'I bring my passion for sport and connect that with my passion for God'

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In this book extract, Irish rugby star Josh Van Der Flier talks about faith and sport.

The 29-year-old was named Ireland’s Players’ Player of the Year, voted on by his peers, and then a week later he was selected European Player of the Year, receiving over 30,000 votes from fans across the continent.

They came to Ireland with plans to start a radiator factory in the 1950s, landing first in Finglas, and then moving to Wicklow. His mother is from Kilkenny. Dirk van der Flier, who had played rugby for Old Wesley and also for Leinster under-21s, and his wife were also involved with Scripture Union, a nondenominational Christian organisation. His mother helped to run summer camps for young people and at one time his dad was chairperson.‘Many of the young people were mad for the sports aspects, but there were some fun games and some reflective quiet moments when it was quite normal to have talks and‘It made an impact on me.

Around the age of 14, he decided to take the game extra seriously, paying attention to the smallest details. In his fourth year at school, he notes that he researched online how to do‘I then did around nine gym sessions per week to be better… and bigger! I was training hard to try to get on the senior team at Wesley.’‘Even now as a professional, we only do half that amount of gym sessions.

It’s in the Detail ‘I have loads of little parts of detail that are part of my preparation. I listen to beat music… loud and pumped-up before a game. As I drive to the game I play calm, religious worship music… reflective music that calms me down. The peaceful music is just like going to church. It offers me that important moment of calm.

‘I have seen lads very nervous before a big game… whether it is Leinster or Ireland, or even club… and they bless themselves. Or they have their eyes closed…some even kneel down in prayer. I have seen many different moments like this.Some of these people may not naturally fit into the faith category. Faith is normal to Josh, but for others it is an even more private matter.

 

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Good man Josh

thejournal_ie Good on him. Super player

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