ANYONE THAT WITNESSED the football-style flick that led to Cian Healy’s try against Wales or a warm-up session before a Munster or Ireland match will tell you than Simon Zebo has pure, unabashed skill.
Zebo took part in athletics, soccer, hurling and football as a youth and still dabbles in these sporting pursuits during his down-time from rugby.
In a Newstalk interview last month, Zebo revealed how his junior hurling career gave him a skill-set that he has taken into the world of professional rugby. He said, “Playing GAA, you have to be a little tough. Taking a couple of hurleys across the shins, that toughens you up.”
TheScore.ie contacted Blackrock ‘Rockies’, his former hurling club, and asked some of the people that witnessed young Master Zebo in action on GAA fields across Cork.
Zebo in control of the ball on a midfield burst. (Credit: George Hatchell)
Brother Patrick Fitzgibbon, chairman of the Blackrock underage section, spoke with enthusiasm about a talented midfielder that made regular forays forward when his team needed a scoring boost. Bro. Fitzgibbon:
Simon had great speed, was very light on his feet and had a natural talent for the game. He played with that Blackrock style of play with a quick wrist and the ability to get the ball away with a snap before he could be closed down. He was difficult to track down and stop. A real loss to Cork hurling, let me tell you."
"You could see at the age of 12 and 13 that he was destined for great things," he added. "He could run all day and had an innate ability to pick out a teammate with a pass."
Rugby comes calling
Rugby came calling for Zebo, at a competitive level, when he went to school at Presentation College. He teachers at Beaumont Boys School [primary] will attest that he did some scoring damage on their behalf before that and he played for Cork Constitution's underage teams as a teenager.
"He never missed a game for us though," said Bro. Fitzgibbon.
"He was a leader; a very friendly young fella. He was very outgoing and made friends easily."
While Rockies are challenging for titles across the age grades, Zebo's team, which featured former Cork Minor hurler Richard Dineen, were not destined for greatness. High-scoring wins and positive runs were plentiful but they were often edged out by the odd point in a crucial semi-final or must-win encounter.
A Cork City Championship Final win in 2004, for Zebo the U-14, was the team's high point.
Safety first: Zebo in the yellow helmet. (Credit: George Hatchell)
The playmaker
Looking through match reports on the Blackrock Hurling Club website, there are numerous mentions of Zebo's involvement in vital goals and points.
On 11 March 2006, for example, St Finbarr's took the lead before 'the Rockies responded with a fine goal from Simon Zebo'. In that 2004 Championship win 'Zebo and David Hill reasserted their first-half dominance and the ball was again heading into the Na Piarsaigh half'.
In a 4-8 to 0-1 win over Midleton in 2003, full forward Zebo slotted over four quick points from play. He 'could not be contained' during this period. In 2002, an even younger Zebo had stand-out matches as centre-back, midfielder and full forward.
"He was a team player," recalled Bro. Fitzgibbon. "He had a great awareness of where his teammates where and would not go for a shot if they were better placed."
Of all the memories that the underage chairman has of Zebo, a goal does not top the list.
He said, "It was at Under 14s against Na Piarsaigh. I think they lost the game by a point or two but Simon set up a goal to give his side hope. He was being chased by two lads in the midfield yet picked out Conor Kilcoyne with a 50-metre pass. He drove it home for a great goal."
Coming tomorrow: Simon Zebo in action for St Michael's Gaelic Football team
Course rugby came calling.its a better sport.you get paid for it and your better looked after.where as in the GAA your expected to play for free to make money for the lads up in headquarters.
not too much money made at thirteen you dope
Nelly is correct rugby looks after the youth far better than GAA. I played both codes for over 10yrs at most levels
@sean would he be makin more money now if he was playing GAA?i think not ya dope
You are still missing the point you play inter county gaa because god has chosen you as a special one its not about money it’s about pride in your little parish
No one would blame him for choosing a career as a professional rugby player, no brainier if you’re lucky enough to have the talent. However i didn’t realise that a sport being professional makes it ‘better’. Always thought the amateur ethos was something to be admired, not criticised.
Do you think at the age of 13 a young Zebo thought to himself… ‘ye know there’s more money in this rugby lark?’ Or do you think he just preferred rugby as a game?
There are plenty of current gaa players that could have excelled at other sports, and possibly made a living out of them, but they choose the sport they preferred. That’s a personal choice that nobody should be criticising
Hurling is the greatest sport in the world. That’s a simple undeniable fact. I’d be fairly sure Nelly just wasn’t very good at it.
Gaelic Games are far far more popular in Ireland than rugby is or ever will be. Simple statistic, there are more GAA clubs in Co Cork than there are rugby clubs in all of Ireland. The GAA must be looking after some of those kids alright. & they didn’t need to sell their soul to SKY sports to do so.
@tfm Leinster Munster on rte tonight
@thomas are you joking?the greatest sport in the world.bar the 5or 6 counties that play it very few people outside Ireland know or care about it.the same goes for Gaelic.if it were that good sky sports would be banging the door down to buy the tv rights and do you think the fat cats in headquarters would turn down a chance to boost their wages even more.come on open your eyes.the only amateur thing about the GAA is the players not getting paid.how much does the president of this amateur association get paid?
