‘It’s not about shouting the loudest' - Buccs captain

Evan Galvin is officially in his second season as Buccaneers captain, but last season was very much a false start due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We had a full pre-season which is not the fun part! We had two pre-season games and then, unfortunately, we got notice that it was going to be called off for the season,” said Galvin, speaking at the Buccaneers RFC launch of the 2021-22 season last week.

“We had a tough year. Well, in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t tough but we had to go back and do Zoom training and keep in contact with coaches that way. It’s been a long road till next Saturday (when Buccaneers take on Cashel) and hopefully we can get off to a good start,” continued the Taughmaconnell man.

With Covid-19 having cast a huge shadow over sport and society in general, the uncertainty over what was going to happen regarding fixtures and competitions was a major challenge, Evan admitted.

“It was changing week to week and we didn’t know where we stood,” he said. “But this year the head is screwed on, we know it’s going ahead, and there are contingency plans if any games are cancelled. Pre-season has been good and we’ve had wins in our last two games in the Connacht league.”

Indeed, Evan was happy that Buccaneers recently finished the Connacht league on a positive note.

“We blooded a lot of players in the Connacht league. The team changed week to week. Pre-season is tough. You can train well but if you don’t play games, you won’t see what players are like. We used it as a building block. We didn’t get off to a good start but now that we got two wins in our last two games, hopefully we can carry that forward into the AIL which is main thing for us.”

Evan is pleased that Buccs will start their Energia All-Ireland League Division 2A campaign with a home game against Cashel this Saturday.

“It’s great to be back in Dubarry Park. I can’t remember the last AIL game in Dubarry Park,” he said. “Cashel are a very direct side and we have to front up on the day, and put pride in the jersey. Momentum is key in the All-Ireland League; it’s important to get into a habit of winning games.”

Evan is a nephew of the renowned Leo Galvin, the first home-based Ireland senior international from Athlone RFC (the precursor to Buccaneers RFC).

“There’s probably a pedigree of sport in my family. I did a lot of sport when I was younger and I was allowed to choose whichever one I wanted; it wasn’t as if I was shoehorned into rugby. My mum used to bring me into swimming, rugby and soccer and everything,” Evan told the Westmeath Independent.

“My little brother (Fergus) is playing as well. Well, I wouldn’t call him little now; he’s about ten or 15 kilos heavier (than me) and three inches taller! It’s a great experience to play with your brother,” he added.

Evan is delighted that Buccaneers will be able to call on the experience Danny Qualter after the Athlone native’s return to the club.

“It’s great to have someone like Danny back. It’s a huge boost,” he said. And Evan believes that Qualter will help younger players with “little minutiae” involved in playing in the pack.

Evan may be the captain but he was keen to stress that there are “a few leaders” in the squad.

“It’s not about who shouts the loudest; it’s about leading by example. If somebody else has something to say, the captain doesn’t have to get the last word in. If people have valid points to offer, we listen and we go forward as a team. There is a core of young players (in the squad); I’m 26 and I feel like an old person in the group."

There is a perception that the current Buccs panel might be lacking in physical power compared to previous squads, but Galvin believes there is a good balance.

“We play a lot of the season in winter; it can be a wet ball and it can come down to physicality. It’s not the only thing but it is important. I feel we have a balance; we have agile players as well and our backline has been firing in the last few games.”

When Evan made his debut with the Buccaneers senior team, current head coach Kolo Kiripati was a team-mate and someone he really looked up to.

“I remember playing my first game at 18 years of age and we played together for three or four years after that. We were in the back row and Kolo was a mentor to me when I was a younger kid playing. We have a great relationship. I’m very honoured and proud to be captain and thankful that he’s backing me. Hopefully we can do him justice. He and the coaching staff put in a huge amount of work over the lockdown period.”

Evan also praised strength & conditioning coach Cormac Ward and said the entire management team worked hard in order “to keep lads mentally fresh” when there were no games. “Kolo, Henry (Bryce) and all the backroom team – I really hope their work will come to fruition on the pitch and I’m confident we can do that."

“We came back (to training) early; we had the option as restrictions were lifted. It was non-contact training at the start but once you build into a normal training session, you sort of forget the past; your muscle memory comes back and you’re back into what you know.”

Evan hopes the lack of local sport during the Covid-enforced lockdown will make people appreciate it more, and he urged people to support Buccaneers this season.

“We’re all excited about this game (against Cashel); there is a different feel to the All-Ireland League. There is a broad area around the midlands where these players come from and I’d invite everyone to support us. It’s a long time since live rugby was in the Athlone area and it’s a great standard of rugby to watch.

“People can watch rugby on television but there is nothing like coming down and supporting your local team. There are nine home game this season so hopefully people will get down and support us. It will be great to have fans back.

“I know the heyday of the All-Ireland League was back when there was no professional rugby, and there is a lot of professional sport on TV now. But if people give it try, they could get engrossed in the game. There’s always a great buzz in The Bounty before and after games; it’s a great way to spend your Saturday,” Evan added.