Current Hurler of the Year Seamus Callanan, Kilkenny ace Richie Hogan and former Antrim Captain Neil McManus
Three of Ireland’s most decorated senior inter-county hurlers have greeted the launch of the new Reynolds Hurley as ‘the future of the game’. Current Hurler of the Year Seamus Callanan, Kilkenny ace Richie Hogan and former Antrim Captain Neil McManus have been involved with the Reynolds Hurling team’s drive to produce the perfect all weather Composite Hurling stick for the past 2 years.
Launching the Hurley in Dublin, all three praised the new stick’s high quality standard, which replicates the best qualities of ash while improving strength and durability. A Reynolds Sports Facebook video of the three players discussing their role in helping Reynolds sports to develop the stick has been viewed 12,000 times in less than a week.
All three have given their support to the Hurley through their appearance in a new Reynolds Hurling video, just released on social media which highlights the stick’s consistency and how the design process has taken the technology behind Composite Hurley making to the next level.
The Hurleys are manufactured to a high quality standard, each one matching the others in terms of weight, shape, balance and flex – ensuring that whichever stick you pick up you have a familiar feel and reliable, repeatable results. The Hurleys perform equally well in wet or dry, warm or cold conditions.
Tipperary All Ireland winner Seamus Callanan praised the process through which the Hurley was designed, and the final product’s quality, touch and durability.
“Through the years as a player you try different shapes, different Hurleys. When you do find the shape and the feel of a Hurley you like, when you break it it’s hard to fill that gap. Myself, Ritchie Hogan of Kilkenny and Neil McManus of Antrim sat down and discussed the Hurleys that we were using at the time, the balance, the handles, and the flexibility. We put all our thoughts together and we came out with the Reynolds Hurley, and it’s one that we’re very happy with. A lot of thought has gone into this. It’s not your normal plastic or Composite Hurley. You can band the Hurley, you can sand it, you can individualise it for yourself. I think it’s the future.”
Meanwhile, Kilkenny All Ireland winner Richie Hogan highlighted the impressive performance, consistency and qualities of the stick;
“I think that everybody knows at this stage that there’s a shortage of ash. As a player who has used ash Hurleys all my life, I was obviously sceptical about how a composite Hurley would work, how it would feel.
Using these in comparison to ash, they’re just the same. The balance is just as good, the touch is just as good and the strike is just as good. The best aspect of his project is the consistency between Hurleys. You pick up a size 35, leave it down and pick up another one, and the weight is the same, the shape is the same, and it’s all done the way you would like it yourself. Obviously they’re very durable which means that parents won’t have to fork out huge amounts of money replacing broken sticks. It’s an extremely well balanced Hurley. The shape is an exact copy of what myself, Seamy and Neil have designed. It really is a fantastic stick.”
Former Antrim Captain Neil McManus said that the timing of the launch is perfect given the game’s ongoing concerns about Ash Dieback disease.
“Hurling is something that’s ingrained into Irish culture, and obviously Ash Dieback is causing a lot of problems, but any innovation that we can bring into Hurling is just going to improve the game. We’ve seen things like Hawkeye in Thurles and Croke Park, which has moved how we adjudicate our matches to a new level. So whenever technology can be used to improve our sport I fully embrace it. The Reynolds Hurley has a fantastic shape and feel. Whenever I’m playing with it, I feel like I’m playing with an ash hurl, only with the added benefits of its strength. There’s always resistance to change but I feel that when people get a chance to use this Hurley they will love it. It reflects the properties of ash extremely well. It’s a real innovation and it’s just come along at the right time for Hurling.”
Made in Ireland from a unique composite of materials used in the Aerospace industry, the Reynolds Hurling stick is the culmination of years of experience, research and testing. The Reynolds Composite Hurley has been a long time in the making. Barry Reynolds (Managing Director of Reynolds Sports) inherited the search for the best synthetic Hurley from his father, Kevin who was the founder of NURI Sports, the first company to make a composite Hurley back in 1976.
“My father and I had a long conversation late one night about his time running NURI Sports. When we discussed Ash Dieback, we were worried about the possible impact it might have on the game. Right there and then we began to discuss the Re-development of a Composite Hurley which could improve on our previous efforts and positively impact the game.”
He added,
“After a few weeks of research it became clear to me that not only was the development of a new Hurley possible, but also it was becoming necessary. I approached Neil McManus, Seamus Callanan and Ritchie Hogan to get their input into the shape, style and feel of a new stick and also to gauge their reaction on whether the development of a new Composite Hurley would be welcomed within the game. They approached the project with enthusiasm and also with deep understanding of the game and its requirements. The new Hurley which we are now launching is, in my opinion the best equivalent of an Ash Hurley which it is possible to manufacture, using the most up to date composite technology available.”
Reynolds Hurling are proud to have created a hurley that will advance and grow the game, helping keep alive, and grow, the sport of hurling we all love so much.
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