He’s just lucky Limerick are out of the reckoning.
They’re passionate about their city, their county and their hurling in Limerick and they don’t half get worked up abut the rugby too.
It’s probably okay for CJ Stander, whose become an adopted son of the Treaty by way of South Africa, to root for another county in their quest for Liam MacCarthy these days because it’s not like Limerick have been setting the senior world alight.
Not since 2013 have they tasted Munster success – their only triumph this century and they’ve once again long since been ditched from the championship so Stander is within his rights to don the jersey of a rival. At least until the youngsters make the breakthrough anyway.
The hurling All-Ireland is down to the nitty-gritty right now with only four still standing and every one of them laying a respectable claim to be champions.
Semi-finals:
Galway v Tipperary (August 6)
Cork v Waterford (August 13)
Tipperary have had to take the scenic route though having been pipped in Munster but it meant that they sampled the first taste of Páirc Uí Chaoimh and lit the place up during their win over Clare in the quarter-finals.
Got lost going to Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Got lost in Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Wrote about it – https://t.co/jzYVcktCrj via @sportsjoedotie
— Dion Fanning (@dionfanning) July 22, 2017
That game drew many an interested spectator – not just from the GAA world, but the rugby one as well.
And it seems that CJ Stander’s support will continue into the August months as he was snapped by his wife Jean-Marié donning the Tipp geansaí and, frankly, wearing it like he was doing it a favour.
On the latest SportsJOE Live, Ronan O’Gara explained how most rugby players are glued to the GAA on weekends they’re not playing.
He said that it doesn’t matter if they are the international players in the country, the amateurs that are lifting hurls and kicking ball are on a national stage too and what they’re doing wins the respect and admiration of most of the rugby community.
CJ Stander has made his pick for the All-Ireland but it’s not like his love of Limerick is in question. His comments when he was made ambassador of the town sum him up to perfection.
“When I arrived here the biggest thing that I felt was that Limerick was a city where people look after their own,” Stander said at the time.
“They pulled me in from the beginning and looked after me and my family and just made us part of the city. It was unreal and it was great to get that welcome.
“Four and a half years in and people are still welcoming. It is a great town for me hopefully one day to raise a family.”
Hopefully there’s still time for that man to get number 3 on his back and pick up a hurl too. He wouldn’t let much by him anyway.
Thanks to David Morrissey for sending this our way. If you have any pieces of content you’d like to share with us, hit us up on Facebook or Twitter or send us an email at editorial@SportsJOE.ie.
