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Rockies

Allstar duo to take charge of Cork's most successful hurling club

Fergal Ryan and Wayne Sherlock will aim to bring Blackrock back to the summit on Leeside.

Fergal Ryan 2/7/2000 Fergal Ryan celebrates after captaining Cork to the Munster title in 2000. Patrick Bolger / INPHO Patrick Bolger / INPHO / INPHO

EX-CORK DEFENDER Fergal Ryan will manage his club’s senior hurling team in 2016.

Ryan’s former club and county team-mate Wayne Sherlock will form part of the Blackrock management team, alongside Kevin Murphy, David Coakley, Jamie Harrington and Donnacha Flynn.

Ryan graduates to the Rockies’ top job after steering the club to three consecutive U21 county titles, but they’ve been starved of senior success in recent years.

Blackrock have won 32 Cork senior hurling titles — more than any other club — but their last came back in 2002 when both Ryan and Sherlock helped the city outfit to their third triumph in four years.

However, on the back of their underage success, Blackrock will be aiming to end their long wait for a 33rd senior title in 2016, spearheaded by young players like Niall Cashman and Cathal Cormack who are currently involved with the county panel.

Wayne Sherlock Wayne Sherlock in action for Cork in 2006. Lorraine O'Sullivan / INPHO Lorraine O'Sullivan / INPHO / INPHO

Fergal Ryan played at right-corner back on the Cork team that won the All-Ireland in 1999, and he later picked up an Allstar award for his contribution to the Rebels’ first Liam MacCarthy Cup win in nine years.

In 2000, Ryan — who also won a National League medal in 1998 — captained Cork to a Munster title thanks to a defeat of Tipperary at Semple Stadium.

During his own playing career, versatile defender Sherlock won three All-Ireland medals with Cork — ’99, ’04 and ’05 — as well as five Munster titles and an Allstar in 2004.

Blackrock PRO Roger Ryan told the Evening Echo: “I suppose Fergal’s appointment is seen as a natural progression after the success of the U21 teams in recent years and he knows all the players from those teams very well. He’s got a good team working with him and everybody in Church Road is looking forward to the new season.”

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