It was my sixth class school tour in 2012. A rugby-mad friend turned to me. “Did you see Munster are after signing some South African youngfella?”
I had. RTE teletext had broken the news that Christian Johan Stander would sign for Munster on a two year contract. We weren’t alone in having never heard of the 22 year-old but the imagination of primary school kids left us dreaming about just how good Stander could turn out to be in the red jersey.
I had fallen in love with the legendary brilliance of Paul O’Connell and Ronan O’Gara by then. I had seen Donnacha O’Callaghan, Peter Stringer and Doug Howlett at their breathtaking best lifting trophies.
Watching Munster every weekend was a big part of my life and making sure to appreciate every last second of those special players in the red jersey felt important. They weren’t just great rugby players but impressive men and role-models to many.
Their heroism was the pride of the province growing up. The stars of that team felt culturally significant to Limerick life. Sometimes Munster Rugby players can be more than just talented athletes and for my friends and I, Ronan O’Gara and Paul O’Connell were the names that stilled our childish play.
I feel privileged to remember moments like Paulie’s return from injury to inspire Munster past Harlequins or Ronan O’Gara’s drop goal to clinch the Grand Slam. Greatness sends a chill down your spine and after years of hearing so much about those warriors it was special to see them produce like that in the closing stages of their careers.
The only shame was that we didn’t get to bask in their brilliance for longer. I never got to watch the formative years of those player’s careers before witnessing their development into beloved household names.
My generation of Munster fan didn’t get to enjoy the full journey of that special Munster squad. Most of us can’t remember the 2006 Heineken Cup Final, let alone the heartbreak that predated it. We hopped on the bandwagon at the climax but hardly felt entirely embedded in the fabric.
CJ Stander was the hero for my generation of Munster supporter.
From his epic try-scoring introduction against Glasgow Warriors in 2012 to his current elite standing in World Rugby, it has been one hell of a ride.
Stander’s inspired ball-carrying performances have been at the epicentre of Thomond Park for the past decade and he will leave a considerable void behind him.
When CJ burst out of the blocks, bouncing off defenders and rallying his teammates as he so often did, the terraces bellowed that bit louder.
Supporters stood a foot taller in the confidence of having such an extraordinary player on their side so I can only imagine how his teammates felt.
Munster’s adopted son made the family prouder and prouder each year, playing with the same resilience, leadership and power no matter the jersey.
Stander represented us as well as any warrior in the province’s history. He made you feel proud. He made you feel stronger.
It can take a decade to be considered a provincial legend in many cases. CJ Stander was the fan favourite, the superstar and the pride of Munster within five years.
Whether in a struggling Munster team coming sixth in the PRO12 or an Ireland team dismissing everyone in their path, Stander’s performance levels never varied. Most weeks he was the best player on the park – every week he was an inspiration to young rugby players across the planet.
Looking back now, the experience of watching such a phenomenal player for Munster and Ireland for all those years was an absolute privilege.
He gave my friends and I some of our greatest moments at Thomond Park, evoked emotions from Soldier’s Field and now calls it a day for noble reasons befitting of the impressive man that he truly is. It wasn’t just his talent that struck a chord but his resilience and respect too.
I have seen boys turn into men following CJ Stander’s career and aren’t we so lucky to have had such a fabulous role-model at the heart of our city for that length of time?
In 2012 my friend and I only held hope. Nine years, 150 appearances and three Munster Player of the Year Awards later we’re holding back tears reflecting on the contribution of a special rugby player and human being.
From the bottom of every Munster Rugby supporter’s heart – thank you.
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