THE West Cork Academy U12 Schoolboys squad delivered an encouraging performance in their debut appearance at the 2025 Surf Cup International, held in Salou, Barcelona.

Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City were two of the high-quality opponents West Cork faced at this year’s Surf Cup.

Making their tournament debuts, a young U12 academy squad under the tutelage of Shane Hurley, did their families and region proud.

‘The squad flew to Barcelona and we were based in Salou,’ Shane Hurley informed The Southern Star.

‘We kicked off our Surf Cup tournament with two Group A games.

‘Our opening match was against an American side, Florida West FC. The lads produced a really good performance in their first ever Surf Cup appearance.

‘We won 2-0 thanks to a brace of goals from Bay Rovers’ Oskar Ustjanowski. That was as good a start as we could have asked for.

‘Our second game was on the same day, Thursday, against a Polish club, Chemik Bydgoszcz.

‘Chemik were a very, very good side and defeated us 7-0. It is worth mentioning that they, Chemik Bydgoszcz, would go all the way to the tournament’s “Gold” semi-finals, the highest grade at the Surf Cup.’

After two challenging matches, the level of competition increased further on day two of the tournament. The West Cork Academy faced English opposition, taking on Championship club Leicester City and Premier League giants, Tottenham Hotspur, in back-to-back fixtures.

‘We lost 5-0 to Leicester but put in a very good showing against a talented side who had beaten Spurs the day before,’ Shane Hurley noted.

‘Our next Group A game was against Tottenham Hotspur at the Raios Stadium. It finished 3-0 to Spurs with all their goals coming in the first half.

‘They were a very good attacking team and quickly came out of the blocks. In fairness to our lads, they rallied well and hauled themselves back into the game during the second half.

‘We defended very well against a Spurs team eager to boost their goal difference. So, to keep a clean sheet in the second half was down to a really good defensive effort from our lads.’

That Spurs fixture marked the conclusion of West Cork’s Group A phase. Finishing fourth, the academy entered the “Silver” section of the tournament.

‘We played the Alex Academy, a private football academy based in North London, in the knockout section of the Silver Cup,’ Shane Hurley added.

‘Another good display from the lads meant the score was 0-0 with four minutes to go. Alex scored a late goal and that was enough to secure them a 1-0 win.

‘Naturally, the lads were disappointed with the result having once again played so well. Alex Academy went all the way to the Silver Cup final where they played Spurs.

‘So, it is worth noting that West Cork ended up playing the two Silver Cup finalists and two Gold semi-finalists, Leicester City and Chemik Bydgoszcz.’

The West Cork Academy U12 Schoolboys’ head coach makes a valid point. Taking part in your first competitive tournament, especially in a foreign country, as an academy graduate is a daunting prospect for any 12-year-old.

Considering the quality of opposition, West Cork improved as the week progressed, defended superbly and managed to pick up a victory. All positive signs for the years ahead.

‘As U12s, this was, for most of our lads, their first experience of not only playing football outside of their country but also travelling and playing two games each day of the group phase,’ Hurley noted.

‘It was very demanding, both physically and mentally, for some of the lads.

‘The reason we take the boys abroad is to challenge them against top quality opposition, which they came up against at the Surf Cup.

‘It is also to get them ready for playing in future tournaments, understanding what’s involved and how they must prepare.

‘Equally importantly, we (coaches) got to know the boys and their families on a personal level. That is particularly important when it comes to developing the whole team aspect of this group.

‘The players bonded on a new level by spending so much time together while they were away from home.

‘We saw lads thrive in a tournament environment. We also saw some real leaders emerge and come to the fore within the U12 schoolboys squad itself.’

West Cork Academy Surf Cup International squad 2025: Eoin Hayes, Leonardo Pezza, Max O’Keeffe, Oisín Cullinane (Ardfield), Iarla McElhinney, Oskar Ustjanowski (Bay Rovers), Alfie Power, Michael O’Sullivan (Beara United), Josh Quinn (Castlelack), Luca O’Donovan (Clonakilty AFC), Zack Murphy (Clonakilty AFC), Conor Young, Tadhg Kinsella (Drinagh Rangers), Cian Owens, Harry Duggan, Lochlann Collins, Marcus McSweeney-Lettis (Dunmanway Town), David Lyons, Padraig O’Donovan, Sonny Crowley, Tiernan O’Regan (Lyre Rovers), Daniel Brady (Riverside Athletic), Noah Kingston (Riverside Athletic), Rian O’Mahony (Riverside Athletic), Adam O’Shea.