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Frankie Calls Time

20th July 2009 By Munster Rugby

Frankie Calls Time

It has been confirmed that Ireland and Munster hooker Frank Sheahan has decided to call time on his rugby career.

Sheahan (32) had planned to extend that career with French club Brive who had agreed terms for a two year contract. However, Sheahan, capped 29 times by Ireland, aggravated a pectoral muscle injury in his 163rd and final game for Munster against Ospreys in April. “I had injured the pec against Connacht at Christmas and at that stage the medics reckoned it a career ending injury.” he explained, “But I’d been in this position before, had an operation on it in January and with the help of the Munster medical team and fitness coaches I got back into contention for selection for the end of the season games. However I took another knock (pec) in that game and soon after accepted what the medics were telling me and decided to call it a day.”

Sheahan won the first of his 163 Munster caps against Western Samoa in Musgrave Park in November 1996 and in the course of his Munster career scored 21 tries, 11 of those in the Heineken Cup. He made his Ireland debut in June 2000 and in 2005 became just the 7th Munster player to win 100 caps. Frankie Sheahan
 
In October 2005 he suffered what then threatened to be a career ending neck injury in the Heineken Cup opener against Sale Sharks in Edgeley Park and although he missed the rest of that season, he staged a remarkable recovery that saw a return to competitive action in the Magners League opener in September 2006. 

He played in 16 of Munster’s Magners League games that season plus starting in their 6 Heineken Pool games and the following season he made his third Heineken Cup final match day squad as Munster claimed the title with a win over Toulouse.
 
Sheahan:  “It’s hard to believe I’ve been involved with Munster for 14 years. They’ve been great years. I’ve enjoyed that time immensely and would like to thank all those involved, at Munster and national level, coaches, managers, medics, fitness people for the the role they’ve played in my career. My thanks also to my family who played such an important role, their support, particularly in difficult times was so important to me.”

As for the future, Sheahan – currently engaged doing contract work with O2 – is exploring a number of business opportunities one of which may see him use the experienced gained from 14 years as a professional sportsman. “There have been approaches“, he says, “and I can see myself getting involved in Sports Management looking after the welfare of sports people.” 

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