Anthony Foley when hosting Racing 92 in Saturday’s Investec Champions Cup opener.
The post Munster prepare emotional tribute to club legend appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
