Jack Crowley’s reputation continues to grow

JACK Crowley can do little wrong at the moment.

The Innishannon man’s growing reputation received another boost when he was named Nevin Spence Men’s Young Player of the Year 2023 at the recent Rugby Players Ireland Awards.

It’s another sign that the former Bandon RFC and Bandon Grammar prodigy is moving in the right direction.

In the space of a few days last week, Crowley (23) kicked the winning drop goal against Leinster in the United Rugby Championship semi-final, won the Young Player of the Year award and dominated the front page of The Southern Star; it doesn’t get much better than that!

‘It was a beautiful drop goal, perfect technique and he hit it amazingly well, the flight on the ball was perfect,’ Ronan O’Gara said of Crowley’s dramatic 77th-minute winning kick against Leinster.

It’s been a season of progress for Crowley who made his senior Ireland debut against Fiji in November, a week later he made his first start for Ireland against Australia, and he also featured in the Grand Slam-winning Six Nations campaign earlier this year.

Crowley will be central to Munster hopes in Saturday’s sold-out URC grand final against the Stormers at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town (5.30pm Irish time, live on TG4). He is one of six West Cork players that flew out to South Africa as part of the 30-strong traveling Munster squad earlier this week. Josh Wycherley, Fineen Wycherley, Gavin Coombes, John Hodnett and Scott Buckley all made the long trip, as well as Crowley.