Ireland claim comfortable win over Georgia

Nov 17, 2014

*The hosts scored six tries in 49-7 victory

*Ireland who were captained by Eoin Reddan had three debutants

*The home team only led 9-0 at half time before ramping up the intensity

The Ireland team Photo before the game! 

Ireland continued their impressive Guinness Series with a 49 -7 victory over Georgia on Sunday. The hosts ran in six tries while three players – Dave Foley, Dominic Ryan & Robin Copeland – made their debuts. Dave Kilcoyne, Richardt Strauss, Simon Zebo, Felix Jones and Stuart Olding all crossed for tries, while Ian Madigan kicked 19 points from the tee. While the score line is impressive, at least on paper, it wasn’t plain sailing for Ireland. Georgia started well and dominated the opening ten minutes. Number eight Dimitri Basilaia was involved early as the visitors gained ground after a couple of knock-ons from Ireland. Georgia were rewarded with their early dominance as Mike Ross was penalised at the scrum. However fullback Merab Kvirikashvili couldn’t capitalise as his effort at goal went wide.Ireland now had possession and were finally able to get out of their 22. Madigan dropped a nice grubber in behind the Georgian defence after a good run from Felix Jones. Georgia did well to clear their lines but two minutes later second row Kote Mikautadze was penalised for not rolling away. Madigan slotted the ensuing penalty and Ireland were off the mark. The crowd were on their feet a few minutes later as Kilcoyne made a barging 30 metre run which was very reminiscent of Cian Healy’s now iconic charge versus the All Blacks last November.

Move out the way! Kilcoyne on the charge

Georgia were penalised again and Madigan doubled the hosts lead. Jones impressed from fullback as Ireland made a number of promising breaks but failed to see them through. Ill-discipline cost the visitors however and on the stroke of half time referee JP Doyle had had enough as scrum half Giorgi Begadze coped ten minutes in the bin for repeated team infringements. Madigan slotted the penalty and the hosts went into the break 9-0 up.

Eyes on the prize! Zebo looks to reclaim possession

Ireland made use of the extra man from the start of the second half. A penalty for foul play allowed Simon Zebo to kick to touch deep inside the Georgian 22. Struass was accurate with his throw and Ireland mauled which gave them good momentum. The ball was presented nicely and Kilcoyne was the beneficiary of some hard work as the loosehead crashed over the line after a nicely timed pass from Reddan and a delayed run from the Munster man. Madigan converted the try and Ireland led 16-0. Ireland, who couldn’t score a five pointer in the first half only had to wait another nine minutes for the second of the game as again they mauled superbly.

Try time! Dave Kilcoyne scored for Ireland at the start of of the second half

The ever industrious Strauss crossed the line after a good take from Robbie Diack at the tail of the lineout. Coach Joe Schmidt, always the perfectionist, might remind the Leinster hooker not to leave such a rampant maul as early as he did, as other opposition might have held him out. Georgia didn’t however and Ireland started to pull away.

Georgia didn’t give up as second row Giorgi Nemsadze crossed for a well-deserved try after good work again by Basilaia. Nemsadze cut a great line from the number 8 and the conversion was successful. 23-7!

Georgia’s high penalty count cost them dearly as they had two players sent to the bin

However that was as good as it got for the visitors as silly penalties saw Georgia dropped to 14 men again as Basilaia was given his marching orders for interfering with the ball off his feet. Ireland opted for the scrum and after a good inside pass from Reddan to Craig Gilroy Ireland went wide and Zebo cantered in for his fourth international try. Schmidt decided to unload the bench as Olding, Copeland, Devin Toner, Sean Cronin, Ian Keatley and Kieran Marmion all came on. Jones scored a good team try in the right hand corner after again some good play in the lineout.

Felix Jones scored his first of two tries after some good work by the Irish forwards

The try of the day came eight minutes from time as Copeland won back possession in Ireland’s 22. Olding fed Marmion who broke down the middle and in turn fed Keatley. The Munster pivot did well to dummy before giving it to Cronin on the touchline. The abrasive hooker unselfishly popped it to Jones running a switch and the full back was over for his second of the day!

