New Clogher skipper Eugene is keen to lead by example

For the first time in many years, Clogher Valley RFC’s first XV has a new captain.

Long-term on pitch leader, Paul Armstrong, who has helped drive the squad to the club’s most successful ever period, during which time they have dominated the junior game in both Ulster and Ireland before earning their place in the senior ranks of the All-Ireland Leagues, gaining promotion to 2B at the first attempt in the process, has decided the time is right to step aside.

But, after another impressive campaign last year, when they narrowly lost to neighbours Dungannon in the promotion play-off semi-final, Armstrong, who became a father for the first time earlier this year with wife Rachel, will remain as a key player for the team.

Taking over as skipper for Stephen Bothwell’s side is Armstrong’s brother-in-law, Eugene McKenna, who like his predecessor, is also a new father with wife Sarah and is one of the most experienced players at the club.

The 31-year-old broke into the first XV back in 2011-2012, appearing on the bench against Monivea during the All-Ireland League play-offs at the end of that season.

becoming a regular

Since then, he has spent the last decade and more cementing himself as a regular in the pack, becoming one of the most dependable and consistent performers in the squad.

And while he admits that Armstrong’s departure as captain leaves a hole to fill, he’s honoured to have been asked to be the man to take over.

“[Paul] will always be there and he’ll always be asked to do something!,” Eugene laughed. “He is always going to be a captain in the team, it doesn’t matter who has the captain’s armband. That will help me but even last year, if he wasn’t there, I stepped up and I was captain on the day.

“When I stepped up to the ones, my first year out I had been 19s captain and I was very proud of that. So, to step up into the ones, I wanted to win stuff and if I was to be captain some day, that’s a big milestone whenever you’re playing for the club.”

While Armstrong led from the front in terms of creativity and points scoring, McKenna acknowledges that being a flanker and/or second rower means his game is different and so too will be his leadership, but he hopes that his team-mates will follow him into ‘battle’ on the back of the effort he will display, rather than what he says beforehand.

“From the few times I have stepped into the role when Paul hasn’t been there, it’s thinking about what I’m going to say to the boys before [a game],” he explained.

“I’m not going to write a massive speech. I actually did a sports science and sports coaching degree and I’ve looked into the psychology of players before and after games through the sports coaching, so I’ve realised you can say more with less words.

“As long as I think about what I’m going to say before a game and put it into as clear a way as I can, the better.

“But I think I’m going to be a totally different captain to Paul. Obviously I’d like to think I’ll lead by example, but Paul has been top try or top points scorer in the club numerous seasons and I’m never going to be that kind of player, that’s not my game unfortunately – as much as I’d love to be a try-scorer!

“But with work rate and effort and if the boys see me busting a gut in pre-season or busting a gut in a game to go and make that tackle or to cover a gap, hopefully they will follow me into battle.”

And after such a successful few years on the pitch, during which Clogher have won the All-Ireland Junior Cup twice, promotion into the AIL, the AIL 2C title, two Ulster Senior Shields and having reached the 2A promotion play-offs, McKenna is keen to maintain the forward momentum.

‘push ourselves further’

He’s certainly not thinking about consolidation: “As a club, since Stevie [head coach, Stephen Bothwell] and Paul came back in 2018 or 2019, we’ve always wanted to stretch ourselves and push ourselves further and last year, coming into the league, we weren’t sure,” he said.

“It was the same as coming into 2C, you weren’t sure until you played those first couple of games and obviously 2B was a massive step up compared to 2C even, in terms of the teams you’re playing.

“It didn’t matter who you were playing, if you didn’t play as best you can, you’d come away with a loss no problem, home or away, and that did happen a few times last season, so I think we’re aiming for top four, if not pushing for first or second.

Some may think that with the departure of Kiwi centre, Luke Russell, who has returned home to New Zealand, taking winger Ewan Haire with him, might leave Clogher weaker than last term, but McKenna feels that it just presents an opportunity for another talented youngster to come into the squad.

“All those boys are coming to that age when they want to go and do a bit travelling and the club that we are, we’re a community club, we don’t want to hold boys back,” he explained.

“If they want to go and spread their wings and go and play or live a different lifestyle for a year or two, whatever it is, we’re not going to hold them back.

“They’re only going to come back better, so if Ewan goes and plays that standard in New Zealand, he’s going to come back twice the player or three times the player when we get him back eventually.

“And his departure will open the door for other players to come in and there are a couple of young boys looking to push into the firsts and that will give them the chance.

”If you look at last year, young Jake Woods came through and he was massive for us. He played numerous games on the wing and scored some lovely tries and did very well and it was the same the year before with Karl Bothwell and we’re thinking that young Thomas Barnett is probably the next boy that’s going to come in.”

And it’s that ability to replace players with homegrown youth that has played a massive part in Clogher’ success, particularly in recent years, but McKenna feels that’s largely down to head coach Stephen Bothwell, who not only helped develop the club’s talent, but also has the courage and foresight to throw them into the deep end.

“That’s the great thing about Stevie as head coach, he’s thinking about 10-15 years time, which is crazy to think because most head coaches come in and think ‘I want to win as many trophies as I possibly can’ and don’t get me wrong, Stevie obviously wants to win stuff, he doesn’t want to lose,” McKenna observed.

“When he came in, not that I was worried, but he was bringing competition for places and in the last couple of years, there aren’t too many people in our team can say I’m on the team sheet every week. There are guys fighting for their position, even to get into that ones squad to get to go and play AIL games and that’s what a club needs if it’s going to thrive.

“He’s done himself loads of favours because he has coached all the boys that are in that squad at some age grade before they ever came into the seniors. He coached me, Paul and Michael Treanor at under-17s, he coached all the rest of the boys at school [Enniskillen Grammar School], so he’s had a hand in there somewhere in terms of their development as a youth player, which has brought them on to be a senior player at Clogher and that has made a massive difference.”