TJ Reid says he sees no reason why he can’t stay playing inter-county hurling until he’s 40.
The Ballyhale maestro remains a key cog in the Kilkenny machine and is expected to line out either at full or centre forward in their forthcoming Leinster championship campaign, as they close in on a sixth provincial title in a row.
Having began his Kilkenny career in 2007, Reid (37) has since won seven All-Ireland medals, seven All-Stars and a Hurler of the Year award but he’s still going strong some eighteen years on.
He’s still the Cats’ free-taker and their main ball-winner in the forward line, showing he still has it with a vintage individual display in their victory over Limerick in the league recently, where he scored 0-10.
Apart from returning to the action slightly later than the rest of the panel (Reid sat out their first three games this year), he’s played a full role in recent years having suffered no serious injuries.
He runs TJ Reid Health and Fitness and he says the knowledge he’s picked up from the industry stands to him in terms of his longevity, and he continues to place a big emphasis on looking after himself.
When asked if he can stay going until he was 40, Reid said he could.
“I don’t see why not,” Reid said, as Centra announced the extension of their sponsorship of the All-Ireland senior hurling championship.
“I can, yeah. I have to ask the wife first…”
“But, yeah, the human body is a tool that can be used.
“Injury-wise I've been very, very, very lucky that I've had a few niggles here and there a few things that put me out for a few weeks or months but nothing long-term.”
“There were great soldiers back in the day like Mick Fennelly and Michael Rice who just with bad injuries probably had to retire two or three years early. Richie Power was another with his knee. Richie Hogan. Pádraic Maher.
“Unfortunately injuries can come on and it does make a decision a little bit easier. But I'm very lucky that I've had no major injuries that put me out. So we'll see how the 40 goes!”
Reid cracked his knee-cap in the 2012 All-Ireland final, leading to an eight month lay-off but that aside, he’s had no really long-term injuries. He tore his groin in the 2021 county final win over O’Loughlin Gaels but played on through their Leinster club campaign, and soon picked up osteitis pubis as a result.
4 December 2022; TJ Reid of Shamrocks Ballyhale with his wife Niamh de Brún-Reid and their new-born baby daughter Harper Mary after the AIB Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Club Championship Final match between Kilmacud Crokes of Dublin and Shamrocks Ballyhale of Kilkenny at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
That required plenty of managing through 2023 and 2024 but he was there for the big days whenever Kilkenny called on him.
“The body is good, I look after myself. My industry is health and fitness,” Reid says.
“My job is to inspire people to be better and to look after themselves with their health and fitness and strength and conditioning and nutrition.
“The main thing is that you have to enjoy it.
“The big thing is that you want to be going training, you want to be there, you have the willingness to put in the effort, the willingess to sacrifice, the willingness to dedicate your life to it because it's a high priority thing.
“For me, I have my family, my work, and my hurling. That's what I enjoy doing. I've nothing else outside of that.”
Centra Announce Extension of Their Sponsorship of the All-Ireland GAA Hurling Senior Championship 11/4/2025
TJ Reid, Patrick Horgan, Will O’Donoghue, Mark Rodgers, and Paddy Smyth alongside Des O’Mahony, Marketing Director, Centra, at Croke Park as Centra announced an extension of their sponsorship of the All-Ireland GAA Hurling Senior Championship for another five years. As the longest serving sponsor of the competition, 2025 marks Centra’s 16th year sponsoring the All-Ireland GAA Hurling Senior Championship.
To celebrate, Centra launched “Where there’s Hurling, there’s Centra” campaign which showcases Centra’s support for Gaelic Games at both a national and local level. Centra’s independent retailers across Ireland directly support an estimated 1,000 GAA clubs to the value of over €1.5 million, demonstrating Centra’s commitment to supporting all levels of Gaelic Games from grassroots to the highest levels.
Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan
