O'Sullivan quits hurling over helmet rule

Recently-retired Cork full back Diarmuid O'Sullivan has quit hurling completely over a new rule which makes the wearing of a hurling helmet compulsory from 1 January, 2010.

The news comes as a major blow to his club Cloyne, and 'The Rock' will now concentrate his sporting efforts on playing rugby for Highfield.

Speaking to the Sunday Independent, O'Sullivan said: 'At 30 years of age, a man should be able to make up his own mind whether or not he should have to wear a helmet, blasted the three-time All-Ireland winner, who never wore a hurling helmet.

'I've been very lucky with the lads in Highfield, they have been very good to me,' he continued.

'We're in off-season at the moment but pre-season starts soon and I'm really looking forward to it.'

The player also admitted that he did talk to new Cork hurling boss Denis Walsh about returning to the county fold prior to the championship, but was only prepared to return if he could be relieved of his full back duties and play further up the field.

'I sat down with Denis and we had a chat about the season ahead,' he recalled.

'After the game against Kilkenny last year, I didn't feel I could play again in the full back line. I told him this and I asked him if I could play a role somewhere else on the field and he said he would think about it. Which he did and he was honest and said he didn't think there was.

'I sat back after the meeting with him and thought for a while, wondering if I would go back and give it a go in the full-back line. I took a few hours to think about it but I had made up my mind after the Kilkenny game that full-back was no more for me so I just had to stick by it.'

He added: 'The last couple of weeks have been hard since we lost the club championship. Time is hard to fill, days are hard to fill, but I'll get there. The hardest thing for me since I gave up is that I used to be in contact with the lads all the time.

'We used to be great buddies but because of the decision I took I knew I had to distance myself from the them. Breaking away from the group and making a conscious decision that you are not part of this group anymore has been the hardest thing.'