Intersport Elverys: Supporting Irish Athletes & Team Sports

Posted on July 13, 2021 at 3:28 pm.

AT Intersport Elverys, we absolutely love our sport and pride ourselves on supporting Irish athletes at all levels to fully maximise their potential.

From grassroots sport all the way to the very elite, supporting Irish athletes and sporting organisations dates back to our very origins and is part of our ethos.

We’re one of the biggest supporters of Irish sport in the country – and we’re at the heart of sport!

Below are some of the athletes and sporting organisations who we are proudly working with and supporting.

IRFU

Intersport Elverys is supporting Irish rugby for many years, including sponsors of the men’s and women’s 7s teams and now the Official Sports Retail Partner.

We stock a huge range of Official Ireland Rugby gear for the player and the fan (supporter) in all stores and online as well as bringing unique and exciting experiences to the Ireland Rugby supporter across our social channels.

FAI Football Camps

We love Irish football and we’re extremely proud to be the proud sponsors of the hugely popular FAI Summer Soccer Schools, which proved a massive hit with young boys and girls across the country again this year.

Mayo GAA/Mayo LGFA

As a Mayo brand, we’re massively honoured to be sponsoring Mayo GAA since the 1990s and continue to be the title sponsor of the various teams across all codes.

As Official Retail Partner, we stock a huge range of Mayo GAA gear for the player and supporter in stores around the country and online, as well as bringing unique and exciting experiences to the many proud Mayo GAA fans.

Dublin GAA

As Official Retail Partner of Dublin GAA, we stock a great range of Dublin GAA gear for the player and the supporter in stores around the country and online.

Love the Dubs’, love Intersport Elverys.

Tipperary GAA

As Official Retail Partner of the Premier County, as well as operating the official Tipperary GAA store in Thurles and online, we love bringing exciting experiences to the Tipperary GAA supporters.

We’ve been there through the good days and the bad and have enjoyed every minute.

Lovely hurlin’.

Connacht Rugby

Our relationship with Connacht Rugby dates back nearly 20 years and we were delighted to be named as Official Sports Retail Partner back in 2015/16 after being a previous sponsor.

Rianna Jarrett

Republic of Ireland star Rianna Jarrett and Intersport Elverys share common goals and vision – we’re deeply rooted in sports performance and we’re always striving to be number one.

The Wexford born star has just finished up a spell with WSL outfit Brighton and Hove Albion and no matter where she chooses to ply here trade next, we’ll be there right beside here.

Rianna has recovered from a number of major knee injuries throughout her career and she is an inspiration for anyone in what hard work, resilience and dedication can bring.

Bundee Aki

The Connacht, Ireland and Lions star has been a revelation since moving to the West Coast of Ireland back in 2014.

New Zealand born, Aki has transformed himself into one of the World’s best players and Intersport Elverys is delighted to be supporting him on that journey.

We look forward to what the future has in store.

VHI Women’s Mini Marathon

We have been involved as associate sponsor to this unique event since 2005, offering expert product advice and benefits for participants.

Irish Runner

Since partnering with Athletics Ireland in 2019 on a campaign called “Get Ireland Running”, we have been sponsors of the Gear & Gadget section in Irish Runner magazine, seeing the latest innovations in running products tested by a panel of runners of various ages and abilities.

Rugby Positions Explained: The Definitive Guide

Posted on July 8, 2021 at 10:35 am.

Written by Ger Flanagan

Do you love the game of rugby, but aren’t fully sure of how rugby positions work? Well don’t worry, because you’re not the only one.

That’s why we’ve written this Ultimate Guide: Rugby Positions Explained, so you’ll know all the ins and outs of the various rugby positions.

Rugby is a game that boasts players of all shapes and sizes, so we’ll also explain the different physical and technical attributes needed for each position.

Sounds good?

Before we start, below is how each position looks as it lines up on the pitch.

Befoure you read on, you might like out All Time Irish Rugby XV – it’s pretty controversial!

If not, then let’s get into the nitty and gritty.

Rugby Positions Explained: Loose-head and tight-head props (1 & 3)

Positioned either side of the hooker, the loose-head and tight-head props make up the front row, a reference to their positions in the scrum. These need to be extremely powerful from their legs to their neck and love physical confrontation.

In the scrum, props will attempt to propel their side of the scrum forward while also supporting the hooker’s body weight as they try to win the all. While in lineouts, props need to be powerful enough to lift the jumper to win possession.

In open play, props will help secure the ball when a player is tackled, so they still need to be mobile, despite their big frames, while they’re also expected to gain hard yards and occupy defenders.

Ireland’s Tadgh Furlong (in shot) made some eye-catching displays recently, while another well-known prop is England’s Mako Vunipola.

