‘We’ll always be there for them’: Limerick rugby club’s emotional message to Anthony Foley’s family on 10th anniversary

Anthony Foley leads the Munster team out onto the pitch before the game to earn his 50th cap for against Gloucester in their epic Heineken European Cup match at Thomond Park in 2003 | SPORTSFILE

placeholder image — Anthony Foley leads the Munster team out onto the pitch before the game to earn his 50th cap for against Gloucester in their epic Heineken European Cup match at Thomond Park in 2003 | SPORTSFILE

Today, October 16, marks the 10 year anniversary of the death of former Munster player and coach Anthony ‘Axel’ Foley

TEN years ago today Munster Rugby lost more than a player or a coach. They lost one of their own.

Anthony ‘Axel’ Foley was a special player that embodied everything good that was Munster. He excelled as a player, transitioned to a coach and then to legendary status. His loss is still felt deeply 10 years on.

Foley was a standout player in the Munster Schools Senior Cup with St Munchin’s before making the grade with a Shannon team that dominated the All-Ireland League.

In a glittering playing career, he also represented his country 62 times between 1995 and 2005, captaining Ireland on three occasions.

‘Axel’ captained Munster to Heineken Cup glory in 2006 and made his last appearance for the province the following season.

His death, 10 years ago at the age of 42, shook the rugby world and the country beyond belief.

“The Foley and Minogue families are an integral part of the Shannon RFC family, and we will always be there for them,” the club said this Friday morning.

“We send all our love and support to the entire family every day, but today especially.”

Current Munster captain Tadhg Beirne spoke glowingly about ‘Axel’ in the lead up to Saturday’s crunch Champions Cup game with Racing 92 in Cork on Saturday.

“He’s someone who’s been spoken about since the day I arrived at Munster. Some of his quotes and some of his actions are still spoken about in meetings and all around the building to this day.

“I think that is testament to the man. He was a pure Munster legend and a Munster man through and through. We have one of quotes in our team motto at the moment, we live by some of the words he has spoken everyday.

“He’s with us all the time and it won’t be any different this weekend. We’re paying tribute to a true Munster man and rightly so.”