Limerick’s Sherry “beaming” after call-up to Rugby World Cup

LIMERICK rugby player Mike Sherry has had a dream call-up to the Irish squad at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Munster hooker Sherry, 23, from North Circular Road, received a call late on Monday evening to join up with the squad as “provisional cover” for Ireland hooker Rory Best, who damaged a shoulder in the win over Italy in Dunedin last Sunday.

Speaking to the Limerick Leader before he departed on the long journey to New Zealand on Tuesday afternoon, via Manchester, Dubai, Auckland and eventually Wellington, Sherry said he was thrilled with the call-up.

“I am beaming. I knew I was the choice, but I didn’t expect the two lads to go down and I am pretty happy now, it has worked out well,” said Mike.

He added: “I was delighted, I rang my parents and let Munster know the story and got a lot of texts from a lot of people then as the news came out. Everyone has been really supportive”.

“Paul McNaughton [the Ireland team manager] rang me about half ten on Monday night and just told me I was flying over as cover, because Rory is not definitely ruled out as of yet, so I am just over as cover at the moment,” explained Mike.

He follows in the footsteps of his dad Mick, who was capped twice for Ireland in the Five Nations in 1975, against France and Wales.

“He delighted, he is a big follower of my career, so it made his day,” Mike smiled.

“He was a coach for a lot of my teams and then the older I got he took a back seat but he goes to everything, all of my matches, which is good.”

If Sherry is added to the 30-man squad Limerick will have three hookers at the World Cup with Sean Cronin and Damien Varley already in New Zealand, while the fourth – Jerry Flannery – was an unfortunate injury casualty himself.

Mike faces the interesting scenario of possibly having to stay in a separate hotel to the squad as he awaits a prognosis on Best’s injury.

“Declan Kidney rang me this morning. He said he was looking forward to me coming out and let me know what was going on - he said Rory wasn’t ruled out officially yet, but regardless of his injury I will be staying with the squad for the remainder of the tournament,

“I don’t know if I am in the same hotel as them to be honest. The IRB are strict on that sort of thing when it comes to World Cups, you can’t bring in extra players unless one fella drops out.”

He added that he “couldn’t wait” to experience the atmosphere of the World Cup.