Olding scored Ireland’s sixth and final try a couple of minutes from time after a nicely timed pass from Keatley saw the Ulsterman go in by the posts. Georgia pushed for a second try at the end but poor hands dashed their chance as Ireland made it two wins from two.

Seeing double! Jones scored his second, and Ireland’s best try of the match

Man of the Match: There were some good performances from a number of players. Felix Jones was strong at full back, commanding the air on more than one occasion and making some strong runs from deep. The Munster man has definitely shown his credentials and his two tries didn’t do any harm. However, a special mention has to be made for debutant Dave Foley who was at the heart of Ireland’s win. The lock continued his fine form this season and definitely put his hand up for selection next week against the Wallabies. A mention too for Georgian number 8 Dimitri Basilaia who worked tirelessly (albeit copping a yellow card for his troubles) and left wing Sandro Todua who was strong in attack.

Key Moments: Felix Jones second try was great to watch as Ireland ran 80 metres before the full back ran in. The match was done as a contest well before this but it was certainly the pick of the bunch. Georgia’s high penalty count and two yellow cards were extremely costly but they can take much from the match including their well worked try and ability to keep the score line 9-0 at the break. The visitors dearly missed Mamuka Gorgodze, their usual captain. The flanker has long been one of the best players in Europe and his physicality and leadership would have helped the cause.

Captain fantastic! Mamuka Gorgodze was sorely missed by Georgia

Next Match – Australia: Expect plenty of changes from Joe Schmidt as Ireland have a short turn around before they encounter Australia on Saturday (22^nd November). Ireland should field a team similar to the one that over turned the Springboks a week ago, with front line players such as Paul O’Connell, Jamie Heaslip, Conor Murray, Johnny Sexton and Rob Kearney all expected to be recalled.

So did anyone do enough against Georgia to force their way into the starting XV for next week against Australia? Dave Foley probably did the most to warrant inclusion, at least on the bench and possibly to start. Felix Jones was also very strong. Schmidt could put him on the wing instead of Zebo however the later didn’t do too much wrong to deserve being dropped at this point. The only other real change to be expected could be forced as Payne is still touch and go whether he will be fit in time the Wallabies come to town. If the Ulsterman doesn’t recover in time, one would imagine Gordon D’Arcy would start at twelve and Robbie Henshaw at thirteen.

COCA-COLA THANK YOU FUND GRANTS €125,000 TO FIVE GROUPS WITH NEW IDEAS TO GET PEOPLE MOVING

Nov 13, 2014

TOTAL FUNDING OVER FOUR YEARS REACHES €500K

ATHLETE DERVAL O’ROURKE JOINED MINISTER MICHAEL RING TO ANNOUNCE THE WINNERS

Five organisations shared in €125,000 of funding from the Coca-Cola Thank You Fund for innovative projects which will promote active lifestyles in Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Fund awards grants to organisations for new initiatives aimed at encouraging people to incorporate physical activity into their day to day lives. In existence since 2011, the Fund today celebrated reaching the milestone of half a million euro in total funding with this latest round of grants.

The latest awardees are Canoeing Ireland, Killarney Rugby Football Club, Omagh Wheelers Cycling Club, Spraoi agus Spórt and Swim Ireland, which each received €25,000 today.

Michael Ring TD, Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, congratulated the organisations on their achievement and said he was looking forward to seeing their projects in action.

Speaking today Minister Ring said: ‘The Coca-Cola Thank You Fund continues to have a positive impact across Ireland and Northern Ireland, with €500,000 donated in grants since the Fund began in 2011. The Government also continues to be committed to increased participation in sport at all levels, and I was delighted to announce a third Sports Capital Programme in Budget 2015. Participation in sport has risen from 44.8% in 2011 to 47.2% last year. Coca-Cola, through this level of investment, has shown a commitment to improve the level of participation in physical activity in our local communities. The Fund invests in active lifestyles and programmes and has been a great success in reaching out to people who may not engage in regular physical activity. It continues to identify initiatives that will spark people’s interest and get them moving.  Through Government investment and Funds like this, participation in sport and physical activity can grow and lead to an overall improved quality of life for participants.’