Rugby Positions Explained: Hooker

The hooker lines up in the scrum between the two props and they will coordinate the timing while also trying to win possession by hooking the ball back through the props’ legs.

At lineout time, the prop will deliver the ball to their teammates, so an ability to be accurate and calm under pressure is vital. During open play, the hooker will do the ‘dirty work’, just like the props, winning possession and taking ‘crash’ passes.

When you think of hookers, you think of New Zealand’s Dane Stuart Coles, Wallabies Brandon Paenga Amosa or England’s Luke Cowan-Dickie (pictured).

Rugby Positions Explained: Second rows (4 & 5)

Also known as ‘locks’, the second rows are the driving force of the scrum and the ball-winners in the lineout. They’re generally tall, powerful and very technically gifted players.

Over time their role has evolved from being support players in rucks, to ball carriers, tacklers and try scorers.

England’s Maro Itoje (below), South Africa’s Eben Etzebeth and Wales’ Alun Wyn Jones (below) are among the most formidable in World Rugby.

Rugby Positions Explained: Flankers (6 & 7)

Otherwise known as wing forwards, flankers need to be extremely well rounded in speed, stamina, strength, tackling and ball handling.

These players will find themselves at the centre of the action more than most more often that not, they can be the difference between winning and losing.

Open-side flanker operates on the far side of the scrum from the touchline and is often smaller and more nimble than their blind-side partner, who has the more physical role.

Former New Zealand great Richie McCaw (pictured) was one the greatest to ever play the game, while current stars include Wales Sam Warburton and Michael Hooper of Australia.

Rugby Positions Explained: Number Eight (8)

The number eight will play a very similar role to the flankers; supporting play, tackling and carrying ball. The trio can also be referred to as the back row.

The number eight binds at the back of the scrum and is also the only player from the forwards who is allowed to pick the ball up from the base of the scrum, which is often a move used to gain important yards when scrummaging close to the line.

Saying that, number eights need to be an explosive and dynamic ball carrier and Ireland’s Caelan Doris (pictured) has begun to establish himself as a real star of the future, taking over the reins from CJ Stander (also pictured). While South Africa’s Duane Vermeulen was voted the best number eight in the world last year.

Rugby Positions Explained: Scrum-half (9)

This player will be responsible for linking play between the forwards and the backs and is a hugely important position. Lining up just behind the forwards, a scrum-half will control possession from scrums, rucks or mauls.

They need vision, communication skills, speed and awareness, quick hands and a physical edge, because they can often be the smallest player on the field and are open to tackles from rampaging flankers.

Some of the world’s best include Lions captain Conor Murray (above), New Zealand’s Aaron Smith, France’s Antoine Dupont and South Africa’s Faf de Klerk (above).

Rugby Positions Explained: Fly-half (10)

Arguably the most influential player on the rugby field because almost every attack will go through the fly half.

A number 10 has the sole responsibility of deciding whether to kick or pass, must orchestrate the back line, decide on plays and more often than not is the team’s kicker for penalties, conversions and drop goal attempts.

When you think of instrumental fly-halfs, you think of Johnny Sexton & Owen Farrell (pictured), Dan Biggar and Johnny Wilkinson to name a few.

Rugby Positions Explained: Wing (11 & 14)

Remember Jonah Lomu from New Zealand?

The late New Zealand winger was virtually unstoppable at the peak of his powers, but he was an exception. Standing 6’5 and weighing up to 120kg, he would put the fear into any tackler.

Wingers like Lomu were the team’s finisher and are also the last line of defence, so pace is a huge factor, along with strength and agility.

Lomu possessed it all in abundance and his best bits are worth checking out on Youtube.

Rugby Positions Explained: Centre (12 & 13)

The inside centre – who stands closest to the fly-half when the backs line up – and the outside centre tend to be strong, dynamic runners with a good eye for exposing gaps in the opposition defence. In attack they tend to run very direct lines.

The inside centre is often the more creative in a centre pairing and should be able to pass and kick nearly as well as the fly-half. Meanwhile, the outside centre tends to be the faster of the two and the ability to offload the ball quickly to the wingers is also vital.

Ireland and Lions stars Robbie Henshaw and Bundee Aki (above) are the current stars, while former legend Brian O’Driscoll is often regarded as the best ever.

Rugby Positions Explained: Full-back

Lining up behind the entire back line, the fullback is the closest thing that rugby has to a sweeper in defence. But they also receive deep kicks from the opposition, so they must be comfortable catching high balls and launching attacks from the resulting possession.

This high-pressure rugby positions is not for the faint-hearted, but those who can combine tackling, kicking, catching and running with a cool head can excel here.

Think Scotland’s Stuart Hogg (pictured) or All Blacks playmaker Damian McKenzie.

Conclusion

We hope this blog will have helped to inform you on rugby positions, what is needed to play them and the players who are amongst the world’s best at doing so.

As always, let us know your thoughts in the comment section.

Plus, we’ve got all your rugby needs, such as the top brands and advice on our website below.

The Intersport Elverys and Brooks Time Machine Strava Challenge

Posted on July 5, 2021 at 2:24 pm.

Written by Intersport Elverys

Feeling ready for a quick run & receive a prize, enter HERE.

Top running brand, Brooks have teamed up with Intersport Elverys and created a run segment challenge on Strava to mark the launch of the new Levitate 5 – a comfortable lightweight running shoe. If you can clock up 1.1k between 16^th September and 13^th October, you can collect a free gift in your nearest Intersport Elverys store.

The time machine is all about going faster then you’ve ever gone before – and that’s you challenge. Run our segment in the Phoenix Park in Dublin to grab your badge and earn your free goodies. How fast can you go on the 1.1km segment? You’ve got from the 9th of September to October 16th 2021 to complete the challenge. You can sign up here for the challenge HERE.

Then show your badge in one of the Intersport Elverys stores below and take your hard earned €10 SmellWell Freshener home. The SmellWell Freshener Inserts is a natural 3-in-1 solution that effectively absorbs moisture, removes odours, and leaves a long-lasting fresh scent. Just throw them in your shoes, gear or bag and experience a real difference! (*while stocks last)

Intersport Elverys – Dublin Henry Street

Intersport Elverys – Dublin Suffolk Street

Intersport Elverys – Dundrum

Intersport Elverys – Dublin Blanchardstown

Intersport Elverys – Dublin Fonthill

Intersport Elverys – Dun Laoghaire Georges Street

Intersport Elverys – Swords

The route:

Get all your Brooks footwear and clothing in-store or online HERE at Intersport Elverys now.

A Starters Guide to Gaelic Football Positions

Posted on July 1, 2021 at 9:21 am.

Written by Ger Flanagan

GAELIC football positions have evolved massively over the years.

The days of 15 players taking to the field and matching up with their opposing 15 for the entire game are long gone. Thirty years ago, if a corner back wandered up to the corner forward position he’d have got the curly finger and pulled straight off.

In the modern game, it’s now a prerequisite for corner backs to try and cover every blade of grass on the pitch.

Before we start, check out the graphic below for a quick refresh on the 15 positions on a Gaelic football team.

Now that we know the modern day Gaelic football positions, lets get into what skills are required to play them and the players who are making them their own at the top level.

Are you ready?

If not, and you want more GAA content, our Best National League moments is available to read right HERE.

Gaelic football positions: Goalkeeper (#1)

In a different era, the goalkeeper was a much simpler role.

You stood in goal and tried to stop goal-bound shots, while every kickout you had went long down the middle to the midfielders.

However, that manual has been torn up and republished, mainly thanks to Dublin GAA legend Stephen Cluxton.

After establishing himself as Dublin’s number one in 2001, Cluxton perfected the art of the short kickout and quick restart, with an ability to land the ball on a sixpence to his teammates.

But that’s not all.

Cluxton can also be a place kicker and score points (remember the 2011 All-Ireland Final?), has incredible reflexes which makes him a top-class shot stopper, is comfortable on the ball to take it out the field to create an overlap, as well as being a brilliant communicator to organise his team.

These days you have goalies like Monaghan’s Rory Beggan, Tyrone’s Niall Morgan and Donegal’s Shaun Patten who have all those aforementioned qualities and can basically play as an extra outfielder.
So really, a goalkeeper is an all-round style player.

Gaelic Football Positions: Corner back (#2 & #4)

The number one objective for any corner back is to mark the opposition team’s most threatening scorer.

A modern day corner back needs quick feet to keep with the usually fast-paced corner forward, upper body strength to be able to hold up the forward and dispossess the ball in the tackle, and discipline to avoid coughing up soft frees.

But of course, they’re now also expected to attack from the back and make long, lung-bursting runs up the field, breaking the opposition defensive line and chipping in on the scoreboard or setting up scores.

Donegal’s Eoghan Bán Gallagher and Galway’s Liam Silke are your typical attack-minded corner backs who regularly contribute to the scoreboard, while Dublin’s Mick Fitzsimons and Mayo’s Lee Keegan are renowned for their man-marking ability.

Gaelic Football Positions: Full Back (#3)

Donegal’s Neil McGee and former Dublin star Rory O’Carroll possessed the strength, power, marking ability and no-nonsense style that very regularly sees them hailed as the best full backs in the last decade.

Their main job was to protect the goal, snuff out attacks and be a big physical presence. They were never too bothered about galloping up the field to support the play. Cavan’s Pádraig Faulker is cut from the same cloth.

