As the rush to professionalism in rugby continues, with consequences for almost every club, one Cork club has doggedly retained its amateur status. A junior club, Old Christians, is kept afloat by amateur players and voluntary officials. No one at the club is paid, and Old Christians is in the enviable position of being debt-free. There are very few clubs left that do not at least pay a coach, but Old Christians chairman, Mr Kieran Wilkins, said the amateur spirit is a vibrant one in the club and the aim is to keep it that way for as long as possible.
The down side is that with most other clubs paying professionals to either coach or play, the competition is becoming more intense.
Ultimately, Old Christians hopes to join the ranks of the senior clubs, and if that day comes, it may also go the professional road. In the meantime, the club is planning to restructure and develop. Plans are at the design stage for a £300,000 indoor sports complex at the Rathcooney grounds where the club owns 16 acres of valuable land. The complex will be funded by the sale of three acres, an expected grant from the Lotto and a fundraising drive.
The move is aimed at securing the future of the club, and once established, the complex should be self-financing. Old Christians is also aiming to capitalise on the fact that it has a growing young population in its hinterland. "Naturally, we would like to go senior. In a sense, if we do, we will find ourselves at a crossroads, because in the modern game I don't think you could compete at senior level without some form of professionalism. That's something we will have to face when the day comes," Mr Wilkins said.