Derval O’Rourke, Coca-Cola Thank You Fund Ambassador and former Olympic athlete, tweeted her congratulations to the five winning groups. “Five organisations each received €25,000 today in major funding for brilliant projects that are sure to get you moving #greatnews #letsmovetogether.”

Ailish Forde, Public Affairs and Communications Director at Coca-Cola HBC Ireland, said:

“Thousands of people stand to benefit from programmes that will variously: train a range of new kayak instructors to introduce young people to the sport; equip Kerry with its very first “Trim Trail”, a one kilometre path for use in exercise; get the whole family cycling; train people who do no exercise currently to run 5k over a ten week period; and encourage the nation to swim in their local pool through the return of a greatly expanded Swim for a Mile programme which also facilitates open water swimming for the first time. I congratulate each of the organisations responsible for these worthy and exciting projects and, indeed, commend all the applicants to the Coca-Cola Thank You Fund this year for their many brilliant ideas and for their considerable efforts aimed at increasing movement in Ireland and Northern Ireland.”

More information about the Coca-Cola Thank You Fund is available at www.coca-cola.ie/thankyou.

Descriptions of the five successful projects from the Coca-Cola Thank You Fund 2014:

Ireland v South Africa – Review

Nov 10, 2014

Ireland’s first match of the Guinness Series was against South Africa on Saturday 8^th November.

Two sides, different stories

Both sides had contrasting positions coming into this match. The Springboks have had a long and gruelling year: the newly expanded Super Rugby season which now runs from February –  August, broken up with two tests versus Wales and one against Scotland in the June international window. Combine this with back-to-back games against the All Blacks, Wallabies and the Pumas in the Rugby Championship, not to mention the travel and South Africa were certainly battle hardened. In contrast this was Ireland’s first encounter of the year. Not only this, but Ireland would have to make do without the services of many senior players. Speaking of the Rugby Championship, South Africa’s form was patchy at best – two narrow victories against an ever improving Argentina (13-6 in round one in Pretoria and 33-31 in the return fixture a week later) and a loss and a win versus an Australian outfit that was dogged with off field controversies that seemed to never end! Throw in a defeat to the old enemy New Zealand and the Boks campaign was not what many would have hoped for. However, piping the world champions in the final round in Johannesburg meant the tournament ended on a high, as South Africa ended a drought going back to August 2011 when they last beat the men in Black.

 South Africa were unchanged from the side that beat the All Blacks last month

Three points of contact

The ruck, scrum and lineout were the three main areas that were sure to decide who came out on top. The Springboks are largely seen as the best in the business in both scrum and lineout departments and this was not lost on assistant coach Les Kiss prior to the match. “It’s still important to understand that they will go to the core part of their game,” acknowledged the Australian. “They will drive, they will run big forwards at you, their nines are savvy and canny players. They can shape that ruck area very nicely, so you’ve got to be aware of that.”  With this in mind, one of the key one-on-one battles was always going to be in the second row between Paul O’Connell and Springbok stalwart Victor Matfield. Matfield had complemented his opposite number in the week leading up to the game – “I think Paul O’Connell is a fantastic player, I have said it before, I think he is probably the best player I have played against in my career. He is also a student of the line-out, you can see he puts in a lot of hours analysing and preparing, getting his whole unit ready for the weekend. It is always tough going up against him.”

Ready, Set, GO!

New Era

It was always going to be intriguing to see Joe Schmidt’s team selection for a number of reasons. Firstly, the question that the world and his mother had an opinion on – ‘who would play at centre?’  . Although Brian O’Driscoll was not present on Ireland’s tour of Argentina last June, many see this campaign as the start of the post O’Driscoll era. The most experienced player – Gordon D’Arcy – seemed to be in most people’s starting XV. As to who would partner him – Connacht’s Robbie Henshaw and newly Irish eligible Jared Payne were the front runners for a starting birth, with Leinster’s Ian Madigan an outside bet. Further interest as to Joe Schmidt’s plans was his selections given the ever growing injury list. Rory Best was withdrawn from contention due to an ongoing calf strain and joined the long list of those unavailable – Cian Healy, Marty Moore, Sean O’Brien, Jordi Murphy, Andrew Trimble, Luke Fitzgerald (only just returning to Leinster), Dave Kearney, Luke Marshall and Fergus McFadden. Good news however did come as Jonny Sexton was given the green light after he had to come off early in a match for club side Racing Metro the previous weekend.  South Africa had injuries themselves, albeit not nearly as many as the home side. Ulster’s South African playmaker Ruan Pienaar was ruled out of the Boks entire tour as he failed to recover from a knee injury picked up against New Zealand in September, with Jano Vermaak being drafted in as cover for the remainder of the tour.

