Hurling in December. It's rare enough, however, the fact that you're pucking a sliotar around a field at this time of year is invariably good news as it means your team is still active when 90% of players have put the boots away.

It's been a remarkable 2013 for the West Waterford outfit, Ballysaggart - and it could get even better. A rural outpost on the Waterford/Tipperary border, Ballysaggart is the personification of the small club. Usually, the extent of a small club's ambition is to do well in their division and try and make the knockout stages. Winning a divisional title is a big achievement, winning a county, a massive boost; but to win a provincial crown - almost unheard of.

Having accounted for the best junior clubs in Cork and Tipperary, Ballysaggart are an hour away from something that a few short years ago would have seemed unimaginable. The secret? No secret really. A good honest bunch of hurlers, a few very talented individuals, a willingness to go the extra mile and a stubborn refusal to accept defeat.

While every team needs a rub of the green to extend a good run of form, there has been nothing lucky about Ballysaggart's displays this year. Encouragingly for them, they've improved with every outing, their 'go to guys' have remained injury free and they've shown no inhibitions when up against the 'big names'.

MUNSTER TITLE

Limerick representatives, Feenagh-Kilmeedy stand in their way of annexing a Munster hurling championship and it goes without saying, that the team from the west of the Treaty county will fancy their chances. This is a game that could go either way and in terms of planning, preparation and attention to detail, Adrian Meagher and his selectors, Pat Ryan and Pat Bennett, have left no stone unturned in their attempts to create club history.

If 2013 has been special for players, it's heaven on earth for Ballysaggart supporters - new venues, new teams, thrilling performances, great scores and thrashing it all out in the comfort of The Ballyveera Inn after the game - sheer bliss.

One thing that Ballysaggart supporters can be sure of is that their team will give their all in Mallow next Sunday (throw in is 3.15pm). These kinds of opportunities don't roll around every year and the Waterford representatives will be well aware of this. In the right frame of mind and barring incident or accident, Ballysaggart have a chance to boldly go where no Ballysaggart team has ever gone before - it's a tantalising prospect, the message from their loyal supporters is - just go for it!

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