Sarah O'Donovan marked this Sunday's All-Ireland Camogie final as the "showpiece event" for the sport as Galway faces Cork.
After what has frequently been a difficult year for the Camogie Association and game at large across Ireland, Sarah O'Donovan, former inter-county player for Cork and Dublin, has been impressed by a strong finish.
"They got their act together," she remarked of the association on Friday's OTB AM.
Remarking upon the association's commercial problems in this past year, O'Donovan acknowledged that it is now time to futureproof the sport and broaden the numbers of those interested in the game.
"The Camogie Association banked nearly two million euro last year because of Covid," she explained. "They were in a comfortable position to run the season without a sponsor, but they'll need one for next season.
"Sunday is their showpiece event. They'll have to show everything and get people interested again for next year and for building for the future."
Unsurprisingly, the Cork native O'Donovan is happy to see her county back in an All-Ireland final. Loyalties aside, however, she believes a strong Cork team is necessary for the sport as a whole.
"I think there's lots of things about Cork that are very positive," she outlined. "They have great support for the Cork girls."
"I would hope there will be big numbers travelling up from Cork on Sunday. Cork is a very passionate Camogie county. The only way they can show that support is by turning up."
In what is set to be a tight contest, the current Dublin Camogie coach O'Donovan singled out the Cork star Chloe Sigerson as one player who could play a deciding part against Galway.
"She's remarkable," stated O'Donovan. "Anywhere on the pitch, she'll open up the shoulders, and it's a guaranteed score. You have to stop her getting the ball in hand."
Settled Defence
Nevertheless, while the threat of Sigerson looms large, O'Donovan is still confident Galway can come up with some solution to contest.
"Galway are very defensively settled," she explained. "Their bench has a lot of weight - Becka Henley can come in. Niamh McGrath can come in. Cork are under a lot of pressure to retain possession.
"They have been in Croke Park a lot of times recently and haven't let themselves down. I think they have something to prove."
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