 Jared Payne was picked at centre with Robbie Henshaw

Team Selection

The Springboks announced an unchanged 23 man squad from their recent victory over the All Blacks. Ireland’s centre partnership in this ‘new era’ was one of complete change with both Henshaw and Payne selected to start. Gordon D’Arcy, most people’s choice to start at 12 was omitted. Jack McGrath, Sean Cronin and Mike Ross were selected at one, two and three respectively while Ireland’s back row saw a late change as Chris Henry, who was originally selected at openside was withdrawn on the day of the test and was replaced by Rhys Ruddock who partnered Peter O’Mahony and Jamie Heaslip.  Rob Kearney was selected at fifteen although only recently passing fit due to on-going back issues.

All Systems Go

Dublin was hit by torrential rain in the morning and early afternoon on the day of the test that threatened to blight what had the potential of being a free flowing game given the Boks new expansive and attacking style. Thankfully it cleared up in time for the late kick off.

Kearney had spoken about Ireland’s “need to get out of the blocks really, really early” in the lead up to the match. Ironically the full backs first involvement was to take out Willie le Roux in the air in what was more a clumsy act rather than anything else.

The TMO was consulted in the opening minutes as French referee Romain Poite wanted another view of some potential foul play from South African flanker Marcell Coetzee. Heaslip took a heavy fall and Poite wanted another angle to see if Coetzee had led with the elbow when swatting off the Leinster man. Replays were inconclusive and play resumed with a scrum.

South Africa were by far the more dominant team. The vast majority of the first half was played between Ireland’s 10 metre and try line. With a conveyor belt of giants all chomping at the bit to get their hands on the ball, the South African pack regularly punched holes and constantly made the gain line. On top of this, Ireland coughed up possession as Matfield and Eben Etzebeth put on a master class in stealing lineouts. In spite of all of this it was Ireland that drew first blood as Sexton kicked a penalty after Jannie du Plessis was pinged for illegally scrummaging. Handre Pollard had an opportunity to draw level on 18 minutes but it went wide before Sexton doubled Ireland’s lead six minutes later. Ireland spent much of the remaining fifteen minutes of the first half camped deep in their own half. However South Africa’s lack of return was a huge psychological win for Ireland. The Springbok’s turned down a number of kickable penalties in the hope of pushing for a five pointer. With their huge pack and position on the pitch who could blame them? Despite this energy sapping pressure, Ireland’s defence was incredible. The Boks finally conceded ‘defeat’ and on the stroke of half time choose to go for goal having exhausted all other avenues to get on the score board. Ireland led 6-3 at the break.

Try Time!

While clichéd as it sounds, Ireland couldn’t have asked for a better start after the interval. Tommy Bowe collected his own up and under and the ensuing attack saw Henshaw hack the ball down field which sat perfectly five metres from the Boks try line. Le Roux scrambled back to cover but could only prod it into touch. Ireland now had an attacking lineout on the Springbok’s door step. The ball went to the front of the lineout and after a quick maul and some miscommunication between South African scrum half Francois Hougaard and his pack, the Bok defence parted like the Red Sea and Ruddock cantered in. Sexton converted from out wide and Ireland led by 10.

