Bobby Rackard - Playing Career - Inter-county

Inter-county

Rackard first came to prominence in the mid-1940s as a member of the Wexford minor hurling team. After little success at this grade he was introduced to the county senior team in 1945. Success at senior level was also slow in coming and it would be 1951 before he won his first Leinster title as Wexford defeated Laois by 3-12 to 4-3. It was the county’s first senior provincial title since 1918. Wexford later accounted for Galway in the penultimate game of the championship, setting up an All-Ireland final meeting with Tipperary. Tipp were the overwhelming favourites and were looking for a third championship in-a-row. Rackard’s brother Nicky was the star player for Wexford, however, it was Tipp who won the game by 7-7 to 3-9.

Wexford lost out to Dublin and Kilkenny in the next two Leinster finals. The team bounced back in 1954 with Rackard winning a second Leinster medal after defeating Dublin. Wexford later trounced Antrim by 12-17 to 2-3 to qualify for the All-Ireland final. Cork were the opponents on that occasion as a record crowd of 84,856 traveled to Croke Park. Wexford led by four points with seventeen minutes left to play, however, history was against Wheeler’s team. Cork were hoping for a third All-Ireland in-a-row and Christy Ring was hoping for a record eighth All-Ireland medal. In the end it was ‘the Rebel’s who won the game by 1-9 to 1-6.

In 1955 Wexford retained their provincial dominance with Rackard collecting a third Leinster medal. The subsequent All-Ireland semi-final saw Limerick providing the opposition. The team was trained by Mick Mackey, however, they were completely outclassed by Wexford who qualified for another All-Ireland final. Galway had got a bye into the final without picking up a hurley, however, they took the Wexford men to task. Wexford trailed at half-time; however, a Tim Flood goal near the end clinched the victory for Wexford. It was Wheeler’s first All-Ireland medal and Wexford’s first championship title since 1910.

1956 got off to a good start as Rackard added a National Hurling League medal to his collection. By this stage Wexford were earning a reputation as a great team and they proved it by retaining the Leinster title for a third successive year. Galway fell heavily in the All-Ireland semi-final, allowing Wexford to advance to an All-Ireland final meeting with Cork. The game has gone down in history as one of the all-time classics as Christy Ring was bidding for a ninth All-Ireland medal. The game turned on one important incident as the Wexford goalkeeper, Art Foley, made a miraculous save from a Ring shot and cleared the sliothar up the field to set up another attack. Nicky Rackard scored a crucial goal with two minutes to go giving Wexford a 2-14 to 2-8 victory. In spite of Cork's loss Wexford’s Nick O'Donnell and Rackard, in an unparalleled display of sportsmanship in any game, raised Christy Ring onto their shoulders and carried him off the field. Wexford had won the game and Rackard had collected his second All-Ireland medal but there was no doubt in their minds that the real hero was Ring. This was Rackard’s last major victory as he was forced to retire from inter-county hurling in 1957 due to injury.