World Rugby 'Player of the Year' Josh van der Flier has a Kilkenny connection

Who could've guessed that Josh van der Flier's rugby pedigree has roots in Kilkenny?

Recent interviews with the World Rugby Player of the Year have revealed that the flanker's maternal grandfather George Strong won a couple of Towns Cups with Kilkenny RFC in the 1950s.

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George used to cycle all the way to training in Kilkenny - from Waterford!

“My grandad (George Strong) on my mum's side, he used to cycle from Waterford to Kilkenny to play for Kilkenny Rugby Club," van der Flier told Irish Examiner.

"He won the Towns Cup with them. So I suppose he's a hard-working man as well so it has always been in the family."

In a piece published by the42.ie, author Garry Doyle notes that Josh's father picked up the interest and devotion to rugby from George with a similar work ethic.

"Back when rugby was as much about pints as it was about points, van der Flier senior used to drink water when his team mates downed something stronger," Doyle notes.

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Van der Flier told reporters that his father did this in a bid to get the edge over teammates in training.

It comes as no surprise, with all this in mind, that this same devotion to the sport has been passed down the line to Josh himself.

Grandfather Strong, in making those long trips from Waterford to Kilkenny in the 1950s, set a benchmark for the generations that succeeded him to follow.