Rhys Ruddock scores the games opening try

South Africa continued to lack the execution to convert huge amounts of possession into points as handling errors and poor discipline continued to cost them. However, it was never going to last forever and eventually after another successful lineout by commander in chief Matfield, the Boks got a good maul rolling and crossed the Irish line. Coetzee came up with the ball and the Boks were back into it. Sexton kicked another goal five minutes later but the game looked like it could swing either way as both sides looked to deal a killer blow. And so it came! On 67 minutes Kearney was taken out in the air by a swinging arm from South Africa’s substitute hooker Adrian Strauss and Poite referred it to the TMO Jim Yuille. After much consultation the referee decided to sin bin the hooker as Duane Vermeulen had only just been warned about a high tackle and the official had had enough.

One infringement too many…. Strauss was sent to the bin!

Ireland stretched their lead a few minutes later with another penalty from Sexton which put the home side nine points in the clear with only eight minutes remaining. However, the All Black encounter a year previous was still itched in the minds of many. Surely this Ireland team who since that match have won the Six Nations title could see this one out, couldn’t they?

The answer was yes. Ireland put the game to bed with a memorable try. Again, possession was coughed up by the Boks – a simple knock on, le Roux this time the culprit. From the ensuing scrum, Ireland went left. Sexton saw a ray of light in the defence as substitute scrum half Cobus Reinarch, with his handful of caps, showed the outhalf far too much room and the Lions pivot stepped back inside and gained huge ground. He was hauled down by the covering defence but Ireland were on the front foot and the damage had been done. Instead of continuing the attack down the left side where the Springbok’s were now desperately trying to cover, Conor Murray turned and chipped  the ball over everyone to the right hand side in what was very French esq in its flair. Although Bryan Habana tried desperately in vein to back track and cover his wing the damage was done and Tommy Bowe had the pace to gather the ball and dot down. The killer blow was dealt. Madigan kicked another goal a few minutes from time before South African substitute JP Pietersen scored a consolation try after a nice break from le Roux in the last play of the game.

 Contender for try of the season? Tommy Bowe’s try sealed the game in style

Squad Effort

Not many saw the game end the way it did. As 29-15 winners it wasn’t just the result that was so pleasing but the manner in which they won that is the greatest positive from the game. Ireland found a way to win, they adapted their game and their tactics were astute to say the least. On top of this Ireland can now positively say they have a squad and not just a team. With the way the modern game is, the ability of a team to have as wide a squad as possible is paramount. When one considers Ireland were missing the likes of Cian Healy, Rory Best, Sean O’Brien and Chris Henry in the pack alone, the future is certainly bright. On top of this the ‘new era’ centre pairing was hugely successful and a gamble well taken from Joe Schmidt. South Africa on the other hand were far from their best that saw them end the All Blacks record unbeaten run only a month ago. They missed Pienaar desperately as Hougaard and Pollard struggled to find their rhythm. Poor handling errors and a high penalty count also cost them dearly.

Huge respect. Paul O’Connell and Victor Matfield after the game

Turning Point: South Africa were possibly a bit hard done by the sin binning of Strauss but if you do what he did you leave yourself open to ten minutes in the naughty boy chair. It couldn’t of come at a worse point for the Boks and really took the wind out of their sails.

Man of the Match: There were many that put in stellar performances for Ireland. Paul O’Connell was pivotal in Ireland’s win and underlined his credentials as one of the best in the game. Rhys Ruddock did remarkably well given the little time he had to go from the bench straight into the cauldron like match. Conor Murray too put his hand up in another performance that must make him within the top two scrum half’s in the world right now. But it was Jonathan Sexton that was the difference. His kicking was immaculate as he struck six from six from the tee. On top of this he regularly pinned the Boks back with inch perfect kicks from hand and played a crucial role in the lead up to Bowe’s try.

 Man of the Match: Jonathan Sexton

The Score Card:

Ireland:  Try – Ruddock, Bowe. Conversions – Sexton (2). Penalties – Sexton (4), Madigan

South Africa: Try – Coetzee, Pieterson. Conversion – Pollard. Penalties – Pollard. Yellow Card – Adrian Strauss

Ireland: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Jared Payne, 12 Robbie Henshaw 11 Simon Zebo, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Conor Murray, 8 Jamie Heaslip 7 Rhys Ruddock, 6 Peter O’Mahony, 5 Paul O’Connell, 4 Devin Toner, 3 Mike Ross, 2 Sean Cronin, 1 Jack McGrath.
Replacements: 16 Richardt Strauss, 17 Dave Kilkoyne, 18 Rodney Ah You, 19 Mike McCarthy, 20 Tommy O’Donnell, 21 Eoin Reddan, 22 Ian Madigan, 23 Felix Jones.

