Former Ireland international rugby player Gordon D'Arcy has joined the Wexford backroom set-up.
Many eyebrows were raised when D’Arcy emerged from the Wexford dressing room following the sides Walsh Cup senior hurling draw with Kilkenny at Chadwicks Wexford Park on Saturday afternoon last.
Wexford Manager Darragh Egan confirmed the addition of the former Leinster and British & Irish Lions player to the backroom, joining Billy Walsh, the former Irish Boxing Head Coach and now USA coach.
D’Arcy is a native of Ferns, where his father John worked as a bank manager for several years before residing in Wexford town. Now resident in Dublin, D’Arcy has never lost sight of his native county, being a regular supporter of the teams over the years
While no official announcement has been made, D’Arcy joined up with the Wexford squad before the Kilkenny clash and it’s now hoped that he will be a big addition to the preparation of players, particularly the younger players, both mentally and physically, as they step up training for the forthcoming league and championship campaigns.
Egan is determined to present the players with every opportunity to reach their very best for the important games that lie ahead.
Egan said: “Gordon (D’Arcy) will be working with the players on match days, while he will also be talking with players during the week. He has such huge experience from his own career, playing at the highest level for both Leinster and Ireland, not to mention the Lions.
“He is used to having played on the big stage so we will be dipping into all his experience. The likes of Gordon coming in to join up with Billy Walsh. He is a proud Wexford man so it’s very positive to have him on board.
“I will myself also be dipping into Gordon’s experience. There is so much one can learn from his experiences. To see Gordon come in and be prepared to help should be a great boost to the players. We look forward to working with him.”
Egan revealed that he has brought in D’Arcy to work alongside Walsh.
“It’s great to have both involved. Both are staunch Wexford men who have achieved so much. They can have so much to offer the players over the coming months.”
Egan added: “I’m going to utilise both as much as I can for they have been brilliant with their time.
“Billy has been doing that day in, day out, while Gordon learned so much during a successful professional rugby career. I’ll be able to hop so much off both of them, the players likewise.”
Walsh has been hands on with Egan over the past month before returning to the States.
“He was home for an awful lot of December and we had him in with the players for one great morning’s work and then he was at a few training sessions where he had a really good meeting after with the backroom team.”
Now Egan intends using both with the team as the year goes along.
“The reality in Wexford is that we are going to have to find a bit of new blood, a few young bodies and they’ll obviously be excited listening to both Billy and Gordon” Egan added.
“The reaction of the players has been so positive. They know how much they have both achieved. They are really getting a lot from it.”
Now Wexford will be hoping to return to the lofty highs of 2019 when they lifted the Bob O’Keeffe Cup.
