TOUGH TACKLING may be commonplace in rugby but Connacht suffered an unusual casualty at the weekend when their mascot dislocated his shoulder after being accosted by a supporter.
Eddie the Eagle is a regular feature at Connacht rugby games at the Sportsground in Galway and usually spends his time urging on the home side and goading the supporters from the opposition.
He was up to his usual tricks on Friday night, running up and down the sanded greyhound track as Eric Elwood’s men romped to a superb 37-8 victory over Glasgow Warriors in the Magners League.
But it was all too much for about half a dozen Glaswegians who made the trip to the west of Ireland.
Wearing kilts and regularly availing of the bar service at the venue, they countered with chants of “catch the pigeon” before one of them scaled the fence and lunged at the mascot, knocking him to the ground and grappling with him good-naturedly.
However, the high jinks came with a price as the mascot suffered a dislocated shoulder, but he will return to duty for the next game.
“He should be fine for the next day. It wasn’t intentional but we take a dim view of people entering the pitch,” said a spokesman for Connacht Rugby.