'He broke the mould': Irish hooker Sean Cronin announces retirement
Leinster and Ireland hooker Sean Cronin has announced his decision to retire from rugby at the end of the current season. The soon-to-be 36-year-old next has won 204 caps for Leinster and represented Ireland on 72 occasions. The Limerick native joined Leinster from Connacht in 2011 and made his debut that October against Edinburgh.
A few weeks later he would make his European debut, scoring a try off the bench against Montpellier, and this started a try-scoring run that has to date seen Cronin cross the whitewash 45 times for Leinster where he has won two Heineken Champions Cup medals, a Challenge Cup medal and six PRO12/14 titles.
He was named the players’ player of the year in 2015 and was also awarded the supporters’ player of the year award in 2019. He made his Ireland debut in 2009 and would remain a key figure throughout the next decade, including the 2014 and the 2015 Six Nations-winning squads and the Grand Slam-winning squad of 2018.
Cronin said: “After 14 years, I can confirm that this will be my last season playing professional rugby. It has been a unique journey for me starting off in Limerick many years ago, travelling to Galway to set my sights on playing professionally and finishing in Dublin where it has been an incredible eleven years of so many great days in blue and green.
“I have been blessed to experience so many of those great days in my career. Like any profession, you mix the highs with the lows, but it’s how I turned those low points around which is something I look back on with great pride and appreciation.
“I feel incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to do something I love for a living and this would not have been possible without the support of so many people along the way who believed in my potential and gave me the opportunity to succeed in the game. Rugby has been part and parcel of my life from an early age, from watching my father play with Richmond in Limerick to being brought down to minis rugby on Sunday mornings.
“Moving on to play with my school Ardscoil Ris, initially as a full-back but then, under Dessie Harty’s astute eye, I was moved into the front row where he thought I’d be a better fit and how right he was,. After school, I joined the Munster academy under Ian Costello’s guidance while also playing senior with Shannon.
“I was incredibly lucky to win an AIL title at 20 years of age with Shannon. We had a great group of lads. I loved those years and I look back with great joy on that time. The professional side of my career was a different journey than most but one I look back on with huge pride as I experienced some amazing clubs filled with great coaches, teammates, and players across all three teams.
“I’m extremely grateful to Michael Bradley who gave me my first professional contract in Connacht where I had three great years developing as a young professional rugby player. Leinster has been my home, and my family’s home, for over ten years. I have enjoyed every minute of the journey and I have had some amazing days in Leinster blue.
“Twickenham in 2012, Bilbao and the Aviva in 2018 and countless memories in the RDS Arena that are too many to mention. However, one that stands out quite clearly at the RDS is the occasion of my 200th cap in February of this year. The reception I got from supporters and from my teammates and then to have my wife Claire and my kids Cillian, Finn and Saoirse there with me made for a very special day.
“To all the staff in Leinster, from Mick Dawson, Guy Easterby, Leo Cullen and Stuart Lancaster down, thank you for all the support both on and off the field during this time. To all the backroom staff and medics, thank you, especially to Gareth Farrell who I’m sure is the one person who is most happy to see the back of me!
“To the OLSC, thank you for all the support you have given not just to me as a player but more importantly the support you have also given to my wife and my three children. To my teammates, I have had the pleasure of playing with some of the greatest players ever to grace a rugby field and for that, I feel privileged and I hope to see the success continue this season.
“Finally, to my wife Claire, who has steered the ship for 15 years I can’t thank you enough. The sacrifices you have made to help me succeed both on and off the pitch are a testament to the person you are and I hope I can now start to repay all that you’ve done for me in the years ahead.
“To my parents, my brothers, my in-laws and family who have travelled the world to watch me play, I hope you enjoyed all the great days and that I made you proud. I’m excited about what the future holds. Next season I will be taking over as head coach of St Mary’s College RFC where I look forward to developing my coaching aspirations along with furthering my education in the financial field but most importantly spending time with my family.”
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen added: “Sean Cronin has left an incredible legacy not only on Leinster but across all of the clubs he has played for and of course with Ireland. I was lucky enough to have played and roomed with him over the years along with coaching him more recently and he will definitely go down as one of the great characters. He will be hugely missed.
“In his time with Leinster, it is fair to say that he broke the mould for how a modern-day hooker should play and what their role should be. In 204 appearances for Leinster, he has 45 tries to his name which speaks for itself but it was also around what he brought to the wider environment.
“He represented Ireland on 72 occasions and was a huge part of those successful squads including a Grand Slam in 2018. All told he has played over 330 professional games for Munster, Connacht, Leinster and Ireland and has been a brilliant addition to the environment here since his arrival in 2011. It’s also been brilliant to see Sean is going down the coaching route with St Mary’s.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The pack lacks a little in height for the line out and I wouldn’t be completely convinced by some of the combinations till we see it in action.
5 Go to commentsThe side is good but lacks experience. International playing bona fides udually trumps super rugby form for good reason. And incumbents are usually stuck with. Codie Taylor should start or come off the bench. B Barrett will start at fullback. Blackadder has not earned the position, Finau has. TJs experience and competitiveness earns him a starting role, Christie or Ratima off the bench
5 Go to commentsPretty good side. Scott Barrett should be the captain. Ethan Blackadder a great choice at blindside. He is going to go from strength to strength having made a couple of starts for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson rates him highly. Perenara could start a no 9.
5 Go to commentsI question and with respect. Was enough done over the last few years to bring through new blood knowing the Whitelocks and co couldn’t last forever. There should have been more done to future proof the team. New squad new coach, he and they weren’t set up well. IMO
6 Go to commentsJacobsen will definitely be in the 23
5 Go to commentsLots of discussion points, Ben, but two glaring follies IMO: 1. Blackadder at 6. Has done nothing so far this season to justify his selection. Did you see him going backwards in contact at the weekend? Simply has not got the physical presence at 6: we need a Scott Barrett or a Finau (or wildcard Ah Kuoi), beasts who are big enough to play lock, like Frizzell. If Barret played at 6, Paddy could be joined at lock by Vai’i or one of the young giants we need to promote, like Darry or Lord (if he ever gets on the field). Blackadder best left to join the queue for 7. 2. Not even a mention for Christie? Ratima gets caught at crucial times at the back of the ruck when he hesitates on the pass. The only way he starts would be if Christie and TJ are injured.
5 Go to commentsWhat a dagg in more ways than one
6 Go to commentsRegroup come back next year but sack some of the coaching team and don't be like the ABs last minute sacking. If Crusaders don't do well ABs don't do well.
5 Go to commentsProctor Definitely inform again this year had a hell of a season last year and this year is looking even better. Still mixed feelings about Ioane tho.
4 Go to commentsDagg is still trying to get enough headlines to make himself relevant enough to get a job. The Crusaders went back to square one at all levels. Shelve this season and nail the next one.
6 Go to commentsHe was in such great form. Sad for him but only a short term injury and it will be great to see him back for the finals.
1 Go to commentsAfter their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
5 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
3 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to comments