EGM forces Shannon RFC review

THE executive committee of Shannon RFC are to undertake a complete review of how their first team coach is appointed in future, following an at times heated extraordinary general meeting (EGM) of the club this Tuesday night.
More than 100 club members attended the EGM which was convened to discuss the non re-appointment of Geoff Moylan as first team coach in June.
Three-time AIL winning coach Moylan expressed his shock at the decision not to extend his term in charge of the side when it was announced within weeks of Shannon gaining a ninth AIL title. Moylan said he had wished to take charge of Shannon’s first team in the new-look Top 8 section of the AIL in the upcoming season, but the club’s executive had refused to appoint him.
While the signatures of at least 15 club members are required to have an EGM convened, 29 individuals gave their backing for the staging of this week’s meeting. The decision of the club executive not to re-appoint Geoff Moylan was debated for close on three hours at the Shannon RFC pavilion at Thomond Park.
The discussion was said to be ‘full and frank’ and quite ‘heated’ at times. Club members expressed their extreme disappointment at the decision not to re-appoint Moylan, saying they believed it to be wrong. Speakers felt the move had not been taken in the best interests of the club.
At the time the decision not to extend Moylan’s term was announced, a club spokesman said that ‘differences of opinion’ had emerged between the club executive and three-time AIL winning coach Moylan.
The Shannon RFC executive opted not to extend Moylan’s term in charge of the team after receiving a report from a three-man committee which had carried out a full review of the first team’s season.
A Shannon RFC spokesman this week said that the body of the meeting believed that new procedures needed to be put in place in relation to the future appointment of the first team coach. The executive committee would be meeting shortly to carry out a review of the EGM as well as the procedures surrounding the future appointments of the coach.
Shannon moved quickly to announce a replacement for Moylan, with 27-year-old Colm Tucker Jnr was appointed head coach last month. The Shannon RFC spokesman stressed that Colm Tucker would be continuing in his role as first team head coach. The spokesman stressed that all speakers at the meeting were fulsome in their praise of Colm Tucker.

Colm Kinsella