But depending on the team’s style of football, full backs are often expected to attack from deep. Young Footballer of the Year and Mayo’s Oísin Mullin, as well as Dublin’s Davy Byrne, are those type of all-action full backs who love to get up the field and don’t possess the same physical size as a Neil McGee for example.

Gaelic Football Positions: Wing Back (#5 & #7)

First of all, a high base of aerobic stamina is needed for this role. Inter-county wing backs can cover more than 10km during a game and nearly 2000m in sprint distances.

Wing backs needed to be versatile players who have pace to break lines and start attacks, good footballers to play those 40/50+ yard passes into the forwards, aggressive and disciplined to be winning breaking ball and making tackles, while an eye for the posts also helps.

Modern day wing backs like Donegal’s Ryan McHugh, Mayo’s Paddy Durcan, Dublin’s former Footballer of the Year Jack McCaffrey, Kerry’s Paul Murphy or Meath’s Donal Keogan are among the best out there right now.

Don’t miss Mayo GAA star Eoghan McLaughlin sharing his tips and advice on How to Play Half Back in this blog.

Gaelic Football Positions: Centre Back (#6)

The centre back is clamp that holds the back line together. They’ll need all the skills of the wing back, but have to be more disciplined about sitting and holding the middle channel.

It can be the enforcer type role and the player needs to have a high football IQ to sniff out attacks before they come to fruition, while a touch of abrasiveness also helps.

Arguably, the importance of the old-school centre back has evolved to being more of a free role in the modern game, but guys like John Small of Dublin, Colm Boyle of Mayo, Derry’s Gareth McKinless and Peter Harte of Tyrone all have the traditional centre back style about them.

Gaelic Football Positions: Midfield (#8 & #9)

The engine room of the team – Midfielders are one of the most vital cogs in the wheel in terms of Gaelic football positions.

It wouldn’t be unusual to see them cover close to 12km in a single game, so they need to have incredible stamina. Plus, they’ll be required to win kickouts, link ball from defence to attack, defend and to get scores.

Dublin’s Brian Fenton is quite possibly one of the best midfielders to ever play the game, while his teammate James McCarthy isn’t too far off. Kildare’s Kevin Feely and Kerry’s David Moran are also complete footballers.

Those aforementioned guys are tall, athletic and powerful men.

Gaelic Football Positions: Wing Forward (#10 & #12)

Arguably the toughest position to play on the pitch due to the work rate required.

A wing forward is expected to do the defensive work of a wing back, but the attacking work of a midfielder and corner forward. Often they’ll find themselves covering ground and not getting on much ball, so patience is required to play the position well.

They need to be able to anticipate the breaking ball on kickouts, provide width on the attack and deliver high-quality passes to the inside line.

Dublin’s Nially Scully, Mayo’s Kevin McLoughlin, former Kerry star Paul Galvin, Roscommon’s Enda Smith and Cork’s Ruairi Deane are all dynamic ball carriers that can run all day.

Gaelic Football Positions: Centre Forward (#11)

The artist of the team – usually highly skilled, boasts a big engine and a natural born leader.

A centre forward needs vision, ability to scrap for breaking ball, can tackle, score and play pinpoint passes into the full forward line.

Often the most complete footballer on the team.

Kerry’s Seán O’Shea and Dublin’s Ciarán Kilkenny are the country’s best. Aidan O’Shea has enjoyed time their for Mayo, while Galway’s Shane Walsh can be unstoppable on his day. All those guys are supreme athletes, genius footballers and possess the ‘X Factor’.

Gaelic Football Positions: The Full Forward line (#13, #14 & #15)

Their main job is to put scores on the board, so an eye for the posts is the single most important factor for a good corner forward.

Most likely, they’ll also be the free taker – a massively responsible role that requires skill and concentration in abundance.

Pace and quick feet are a huge advantage in creating space and keeping away from the claws of a corner back, while good hands ensure an ability to win ball out in front.

Patience is another important attribute because often times the full forward line can be starved of ball, so being able to stay calm and make use of limited possession is crucial.

Some of the best include Cillian O’Connor, Dean Rock, Paddy McBrearty and Michael Murphy of Donegal, Conor McManus of Monaghan and the great David Clifford from Kerry to name a few.

That’s not to forget Daniel Flynn from Kildare, Paul Geaney, Shane McGuigan, Tyrone duo Conor McKenna and Cathal McShane and Armagh’s Riain O’Neill.

Conclusion

We hope this guide will help you find your best position on a Gaelic football team. And if you think we’ve left any player out who deserves a mention – no doubt we have – then let us know in the comments.

Otherwise, get out there and get practicing!