New Butler On The Block

We catch up with Munster U20 player Aidan Butler at Rockwell College on the first week of the Munster Rugby Talent Camp.

Butler, who recently captained Rockwell College to their third consecutive Munster Schools Senior Cup Final, will take part in an intense training regime over the next six weeks along with the Munster U19, Munster 18 Club and Munster U18 School squads.

Speaking about his busy weekly schedule in camp Butler said “we wake up at 7am and have a morning conditioning session before breakfast. We then do an on pitch session which is usually on a player position specific module. I am a backrow so I concentrate on skills such as lineouts, cleaning out rucks and so on and I am delighted to be coached by former Munster forward Denis Leamy. After lunch we have a squad session. That’s where everyone comes in and we do our patterns of play and later on have a recovery session.

Following dinner we do a few educational modules like mental preparation, nutrition, video analysis and stuff like that. You’d be exhausted after a day’s training, so you have a bit of craic with the lads, chill out, maybe watch a bit of TV and then head off to bed early.

Aidan, brother of Munster senior player, Paddy Butler in comparing the Munster U20 preparations to that of a professional rugby player said “Outside of our camp days from Tuesday to Thursday we’ve also got gym sessions on the Monday and Friday in our own centre. My centre is Cashel, so I’ll be back here in Rockwell with the other Tipperary lads on those days. The other guys do their gym work in Cork, Limerick, Kerry and Waterford, wherever is close to home. Sessions roughly run for an hour or so under the supervision of strength and conditioners so it's close to being like a pro player – intensity, dedication and all that goes with it.”

Speaking on the Munster U20 squad, Butler says being together in camp overnight is proving to be a huge benefit in terms of bonding. “You’re with the lads every day so already you can see the teamwork coming together. A lot of guys I would have played against in schools rugby are on my squad now. For example, Gearoid Lyons, who captained Crescent College this year and Greg O’Shea, also Crescent, who I often came up against throughout my schools rugby. Guys from Munchin’s aswell, Lee Nicholas their Captain, Dan Goggin, Shane Airey, I could go on but we all know each other quite well and there is good camaraderie building already."

Looking ahead to the Interprovincial Series Butler says he will be quite familiar with some of the opposition. “I’ll be looking out for Rory Parata. I played with him in Rockwell for the last couple of years and he’s now with Connacht U20’s so I’ll be looking forward to playing against him in a few weeks!

Munster U20 Management Team (L-R) Fiona Steed (Physio); Denis Leamy (Assistant Coach); Colm McMahon (Assistant Coach); Greig Oliver (Head Coach); Alex Denby (S&C); Feargal O'Callaghan (S&C) and Mossy Lawler (Assistant Coach).

Munster U18 Clubs side warm up ahead of their on pitch session

Munster U18 Schools at Talent Camp training in Rockwell College with Head Coach Mark Butler