club rugby magazine 4th edition

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CLUB FINANCES ● PROVINCIAL TOWNS CUP ● SCHOOLS RUGBY ● CLUB NEWS

TOMMY BOWETALKS TOCLUB RUGBY

LIGHTNINGBOWELT

ULSTERBANK LEAGUEROUND-UP, FIXTURES& PREVIEWS

CLUB PROFILESINSIDE

NEWBRIDGE, RAILWAY

UNION AND YOUNG MUNSTEREXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS

GEORGE HOOKJOHN FEEHAN

RBS 6NATIONS REVIEW

Club_Rugby_Indo2.indd 1 27/02/2013 13:01:11

S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

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3S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

WILSONS

24 VOLUNTEER COACHES Club Rugby pays tribute to all the part

time parents, teachers and stalwarts, who generously give their time to develop our future stars

26 RBS 6 NATIONS REVIEW

After a stunning opening weekend, this year’s RBS 6 Nations continues to surprise. With two rounds left, Club Rugby looks back at Ireland’s mixed campaign, and what lies ahead for Declan Kidney and his team

32 NATIONAL CLUBS FOCUS

Club Rugby visits Newbridge, Railway Union and Young Munster Rugby Clubs, to hear what’s happening at grass-roots level

30 SCHOOLS RUGBY

Tony Ward reports on the latest round of exciting games

14 INTERVIEW Love him or loathe him, larger than life

fi gure George Hook has led a fascinating life. Club Rugby chats to Irish rugby’s most colourful character

18 INTERVIEW Ireland and Ulster’s fl ying winger, Tommy

Bowe, talks to Club Rugby about his stunning career so far

22 INTERVIEW Club Rugby talks to John Feehan, the

man who oversees one of the three most infl uential tournaments in Northern hemisphere rugby

40 CLUB FINANCES Securing your club’s future

06 GENERAL NEWS The very latest talking points from

Local, National and International rugby, including a run down of all the latest Irish interest in the RaboDirect Pro12

38 NATIONAL CLUBS NEWS

In-depth round-up of all the latest from Ireland’s local club sides

44 ULSTER BANK LEAGUE Match reports, fi xtures and all the latest

news from every tier of our National League

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WELCOME MESSAGEfrom Shane Byrne

Editor: Alan Conway

Content Advisors: Shane ByrneTony Ward

Contributors: Shane ByrneTony WardRobert ForbesDaire Walsh

Design: Barry Sheehanwww.ifpmedia.com

Photography: Inpho

Financial Director: Tom McGrath

Accounts: Gemma Cameron

Managing Director: Brian O’Connell

Advertising and Marketing Director: Gerard Connon

Advertising: Amy McLoughlin

On Line Community Manager:Michael Corcoran

Media Partner:Jason Harding

Publisher: Council Publications Ltd.

Copyright CLUB RUGBY MAGAZINE 2013. No part of this

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4 S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

On the back of our fi rst issue with Ireland’s leading

newspaper the Irish Independent, we at Club Rugby

magazine would like to welcome you to our March

edition, and what a line up we have for you this

month.

We sit down with Ulster and Ireland winger Tommy

Bowe for an in depth interview in which we discuss

everything from his hopes and dreams for his

province & country along with his knee injury that

has curtailed his season to date, in a fascinating

interview.

Chief Executive of the RBS Six Nations John Feehan

talks to us about what it is like to be in charge of one

of the highest profi le brands in world rugby. George

Hook pulls no punches in a no holds barred interview,

as the legendary broadcaster talks about his own

career to date along with giving his opinions on the

current state of Irish rugby.

We have a comprehensive review of the

Six Nations championship, along with full

coverage of the Ireland women’s extraordinary

Six Nations championship, which has seen

them land the Triple Crown for the fi rst time in

their history.

Railway Union, Newbridge RFC and Young

Munster are profi led in our dedicated clubs

section, with interviews with all the current

Presidents along with the latest news from

each of the clubs. Tony Ward also gives his

unique take on schools rugby as the schools

cup season reaches fever pitch.

There is also comprehensive coverage of both

the Ulster Bank League and the Provincial

Towns Cup, along with up to the minute review

of the RaboDirect Pro12.

With all the latest news from clubs around the

country, Club Rugby is the only magazine that

you will need. I hope you enjoy this issue and I

look forward to talking to you next month.

Yours in Rugby

PS: If you would like the latest news from your club to feature in our publication please email [email protected] with any news that you would like us to cover in the magazine

TOMMY BOWE

TALKS TO CLUB RUGBY

LIGHTNINGBOWE

ULSTER BANK LEAGUEROUND-UP, FIXTURES & PREVIEWS

CLUB PROFILES INSIDE

NEWBRIDGE, RAILWAY

UNION AND YOUNG MUNSTER

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS

GEORGE HOOKJOHN FEEHAN


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GENERAL NEWS6 S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

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ATTENTION ALL RUGBY FANS!The hunt is on for the Golden TicketRugby fans across the country are being given the opportunity to win a trip to Rome, to see Ireland take on Italy at the Stadio Olimpico, on Saturday,

16th March 2013. Along with the help of Irish rugby stars Donnacha Ryan, Sean Cronin and Andrew Trimble, Ulster Bank have launched the ‘Ulster Bank

Golden Ticket’.

To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize, all you have to do is withdraw a 20 note from any Ulster Bank branch ATM, between 9.30am and 4pm, weekdays only, until March 6th. As part of Ulster Bank’s sponsorship of the RBS 6 Nations, four lucky winners, in four secret locations around the country, will each receive a Golden Ticket to Rome, to watch Ireland’s fi nal match of the 2013 championship.

Each ‘golden ticket’ prize award includes fl ights to Rome, overnight accommodation and match tickets for two people.

Now in its third year as Offi cial Community Partner to the IRFU, Ulster Bank continues to show their dedication to grassroots rugby through their sponsorship of the Ulster Bank League and the return of their successful club initiative, ‘Ulster Bank RugbyForce’.

Ulster Bank RugbyForce provides rugby clubs with the opportunity to win support packages to renovate their club and upgrade their facilities. This year, fi ve clubs will receive a 5,000 prize, with one coming down to a public vote. The winning clubs will also receive a special training session from an IRFU coach and two Irish Rugby stars.

Last year Ulster Bank RugbyForce received entries from almost 100 clubs across the country, with 54 clubs receiving funding and hundreds of volunteers from the clubs and communities taking part in the designated Ulster Bank RugbyForce Day. Rugby clubs have until Friday April 12th to enter RugbyForce on Ulster Bank’s dedicated rugby website - www.ulsterbank.com/rugby. Terms & Conditions Apply.

For terms and conditions for Golden Ticket please go to www.ulsterbank.com/rugby.


GENERAL NEWS8 S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

Rugby star Cullen backs new GOAL and Blackrock College RFC partnershipLeinster rugby captain, Leo Cullen has thrown his weight behind a new

partnership between GOAL and Blackrock College RFC.

Under the new deal, the Blackrock College fi rst team will carry GOAL’s logo on their jerseys, and the club and players will help support some of the charity’s fundraising work.

GOAL will also be afforded branding opportunities at the club’s headquarters at Stradbrook Road.

Following a meeting with GOAL CEO, Barry Andrews, Cullen, a Blackrock College RFC club member and Patron of GOAL for several years, revealed he is in talks with the aid agency about a possible trip to visit some of their overseas projects and learn about the work they are doing to support some of the most vulnerable people in the developing world.

Apart from the link with Cullen, GOAL and Blackrock College RFC already enjoy close ties. Current Irish international and former club star, Luke Fitzgerald is also an ambassador for the charity, as are former Ireland stars and club members, Shane Byrne, Bob Casey and Hugo MacNeill.

“Given GOAL’s strong links with the sporting community, and in particular the rugby fraternity, we are delighted to be teaming up with Blackrock College RFC,” said GOAL CEO, Barry Andrews. “We will be partnering one of the oldest and most revered rugby clubs in the country.”

Tony Amoroso, President of Blackrock College RFC said, “We are delighted to announce GOAL as our ‘Charity of Choice’ and look forward to the branding opportunities that this partnership will offer to both sides at our headquarters in Stradbrook. Blackrock College RFC and GOAL have had close associations for many years and are near neighbours in the Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown area. The Club also intends to offer support to GOAL’s global humanitarian work through this partnership.”

GOAL is currently working in 13 countries across the developing world. For more information on its work, including their emergency activities in Syria, please visit www.goal.ie

WOMEN MAKE HISTORYThe Ireland’s women’s team made history two weekends ago

when they won the fi rst Triple Crown in their history following a

hugely impressive 30-3 defeat of Scotland in Lasswade RFC.

Led by captain Fiona Coghlan, Ireland had registered wins against both Wales and England before their Triple Crown showdown against the Scots. Having history in the sights, Ireland attacked Scotland at every opportunity and it was the excellent Alison Miller who got Ireland’s fi rst try of the game after 27 minutes. Second half tries from Miller (again) Siobhán Fleming and Niamh Briggs put Ireland out of sight and into the history books to become the fi rst Irish women’s team to win silverware since the inception of women’s rugby. Along with landing their fi rst Triple Crown, Phillp Doyle’s side also secured qualifi cation for next year’s World Cup in Paris. Speaking after the game a delighted Doyle said “I’m just thrilled with the way girls performed in the last 25 minutes. There was a lot of pressure on us after the England victory, winning your fi rst Triple Crown was never going to be handed to us. It was always going to take something special. We had to dig ourselves out of this game.” Fiona Coghlan was understandably delighted with the result saying “We just didn’t have enough patience. We were trying to score too quickly instead of building the phases, forcing offl oads. But we put our game plan into practice in the second-half. To win 30-3 and not be happy is alright because we do have stuff to work on before France.”


10 S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

One win and one defeat saw Ulster’s lead at the top of the Rabodirect

Pro12 dramatically reduced as the race for playoff places hot’s up as

the domestic season comes into its fi nal stages.

A commanding 26-3 win against Zebre at Ravenhill with two tries each from Robbie Diack along with one each from Rob Herring and Ricky Andrew gave Mark Anscombe’s side a bonus point win that cemented their place at the top of the league table. However the province was in for a rude awaking when they travelled to face fellow play-off contenders Glasgow Warriors the following week. Despite Ruan Pienaar giving Ulster an early 3-0 lead, it would be the home side that would enjoy the better of things, thank in the main, to a man of the match performance from Niko Matawalu. The scrum-half pulled all the right strings as the home side squeezed the life out of Mark Anscombe’s side. Tries from Peter Murchie, Tommy Seymour, Tim Swinson, along with one from Matawalu gave the Warriors a comfortable 20-14 win to turn the heat right up on Ulster at the top of the table.

Leinster kept up their pursuit of Ulster & the Glasgow Warriors with two hugely impressive performances against Benetton Treviso and the Scarlets both of which took place at the RDS. Flanker Dominic Ryan stole the show against the Italian side with a hat-trick of tries in a 40-5 demolition. Two of Ryan’s tries came in a rampaging fi rst half which saw Joe Schmidt’s side secure their bonus point inside the opening half hour of the game. Treviso were simply blown. Ryan along with hooker Sean Cronin led the way, both scoring a brace of tries in the opening 40 minutes, as Joe Schmidt’s side dominated their visitors in every facet of the game in that opening half. They soon picked up where they left off with Ryan completing his hat-trick six minutes into the second half to put the game as a contest to bed. Substitute Leo Auva’a secured Leinster’s sixth try of the game to complete a fantastic all round performance from the home side.

Leinster carried that good form into their next game, bringing the same level of intensity to the contest as they blitzed fellow play-off contenders Scarlets 32-5 at a chilly RDS. Tries from John Cooney, Jordi Murphy, Andrew Goodman and man of the match Aaron Dundon gave Leinster the bonus point that there performance so richly deserved and it keeps the province right in the playoff hunt as their domestic season enters its most crucial juncture.

While Leinster and Ulster kept their playoff hopes alive, Munster continue to stutter their way through their domestic campaign. A trait that was clearly exposed as Rob Penney’s men slumped to two disappointing defeats to the Scarlets and Treviso respectively.

In a rare off day for Munster fl y-half Ronan O’Gara in Wales, it was the boot of his opposite number Owen Williams that proved to be the difference between the

two sides. Williams kicked all of the Scarlets points, with O’Gara missing a few very kickable penalties during the course of the eighty minutes. It was a game that struggled to spark into life with both forward packs taking each other on, which diluted the number of attacking chances that both sides could create.

Opportunities were always going to be few and far between, and despite a try from Denis Hurley, Munster never really looked like clawing back the defi cit.

Things went from bad to worse for Munster next time out when they travelled to face Italian franchise Treviso. In a disjointed performance from the away side, Treviso dominated Munster for large chunks of the game, looking dangerous whenever they ran at the Munster rear guard. Ludovico Nitoglia, Gideon la Grange, Fabio Semenzato, Giulio Toniolatti and Filippo Giusti all crossed the whitewash for Treviso, with Munster only able to muster a penalty try, in a performance that the province will want to forget very quickly.

Those two defeats puts even more pressure on their chances of reaching the playoffs and with their upcoming Heineken Cup quarter fi nal on the horizon, it promises to be an intriguing couple of months ahead for Rob Penney’s outfi t.

The infl uence that Dan Parks has had on Connacht since his arrival into the province at the start of the season has been huge and the fl y

half demonstrated his important to Eric Elwood’s side in particular when he guided them to a tremendous 22-10 victory over the

Ospreys. His 17 point haul, in a terrifi c kicking display against the Ospreys, gave Connacht their fi rst win over the Welsh club since 2008, and put

a major dent in their play-off hopes as a result. Parks dominated the game as

Connacht tore into the Welsh side from the fi rst whistle. The away side were not helped with their poor discipline in what was a free fl owing and very exciting game to watch. A try from Man of the Match Willie Faloon

was the icing on the cake for Connacht as they ran out deserving winners to not only dent the Ospreys play-off

aspirations, but in the process boosted the chances of Leinster, who are battling it out with the Ospreys for one of the coveted play-off places.

Faloon was one again to the fore for Connacht as Eric Elwood’s men secured back to back wins for the fi rst time since April 2010, when they narrowly defeated the Cardiff Blues 26-22. The fl anker notched two tries in a hugely

impressive performance.Along with Faloon’s brace of tries, Danie Poolman’s early effort and 11 points from Miah Nikora gave Connacht a hugely deserved win which delighted coach Eric Elwood. “We have our own goals set for the next few games.

We have Zebre coming to Galway next week so the key for us is to keep building on the momentum we have at the moment.”

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LOVE HIM OR LOATH

HIM, THIS LARGER THAN

LIFE FIGURE HAS LED

A FASCINATING LIFE

OF HUGE HIGHS AND

LOWS. THERE IS, AND

WILL ONLY BE, ONE

GEORGE HOOK

12 S P R I N G 2 0 1 3


13S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster / and treat

those two impostors just the same” Rudyard Kipling 1895.

That famous line, which has echoed down the generations,

could very well describe, the larger than life, uniquely

talented, George Hook.

The road that Hook has travelled since he was born on May 19th 1941

has seen many peaks and troughs, with some dizzying heights and soul

sucking lows.

Speaking in a Dublin Hotel, you can see the scars that have shaped

his life, but also the emotion and passion that has brought him to the

forefront of radio and television broadcasting, as one of the familiar faces

and voices of Irish rugby punditry.