@Nelly, i think you will find there is a thriving GAA scene(Hurling and Football and sometimes even handball ) in all counties in Ireland and beyond. The reason sky sports is not banging down the door as you put it is because its not what the GAA is about. the GAA (and rugby does the same) is a community based organisation that feed nearly all of its cash back to clubs all over the world. feel free to visit a local club to see some great facilities(Mallow in cork is amazing), these clubs are run mostly by volunteers who do not get paid a penny. please don’t insult them by stating they are fat cats.
@Thomas, while GAA clubs are more numerous the catchment area for rugby clubs is larger hence the need for fewer of them.
Statistically speaking Gaelic football is the most popular game in Ireland as the number of registered members for all clubs across the country is greater than rugby and hurling.
Can we all say we have personal preferences for the sports we love and leave it at that, anyone who says one is better than the other is just plain wrong, love is a subjective thing.
I love Hurling, its amazing, I also go to all the rugby matches i can and have a season ticket to Arsenal , I’m currently watching the masters , sport is epic
Yeah at club level it’s volunteers but the higher up you go the more people get paid.Heineken cup rugby is gone to sky and it won’t be long til the internationals do.they may have great facilities but how much is that funded through grants both government and lotto giving to croke park and funnelled down.i know my local soccer/rugby club wouldn’t be as we’ll looked after.
In Ireland yes, internationally though? If your talking popularity you lose.
You were doing so well till you mentioned golf …. :)
Apart from the creatine and the excessive physical development at a young age… …not to mention the occasional paraplegia
Ignorance is bliss for you Nelly.
Jeez, can’t we all agree that both Hurling and Rugby are amazing sports? And Zebo is killer at both. Any problems people have with either Rugby or Hurling is probably caused by people and not the sports itself.
Well said podge. Don’t understand the narrow-mindedness of a lot of sports fans on this site. Open your minds people & enjoy all sport. If something’s not to you taste then fair enough but it’s childish to claim one sporting code is ‘better’ then another, you might prefer the nuances of one code over another but all field ports have their strengths & weaknesses and are enjoyable in their own right.
There is a massive drop out of rugby players when they move from school to college.Also the clubs have suffered .The national team has underperformed in comparison to Wales .Plus its massively elitist in Leinster schools.GAA for all its faults is much less elitist .
The gaa look after more kids in one code than irfu and fai together not to mention all the school coaching scór handball etc etc will you ever cop on enjoy your west Brit sport and leave the gaa alone
I think it’s a British sport don’t know any west Brit sports.thats a very narrow minded view you have.more and more kids are turning to play soccer and rugby.GAA no’s are dropping around the country
Nelly,
Did you just make that up?
Please stop feeding the trolls
@podge just cos my opinion differs to yours doesn’t make me a troll.
I was referring to the “west brit” comment from Sean, this is a troll like statement. Also GAA numbers are on the up and up not only in Ireland but in my adopted country of England, we are starting our cúl camps soon here in east London. if you are around feel free to drop in.
GAA Look after more kids? Debatable in Ireland, laughable internationally since no one even knows your sports exist hahaha
Sure he’s holding the hurley backwards, no wonder he never made it as a GAA man.
Also in then solo run holding it like a shovel. No thumb down the shaft. I’d say there was some hurling finesse missing there.
I think it’s funny that the photo needed to identify Zebo…by his yellow helmet!
#tokencolouredguy.
Wow, another Zebo article on the score!
He’s worth it ;)
Did Br Fitz really say he “was a lose to cork hurling” ??
Haha doubt it!
Your county or your country??? No contest at all!
Hurling is a great sport rugby is a good sport agreed podgy
Hurling for me is number one, i grew up with it, its fast , exciting, it brings out emotions in me that i find difficult to express, rugby is a great sport too, i never miss Munster match’s and attend as many as i can afford(tickets are expensive)
It’s a 50/50 for me between Hurling and Rugby – Hurling is just an unbelievable sport, really a national treasure, the speed and skills are just phenomenal when you see it at it’s highest levels, really it’s an amazing sport (apologies, but I can’t stand football in comparison) and Rugby is such a fascinating tactical battle or power and movement for players of all shapes and sizes (“You’re certainly not built for speed” as our local Hurling coach said to me at an early age – that’s why I turned to Rugby, but always adored Hurling :-)
As for Simon Zebo, watching him closely playing for Munster you could see how his quick feet and pace would have been very useful for Hurling but I’m thrilled we have him in the Red jersey of Munster and not Cork (being a Tipp man myself!).
Nine hundred jobs on offer yesterday in killarney well done kerry county board for showing some forward thinking trying to curb emigration for rural clubs
Is this the same facination by the media as the O Halpins?
how come he is in the Kerry colours in from cork?
He is wearing his club Jersey, tis blackrock in cork