South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Jan Serfontein, 12 Jean de Villiers (c), 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Tebo Mohoje, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira
Replacements: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Coenie Oosthuizen, 19 Bakkies Botha, 20 Schalk Burger, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Pat Lambie, 23 JP Pietersen.

Date: Saturday, November 8
Kickoff: 17:30
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant Referees: JP Doyle (England), Alexandre Ruiz (France)
TMO: Jim Yuille (Scotland)

Member Event: OSK Accountants- “Getting ready for your audit” 25th November 12.45pm

Nov 5, 2014

OSK Accountants will be hosting a Federation of Irish Sport members event at Irish Sport HQ on Tuesday 25th November between 12:45 – 2 p.m.

Deirdre McDermott, Director, OSK, will be presenting on what information and schedules you need to have prepared prior to your audit commencing, to ensure the smooth running of your audit. We would encourage all members to attend and there will be a light lunch provided.

If you intend to attend, please RSVP to Conn McCluskey

E: conn.mccluskey@irishsport.ie

T: 01-6251155

Read OSK’s sport services brochure

Pumped Schools' Video Awards Launched

Oct 31, 2014

Irish Heart Foundation & Federation of Irish Sport Call for More Post-Primary Schools to Provide Recommended Two Hours’  PE Each Week, As Pumped Schools’ Video Awards Launched

*Department of Education and Skills Recommends that Students Receive  a Minimum of 120 minutes’ PE Each Week

*One in Five Teenagers Overweight or Obese

Leading heart disease and stroke charity, the Irish Heart Foundation, and the representative association for National Governing Bodies of Sport, the Federation of Irish Sport, have today called on post-primary schools to redouble their efforts in implementing the Department of Education and Skills’ recommendation that two hours’ physical education be provided to post-primary school students each week¹.

The call was made at the launch of the Pumped Schools’ Video Awards, supported by Bayer in partnership with the Irish Heart Foundation, the Federation of Irish Sport and RTÉ news2day, which seeks to encourage young people to unleash their creative juices and produce 90-second movies on a heart health theme. The competition invites participants to explore the science behind physical activity, diet and smoking, the impact of these on health and well-being, and produce compelling videos that inspire viewers to act. With a prize fund of €10,000, there are three categories in which to enter – “Smoking Stinks”, “Active Teens—Healthy Hearts” and “Weighty Matters”. The awards are open to all post-primary students between the ages of 12 and 16 years with the winner of each category winning €3,000 for their school’s sports department and each individual student receiving a €100 voucher. More information can be found at http://www.pumped.ie/

It is estimated that one in five teenagers is overweight or obese² with Ireland’s rates amongst the worst in Europe³. Our young people also top an international league in terms of levels of inactivity, a major risk for overweight, obesity, cardiovascular and other diseases. The league, part of an analysis of 15 countries worldwide presented at a Global Summit on Physical Activity of Children in Toronto earlier this year, accorded Ireland a Grade D minus for physical activity amongst children, behind countries such as Mozambique, New Zealand, Mexico, Kenya and Nigeria⁴. Only 12 per cent of post-primary students meet the Department of Health’s guideline of 60 minutes’ moderate to vigorous physical activity each day—girls less so than boys—and just 10 per cent of post-primary students are timetabled with the recommended minimum 120 minutes of physical education each week⁵.

Speaking in advance of the awards launch, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD, said: “In Ireland our health really is our wealth. The government’s Healthy Ireland initiative is aimed at improving the health and well-being of all the people of Ireland and for generations to come. Through our plan, we’re asking everyone to play their part. Educating young people and encouraging participation in physical activity are essential to improving the health of our future generations. I hope that the Pumped Schools’ Video Awards will prove to be a fun and engaging way for students to find out and share the information they need about heart health as well as picking up tips on having a healthy lifestyle that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. This is your chance—our chance—to get together and get involved in making our life everything it can be in body, mind and spirit.”

Iwer Baecker, Managing Director, Bayer Ireland Ltd, noted: “As a life science company, Bayer understands the crucial importance of raising the level of awareness of health issues within our society and especially amongst our young people. Bayer is very proud to be part of the Pumped campaign which is now in its third year. The competition helps engage young people and to get them thinking about the importance of diet and physical activity in living a healthy life. The quality of the entries from the previous two years really shows our students’ growing understanding of how behaviour impacts health and the entries highlight a high level of innovation and imagination.”

Obesity Epidemic

Maureen Mulvihill, Head of Health Promotion, Irish Heart Foundation, commented: “PE is an intrinsic element in encouraging young people to be physically active. Given the high levels of inactivity in teenagers, increasing levels of overweight and obesity and early signs of heart disease, it is vital that the recommended level of PE is compulsory for all pupils, as is the case across Europe for primary and Junior cycle education⁶. Projects like Pumped are part of the mix to help educate our young people on how to live a healthy lifestyle and prevent disease. Cardiovascular disease, mainly heart attack and stroke, is the leading cause of death in Ireland with about 10,000 people dying each year⁷.”

Sarah O’Connor is Chief Executive of the Federation of Irish Sport and a member of the Healthy Ireland Council that seeks to mobilise communities, families and individuals with the aim of supporting everyone to enjoy the best possible health and well-being. “It is hard to understand against a backdrop of growing levels of obesity and physical inactivity, and the vision of Healthy Ireland—where everyone can enjoy physical and mental health and well-being to their full potential—that according to available research that only 10 per cent of post-primary students are receiving the recommendation of 120 minutes of PE every week. We also know that girls are less likely than boys to meet the physical activity recommendations for health of at least 60 minutes each day, that they receive fewer minutes of formal PE in school and that they are more likely than boys to be timetabled for single as opposed to double class periods. Schools along with parents have a key role to play in ensuring that young people meet the physical activity levels needed for health. It is vital that we take this issue seriously and we join with our partners in the Irish Heart Foundation in urging that all schools deliver on this and that all students participate.”

Change of Heart

Fiona Coghlan, Captain of the Ireland team at the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2014, PE teacher and member of the judging panel, knows about speaking to young people in a language that they understand. “Although parents and teachers are often the best people to advise young people on what to do with their lives, the people they most listen to are their friends. That’s why the Pumped Schools’ Video Awards are a great way to get young people thinking about what they put into their mouths and how they look after their bodies. With these awards, hopefully we can get young people to think twice about how they live their lives and look after themselves. In fact, I believe that these awards should be included as part of the Junior Cert curriculum for all students in exploring their heart health.”

Olympic medalist, boxer Paddy Barnes, is also lending his support to the Pumped Schools’ Video Awards initiative. “As a boxer, I know what it is to get pumped before a big fight. But these awards provide an opportunity to focus on getting an altogether different kind of pumped. Pumped about what we are eating and what we are drinking, whether we smoke and whether we exercise and what it means for our body fitness. Unless we make the right life choices, the stark reality is that we are just storing up lots of health problems for ourselves down the tracks. Why make life harder than it needs to be? We need to have a change of heart when it comes to looking after our heart health. And that change needs to start right now.”

Orla Walsh, presenter RTÉ news2day, added: “From cricket to kickboxing, dancing to badminton, we’ve covered it all on news2day! Myself and fellow presenter Nick meet loads of young people every day who are involved in all sorts of sports and other physical activities. The one thing that always leaps out at us is the fun that they have. Whether it’s taking part in rugby, being on the hockey team, playing basketball, GAA, or doing hip hop dancing, anything that gets the body moving is a good thing. Experts tell us how beneficial taking part in sport is for our physical health, yet we also see the great fun, the team spirit, the friendships that form when people get together to do something active. Even tennis and boxing need at least two people! So, whatever way you want to do it, get moving, get pumped!”

For more information on the Pumped Schools’ Video Awards, visit http://www.pumped.ie/. The closing date for entries is January 16 2015.