A thoroughly proud son of Cork, Hook’s early years were very much

infl uenced by his two parents. Explaining that both of them were, as he

puts it, ‘both self-educated by the Cork library’ he talks about his life

growing up with a tremendous sense of pride.

“My father was very much a working class man. We lived in a terraced

house with an outside toilet. He worked for CIE in the Cork train station,

but he was terribly knowledgeable about rugby and cricket, which

wouldn’t have been the sport of many of our neighbours I can tell you!

“In fact I took a fair bit of ribbing as a kid because my father would take

me down to the local park and bowl to me for hours. I’d nearly say that

cricket was my fi rst love and I often think that I was a better cricketer

than a rugby player.

“Another thing about my father was that he was also a dance band

drummer. He had his day job along with being in the band, and the money

that he made from the drumming put me through Presentation Brothers

College which gave me my introduction to rugby; because when you went

to Pres., rugby was the sport you played.

“There were only two rugby schools in Cork, Pres. & Christians, so the

rivalry was intense. It was so intense that during that period of time they

never played friendlies against each other, they only played if there were

drawn against each other in the cup, because they felt that the intensity

between the two sides was too much!”

Life in Presentation College, however, would be a tough time for the young

Hook. Having come from a less than affl uent background and playing his

school’s career in the scrum, Hook’s confi dence suffered as a result, as he

takes up the story.

“I was in a class where my fellow classmate’s fathers were bankers,

doctors or dentists, and there was I. That certainly affected my self-

esteem growing up, without a doubt. Then in rugby I thought about things

too much, namely the pain that I was going to take.

“I had low esteem for big parts of my life, which some people may fi nd

hard to believe. I suppose it changed for me, in rugby terms, when I

became captain of Mary’s. At that point I was 28 and I was thinking ‘well

I’m the captain, so I can’t be chicken’. That was a sea change for me. I

often think that the George Hook that is here now had been coached by

the George Hook in early life; I would have been a much better player than

I was, because I would have understood what young George Hook was

going through”.

His rugby career continued to grow in tandem with his off the fi eld life.

Having graduated from the Rathmines College of Commerce, Hook began

his working life, in his father footsteps, working as a temporary clerk in

in association with


14 S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

GEORGE ON...

...INJURIES IN SPORT

“Prop forwards are now making more tackles in a match than I would have made in an entire season as a back-row forward. The intensity of the game is becoming too much. I think the medical profession in this country has failed rugby.

They have been quiet when the game has developed into what I think is the most dangerous sports game on earth. Nobody can play rugby and expect to play eighteen holes of golf at 40, it’s just not possible.

The medical profession have allowed the game to exist in its current state. They have known that there is a concussion problem in the game and they have ignored it.

In America now we are seeing class action law suits by NFL players against the NFL because of the damage they have done to their brain. There is no doubt in my mind that there are players who have played in Ireland and have no record of having been concussed on their medical CV. I defy anyone who watches rugby every weekend to say that player x has not been concussed.

The Ireland v Argentina game in November is a case in point. The Argentina fl y-half came off and everyone could see that he didn’t know what day of the week it was. He spent ten minutes in the concussion bin and came back on. It was outrageous. I am an angry old man when it comes to the medical profession in rugby.

At the moment the current medical profession in rugby is made up of ex-players. They love the game. However I think the next generations of medical professionals won’t have played the game and they will be much tougher.

I think there is a sense now, worldwide, that rugby is getting out of hand. I think very soon, in the next couple of years, people will look at this game and feel it should be changed.

What these young men are doing to their bodies is beyond comprehension. Someone like Brian O’Driscoll may deem it worthwhile when he retires and he has x number of million in the bank, but what about the academy player who gets 60 grand a year and is taking the same beating that O’Driscoll is. Is it worth it for him?

None of these professionals have a career after rugby and we can see this. They have no career and they all want George Hook’s job, but the problem is only one of them can have George’s job. They don’t have careers or millions in the bank, so they have to work. In my view they have been failed by the union in that regard”.

GEORGE ON...

...‘THAT’ SPLIT WITH EDDIE O’SULLIVAN

“Towards the end of our period in America there were two camps, one that wanted to keep the coaching ticket and one that didn’t want us. The national coach at the time was particularity vociferous that he wanted a change.

So Ron Mayes said to me ‘You just stay out of this. They can’t touch you because they don’t have anyone to replace you. I’ll fi ght your battle with the committee’. Ron was all set to fi ght the battle, then the next minute who does he see walking up the corridor but Eddie.

Ron says to Eddie ‘What are you doing here?’ and Eddie says ‘I’ve been called before the committee’. So Eddie goes in and the committee say ‘If we sack Hook can you do the job?’ and he said ‘Absolutely I can do the job’.

Now I was pretty annoyed to say the least and so was Ron Mayes because he was let go too. It was the best thing to happen to

me, when you think about it, because I come back home, I think my world has ended, and then I got the break with RTÉ.

About a month or so later there is a knock on my door and it was Eddie. So he comes into the house and says to me ‘Are

you peeved at me?’ and I said ‘Too right I am’. He comes in, sits down, and it was typical Eddie in the way that he

handled the conversation. He said, straight to the point, ‘what do you expect me to do? Did you expect me to go down in fl ames with you? I said ‘well I guess I did!’ In some ways I saw the logic in what he did. So we shook hands, in a ‘let’s put it behind us’ kind of way. By this time I was writing for the Independent and Eddie is Assistant to Gatty (Warren Gatland) and I am pushing his case very hard, as I would do today. I remember I was in Houston Texas and the paper rang me saying that Eddie was the new Ireland coach and they needed a 1000 words from me.

I wrote at the time that Eddie’s appointment was the best thing to happen to Irish rugby. I was

Eddie’s greatest supporter.

The next thing I was working with RTÉ and he is the Irish coach, and we both knew, independently, that we couldn’t be going out for drinks together because the nature of our two jobs.

Then I started my campaign, which took ten years for me to be proved right, that the Irish scrum wasn’t good enough, which led to some tension between us. Eddie famously went on the record and said ‘George Hook is talking bullshit. Ireland has a fantastic scrum’.

He then went to RTÉ and basically wanted me off the station, which reopened old wounds between us and we drifted apart and didn’t talk.“

in association with


15S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

CIE, before moving on to become a traveling salesman’s for the Burrough Corporation. Those two jobs preceded his involvement with a catering company, which would be a big part of his life for the best part of two decades.

Despite having a busy working life, Hook’s love and passion for the game of rugby continued to grow unabated, while freely admitting that ‘bad rugby players make good coaches, so I qualifi ed on that premise’, Hook would go onto to enjoy a tremendously successful coaching career, albeit, with some controversial moments along the way.

Coaching a Jewish rugby team may not be the most conventional way to start your coaching career, but that is exactly how Hook fi rst cut his teeth as a coach. A chance meeting with an old friend while walking down Grafton St in Dublin opened a door than would change his life forever.

“Back then I played a lot of cricket, and there was a very good Jewish team at the time called Carlisle who were based in Kimmage Road West. There was this guy called Tony Obernik and he said that his rugby team were getting hammered every week and would I come down and help them out.

“So I was training with Mary’s on Tuesday and Thursday, coaching Carlisle Monday & Wednesday, playing with Mary’s on Saturday and watching Carlisle on Sunday, so suddenly I was involved in rugby six days a week.

“I loved the technical aspect of coaching. Eddie O’Sullivan once said to me, when he was assistant to me at Connacht, ‘George. We have the technology.’ I used to love developing defensive systems and all that sort of thing”.

That love of coaching would see him travel the world, moving up from Connacht to London Irish, to coaching at the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, with the American Eagles side. By his side throughout this time would be future Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan. Much has been made, and written about the relationship between Hook and O’Sullivan. Opinions have been tossed around like confetti for many years about the pair. When you bring up the subject of that relationship, Hook leans forward, almost relishing the question.

“I think Eddie and I had as good a relationship as two coaches could have had. Eddie was teacher and he took a leave of absence to become a paid member of the IRFU. The union asked me to coach Connacht and I had met Eddie on a couple of occasions, so I said that I would like him to become my assistant. We met in the Great Southern Hotel in Eyre Square. He walked in with about 25 sheets of paper, sat down and said ‘this is what I think we should do’ and I just thought ‘great’. We had an incredible bond. I would stay in his house as we worked out plans and so forth.

“In our fi rst season together we should have won the interprovincial championship. We lost by a point to Munster, two points against Leinster and three against Ulster. If we won that championship, that would have shot us into the stratosphere. We discovered a lot of players in our time at Connacht. Tom Clancy, Ireland. Jim Staples, Ireland. Simon Geoghegan, Ireland. We put more players from Connacht into the Irish team than anyone has done before or since then. But there was no respect. The Union looked at Connacht as they do now”.

Hook moved on from Connacht, across the water to London Irish, while


16 S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

GEORGE ON...

...ON CLUB RUGBY IN IRELAND

“Nobody of my generation, when we were sitting around watching an interprovincial game could imagine that someday there would be 55,000 people in the Aviva Stadium watching Leinster v Munster.

The club game was pre-eminent back then. In fact, when the development of the European game came along, nobody in Ireland believed that it would be the provinces in the European Cup. I remember well that there was a line of thinking that there would be super teams, like Leicester and Harlequins, there would be a Garryowen/Shannon or a Lansdowne/ Wanderers. Even back then nobody believed that the provinces would command the loyalty that they have.

It’s very different now. Nobody calls Leinster a province. Everyone calls them a club. Previously people may have supported Leinster when they were playing, but deep down their loyalty would have been to their club.

I think the club game as we know it is doomed. I think they should scrap the Ulster Bank League. It’s a pointless exercise sending Clonakilty to Connemara when it’s not a meaningful competition. To me the standard of the league is the equivalent of J1 rugby at the peak of the amateur game.

Rugby is dying on its feet. People will point to the numbers playing the game. The numbers are big because of kids, women and tag rugby players. How many people are playing for the clubs?

There is a total disconnect with the club game in Ireland. I don’t believe the IRFU are remotely interested in the club game. In a way why should they be, because their bread and butter come from provinces and the international team?

The way people live nowadays is another reason why the club game is suffering. Rugby practice used to be 6.30 on Tuesday & Thursday and everyone was there. Now guys will say ‘ah jaysus the wife won’t let me go’ plus he may have an hour’s drive to get to training, and thirdly his boss won’t let him leave at 5.30 to make training. So social life has completely turned against the club ethos.

The fi nal thing that I will think will nail club rugby in Ireland is the way the game has developed. You cannot sit in an insurance company from 9-5, train during the week and play the game in its current state. It cannot be done.

Denis Hickie, for example, worked for the Sun Alliance insurance company. He would work there during the week, and then would play against France on the Saturday. Niall Hogan I would venture will be the last doctor to captain Ireland, so the disconnect in this country is massive”.

GEORGE ON...

...ON FAMILY

“I gave my wife Ingrid so much grief. Today my son, George the fourth, talks about going to Willow Park as a seven or eight year old, and he would be the only boy on his team in the playground at 4.30pm because his father forgot to pick him up. He would be in tears going into the reception and asking ‘where is my Dad?’. He still talks about it, but he says it in a lovely way, because he loves me.

I created incredible pain for them. What Ingrid did was she kept the show on the road. Whether it was out of stubbornness, or pride or whatever, she kept going. She paid the school fees, along with the electricity, when I was off in America or wherever.

There was a famous occasion in 1987 where she is wondering where I am. Suddenly her stepfather shouts at the television ‘there’s the bugger’. I was at the US v Japan game at the Rugby World Cup. The phones were cut off and there I was, in Australia.

In all honesty I put her through hell. She got fed up in 1995, told me that she was leaving me which made something click. I have always loved Ingrid, but I couldn’t tell her. When she told me she was leaving I tried to get myself together.

Crucially for me, television came along at that point. I was working away with the Indo but I was only getting a 100 quid a month. However she saw that I was trying to do something meaningful and for the fi rst time I was getting a pay check.

One of the great things now is that my family are very proud of me. My wife and my kids saw all those bad times that I went through and they saw how I pulled myself out of it”.

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17S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

not receiving any money for coaching the Premiership side, ‘although people in the IRFU believed I did’, admits Hook. It was a belief that would see him, as Hook puts it ‘dumped’ from his role as coach to the Ireland students team, a side he coached with now Munster CEO Gareth Fitzgerald. Following his release from London Irish, a small stint at Fylde, a period of his life he describes as ‘black & so lonely’ a phone call from Ron Mayes, who Hook had coached alongside with in the 1987 RWC, saw Hook pack his suit case and move across the Atlantic to America where he would, once again, team up with Eddie O’Sullivan.

“At the time they were looking for a Director of Rugby because the coaching wasn’t up to par. It was a non-paying job so I said ‘ok give me two months to raise the money. I got sponsorship and headed over. My offi ce was in Providence, Rhode Island, and I would fl y every Friday, do a coaching course somewhere and fl y back on the Sunday night, so it was hectic to say the least.

“Eddie was at Connacht at the time and wanted a three year deal to stay on as coach. Connacht would only give him a year. I got him two jobs, one as my assistant and one as assistant to the Eagles, so he was earning twice as much as I was.

“We were so good together. We put together one of the best programs that the IRB had ever seen. Eddie was a fantastic technical coach, but I think I was a better selector.

“I think since then Eddie hasn’t had that type of partnership. I might be talking myself up a bit, but Eddie needed a George Hook. His weakness is that he is a micro manager. That’s his nature. Someone like me would have been able to counter balance that”.

The fall out that subsequently happened with O’Sullivan (see snippets) saw Hook return to Ireland, crestfallen. Luck however would be on his side this time. A chance break with RTÉ, combined with a newspaper column with the Irish Independent, saw Hook develop over the course of time as one of the most out spoken rugby analysts of our time.

“It was such an accident”, Hook recalls. “Ireland were playing Italy and RTÉ were stuck, so someone asked me to come in. At the 1995 Rugby World Cup I had done a 30 second piece to camera and they remember that. It was like a one off gig for twenty fi ve quid.

“That fi rst appearance went really well and things developed from there, then the newspaper developed after that, then the radio, so suddenly at age fi fty fi ve I am happy for the fi rst time in my life. Now I’m a man who has lived three score years and ten and I am still the happiest man alive.

Having lived through all the dark days, days where Hook freely admits that it was diffi cult to get out of bed, would he take anything back, or change anything that has come his way over his extraordinary life?

“No”, he says with a passionate retort. “I believe what makes me a good television pundit is because I have seen it and I have done it. When I say something, I have done it. When I said a 19 year old fl y-half who played for Cork Con was probably the best since Ollie Campbell, it was Ronan O’Gara. When I said John Hayes couldn’t scrummage, I took abuse for ten years to be proved right.

“I went to Ulster and said that Stephen Ferris couldn’t play open side fl anker, again I took abuse, but I feel I’ve been proved right.

“Essentially I have to put my balls on the block and I’m not afraid to do that. I’m paid to have an opinion, even if I wasn’t paid to have an opinion, I would still give it”.

“I have lived a life, for good and bad. Not many people try to commit suicide, or have their wife threaten to divorce them or have lived in a basement apartment in Rhode Island where there was only space for a bed, or had their car repossessed by AIB.

“I am the sum of my parts. Most people have a normal life, go to college, get a job and settle down. George had a monumental f****ng shambles for 35 years and at aged 55 he got the job he always wanted. So I am what I am.

“My best fi fteen years of my life are at a period of time when most people are playing bridge. During the Six Nations I will broadcast fi ve days a week, I’ll be on the radio Saturday morning and the television Saturday afternoon and Sunday. There aren’t too many people my age that are working seven days a week let me tell you.

“I am the great example of the phrase ‘if you work at something you love, you will do it for nothing’ and I would.

Love him or loath him, there is and will only be one George Hook.

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18 S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

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19S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

f he wasn’t so nice you would almost be a little jealous of Tommy

Bowe. A Grand Slam winner with Ireland, a British & Irish Lions star,

fl ying winger with Ulster and a soon to be qualifi ed pilot. Not bad for

a guy who has recently turned 28.

However at the moment Bowe is grounded. A serious knee injury which

he suffered during Ulster’s clash with the Northampton Saints back in

December has seen the Co Monaghan man miss out on one of the busiest

periods of the rugby year. Chatting to Club Rugby however one gets the

sense that he is handling the enforced layoff better than most.

Bowe has come a long way since he fi rst made the journey down from Co

Monaghan to Lansdowne Road with his friends to watch Ireland play and

watch players the calibre of Simon Geoghegan dashing down the wings,

images that were seared into his mind as he explains.

“Those days were just great”, Bowe muses. “It wasn’t even going to the

matches to an extent. It was the craic that you would have with all your

friends on the way down to the game. You might only watch half the

match because you would be having such a good time with your mates.

“I suppose my Irish hero, if you like, would have been Simon Geoghegan.

There was just something about him and his style of play that caught my

eye. Internationally Christian Cullen was my idol. He was a phenomenal

player and was someone that I would have tried to model myself on when

I was growing up”.

Bowe’s love of sport is rooted in his family genes. His father Paul, won a

Leinster Schools’ Cup medal with Newbridge College on the 1970 team,

which was captained by Mick Quinn and went on to win a cap for the

Leinster Schools. His sister, Hannah, is an Ireland hockey international

and she is also a member of the Monaghan ladies Gaelic football team,

while his brother David combines his studying with playing rugby for his

college in England.

Growing up it was the GAA fi elds along with the rugby pitches that

occupied Bowe’s time. Along with playing for the Monaghan GAA team (up

to minor level) he played with Monaghan RFC, before gradually making

the step-up to Queens University.

“I was a jack of all trades”, Bowe laughingly admits. “I played GAA during

the summer months and then rugby in the winter. I was fairly competitive

so I always enjoyed that side of the game, be it GAA or rugby”.

While the natural talent was always there Bowe never gave serious

thoughts towards a career in professional rugby. He ponders that if his

exams had of gone better, there might never have been the opportunity to

pull on the white jersey of Ulster or the green jersey of Ireland.

“Well I made a mess of my A Levels for a start. I was never the star of

any of the teams that I played on so having a career in rugby was never

at the forefront of my thoughts. Alan Clarke from the Ulster Academy

was watching me and I suppose he saw something in me and he took a

chance on me, which I’m very grateful for”.

That fi rst break was just the opening that Bowe needed. He made his

debut for his native province at the end of 2003-04 season against

Connacht, scoring a try to cap a tremendous fi rst performance.

His star continued to rise the following season, displaying a rare

combination of speed, strength and a killer eye for the try line that marked

him out as a player of huge potential. While it may appear that Bowe had

a seamless transition through the ranks, the step up to playing provincial

rugby was something that he initially struggled to come to terms with.

“In the beginning I didn’t really enjoy it”, Bowe admits. “In many ways it

was surreal because I was used to watching players like David Humphreys

playing for Ulster and here I was in the same side as him.

“I found it a very big step up from playing with Queens. You’re playing

against grown men who were constantly in the gym and maybe I was

lacking in a bit of belief and self-confi dence in the early days. But Mark

McCall had faith in me and gave me a chance to prove myself and

gradually I became more comfortable with my own game and things went

from there”.

And how things progressed. Bowe developed to become an integral part of

the Ulster setup over the course of the next three seasons before taking,

what would have been seen by many, as a risky move to the Welsh outfi t

the Ospreys for the 2009 season.

While many people have been taken aback by Jonny Sexton’s proposed

move to Racing Metro next season, it is easy to forget that Bowe was

among a minority of Irish players to make the move away from their

province to test themselves in different rugby regions.

It was that challenge of testing himself in a different rugby environment

that attracted Bowe to the Ospreys. He does admit, looking back now, that

making the decision to leave Ulster was a ‘massive gamble’.

“It was a huge risk. Very few players had left Ireland before so it was

something that could have gone either way. However it is rugby at the end

of the day, no matter where you play.

“I had fi ve great years at Ulster but the opportunity was there to try

something different. At the time the Ospreys were building one of the

best sides in Europe so to be a part of that was hugely exciting. It was a

massive challenge but sometimes you need that kick up the arse. You can

get stale so it is important that you have fresh challenges”.

If there were any worries that Bowe’s move to the Welsh valleys would

backfi re, they disappeared very quickly. In a team littered with huge

names, Bowe’s star continued to rise at the Ospreys. In his fi rst season

with the Welsh side he scored a remarkable four tries in a European clash

with Italian side Treviso along with becoming the leading try scorer in

what was then the Magners League.

Along with his thriving club career, Bowe was making waves on the

international scene too. Having made his Ireland debut during the 2004

November internationals against the USA, in the process becoming the

fi rst Monaghan man to be capped for Ireland since the 1920’s, Bowe’s

time in the Ireland jersey stuttered and started before he cemented his

place as one of the fi rst names on the team sheet in current times.

Putting the green jersey on for the fi rst time in 2004 was as Bowe

describes as ‘beyond a boyhood dream’ but for years it was something

that he dared not think about, as he explains.

“Personally it never entered my head that I would one day play for Ireland.

It means a huge amount to me whenever I get the chance to put on the

green jersey and it is a responsibility that I take very seriously”.

His rise to international prominence didn’t come without its fair share of

troubles. Bowe narrowly missed out on a place in Eddie O’Sullivan’s 30

man squad for the ill-fated 2007 Rugby World Cup, something which was

a huge blow to him at the time.

He rebounded though and proved to be a vital cog in the Ireland team that

would reach their holy grail by landing the Grand Slam in 2009. The fi nal,

oh so tense, game against Wales saw perhaps the most defi ning moment

that Bowe has had in his Ireland career, burning the Welsh defence to

score Ireland’s second try of the game, a score that would prove to be vital

come the end of the game.

Playing against Wales is always something unique for Bowe, but to score

the winning try against so many players he played with, surely that must

have been an extra special feeling for the winger?

“Oh without a doubt”, Bowe says. “Scoring that try was something that

I will never ever forget. Being part of the Grand Slam winning side was

something that I cherish every day. It was an amazing experience and

something that I would love to happen again”.


20 S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

“I think this Ireland team has many great days ahead in front of them. On our day we are more than capable of beating any team in the world. Perhaps it is inconsistency on our part. There have been little mistakes rather than big mistakes made, maybe we have been trying to force things a shade in the past. The one thing I can say is that it is never from a lack of trying that we have come up short in recent times”.

Domestically Bowe’s reputation and value continued to grow and at the end of last season he made the decision to come back home and re-join Ulster for the 2012/13 campaign. While it was a tough decision to leave the Ospreys having had such success with the Welsh side, the lure of returning to his home province and join a team very much on the up was something that Bowe couldn’t turn down.

“I loved every minute that I spent at the Ospreys but coming home was something that always appealed to me. They didn’t hold any grudges against me when I told them of my decision, which was great. They really wanted me to stay but there were a number of things that infl uenced me in coming back to Ulster”.

When Bowe did return he came back into a province that had changed wholly in the intervening period when he was with the Ospreys. The province, once again, became a force in European rugby, only losing out to Leinster in last season’s Heineken Cup.

Coming back to Ulster, did he notice any fundamental differences from when he left? “I wouldn’t say there have been fundamental differences, but there is a number of subtle differences. There is a real level of professionalism around the province now. Everything is geared towards becoming the best team that we can be. Mark Anscombe has done a terrifi c job since he has come in and there is a real positive vibe around the team now.

“Personally it’s a hugely exciting time to be involved with Ulster. There is tremendous competition for places now. You have the likes of Craig Gilroy and Andrew Trimble pushing for places now which is great. You need to be pushed and having the likes of Gilly and Trims there motivates you”.

Away from the pitch Bowe is equally as busy. Along with rehabbing his injured knee, ‘I’m an awful patient. You can ask anyone’ he is currently studying a distance learning course with Hibernia College. Having fi nished his degree seven years ago, he admits that it was a struggle to get back into the swing of studying. His study buddy is fellow winger Andrew Trimble, however Bowe admits that his teammate has some unfair assistance when it comes to the grind of studying.

“Well his wife is a doctor so he has a bit of an advantage over me”, Bowe laughs. “He has it a bit easier!. The studying is a huge challenge but rugby can consume you at times, so it is important to have that outlet.

“I’m also looking at fi nishing up my pilot lessons. It has been very busy over the last while, but hopefully I’ll be able to get them done over the next while. The fl ying is something that I really enjoy”. And any chance of a singing career further down the line? “Haha. Thankfully I’ve have very few requests for songs. I think that is beginning to die thank God”.

That good natured wit has sustained Bowe throughout his injury layoff. He admits that it might be more ‘months than weeks before I am back’. When he does return to the fray he has the added incentive of the Lions tour to Australia this summer. However he feels that the cards may not fall his way in his pursuit to bag a seat on the plane to Oz.

“I think the odds are stacked against me to be honest. It was amazing to be involved with the last Lions tour to South Africa. You are feeding off the best players around and picking up so many things along the way.

“You never know what will happen. For the moment I am just concentrating on getting back on the fi eld with Ulster with hopefully lots still to play for. There are lots of exciting times ahead and I can’t wait to be involved”.

Sentiments that I am sure are echoed by rugby fans across the island.

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Sat against the backdrop of the Royal Dublin Society, John

Feehan’s expansive desk oversees not only a stunning view, but

also a huge empire that encompasses one of the three most

infl uential tournaments in Northern hemisphere rugby.

As CEO of the RBS Six Nations, Rabo Direct Pro12 and the British & Irish Lions, Feehan’s schedule may be consistently busy, however sitting down to talk to Club Rugby magazine, one would quickly forget just how much of an infl uence that Feehan has on the game in this part of the world.

A naturally relaxed and affable man, Feehan speaks with a focused intensity for a job that has seen many changes since he fi rst took offi ce back in 2002. However his roots in the game of rugby go much further back.

Educated in CBC Monkstown, he began his playing career in the back row, a position that he wouldn’t stay in for too long, gradually progressing to the front row. His love of the game was instant, as he explains.

“I just loved the whole atmosphere and everything that encompassed the game of rugby. In school you didn’t have too many choices aside from rugby to play, but not withstanding that, it was a sport that I fell in love with”.

While he never quite reached the heady heights of international rugby, Feehan had a relatively successful playing career, combining a long stint at Old Wesley with a number of appearances for Leinster. In talking about his own playing days, he admits that while he was never going to reach the top end of the game, it was a period of time that he looks back on with the fondest of memories.

“I have so many memories, too many in fact”, he says laughingly. “In all seriousness, I have nothing but good memories from my playing days. I

remember one time when I was playing for Old Wesley, and we travelled down to Thomond to play Shannon. There was a crowd in excess of 5,000- 6,000, which was incredible. To put that in some sort of context, I can remember playing in front of a bigger crowd for my club one weekend and then I playing to half that number for Leinster the following weekend.

“The one thing that I did fi nd was that it became tough to combine playing rugby and maintaining a 9-5 job. At that time my job required a lot of travelling, so it was very diffi cult, but like everything, you fi nd a solution and just get on with things”.

Despite not reaching the level of an international rugby player, Feehan continued his links with the sport in an off the fi eld capacity. He was brought into the Six Nations family in a commercial capacity, having brought with him an excellent track record in other areas of business.

Feehan brought that success with him into the Six Nations brand, and it wasn’t too long before he became the Chief Executive Offi cer of the RBS Six Nations in April 2002.

Having ascended to the top job, Feehan took over a role that had several issues that needed to be resolved. At the time there was no constitution that copper fastened the Six Nations Championship, meaning that there was no consistent set of rules for all the six competing teams to adhere to. The introduction of that constitution is one of the things that Feehan is justifi ably proud of. “The constitution is hugely important as it tells people three things. It tells them 1) how the whole thing operates, 2) it tells them what benefi ts they will accrue from it and, 3) it tells them what their obligations are to the central body.

“Once we had the constitution in place it was a lot easier to make progress and conduct business, because we had a lot more structure”.

22 S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

in association with


Getting that structure in place and as he puts it, “professionalising the whole operation” was one of the main goals when Feehan took the reigns. Along without having a constitution, the Six Nations, wasn’t as big a global brand as it has become in the intervening decade, so generating enough money to keep the Six Nations running as a commercially viable entity was one of the biggest challenges, as Feehan explains.

“Revenue makes the whole show go really, so addressing the commercial issues within the brand was one of the fi rst things we had to do. It is something that we have managed to do with a great deal of success. I would say that we have trebled our turnover in the last number of years, which generates tens of millions of extra euro to the unions, which, in turn, feeds back into the game”.

The introduction of Italy into what was then known as the Five Nations in the year 2000, was one of the most seismic developments since the game of rugby union went professional, shortly after the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Bringing Italy into the international fold, not only made sense from a playing point of view (as it gave the game a chance to grow & develop), it was also a tremendously good commercial opportunity for the Six Nations to broaden their brand to a new audience.

When you quiz Feehan about the decision to bring Italy in from the wilderness, he is unequivocal in his feelings about the move. “If you look at things from a fi nancial point of view, in rugby terms there are two major commercial rugby markets in the Northern Hemisphere, namely the British & French.

“So if you want to develop the game to a wider audience and to different markets, you need to fi nd a market that can contribute signifi cant funds back into the whole thing, and Italy is probably the best opportunity we had to do that. Thankfully we have had a great experience with Italy in the Six Nations. Also having two teams competing in the Rabo Direct Pro12 will help them immeasurably too”.

Having overseen the rise & rise of the Six Nations to the level where it is the most competitive yearly international competition in world rugby, when you ask where John Feehan feels the tournament stands in world rugby, he leans in a little closer to you, to leave you in no doubt as to not only where he sees the competition, but what it, personally, means to him.

“It is the biggest annual rugby tournament in the world, period. We only have 15 games, yet within those games, we have over a million people attending. We broadcast to 162 countries around the world, with hundreds of millions of people watching on television. There is now over 20,000 hours of footage broadcast throughout the course of the tournament around the world, which is up about three fold in the last three years.

“The turnover of the Six Nations, if you add it up over a four year period, is about three and a half times greater than a World Cup. It is the underpinning key property that keeps the unions going, because it generates such funds, it is just such an important competition, on so many different levels”.

Having being at the helm for the better part of a decade now, Feehan has seen many, never to be forgotten moments, on the pitch in the Six Nations. When you ask him to venture a favourite moment, it is something that happened far away from the madding crowds and television cameras, that remains his happiest memory.

“It was back in 2004, when the constitution was signed. It was probably the most signifi cant day in the history of the Six Nations, that day all the tension between the unions, about who gets what, stopped.

“In rugby terms, I was lucky enough to be on the stage when Ireland lifted the Grand Slam back in 2009, so that was obviously a very special day. However the one that really stands out for me is when England came to play Ireland in Croke Park back in 2007.

“There was something electric and special about the atmosphere that day. The sheer respect that was afforded to both anthems was amazing. Friendship and respect are two of the key values that we have in rugby and they were on display in spades that day”.

Looking forward to the future, Feehan is not only confi dent that the Six Nations will remain at its current level, but that it can go on and develop even further over the course of the next number of years as he outlines.

“It depends on your time frame, but it is highly unlikely that we will see a Seven Nations any time soon. However can the championship expand around the world? Yes it can. As I have said we have had a trebling of revenue over the last number of years, we are also going to do something very special in one or two digital areas in the coming years.

“I think we will look at the developing markets around the world as well as continue to build on our existing platforms that we have in place already. We also have to ensure that each union is kept funded and healthy. So it’s an on-going challenge”.

A challenge, but one that with John Feehan in charge, one that will be met head on.

...THE 2013 BRITISH & IRISH LIONS

TOUR TO AUSTRALIA

“The Lions are just incredible. In many ways the Lions are a contradiction, because we talk about the game going so professional, and in many ways the Lions bring the game back to lots of the old values, the ‘why did you fall in love with rugby’ feelings.

It’s the coming together, getting to know people that you may not have had got the chance to know in any other way. Teaming up together and trying to beat the opposition. It’s also the friendship, respect, and the bonds that develop on the tours. All of those factors are lovely, and in some ways, romantic. Because in many ways the Lions are set an impossible task. You are asking a scratch team to come together in a short space of time to try to beat one of the top three sides in the world, three times, away from home. There is nowhere else that you could expect that, or demand that, of a team.

The wonderful thing about the Lions though, is that there is such an unbelievable collection of talent within a Lions squad, that part of you feels that they might just win a test series. I suppose it’s that ‘will they, won’t they’ question, which makes the tour so appealing. Every indication that we have had so far, is that this coming tour to Australia is set to be the biggest tour, in every sense, ever. We’ve had more column inches, radio space, more commentary on television, about the tour already, and it is still fi ve months away.

The tour is like a very bright star. It shines for a relativity short period of time, but it will be blinding when it is shining”.

JOHN FEEHAN ON...

23S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

in association with


24 S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

Where is the space? How do we get there?An article for volunteer coaches developing young players

Taking the fi rst steps in coaching can be a big step for well-meaning

volunteers, parents or teachers. Volunteers are at the very core of

rugby in Ireland and without them the game would perish very quickly.

Every current professional player can gratefully point to a number of

part time parents, teachers or stalwarts who generously guided them

in their early years, nourishing their love for the game, teaching them

the ‘ropes’ of rugby. That debt of gratitude is shared by every player

who has ever played to any level, this writer included.

Early steps in coaching, however, can be a daunting prospect. More than

ever, rugby is a highly technical sport with a perceived encyclopaedia of

laws. There is also the volume of collisions in the game and the resulting

responsibility for player safety. It can make rugby for the aspiring coach

hard to dive right into. When you factor in how the game has evolved over

the last twenty years it only further complicates things. And what about if

you’re new to the game? Where do you begin?

It’s very easy to get caught up with mauls, defensive systems, moves,

scrums, lineouts and all the other areas of our game, not to mention all

forms of fi tness and conditioning. However it doesn’t change the basic

premise of the sport. The core principles remain the same, and the

general philosophies and questions which permeate all ball sports still

apply. Where is the space? How do we get the ball there?

Starting from those two simple questions can lead any new coach in a

solid direction towards building the very best foundations for any young

player. To move the ball into space we must pass it, kick it or run it there.

This never changes – from under 5’s to Lions tests and Rugby World Cup

fi nals. In fact if we think of any great player we admire past or present,

it’s usually because they excel at one or all of these skills. So as a coach

we must move into a mind-set of “how can I improve the passing, kicking

and running of my players?” There are a myriad of coaching manuals,

sites and blogs available and reading as many as possible can help a

coach add to their essential expertise.

Firstly you must break each skill down and try to understand what the

core components are. Then form a clear picture in your head and match

this against what you see on the fi eld. The late great coach of coaches Jim

Greenwood used to use the word ‘expectations’.

Have expectations of what can go right and what can go wrong with a

skill, because you must look for something to see it. Only then can you

coach it. As soon as we begin to educate players in fundamental skills

we quickly notice the next big stumbling block. Players aren’t using the

space on the pitch and often make weak decisions. In most cases, if not

all cases, this is because the players haven’t been taught to look for that

most precious commodity. Space.

Players don’t naturally look for space. In fact, if you watch an adult

grade club game anywhere in the country this week, you may see a

line of attacking players most of whom are only looking at the players

inside them and the ball coming their way and very rarely checking

their defence. When this happens, decisions are made on the hoof and

only when a player is in possession of the ball, which is often too late.

Attacking decisions can seem to be made arbitrarily, pre-called (almost

as if by rota) and not as a consequence of scanning the defence and

what’s happening as they attack.

We need to teach our players to ‘look’ for space. Again this is a

commonality of all ball sports. Soccer coaches are frequently heard

to shout ‘get your head up’. This ‘head up’ principle applies in rugby

too. As the maxim goes; ‘if you don’t look, you won’t see’. Therefore, in

tandem with skills development, there is a necessity for building game

environments where players can learn to look for and identify space. This

develops the player on a number of levels. It tests the fundamental skills

(especially under pressure), it promotes a game driven coaching ethos

which is far more enjoyable and enthuses players of all ages, and of

course, it promotes the essential discipline of ‘looking for space’.

So, by starting from those two essential questions (where is the space?

How do we get the ball there) will always come a variety of subsequent

questions for a coach who asks themselves ‘why?’, ‘how?’ and ‘what if?’

For example; preaching the ideal of equipping players to seek space

actively directs a coach to consider how all ten or fi fteen players can work

together to move themselves or the ball to that space.

The necessity for good communication therefore becomes apparent. We

may consider how players line up or organise themselves to use the ball.

We will then stumble upon the natural progression of ‘once you identify

the space, how do you preserve the space’ and as you progress, how do we

create the space?

The beauty of all these questions is that there is no ‘right’ way. There’s

the norm and convention, good guidelines and thinking, but also huge

room for experimentation and invention around the problem. That’s when

coaching really becomes fun.

Indeed encouraging your players to ask those same questions; ‘why?’,

‘how?, what if?’ will encourage them to think for themselves and grow

as footballers (in the pure sense of the word) over ‘catch, crash, bash’

players who while effective (especially at age grade level), can be very

limited for themselves and the team.

So just keep it simple, grab your whistle, and enjoy every second of

coaching the next wave of young players. Don’t overly worry about the

variety of restart sequences or the rolling maul or that looping move you

just can’t get to click.

Give your players the gift of on-fi eld awareness and the fundamental

skills required to go with it. And the next time it seems overwhelming or

you’re planning your session, just remember those two little essential

questions and go from there.

Robert FORBES


26 S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

Led by a new captain in Leinster’s Jamie Heaslip, along with the fresh faced Simon Zebo

and Craig Gilroy on the wings, Declan Kidney’s men made the perfect start to their RBS Six

Nations Championship campaign with a pulsating 30-22 defeat of Ron Howley’s Wales

at the Millennium Stadium in round 1, in a performance that left Irish supporters

both breathless at what they had just witnessed and positively excited at what

the rest of the championship could bring.

Ireland came out of the traps fl ying in the opening 40 minutes. Simon Zebo’s 11th minute try gave Ireland just reward for their excellent opening start. They continued to go after Wales with unmerciful aggression with Jonny Sexton pulling all the right strings at No 10.

A superb block down from Rory Best, along with that never to be forgotten heel fl ick from Simon Zebo, laid the foundations for Ireland’s second try. Having gone through the phases, Cian Healy barrelled his way over the Welsh try line to send the away supporters into raptures.

Everything that Ireland tried seemed to come off. From Simon Zebo’s mesmeric heel fl ick, to Brian O’Driscoll’s delicious inside run to put Zebo in for the opening try, Ireland played with a freedom, coupled with a focused accuracy that saw Ireland go in 30-3 up at the break.

Ireland carried that momentum garnered in the fi rst half into the second half and they bagged their third try of the game when Brian O’Driscoll, popped up again, as he has so often done in his illustrious career, to give what it looked like at the time to be an unassailable lead.

Despite a ferocious second half fi ght back from Wales, where they crossed the Irish whitewash three times, Ireland stood fi rm with some gritty, and at times, last ditch defending, as they held fi rm to come out on the right side with a 30-22 win.

IT ALL STARTED SO WELL FOR IRELAND. A TREMENDOUS OPENING WEEKEND WIN AWAY TO WALES HAD GIVEN THE PROMISE THAT THIS YEAR COULD BE IRELAND’S YEAR. THEN THE WHEELS BEGAN TO COME OFF.


The Wales game was the performance that Ireland had been striving for over the last twelve months. It had it all. Brilliant aggression at the breakdown, coupled with ruthlessness whenever they ventured into the Welsh 22 in the

opening 40, saw Ireland dominate the home side, in a way that Ireland

had rarely done in their previous number of games.

What was most pleasing about the performance, from an Irish perspective, was

not only the level of intensity that they brought to the game, but the clinical nature in which they took their opportunities when they came along. Ireland’s three tires came off single fi gure plays which is a testament to their accuracy when they ventured into the red zone. While they did leak a number of tries in the second half, Ireland’s defence as

a whole, held up well against some ferocious Welsh pressure. That win put a spring in the collective step of everyone involved with Irish rugby, and with England coming to town the following weekend, hopes were high that Ireland could secure another win against

the ‘auld enemy’ and put themselves in a tremendous position heading into the

fi rst break of the campaign.

However the English chariot came rolling into town and on a wet and miserable Sunday afternoon in the

Aviva Stadium, England choked the life out of

Ireland’s Grand Slam aspirations as Stuart Lancaster’s side beat Ireland in the

physical battle, and with the help of the boot of Owen Farrell came away from Dublin with a deserved 12-6 win. Ireland’s cause wasn’t helped with the early loss of Simon Zebo, who is set to miss the rest of the Six

Nations and Munster’s Heineken Cup quarter fi nal against Harlequins with a broken bone in his foot, along with Jonny Sexton who suffered a torn hamstring in the opening half hour. Those injuries coupled with some sloppy handling errors in that opening half, saw Ireland go in 6-0 down at the break. Two penalties from the boot of Ronan O’Gara, who has had better days in the green jersey, brought Ireland level and it looked for a brief period of time that Ireland were going to come away with an unlikely win. England had different ideas however and they turned the screw on the Irish pack in the last quarter and with Farrell’s unerring boot, the young fl y-half steered England over the line for a deserved 12-6 win which means that they are now the only team in the championship that can with the coveted Grand Slam this season.

That defeat ended Ireland’s Grand Slam ambitions, but traveling to Murrayfi eld to face Scotland, Ireland still had the Six Nations championship to play for. However on a crisp day in Edinburgh, the wheels came off Ireland’s campaign in amazing circumstances as they slumped to a hugely disappointing 12-8 defeat. Having enjoyed nearly 80% of possession, Ireland failed to convert a huge number of opportunities during the course of the game. Before the game, Ireland coach Declan Kidney made the decision to start with rookie fl y-half Paddy Jackson at 10 instead of Ronan O’Gara. While his play with ball in hand was good, Jackson missed a number of kickable opportunities in a fi rst half that saw Ireland completely dominate Scotland. Yet for all their possession Ireland only went in 3-0 to the good at the break.

Ireland made the perfect start to the second half when Ulster star Craig Gilroy spun around the Scottish defence to give Ireland the try that all their possession and dominance deserved. That try should have seen Ireland kick on and put the game beyond Scotland, but the opposite happened. Declan Kidney’s men were mentally and physically driven back by a determined Scottish pack and gradually they chipped away at Ireland’s lead, thanks to the boot of Greg Laidlaw. The momentum was all with Scotland and Ireland seemed devoid of ideas as they looked to cling onto their narrow lead. It wasn’t to be and after some mind boggling play from Ronan O’Gara, who chip kicked from inside his own 22, Laidlaw slotted over another penalty to give Scotland a four point lead that seemed beyond their reach for the majority of the game.

Try as they might, Ireland couldn’t salvage the game and they slumped to a defeat that will sting for some time.

Up next are France at the Aviva and with the catalogue of injuries within the squad, along with big questions hanging over the coach, Ireland need a huge performance this Saturday, if not, the noose could become even tighter around Declan Kidney’s neck.

27S P R I N G 2 0 1 3


28 S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

HISTORY IN THE MAKINGHistory is never easy to make. It requires many peaks and troughs

before one reaches a goal that, at one time, had seen so for far away.

For the Ireland’s women’s team the 2013 Six Nations championship will

forever be a landmark campaign.

Led by their inspirational captain Fiona Coghlan, the Ireland’s women’s side got their Six Nations campaign off to the perfect start with a tremendously gutsy win away to Wales on the opening weekend of the championship. Ireland came to Port Talbot seeking their fi rst win on Welsh soil since 2005. In what proved to be a hugely physical encounter, it was Gillian Bourke’s 75th minute try that proved to be the decisive score between the two teams as Philip Doyle’s side secured a narrow 12-10 win. It proved to be a hard fought victory. Ireland started brightly with good play from the likes of Joy Neville as they coped admirably with the powerful Welsh scrum. It was Neville, along with Coghlan that started the move that led to Ireland’s opening try of the game on 22 minutes. Having decided to run a penalty, Neville and Coghlan applied good pressure to the Welsh defence, and following a fi ve meter scrum, forward Sophie Spence crashed over the line to give Ireland a well-deserved lead.

Wales would come roaring back however. Spence would see yellow for hands in the ruck, which allowed Wales to ratchet up the tempo as the game approached halftime. Their hard work and patience were duly rewarded in the 38th minute when fullback Rosie Fletcher appeared from nowhere to bring Wales right back into the game to send the teams in level at the break. The second half also proved to be closely fought with both sides fi ghting tooth and nail for possession and territory all over the park. Both defences proved to be extremely well drilled and that excellence in defence was amply demonstrated when in the 65th minute Alison Miller’s outstretched left boot denied Caryl James what looked like a certain try in the right corner. That last gap try saving tackle would prove to be a seismic moment in the game. Wales fl y-half Laura Prosser slotted over a penalty to nudge the home side into a narrow lead coming into the last ten minutes.

Ireland however refused to lie down and came right back into the game and were rewarded with an excellent try by Spence with fi ve minutes to go. Despite Niamh Briggs missing the extras, Ireland dug deep and were not going to be denied. It was only Ireland’s second championship win in Wales and put them in a tremendous position with the visit of England

the following week, and what challenge would the English brought to Ashbourne.

The English brought a formidable record over for their clash against Ireland, having only lost one of their previous thirty

nine games, including a 75-0 rout of Scotland the previous weekend. They also were on a seventeen game winning streak against Ireland ahead of their clash. Those stats didn’t hold any fear for Ireland and they went after England in no uncertain manner. Marie Louise Reilly, inspirational captain Fiona Coghlan and fi rst-time starter Siobhan Fleming were towering in their defence as they stopped England gaining any forward momentum at every juncture. It was, however, Alison Miller who gained the biggest headlines with a memorable hat-trick that sent the fi red up crowd at Ashbourne RFC wild with excitement. Miller’s fi rst try came on seven minutes, after some good play by Lynne Cantwell and Nora Stapleton. Miller crossed the white wash to give the hosts the perfect start. Ireland kept that momentum and intensity going throughout the fi rst half and Miller showed once again her natural fi nishers instinct on the 27th minute mark. She showed pace and skill to evade a number of English defenders to give Ireland a much deserved second try.

It would get even better for the ladies in green fi ve minutes before half time when Miller capped a fantastic individual forty minutes by crossing the English line for the third time to send Ireland in 20-0 up at the break. Briggs capped a fantastic performance by scooting over for her own try after some great play by Joy Neville along with scrum half Larissa Muldoon, who put Briggs through the gap to score. The English tried to make their mark in the latter stages of the game, particularly quick-passing scrum half Georgina Gulliver and strong-carrying fl anker Harriet Millar-Mills, but Ireland had enough in reserve to become the fi rst team to register their fi rst win against England after 17 previous defeats.

That victory against the English gave Ireland a glorious opportunity to secure their fi rst Triple Crown when they lined up to play Scotland in Lasswade RFC. Despite a nervy opening from the away side, Ireland soon settled into their stride and they scored the opening try of the game on the 27th minute mark when Alison Miller touched down in the corner to send Ireland in fi ve points to the good at the interval.

As the Irish errors mounted, Scotland gradually came back into the game. The sin binning of Scotland out-half Tanya Griffi th proved to be a seminal moment for both sides. Ireland duly capitalized on the player advantage and grabbed their second try of the game when Miller, once again, burned the Scottish defence to score. Further tries from Siobhán Fleming and Niamh Briggs put the seal on a fantastic performance as Ireland ran out convincing 30-3 winners to collect their fi rst Triple Crown in their history.

Up next for Ireland team is France and should they win in Ashbourne, then they will face into a Grand Slam decider

against Italy on the fi nal weekend of the championship. Lots done, but potentially, a glorious end to a historic campaign. It’s no more than this group of players deserve.


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30 S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

Tony WARD

As the Heineken Cup heads rapidly towards the business end of this

year’s competition, so does the Schools Cups in all four provinces.

In Leinster it has gone more or less according to plan bar one rather

relevant glitch. Coincidentally it took place on the day a little bit of

history was being made when the Powerade Leinster Schools Cup

quarter fi nal shifted from Donnybrook, the home of Leinster Schools

rugby, to Tallaght Stadium the home of Shamrock Rovers FC for the

fi rst time ever.

The setting was superb, the organisation top notch, the pitch magnifi cent with everything going according to plan….bar the result. At least that is if you are a Terenure supporter. Since lifting the Junior trophy in 2010 all signs pointed to this being the year the Senior Cup returned to D6W for the fi rst time since 2003. But someone clearly forgot to pass John Lillis, Rory Moloney and the Roscrea class of 2013 the script!

To say the Offaly School turned the bookies inside out on Tuesday Feb 19th would be putting it mildly. The kick of a ball, just three points, represented the difference in the end but so composed and so measured was the Roscrea performance that had Matthew Madigan crossed for a match winning try at the death it would have been a travesty given what had transpired in the seventy odd minutes before. Put simply knocking out the most deserving of pre-tournament favourites was no fl uke whatsoever. One couldn’t help but feel for Stephen O’Neill, Rob Somerville and the rest given the hopes and aspirations of completing a Junior and Senior double three years apart but on the day the better team playing the better tailored rugby did what they had to do and with it advanced to the penultimate stage.

In the opening round Terenure, Kilkenny, Newbridge and St Micehael’s had been pushed all the way by Belvedere, Pres Bray, King’s Hospital and

Castleknock respectively while Clongowes, Roscrea and Blackrock had much more to spare over St Gerard’s, Wesley and Gonzaga in that order. The most impressive performance was left for last when CBC, inspired by forwards Eoghan McKeever and Andrew Brennan, got the better of St Mary’s in a most convincing 24-10 win.

In the last eight the Monkstown School was again centrally involved in a thriller (eclipsed only by the Tallaght spectacle) when losing out to a late, late try to ace Newbridge poacher Joe D’Arcy (his fourth of the competition). Elsewhere ‘Rock proved much too strong for Kilkenny (22-8) while sister school St Michael’s again came out on top against Clongowes in a repeat of last year’s RDS fi nal.

So with Leinster players Richardt Strauss, Kevin McLaughlin, Tom Denton and Quinn Roux making the semi-fi nal draw at half time in the Scarlets’ game it will be Roscrea v Blackrock on Sunday March 3rd in Donnybrook at 3.00pm to be followed on Tuesday March 5th by St Michaels v Newbridge also at Donnybrook but with a 4.00pm start.

In Munster where a play on the GAA backdoor system is in operation the 1st Qualifying Round saw both Cork giants PBC and CBC as well as cup holders Rockwell and Ard Scoil Ris advance to home Second Qualifying Round ties at the expense of St Munchin’s (11-3), Castletroy (13-11), Crescent (15-5) and Glenstal (39-6) respectively.

It made for a revised draw of PBC v Crescent, Rockwell v Castletroy, CBC v Glenstal and Ard Scoil v ‘Munchin’s in the race for a place in the semi-fi nals. The win of the round came at Musgrave Park where Crescent (Junior Cup winners in 2010 and 2011) shook off the disappointment of defeat to Rockwell in Clanwilliam and came up trumps with James Frawley and JJ O’Neill crossing for tries and Gearoid Lyons tacking on eight more points in an 18-12 success over Pres in Cork.


31S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

Elsewhere Rockwell, chasing a third successive title, proved much too strong for 2008 winners Castletroy (25-7) with centre Rory Parata responsible for twenty of his side’s points, Christians were also in uncompromising mood running in six tries when dismissing luckless Glenstal (41-8) while ‘Munchin’s edged north city Limerick rivals Ard Scoil (19-12) in a pulsating tie where a second half try by skipper Lee Nicholas eventually proved the difference. The Corbally School will now face Rockwell in a repeat of last year’s fi nal won 6-5 by the Cashel College. The Semi-fi nal line up reads:

Tues March 5th Rockwell v St Munchin’s Clanwilliam and

Thurs March 7th Crescent College v CBC in Limerick (venue tba).

In Ulster with Methodist College having accounted for great rivals Campbell (12-0) at Belmont Road in the biggest clash to date the way seems clear for a meeting of Belfast’s remaining ‘Big Two’ – Methody and RBAI – in a repeat of the 2005 Final won by ‘Inst. Having beaten Regents House on the road (20-10) in the 4th round followed by a veritable thumping of Limavady Grammar (41-10) in the last eight hopes are high of a fi rst outright success for Inst since 2007. To that end they have pulled the better semi fi nal draw although Ballyclare High (beaten fi nalists last year) will have something to say about that. The Co Antrim School have become regulars at this the penultimate stage with three other semi-fi nal appearances in recent years. They rode their luck when getting the better of Willie Anderson’s Sullivan Upper (12-10) in the quarter-fi nal and will certainly be underdogs when fronting up to twenty nine time winners RBAI in the semi-fi nal.

The big one is of course the clash of Kenny Hooks’ Royal School, Armagh and Ulster kingpins Methody. Both have managed to keep the opposition scoreless in the two rounds to date so come this Ravenhill clash

something’s got to give. Methody got the better of Wallace High (29-0) and Armagh Royal showed little mercy when visiting Bangor (25-0) in the last eight. Methody as pre competition favourites have done little wrong thus far to suggest any change in that status, but for sure they will need to be at their very best to overcome Hooks and Armagh, while Richard Hedley’s Inst will be looking no further than Ballyclare and a big strong pack to overcome.

The semi-fi nal line up reads :

Ballyclare High v RBAI Mon March 4th Ravenhill

Methodist College v Royal School, Armagh Wed March 6th Ravenhill.

In Connacht, as in Leinster, a new system is being trialled with two Pools of three. The top two in each then qualify for the semi-fi nal with home advantage going to the winner of each. Holders Marist College Athlone have already retained the League title won in 2012 when beating Sligo Grammar in this year’s decider. Mick Loftus’s charges have continued in that vein topping the Pool and with it enjoying home advantage at the penultimate stage in defence of their Rob Henshaw inspired Senior Cup success of 2012.

All signs pointed to Sligo again being the likely opposition in the Sportsground Finale but reinvigorated Garbally College have already put a stop to that when beating Sligo (14-12) in the Pool. Marist and Sligo will now meet in a mouth-watering semi (a repeat of the 2012 Final) in Athlone on Thursday next March 7th. Garbally College will then take on Colaiste Iognaid (the Jes) in a classic clash from times past at Ballinasloe on a date to be decided. Marist still looks the most likely but with a couple of searching challenges still to come.

Signifi cantly in all four provinces the reigning champions – St Michael’s, Rockwell, Marist and Methody – are still in the mix.

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As mentioned elsewhere in this magazine, Saturday January 26th was a

very memorable day for the Railway Union Women’s Rugby First XV, as

they were victorious in the Leinster Division 3 Final against Clondalkin

in Athy.

However, these two Dublin rivals weren’t the only sides to have a big day out at The Showgrounds in the south Kildare town, as there was total of four ladies rugby showpieces taking place over the course of a most enjoyable afternoon.

Indeed, the fi rst game on the billing saw Newbridge RFC taking on the hosts in the Division 4 decider, and with Athy featuring in front of their enthusiastic home support, this was always going to be a diffi cult task for the Rosetown outfi t. Because of the horrendous weather conditions that had swept the nation in the lead up to the big day, there was a strong possibility that the event might not take place, but following a thorough inspection of the pitches in The Showgrounds, it was decided that the games would go ahead.

A clash between two clubs who exist in close proximity was certainly a fi tting way to kick off the proceedings, but despite showing plenty of industry in the early stages of the contest, Newbridge found themselves falling behind to an early Athy try. They were still very much in the reckoning after the re-start, and applied immense pressure on the Athy rear guard for much of the second period, but their opponents displayed an abundance of mental resolve to come away with a hard-earned 5-0 triumph. After a titanic effort during the course of the game, this defeat came as a disappointment to The ‘Bridge, but they showed throughout their league campaign that they are very capable performers, and will feel confi dent that they can develop even further as a team next season.

While the Newbridge 1st XV were given a bye into the second round of the Provincial Towns Cup, Barry McCann’s 2nd XV got the defence of their Seconds Towns’ Cup crown off to a spectacular start courtesy of a comprehensive 53-5 success over near neighbours North Kildare on Sunday February 3rd, with the reigning champions running in total of nine tries.

Despite their try line being breached by the Kilcock men before the end of the fi rst half, Newbridge were in full control of the tempo of the play from the opening moments, and with Denis Clark, Willie Ryan and McCann all breaking through for eye-catching fi ve-pointers in a frantic opening period, Newbridge held a seemingly unassailable lead at the mid-way point (31-5).

With expectations high after last year’s heroics, this was exactly the kind of message that The ‘Bridge 2nds were hoping to send out, and with the infl uential Ryan in fi ne form, they maintained their momentum upon the resumption. Ryan bagged a second try for himself before the end, and he was joined in crossing the whitewash by the likes of Kevin McCarthy and

Jonny Downey, as Newbridge once again showed that they will be the team to beat in this year’s competition.

At the time of writing, the Newbridge 1st XV occupied third spot in the Leinster Senior League Division 1A table with two games left to play. In order to qualify for next season’s All-Ireland Junior Cup, the Kildare men need to fi nish in the top four, and with fi fth placed Coolmine trailing them by four points ahead of the penultimate round of fi xtures, they stand a very good chance of achieving this goal.

Nothing was set in stone 12 games into the league campaign, however, as Coolmine faced the two bottom teams (Cill Dara and Garda), while Newbridge took on Dundalk at home before tackling league leaders Tullamore in a vital away fi xture at the beginning of March. ‘Bridge will have been quietly confi dent about their prospects of being included in the All-Ireland Junior Cup, though, as they narrowly defeated 2011 Towns Cup winners Dundalk 13-11 on their travels back on November 3rd, before securing a hard-earned losing bonus point against Tullamore a fortnight later in an 18-11 loss.

With a total of seven wins and one draw from 12 outings, there have been plenty of positives for Newbridge to accrue from their season to date, but their three match unbeaten run (which included a 67-6 victory over Garda and a 10-10 draw with their fellow play-off chasers Enniscorthy on January 5th) came to an end when they faced a powerful Wanderers line-up in mid-January. With their side curtailed greatly by injury, Newbridge took on a Wanderers side who were determined to avenge their defeat in Rosetown in the opening half of the season. Playing on the atrifi cial pitch beside the Aviva Stadium, Newbridge were hit by two early tries for the Dublin 4 outfi t from Paddy Larchet and Ross Andersen. This was a hammer blow for ‘Bridge at such an early point in the contest, but with centres Sean Kelly and Denis O’Callaghan complimenting an infl uential Ben Swindlehurst at out-half, they did cause Wanderers their fair share of problems.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t breach an extremely well-organised defensive system, and thanks to a third try from Alex Byrne, complimented superbly by seven points from the boot of Henry Parker, Wanderers held a considerable 22-0 buffer during the break. This left Newbridge with a mountain to climb in the second half, and following the sin-binning of Swindlehurst shortly after the re-start, their task became all the more diffi cult. The visitors did settle back into the action when their captain returned to the fi eld, but with Damien Hall crossing over for the home team, and Harley Murray running in under the posts at the end of a superb six-man move, they eventually succumbed to a 36-0 reversal, and their fourth defeat of the campaign.

NEWBRIDGE RFCNEWS RESULTS STATS PROFILES

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33S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

When one thinks of Kerry the sport of GAA fi rst springs to mind, rather

than rugby. However in the case of Newbridge College President

Niall Browne, there is a notable exception. The Kerry native has

come a long way since his formative days playing junior rugby

alongside his brothers, admitting that ‘rugby was always in

the family genes’.

While he only played into his mid-20’s, ‘my brother went a lot

further than me, winning Munster Senior Cup’s and so forth’

Browne always had a keen interest in the game. Having

decided to spend a number of years traveling around

the world, where he visited the likes of Germany

and America, Browne eventually came back

home and pitched his tent in Kildare, where his

involvement with Newbridge College would begin.

It was when his own children began to play rugby

with the club that his own involvement began to

increase. Browne himself takes up the story. “I only

live about 800 meters from the ground, so it was

diffi cult not to become involved. When you become

a member of the club you want to become involved

and do whatever you can to help to improve the club

on and off the pitch”.

His involvement gradually increased as the years

progressed. Browne worked his way up from the

executive committee, followed by a six year stint

as Chairman of the club, before reaching the

mountain top of becoming President.

At the time when he took over the role there

was a lot of ground work that had been

done, but Browne was keen to maintain

the high standards that his predecessors

had laid down before him.

“Well fi rstly, it was a huge surprise

when I was asked if would I put my

name forward to become President

and it was a tremendous honour when

I was chosen. While I had some goals

of my own when I became President,

a lot of good work had been done

before I took over.

“Over the last number of years

the numbers in the club have

risen to over 350 players, which is

tremendous. We have also committed

to upgrade our facilities too, thanks to

a National Lottery grant of €270,000

which we matched, so in total we have spent roughly around €540,000

in total revamping our playing grounds, dressing rooms etc. It is a huge

investment, but it is something we want to do for the next generation, as

they are the future of both domestic & Irish rugby”.

Having that long term thinking is one of the most impressive attributes

about Browne. Along with keeping one eye on the future, he is also very

keen to maintain the clubs roots within the local community, something

that is close to his heart.

“In many respects we represent the local community. We are situated in

the commuter belt so there are a number of catchment areas where we

get players from. The club is a centre of social interaction and very much

a family oriented club. What usually happens is that when a child joins

the club, all of their family usually become members of the club, which

is terrifi c.

“Our focus is to be an all-inclusive club with not just an emphasis on

the senior team, but our youths, minis and women’s teams are also very

important to us at Newbridge. Both our men’s and women’s sides have

been doing very well in the last number of season, and keeping that

success going on the pitch is crucial.

“Our underage structure is also something that we are very conscious of.

Jack Berry is a prime example. Jack has played right through the ranks

here at Newbridge and is now currently in the Leinster academy”.

Off the pitch Newbridge are continuing to do well, despite the tough

economic conditions. Browne admits that the club have had to put their

thinking caps on when it comes to coming up with new ideas regarding

sponsorship and fundraising, but it is a challenge that Browne enjoys.

“There is no doubt that we have had to vastly cutback and make a

number of cost cutting measures. We’ve had to think outside the box

when it comes to raising money and so forth. It is a challenge every year,

but we have a strong fi nancial team here who have a kept a tight rein

on the purse strings. However everyone works together which is a huge

help”.

“I do have to mention the invaluable work that Mick McCoy, David

Mahony & Brian Rigby do within the club. They do a tremendous amount

of good work and I doubt we would be where we are without them. The

incoming President Sean McCann has also being a great source of help.

Along with sustaining their on- fi eld and off-fi eld success, Newbridge

College are also playing their own part with The Gathering. The club will

be hosting an International Veterans Rugby Festival in July of this year.

The competition will see sixteen male teams and four women’s team

converge on Newbridge from places such as France, America, Belgium,

Canada and Spain. In a nice touch all the games will be offi ciated by

veteran referees.

Lots to look forward to for Newbridge College. Hard work reaps success

and the Kildare based club is proof of that.

PRESIDENTIAL THOUGHTS


Based in the leafy coastal suburb of Sandymount in Dublin, Railway

Union RFC are a club with a very proud tradition. However, despite the

competitive nature of their teams at all levels of club rugby, the club

began this term without any silverware since the 1995/96 season, when

they were victorious in the old Division Three.

However, the past couple of months have seen them banish their barren spell without success in spectacular fashion, as they now have a grand total of three titles safely nestled in their trophy cabinet. Thanks to the league triumphs of their Women’s 1st XV, as well as the respective achievements of their Men’s 1st and 2nd teams in their respective divisions, the club’s standing in an area which is synonymous with Irish rugby has magnifi ed signifi cantly.

Of the three teams, the most momentous achievement was made by their women’s side, as they concluded the group stage of the Leinster Division 3 section with eight bonus point wins from as many games, but even more astonishing was the fact that they amassed 378 points during these encounters, and failed to concede a single point to any of their opponents.

The level of performance required to record this particular feat should not be underestimated, and it deservedly made them the warmest of favourites ahead of their Leinster Division 3 Final against Clondalkin, which took place in Athy on Saturday January 26th. Clondalkin enjoyed plenty of possession during the early stages of the contest, and were placing Railway under a considerable deal of pressure. The Sandymount rear-guard were showing why they had remained unbreached up to this point, though, and they rode this early storm before securing their fi rst try of the game through the infl uential Eimear Flannery. This helped to settle the Dublin 4 girls into the proceedings, and with Therese Grogan, Mere Baker, Eimear Martin and Flannery all crossing over for further scores, Railway had a seemingly insurmountable 25-0 lead at the break.

A number of stoppages disrupted the play after the re-start, but Railway continuing their rampant level of play, as Therese Grogan grabbed her second try of the fi nal, followed by a third from Eimear Flannery soon after. Joining Flannery in securing a hat-trick was Kim Flood, who crossed the Clondalkin line on three occasions in the second period. Clondalkin tried as best as they could to try and secure some sort of consolation before the end, but with the Railway defence performing at the top of their game, and their pack placing a fi rm imprint on the tie, they emerged with a highly impressive 52-0 winning margin.

With a perfect record from the 2012/13 term, Railway Union can now move on to the next level with plenty of confi dence, and based on their barnstorming displays from this season, there is no reason why they can’t continue to compete strongly in the coming months.

Joining them in acquiring league success was the Men’s 1st XV, who captured the Leinster Senior League Division 2B crown as a result of a

hard-earned away victory over Edenderry on January 20th. Having lost out narrowly to Edenderry (21-22) on their home patch back in November, there was reason for Railway to be cautious ahead of their trip to Coolavacoose, but with nine wins from ten outings (include a fantastic 79-0 demolition of Swords on January 6th), they were in pole position to gain promotion to the third tier. Much like their clash before Christmas, there was little to separate the teams on the day, but this time Railway were on the right side of a tight score line, as an 11-10 success handed them the Division 2B crown with one game to spare.

Speaking to leinsterrugby.ie in the aftermath of their triumph, club President Francis Roche was full of praise for the hard work that was put in by the team throughout the season.

“The club has been reborn in two years and I’d like to pay tribute to the Director of Rugby John Cronin, the coaching staff and all players for the efforts they put in not only yesterday but all season. They are a special group to work with and our club are very proud this morning,” Roche stated.

The achievements of their Women’s and Men’s senior teams serves as a tremendous boost to the future development of the club and, with news reaching during the celebration of the women’s title win that the Men’s 2nd XV also won their league (Leinster Seconds League Division 2B) after their nearest rivals had lost a crunch tie, it hit home just how unforgettable a season it has been for the adult section of Railway Union.

RAILWAY UNION RFCNEWS RESULTS STATS PROFILES

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35S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

One could describe Railway Union RFC as a club very much on the up.

Under the guidance of the current President Francis Roche the steady

rise of the club, along with the impact they are having in the local

community shows no signs of slowing down. Originally from Co. Louth,

Roche’s fi rst love was GAA, however it was when a friend invited him to

travel down from Dundalk and join in a training session with Railway

Union, his interest in the game was piqued.

“I started on the wing”, Roche recalls. “While I wasn’t good enough to

make the fi rst team, I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent playing with

Railway Union. One of the fi rst things that struck me when I fi rst came

to the club, was the warm and friendly nature of the club. There was, and

still is, such a welcoming atmosphere around the club, which makes it so

much easier to settle in. You are most defi nitely made to feel at home”.

While he never had any grand designs on becoming involved with the

off the fi eld side of the game, a stint as manager to the fi rst team, was

soon followed by a place on the committee of the club, which preceded

his name going forward to become President of Railway Union. When

Roche did take over the role, he saw a number of issues and structures

within the club that needed to be addressed if the club were to fulfi l

their potential. “I think my approach was a little bit different than what

had come before “, Roche explains. “I tried to incorporate a business

model to the running of the club. We brought in a number of excellent

people, who had clearly defi ned goals and objectives in different areas of

the club.

“That streamlining of the club was very important. In the past committee

meetings could take up to four hours which was far too long”, Roche

jokingly says. “The one rule that I have in place is that no meeting can

run beyond an hour at a time. This gives us a focus when people come

into a meeting. Everyone knows the time limit so we can take care of

business in a much more effective manner”.

Under Roche’s stewardship Railway Union has blossomed, in particularly

their women’s division. This season Railway Union’s women’s side went

undefeated throughout their entire campaign, and even more remarkably

didn’t concede a try during their incredible season. It is a feat that he is

tremendously proud of.

“Amazing”, Roche says of that accomplishment. “It wasn’t just the feat of

going undefeated, but it was the manner that they went about it. They

played some fantastic rugby. It was fast paced and terrifi c to watch. They

are a source of tremendous pride within the club”.

The explosion of the women’s game within Railway Union is something

that has been carefully thought and planned out and is something that

Roche is keen to see develop over the coming years.

“It has been a tremendous success”, he says of the women’s side. “Both

the girls and the club have embraced the concept and it has gone

from strength to strength. I think one of the keys to it is that we don’t

distinguish between the women’s and men’s teams. I tell people that we

have six teams, not four men’s and two women’s teams, but six teams

as a whole.

“The women’s side have the same gear as the men’s side and are

treated exactly the same as the men’s side. If the women’s team need

anything we will try as best as we can to provide it to them and I think

the manner in which they are treated has shown by the fantastic results

they have achieved to date”.

Along with developing the women’s side of the game, Roche feels the

introduction of the player welfare program within the club is of huge

importance. The program is chaired by Professor John Ryan who is

a former captain of Railway and current doctor to the Leinster rugby

side. He leads a team which also comprises club physio Redmond

O’Mahony and Strength, Conditioning & Rehab Coach Luke Heapes

who take care of players on and off the fi eld. Such initiatives have seen

Railway Union make huge gains in terms of developing a more rounded

approach to how they conduct their business as Roche explains. “I had

three specifi c goals for my fi rst year as President. First;y, I wanted to

get match standard lights put onto out pitches, which I am happy to

say is something we have achieved. Secondly, We wanted to have two

adult teams competing, and again, this is something that we have

accomplished. Finally I wanted to restructure the club in such a way that

it became more streamlined and effective, which is something that I

think we have achieved.

“In many ways the club has been reborn. It is now fi t for purpose. There

is a long term strategic in place and we feel that the structures we have

in place will serve us well on and off the pitch for many years to come”.

Railway Union are indeed on the right track.



Although the 2011/12 Ulster Bank League Division 1A season was

seen as a two-horse race between Dublin rivals St Mary’s College and

Clontarf, it shouldn’t be forgotten just how strong a challenge Young

Munster posed for the majority of the campaign.

With out-half Willie Staunton leading the challenge of the Rosbrien outfi t, Young Munster headed into their March 24th encounter in Tom Clifford Park against Clontarf with an impressive record of 11 wins and 3 losses from 14 games, putting them in an excellent position to challenge for top honours. However, their form suffered a signifi cant dip in the remaining four games, with three defeats against Clontarf, Lansdowne and eventual champions St Mary’s College edging them out of contention.

Their third place fi nish on 54 points was extremely respectable, though, and with fi ve points to spare over fourth placed Cork Constitution, it provided them with an excellent platform to build on for 2012/13. They have unfortunately lost the services of Staunton to Division 2A side Terenure College, but in his absence Brian Haugh has stepped up to the role of scorer-in-chief confi dently, and heading into 2013 he was the division’s joint top marksman along with Lansdowne’s Craig Ronaldson. This has helped Munster to remain among the chasing pack and, following their terrifi c 40-3 bonus point victory against Old Belvedere on January 5th, they once again found themselves third in the table, with just fi ve points separating them and pace-setters Lansdowne and Garryowen.

The Gleeson League (North Section) campaign for the Young Munster Third XV has also been eye-catching, with the passion and commitment displayed in the league an example of the benefi ts that can be garnered at this particular level of competition. They had four wins from their opening fi ve games, placing them second in the table behind Thomond, who they faced in Fitzgerald Park at the end of November. Unfortunately, with injury and illness affecting the squad, Young Munster were on the receiving end of a 29-5 defeat, which left their Treaty County rivals in an outstanding position moving into the business end of the league season.

Despite this set-back, however, they got themselves back on track in their next encounter against Bruff, with tries from Antone O’Sullivan and Paudie McMahon, and

eight points from the boots of Mark Mulvaney and Conor O’Brien, handing them a crucial 18-8 success.

This set things up tantalisingly for their next match against St Mary’s of Corbally Road in Limerick on December 15th, with the winner almost certainly guaranteed to fi nish second in the league, which would offer them a place in the end of season play-offs. As was expected, it was a tight and tense encounter throughout, and Young Munster produced an extremely accomplished performance, but were agonisingly edged out in the end by the narrowest of margins (13-12).

Having won the league on just one occasion in the past (back in 1982), it was always going to be a big ask for Young Munster to go all the way in this year’s competition, but given that Mary’s only defeat from nine games was against the high-fl ying Thomond, it gives you an indication of just how close Munster were to being true contenders for the top prize.

December 15th will also be remembered as a sad day for all those with a passion for Irish sport, as news arrived of the sudden passing of Kerry GAA legend Paidi Ó Se at the age of 57. He is recognised as one of the fi nest players to ever grace the game of Gaelic Football, but GAA was by no means the only sport that Ó Se excelled at, as he also spent a season

in the colours of Young Munster during his stint as a member of An Garda Siochana in Limerick. Throughout his four years working in the Premier County, Ó Se was a very popular fi gure and he produced

a number of fi ne performances in the full-back position at Tom Clifford Park, adapting to the oval ball in seamless fashion.

He will be sadly missed by all involved with Young Munster, Kerry GAA and the Irish sporting fraternity. We extend our

deepest condolences to his wife Marie, children Neasa, Siun and Padraig Og, as well as his extended family and friends, which includes his nephews Darragh, Tomas

and Marc, who all appeared in the green and gold of Kerry during his time as manager.

With an average of 2,600 visitors a month, 1,600 of which are unique visitors, www.youngmunster.com is one of the most

accessible websites in the Irish club rugby scene. While 75% of their visitors come from Ireland, 10% does come from the

UK, with the rest coming from the USA, Australia, Europe, New Zealand, Canada and Asia. With this in mind the

club have set up their own ‘Young Munster Business Club’, which is an excellent way to provide networking for the Limerick side around the globe. With their business club members relying on fi nancial support and services in the current economic climate, those who are interested are asked to contact [email protected] or

[email protected] for further details.

NEWS RESULTS STATS PROFILES

YOUNG MUNSTER RFC

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37S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

As a sports mad child growing up, current Young Munster president

Jack O’Brien was always going to be involved in sport. It was however,

rowing rather than rugby that captivated him in his younger years.

Along with rowing and rugby, soccer was his other sport of choice.

Rugby gradually became a bigger part of O’Brien’s life, although

as he explains, he was never destined to reach the exalted

heights of provincial or international rugby.

“I wasn’t very good”, a laughing O’Brien explain. “I didn’t

have correct vision so it was always going to be a

little bit of a struggle. While I enjoyed the time

playing, I was more interested in the off the fi eld

aspect of the game and it was something that I

was keen to get into.

Which is exactly what O’Brien did. A twelve

year stint on the committee of Young

Munster was soon followed by his ascension

to becoming president. Taking the highest

position in the club was not something that

was in O’Brien’s planning. It came as a more

evolutionary step, rather than something that was pre

planned.

“I suppose it was just my time really. I’m more of a

background kind of guy and I wouldn’t consider myself a

good front man but I was hugely honoured when I became

president. A number of people mentioned my name for

the job and my step father has also been president, so

you could say I was following in his footsteps in some

ways”.

When O’Brien did take over the presidency, there were a

number of challenges that greeted him. Along with trying

to maintain the high standards that the club have set

themselves on the pitch, O’Brien has had to deal

with the worsening economic climate, something

that he admits is very tough to fi ght against.

“I ‘m not going to lie, it has been, and still is, very

tough. Every club has had to adjust accordingly,

but that doesn’t make things any easier. Revenue is

dramatically down, the amount of people that we get

through our gates is down too, simply because people

can’t afford to come to our games.

“We are currently putting together a yearbook and even

trying to get advertising for that was extremely diffi cult.

There is not a whole lot we can do, because every club is in

the same boat. You just have to keep plugging away and

just do the best you can”.

One of the current projects that O’Brien is overseeing is the

redevelopment of the training pitches and the adjacent facilities.

Having fought for and got funding to secure fl oodlights on their

main pitch, the works on the training fi elds is something very high

on Browne’s to do list.

“Getting the work done on the training pitches and the

dressing rooms etc is crucial to all of us at Young

Munster because the work that we are doing now

is not just for the players we have here now, but

for the next generation of players that will play

for the club.

“We have a terrifi c underage setup here

and it is something that we are very keen

to nurture and develop. The young kids

playing now will, hopefully, still be here

at the club, so by putting structures in

place now, is ensuring that they will

be able to play their rugby in the right

kind of surroundings.

At the moment, O’Brien is keen to see

Young Munster maintain their place as

one of the pre-eminent rugby clubs in

Ireland. The Munster club are currently riding

high in Division 1A of the Ulster Bank League,

battling it out with the likes of Lansdowne,

Garryowen and Cork Constitution for domestic

glory. However O’Brien knows that league

success for Young Munster will not come easy.

“Of course the main on-fi eld ambition is to

win the Ulster Bank League title. However the

competition at the top of the league is extremely

tough. It is a very tight league, in terms of the gap

between the top couple of teams. There are about

fi ve or six teams who have a realistic chance of

winning the league. It is going to be very tough but

we have a great coach and I’m sure we will be there

or there abouts come the end of the season”.

Along with league success, he would like to see the

numbers that come through the Young Munster gates to rise. “We are

community based club”, O’Brien explains. “We know people don’t have

the money they once had, but it would be fantastic to see more people

coming to the games and getting behind the team”.

While the numbers may not be the same as they once were, you can

rest assured that with Jack O’Brien at the helm of Young Munster RFC,

the club will continue to go from strength to strength. It’s the Munster

way.



CLUB NEWS

The Latest From Around the Grounds

BELFAST HARLEQUINSIt was with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of former Belfast Harlequins star Brendan ‘Brendy’ Lynch in a tragic road traffi c accident in Rome. Although born in Rotherham, Lynch played with Ireland’s Under 19 side thanks to his Irish ancestory, and he also served Harlequins with great distinction.He had spells with his native Rotherham Titans and Gloucester, before moving to Australia and eventually settling in Italy where he worked for the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation in the Italian capital. Lining out for Capitolina, the city’s main rugby club (whose facilities have been used for practice in the past by the English national team), he was considered to be one of the fi nest tighthead props in Italy.Lynch, who was 26, suffered fatal injuries after he was knocked from his Honda SH300 scooter in the early hours of Monday January 28th on the Rome ring road near Settebagni just to the north of the capital. Our thoughts are with his family, and all those connected to the various clubs that he played for.

BANBRIDGEStarting on February 15th 2013, Rugbytots (a rugby based play programme for girls and boys aged from 2 to 6 years) came to Banbridge Rugby Club. The programme is set to run on Fridays with two sessions; the fi rst taking place at 3.30pm for ages 2-3½, and the second at 4.15pm for those between the ages of 3½ and 6.The UK’s fi rst rugby specifi c play programme for boys and girls of this age, Rugbytots combines the multiple skills used in rugby with a fun, play-based programme that is designed to enhance the social and physical skills of a child. All classes under this scheme are fully insured and are run by an RFU qualifi ed lead coach, who is fully trained in paediatric fi rst aid and has been CRB checked.Banbridge, Enniskillen and Omagh were the most recent areas to take part in this initiative, but Rugbytots already had existing classes in Armagh, Bangor, Belfast, Dungannon, Hollywood, Jordanstown, Lisburn and Portadown. Free taster sessions are available, and those interested can contact Justin at 0845 313 3245 or [email protected]. Booking can also be made online at www.rugbytots.co.uk, while they can also be found on Facebook (Rugbytots Ni) and Twitter (Rugbytotsni).

BOYNEFor the past couple of years, Boyne RFC have been working hard at developing their facilities at Shamrock Lodge. The aim is to bring the playing facilities into the modern era with all-weather standard pitches, which adhere to the highest standards of design with the highest quality materials possible.With this mind, they decided to embark on two phases of development. The fi rst phase involved completing one pitch and associated drainage, fencing and other infrastructure. The second

phase focused on the development of a second pitch, training area and fl oodlighting.The cost of the fi rst phase was €150,000 and in recent months full planning permission was granted for the club’s pitch development programme, which includes two full size all-weather standard pitches, training area, fl oodlighting and fencing. The granting of permission cleared the way for the project to proceed, and most recently €430 was raised for the pitches development fund from a Poker Classic.With plans underway for another poker classic in the near future, the efforts to develop the county Louth side’s facilities are set to continue, which is good news for all those involved in the club.

CLONTARFThe past couple of months has been an extremely busy period off the fi eld for Clontarf as, following on from their Strictly Come Dancing fundraising challenge, Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Night and their monthly junior discos. This level of activity is set to continue until the end of the current season, as ‘Tarf will also be hosting their annual Clontarf Rugby Action Breast Cancer Ladies Lunch during the month of March.Taking place on Saturday March 23rd in aid of the Irish Cancer Society, tables of 10 for this event are priced at €600. This has always been a very worthwhile venture for the club and their chosen charity, and for those looking for more information about the lunch (or to simply book a table for the occasion) are asked to contact [email protected] has proven to be a hugely popular event around Castle Avenue, and tables generally fi ll up fast each year. With the night appearing quickly on the horizon, interested parties are asked to email ASAP as no phone bookings will be accepted for this function.

NENAGH ORMOND80 young players from Nenagh Ormond’s juvenile section had a day to remember on Sunday January 27th, when they travelled with approximately 40 adults (coaches and parents) to Dublin for a day of rugby action and a splendid tour of the Aviva Stadium. They were hosted on this day by Lansdowne RFC, whose club president presented Nenagh with a plaque upon their visit.On the Sunday morning, Nenagh Ormond U14 side braved the diffi cult weather conditions in their home town, before departing on a bus to the Dublin 4 area. The U14s had a panel of 15 for this occasion, as some of their regulars were lining out for the U15s in their league game against Cashel. The players that journeyed up to the capital put in a decent display; however, as despite losing out 24-15 in the end, tries from Shane Steed, Evan Murphy and Luke Fahy highlighted the talent that is being harnessed at under-age level in the club.Following their game with Lansdowne, they took in a tour of the Aviva Stadium, with the fi rst port of call being a visit to the press conference area, followed by a trip to the home dressing room. Finally, they were taken in a journey through the upper levels of the ground on what was a fantastic day for the young stars at New Ormond Park.

38 S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

Daire WALSH


SHANNONFollowing two crucial victories over fellow strugglers UL Bohemians,

there is now a greater degree of optimism around Ulster Bank

League Division 1A side Shannon, who have had a number of players

recognised at international level recently.

Since making his debut in Coonagh against Dolphin on Saturday

October 27th, 6’ 6” lock Sean McCarthy had been a virtual ever-

present for Shannon until the January 26th clash with Clontarf, when

he joined up with Mike Ruddock’s international squad for the current

Under-20 Six Nations campaign. Though he did not feature in the

narrow opening game defeat to Wales in Colwyn Bay, he was included

amongst the replacements, which is a fi rm indication of how highly

the current Lansdowne coach rates him.

Joining the 20-year-old in gaining a call-up for the Emerald Isle were

Richie Mullane, Fergal Walsh and Kevin Griffi n, who were selected in

the Ireland Club XV squad that faced England at Temple Hill on Friday

February 8th. Mullane, who can play in the centre as well as full-back,

has been a regular for Shannon this season, while Walsh has formed

an effective partnership with the aforementioned McCarthy in the

second row, with the powerful Griffi n offering plenty of support ahead

of them in the front row.

ST MARY’S COLLEGEAfter a long period of speculation, St Mary’s College RFC have fi nally

introduced their own ‘St Mary’s RFC Smart Card’, which is available

to all fully paid up members of the Templeville Road club. There are

many benefi ts to be garnered from the purchase of this card, as you

can simply pre-load it at the bar with whatever sum you desire.

By using the card, you can get 10% off future purchases of draught

and bottle ales, beers and ciders, as well as an incredible 20% off soft

drinks. Those who are interested in availing of this unique venture can

collect pre-load their cards during the opening hours of the club’s

bar. However, the card can also be collected and pre-loaded from the

club’s offi ce if it is suitable for patrons, and the cards can be used

straight away after collection. However, writing on the newsletter

section of the club’s website (www.stmaryscollegerfc.com), Club

President Michael Fanagan emphasised that the cards will be issued

strictly to fully paid up members only. He also expressed his gratitude

to Geoff Coman and Conal Cassidy of Las Moras Wines and Rachel

McDaid of KCR Taxis, who offered their support and sponsorship for

the St Mary’s College RFC Smart Cards.

UCDThe Friday February 22nd clash between UCD and Dublin University

(Trinity) coincided with the 60th Colours Match meeting between the

two colleges, but preceding it on Sunday February 3rd was a truly

memorable fi xture between the rival college’s Under-21 outfi ts at the

Belfi eld Bowl.

Pairing up as a fi xture in the JP Fanagan League, this clash was the

second leg of the Jamsie Maher (Freshman) Cup (the U21 Colours

Match), with the hosts holding a seven-point lead following their 16-9

victory in College Park back in October.

In an outstanding showcase of open and attacking rugby, captain

Liam Bourke led the charge for Collidge at out-half, with former

Clongowes College star Bryan Byrne offering plenty of drive in the

front row. Despite some extremely eye-catching scores, though, Trinity

were giving as good as they got, and a 27-25 half-time cushion for

the visitors made for a very interesting second period.

Indeed, Trinity ended the game with a total of fi ve tries, which would

normally be enough to win most games, but with UCD also crossing

the whitewash on fi ve occasions through Bourke, Byrne, wings Philip

O’Neill and James Carroll and lock Philip Crowe, they were able to hold

out for a magnifi cent 38-33 win (54-42 on aggregate).

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40 S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

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In 2012 we could see that some clubs performed very well while others were performing poorly. In order to gain a greater understanding of the differences in performance we decided to run a survey among 2000 people to fi nd out why this was. The members surveyed had made at least one contribution to their club on line.

One of the questions that we asked in the survey was “Are you currently supporting your club fi nancially? yes/ no.” The response to this question was that 33% of the respondents said “no”. When these people were asked why not, they responded as follows:

33% -“I do not know what is going on in the club”

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In trying to understand the needs of the different types of members, we further analysed the membership types and have broken the members into the specifi c groups.

For the purposes of this piece we will outline the three main types of members that we have encountered and how their communications needs are being fulfi lled. We have gained this insight from numerous focus groups made up of normal members of sports groups and committee members. The main types are the Loyal the Sceptical and the Disconnected.

The loyal: The loyalists will support all causes that the club are engaged it. They are loyal to the club and believe that the club provides and powerfully serves in the local community.

The sceptical: The sceptical are the second largest group in the club and they will grudgingly support some causes if they believe that their needs are being met by doing so. Broader club issues are not being brought to their attention and as a consequence, they can and never will become loyalists. Once their child moves on, so will they.

The disconnected: Then there are the disconnected who do not believe that the club will do anything to help anybody or anything other than the club and senior committee itself. Their communications needs are not being met at all.

With this in mind, MyClubFinances.com has devised a communication tool that allows clubs to interact and communicate with the members in a much more effective manner.

Because the old ways of communicating, and community building are changing, the internet potentially creates a gap between your club and your members. Club members are on Facebook Twitter, web sites etc, and not in the local pub anymore for example.

Unless we in the rugby community embrace the communications benefi ts of the internet, we will not be able to leverage the other advantages that it provides us because our members will ignore us. Without proper lines of communication, crucial information can become lost. If a club does not communicate with their members in the correct manner, then it runs the risk of alienating the members that they currently have, along with losing the ability to attract new people into the club.

Recently Shannon RFC has signed up to the service. The club are keeping

their members connected to the club while also making it easy for them

to support the club.. So, whether it is an ex-player now living in Australia

logging on to play the lotto, or a local family in Limerick logging in to pay

their memberships at a time that suits them, it is now much easier to

become involved.

John Leahy from Shannon RFC has expressed his delight about

MyClubFinances.com saying this about the system.

“Shannon RFC use MyClubFinances.com to enable our supporters to

pay for club membership and lotto when they are on our club website.

Our website Shannonrfc.com is now an income generator for the club.

In the coming year we will add more of the services provided by www.

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I would recommend MyClubFinances for their backup support, advice and

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Among the systems that MyClubFinance.com can provide clubs are:

E-mail communications/newsletters: Dynamically creates groups to

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Memberships: The system facilitates a once off full payment or fully

managed incremental payments. Automatically sends receipts at the

beginning of each term or season. Or simply use the e-mail system to

send out invoices or notices that the New Year’s memberships are now

due.

Lotto: Fully managed fundraising lotto system. All sales, communications

and management of a clubs existing and new fundraising lotto can be

run through their own web site. The system sends out automated results

e-mails and text messages. New or existing lotteries can use this system

and be managed through your own administration panel.

Club Shop: List club merchandise for sale directly from your own web site.

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42 S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

As we enter into the month of March, things are really starting to take

shape in the Leinster Provincial Towns Cup, and with just eight teams

remaining in the competition, the race to reach the 88th fi nal in the

tournament’s history is really beginning to heat up.

The most recent draw for the Cleaning Contractors-sponsored competition took place in Tullow Rugby Club on the afternoon of Sunday February 17th, following the clash between the Carlow men and rivals Kilkenny in the second round, which ended in a 36-16 win for the hosts.

Broadcast live on KCLR 96FM, Managing Director of Cleaning Contractors, Ciaran O’Brien was joined in making the third round draw by Ireland back row forward Sean O’Brien (who hails from Tullow) in making the draw. The fi rst pairing will see Cill Dara taking on Longford at Beech Park, and with neither team having won the competition (although Longford did make an appearance in the 1932 fi nal), they will be given plenty of incentive to push on for a last-four place this year.

Local anticipation was heightened when Tullow were given a home tie against Ashbourne, who were beaten in the 1999 decider by fellow Meath side, Navan. Tullow were also on the receiving end of a showpiece defeat by Navan in 2008, and also lost out narrowly to Enniscorthy in last year’s fi nal, which will act as a major motivation for them.

Edenderry, who hosted the 2011 fi nal and were Towns Cup winners in 1969 and 1983, take on fellow two-time champions Roscrea, while Tullamore (who have won the competition four times, but were beaten fi nalists three years in-a-row starting in 2009) face Wicklow on their home patch, in what will be a re-match from the 2006 fi nal. All of these games are set to be played on the afternoon of Sunday March 17th, and if they are anything like as intriguing as the games that have taken place thus far, then we should be able to look forward to some very entertaining encounters on St Patrick’s Day.

Of the teams still remaining, seven of them were in fi rst round action, and Wicklow were one of the most impressive, as they enjoyed a 39-8 victory over Skerries on their visit to north county Dublin. Ben Porter was the star for the Ashtown Lane outfi t in this tie, as his hat-trick of tries helped them to gain safe passage into the next round.

Ashbourne, whose facilities are becoming more and more prominent thanks to the increasingly impressive performances of the Ireland Women’s Rugby Team, had a hat-trick hero of their own, as captain Rory Gleeson crossed the whitewash on three occasions in a 27-5 away success against Clane.

Cill Dara were made to work for their place in the second round, though, as their tie with Clondalkin went all the way to extra-time, but having fallen behind 13-3 at a pivotal point in the second half, a penalty try managed to bring the game into the additional period, and a Jack Ryan three-pointer gave them a dramatic triumph over the tenacious south Dubliners.

Edenderry’s meeting with Arklow was less eye-catching, unfortunately, thanks in large part to the strong gale-force wind, and some heavy sleet. It was diffi cult for either team to truly get a handle on the play, and in the end, a successful penalty from the Offaly men was enough to get them through on a 3-0 score line, which wasn’t a true refl ection on either side, but more a refl ection on how the elements had played its part.

Tullow also prevented their Wicklow opponents, Rathdrum, from scoring in their fi rst round fi xture, but they were far more comprehensive, as tries from Frank Murphy (2), John Handbidge (2), Andrew Turner and William Canavan gave them an excellent 38-0 winning margin.

Longford showed excellent qualities to narrowly dispatch North Kildare 9-6 with all their scores from the boot of Colm Glynn, while Roscrea, who were originally set to face Boyne on January 27th, eventually took on the Louth men on February 10th, when three tries from Aaron Carroll gave the men from North Tipperary a comfortable 31-3 triumph.

There were also wins in the opening round for Kilkenny, Athy, Gorey, Naas (after an extra-time clash with Portarlington) and Mullingar, which set things up rather nicely for the second round on February 17th, as the 13 fi rst round winners, joined holders Enniscorthy, Tullamore and Newbridge (who all received byes) in the second round draw. Receiving a bye can be a tricky prospect at the best of times, because although Tullamore steamrolled Mullingar 52-8 thanks to tries from Richie Hughes, Conor Molloy, Cian Glennon, Colin Hughes, Adrian Hanley, Kevin Browne and Darragh Lowry, both Enniscorthy and Newbridge were on the receiving end of defeats against their respective opponents.

Longford built on the confi dence received in their slender victory over North Kildare with a clinical 14-9 triumph over Enniscorthy, which denied them the chance of securing back-to-back Towns Cups in the process, while Wicklow came out on the right side of a thrilling home encounter with Newbridge with three points to spare (23-20).

Following the Rosetown’s outfi t’s loss to the Garden County side, there was mixed fortunes for the remaining Kildare teams in the Towns

Cup,


43S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

as Athy lost out in The Showgrounds to Roscrea on a scoreline of 17-7, while Naas put in a decent display, before losing 26-18 to Edenderry. Cill Dara made sure that it wasn’t a complete whitewash for the Lilywhites, however, as their dogged 20-18 win against Gorey keeps their dream of making a fi rst-ever appearance in the fi nal very much alive.

Tullow weren’t quite as convincing against Kilkenny as they had been in the opening round, but they were still worthy 20 point winners (36-16), but they won’t be joined in the last-eight by their nearest rivals, County Carlow, as they were edged out by two points (12-10) in their visit to Ashbourne, who secured victory with three second period penalties from the reliable Casey Dunne.

Just like the Leinster-led competition, the Powerade Ulster Towns Cup has now reached the quarter-fi nal stage, and with three 2nd string

sides joining fi ve 1st XV outfi ts in the last-eight, there will be an interesting mix in the latter stages of the competition.

The City Of Derry 2nds will take on the Dungannon 2nds, with the fi nal club with a senior team in the Ulster Bank

League, Ballynahinch, taking on Enniskillen of Fermanagh. Elsewhere, Clogher Valley will battle it out with Omagh

for a spot in the semi-fi nal, with Ballyclare and Dromore completing the quarter-fi nal line-up.

The second round on Saturday February 2nd really helped to open up the competition, and last year’s beaten fi nalists, Ballynahinch 2nds, had to come through a tough encounter with Banbridge 2nds. Penalties from Banbridge’s John Ferris and James McBriar had the sides on level terms at the mid-way

stage, before Paddy James spectacularly broke through for a late try, which made

sure of an 8-3 success for ‘Hinch.

The clash between Dromore and Limavady was another tight affair, with the latter recording a try through

centre Chris Hunter in the opening half, though this wasn’t enough to give them

the lead at the break, as an early try for Dromore from Adam McDonald left Dromore

with fi ve points to spare (12-7). This gave Dromore an excellent platform to build on upon

the resumption, and a successful three-pointer from Lee Steenson was enough to give them a

15-12 win, in spite of a late try for the Limavady men. Omagh also sealed their place in the quarter-fi nal

with a 22-8 win against Bangor, though the game was a lot tighter than the fi nal outcome suggests, as a Lee Warnock

penalty ensured that Omagh were on level terms ahead of the second period. It was after the break that the Tyrone men really came into their own, though, and thanks to tries from Kyle Alexander, Andy McFarland and Andrew Ferguson, they were able to break the Bangor resistance.

The second of three 2nd XV encounters saw City Of Derry taking on Rainey Old Boys, and what transpired was arguably the best tie of the round. What made the game so memorable was the fact that it looked like being a one-sided contest in the early stages, as converted tries for Rainey saw them racing into a 14-0 advantage. Derry did fi nally open their account with a try from centre Paddy Blennerhassett, but this was cancelled out almost immediately by a try from Rainey skipper Ian Hutchinson. An Adam Blair try did give City Of Derry renewed hope heading into the second half, and thanks to an eight-point salvo from Richard Peoples, and a further fi ve-pointer from Blair, Derry completed a quite remarkable comeback to win the game 27-26.

Less spectacular, but equally effective, in victory were their last-eight opponents Dungannon 2nds, who recovered from the early concession of a David Martin try against Armagh 2nds to come away with a 13-10 triumph. A Charlie Sargaison fi ve-pointer had got their account up and running, but a Gareth Graham penalty on the stroke of half-time reduced the defi cit to two (10-8), and courtesy of a Peter Cashel try in the fi nal ten minutes, their place in the next phase was assured.

As is naturally the case with any competition, the general public are always interested to see how the reigning champions perform in each game they play, and with Clogher Valley aiming for a three Towns Cups crowns in-a-row in 2013, the eyes of the Ulster Rugby fraternity will be focused fi rmly on the Fermanagh side. As it turned out, Ballymoney gave them a real run for their money, and a late try in the fi rst half for the Kilraughts Road brigade brought parity to the contest (14-14) in time for the interval. However, Clogher Valley showed their true champions form upon the resumption, as tries from James Bates and David Sharkey left them with ten points to spare (31-21), keeping their bid to retain the title on the right track.

Finishing off an exhilarating day of fi xtures were the clashes between University Ulster, Coleraine (UUC) and Enniskillen, as well as Donaghadee’s trip to Ballyclare. Home advantage can be extremely important in this competition, so Enniskillen will be thrilled that they journeyed back home with a 25-10 win under their belts, while Ballyclare pulled off the shock of the round when they overcame Donaghadee of the Qualifying League Section One in a low-scoring 8-3 encounter.

With the Ulster Towns Cup Quarter-Finals due to have been played on February 23rd (with any replays being held on March 6th), there is plenty of life left in the competition this year, and even though it would take a brave man to bet against Clogher Valley at this juncture, there are always surprises in any given year of the Towns Cup.


ULSTER BANK LEAGUE44 S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

League produces more dramaWith only score difference separating Lansdowne and Garryowen at

the top of the Ulster Bank League Division 1A table when the action

resumed on January 26th following a three-week break, it was hard to

predict how the two upcoming games between the teams were going to

pan out.

However, the landscape in the top fl ight has changed dramatically in the intervening period , as Lansdowne followed up a stunning 23-0 away triumph against their closest challengers (when Ross McCarron, Rob McCarthy and Number 8 Ron Boucher registered tries) with a thoroughly professional 27-25 victory over Dolphin at the beginning of February.

This left the Dublin 4 side in an excellent position when they faced Garryowen once again on the Aviva Stadium’s back pitch a fortnight later, and although the Limerick men showed plenty of promise when they moved into a 15-12 advantage with the help of a Cian O’Shea try, Lansdowne pushed on during the second half, as tries from Mark Roche, Cian Aherne and Matt Healy helped them to a bonus point triumph.

They continued their impressive form when facing Cork Constitution on February 23rd, as fi ve-pointers from Foster Horan, Boucher, Ronaldson and Tadhg Beirne gave them the maximum points on offer. This means that their lead at the top now stands at a staggering 12 points, as Garryowen also suffered a 21-18 loss to Cork Con in between their two reversals against Lansdowne, although a comprehensive winning display against UL Bohemian in the division’s most recent ‘Friday Night Lights’ showpiece does at least keep them in contention.

Young Munster had briefl y overtaken Garryowen when eight points from the boot of Brian Haugh gave them their fourth league triumph in succession against Dolphin, which came hot on the heels of a tense 10-8 win over Old Belvedere. This impressive sequence of results came to an end against Clontarf in Castle Avenue, though, where a brace of tries from Michael McGrath helped the north Dubliners towards victory. Last season’s runners-up are now third in the table having also recorded back-to-back wins over a struggling Shannon side, with Richie Lane contributing 17 points during their 32-17 win in mid-February.

Occupying the mid-table positions at the moment are Cork Con and St Mary’s College, who have had contrasting fortunes in recent weeks, as the former followed up a nine point success (22-13) over Mary’s in Templeville Road with their aforementioned dramatic win over Garryowen, before suffering a dip in form when Mary’s got the better of them on their home patch courtesy of tries from Steve Toal-Lennon (2) and Matthew D’Arcy in a memorable 30-12 win for the reigning champions.

The Cork men were also second best in their battle with the league’s form team, Lansdowne, whereas Mary’s have won three on the trot since losing to the 2010 victors, with a thrilling 19-17 triumph over Clontarf on February 1st giving them confi dence ahead of their endeavours against Cork Con (in the return fi xture) and Dolphin, who they dispatched narrowly with the help of 15 points from Gavin Dunne.

With seven defeats from 11 games, Dolphin are just above the bottom three, which is currently fi lled by Old Belvedere, UL Bohemian and Shannon. UL had looked in real trouble at the turn of the year, but have since recorded a double over Old Belvedere, who are currently six games without a league win.

Saturday February 16th is destined to be remembered as a landmark date in Division 1B, as it saw Ballynahinch losing a league game for the very fi rst time this season. James Thompson did register a try for the Ulstermen in Ballymacarn Park, but tries from Sam Coghlan-Murray and Andy Boyle gave visitors UCD the spoils in a 19-7 victory.

This temporarily halted the seemingly relentless charge of ‘Hinch this term, but thanks to a 26-22 win over nearest rivals Dublin University and a 36-3 bonus point demolition of Belfast Harlequins at Deramore Park on February 1st, they still hold a considerable eight-point lead at the top of Division 1B over both UCD and Dublin University.

Trinity had increased the pressure on Ballynahinch with well-deserved successes over Dungannon (24-16) and Ballymena (42-5), but UCD’s 17-10 win in the 61st Annual Colours Match on Friday February 22nd (which also doubled up as a league encounter) ensures that it is the Belfi eld men who are currently in the pivotal play-off position in the second-tier.


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ULSTER BANK LEAGUE46 S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

An excellent fi rst half helped UCD’s cause on this occasion, with tries from Barry Daly, Conor Gilsenan, Danny Kenny and Jordan Coghlan giving them maximum points against Bruff at the beginning of February, a week after they also picked up fi ve points in defeating Ballymena.

Buccaneers have also threatened to break into the top two spots for much of the season, and despite suffering a couple of set-backs in recent times when they followed up a 27-15 defeat against Belfast Harlequins with a thrilling 36-36 draw with Blackrock College, nerve-jangling wins over Dungannon (24-22) and Malone (37-30) maintains their charge for promotion with six games left to play.

Situated in the mid-table positions are Malone and Belfast Harlequins, whose form has been somewhat indifferent up to this point in the season, though they have clocked up more than enough points to keep themselves away from the bottom end of the table.

Blackrock College are moving ever closer to the top half of 1B, though, as the south Dubliners remain unbeaten in the 2013 calendar year. Consecutive draws against Buccaneers and Belfast Harlequins had kept ‘Rock away from danger, and a 31-5 winning margin over Dungannon (when Rob Keogh top scored with 21 points) means that they are likely to consolidate their status in the division for next season.

This leaves Dungannon, Bruff and Ballymena in a titanic battle against relegation to Division 2A, and as Dungannon showed in their 12-10 victory over Bruff, it may well be the outcomes of the games between these teams that will decide who stays up and who goes down. The Tyrone men may well be the safest bet to retain their status at this stage, as they ran Trinity and Buccaneers extremely close recently, whereas Bruff are without a win since November 17th, and Ballymena have just one win to their name in 2012/13.

The most intriguing race for top honours in the Ulster Bank League is taking place at the moment in Division 2A, where Terenure College, Galway Corinthians and UCC are locked in a fi erce battle for the lead spot. Previous pace-setters UCC suffered a couple of set-backs when an Ollie McGlinchey drop-goal saw them losing 11-8 to Cashel in Spafi eld, before nine points from Tadhg Leader gave Galwegians a share of the spoils in their intriguing 19-19 draw. They did get back to winning ways on February 23rd, however, when they secured a hard-earned four point triumph (17-13) over De La Salle Palmerston, which leaves them in third place, a point behind both Terenure College and Galway Corinthians with a game more played.

Terenure always looked like they would be the ones to benefi t from a slip-up by the Mardyke men, but despite recording their eighth win of the season away to Greystones at the end of January, they lost out on February 16th away to Corinthians, when 11 points from the boot of Mick O’Flynn was pivotal in a 21-15 success for the Tribesmen. This, along with their comprehensive 27-6 win over Banbridge, had moved Corinthians into top spot, but despite maintaining their winning form with a narrow 12-10 victory over Bective Rangers, Terenure’s bonus point performance against Old Wesley (when two tries from Mark O’Neill paved the way for a 43-14 success) means that ‘Nure currently lead the way thanks to their superior scoring average.

Back in fourth place on 36 points are Banbridge, who had slipped down the table following consecutive defeats to Terenure, Corinthians and City of Derry, but found their feet again with a comfortable win over Midleton at Rifl e Park. Galwegians edge the aforementioned City Of Derry into fi fth place, despite recording a 26-22 loss to Seapoint in late February (bring to an end a fi ve-game winning streak), but this was enough to give them a one-point advantage over the Oaf Leaf outfi t, who came out on the wrong side of a 21-13 clash with Highfi eld on the same day.

Towards the bottom of the table, Bective Rangers, Old Crescent and Midleton (all with three wins each) have a few points to spare over the division’s bottom two sides (Greystones and DLSP), but they will be looking to secure another couple of victories before they can be certain of maintaining their Division 2A status for next season.

In Division 2B, Rainey Old Boys continue to be the only unbeaten team in Senior Club Rugby with ten wins and one draw from eleven outings. Their one draw to date was against Naas, in an epic 19-19 encounter, which saw Johnny Delaney grab a hat-trick for the south Kildare side, before the Magherafelt outfi t dug deep in the second half at Forenaughts to secure two vital points. This placed Rainey in good spirits ahead of their most recent encounter against Skerries, which they won on a score line of 26-12. This gives them a total of 48 points, six more than NUIM Barnhall, who leap-frogged neighbours Naas into second position following the latter’s 28-13 defeat to Armagh.

Barnhall had previously overcome the same position 19-13, and a 50-17 thrashing of bottom team Connemara (when Eamon Daly crossed the whitewash on three occasions) moved them even closer to the summit, with their heart-breaking 30-29 loss to Skerries now a distant memory. This gives them a four point hold over Naas, while there are only four points separating fourth place Nenagh Ormond and seventh place Navan, with Boyne and Armagh fi lling the spots in between. Skerries continue to give a good account of themselves, and followed up their terrifi c win against Barnhall with an action-packed 25-25 draw with Navan at Holmpatrick.

Suttonians, Thomond and Ards have struggled to climb away from the danger zone, while Clonakilty (9-0 winners over Instonians in their most recent home fi xture) are also needing to look over their shoulder with plenty of caution.

Connemara are in the most perilous position, however, as 11 points separate themselves and second-bottom Ards, and even though the Westerners recorded their fi rst win of the campaign in a 21-12 home success against Thomond on February 16th, their 10th defeat of the season against Barnhall leaves them with an uphill struggle for the remainder of the campaign.


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