Leinster Rugby v Dragons

ISSUE 01 | LEINSTER RUGBY OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME 

JOSH VAN DER 

FLIER 

SCOTT 

FARDY 

JAMES 

LOWE 

Sexton 

Johnny 

OCT 

02 

20 

20 

KICK OFF 20:15

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A sea of blue 

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Newstead Building A, UCD, 

Belfield, Dublin 4 

Telephone: 

012693224 

Fax: 

012693142 

E-mail: 

information@leinsterrugby.ie 

www.leinsterrugby.ie 

EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT 

President: John Walsh 

Chief Executive: Michael Dawson 

Honorary Secretary: Stuart Bayley 

Honorary Treasurer: Michael McGrail 

7 22 

RUGBY MANAGEMENT 

Head Coach: Leo Cullen 

Senior Coach: Stuart Lancaster 

Head of Rugby Operations: 

Guy Easterby 

Assistant Coach: Robin McBryde 

Backs Coach: Felipe Contepomi 

Kicking Coach: Emmet Farrell 

Contact Skills Coach: Hugh Hogan 

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Editorial Team: Marcus Ó Buachalla 

& Ryan Corry 

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Design: Julian Tredinnick, 

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Photography: Sportsfile 

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www.leinsterrugby.ie | 3 | From The Ground Up

JOHN WALSH 

WEL COME 

Good evening, 

It is my pleasure to pen these few words 

and the first programme address of my 

tenure as President of the Leinster Rugby 

Branch. 

It is a great honour for me and I would 

like to thank Naas RFC for all their 

support over the years and I look forward 

to serving the club and the Branch over 

the season ahead. I would also like 

to thank Robert Deacon for his help 

in making the handover as smooth as 

possible and all at the Branch for their 

help over the last few weeks. 

The season ahead will be a season like 

no other. In ordinary circumstances I 

would be welcoming David Buttress, 

Chairman of Dragons Rugby and of 

course Dean Ryan and his players to the 

RDS Arena in person, but in the current 

climate that is not possible. Naturally I 

wish Dean and his team a safe trip here 

and back and wish them well for the 

season ahead. 

It is an achievement in itself getting here 

at all and I think all the clubs of the 

Guinness PRO14 and the tournament 

organisers and the unions and staff 

should be commended for getting rugby 

back up and running again. It has lifted 

everyone’s spirits to see games again 

and in particular over the last few weeks 

in the Aviva Stadium and further afield. 

Congratulations to Leo Cullen, Johnny 

Sexton and everyone involved with 

the senior team for a magnificent 

achievement in winning a third Guinness 

PRO14 on the bounce and doing 

so unbeaten. That takes remarkable 

consistency over a season and well done 

to all the 53 players that pulled on a 

jersey. 

Of course there will be disappointment 

with the manner of the loss to Saracens, 

but that should not cloud the incredible 

achievement in the PRO14 and doing so 

in particular after lockdown and all the 

challenges that were faced there. 

Rugby is also back in our clubs and will 

be soon in our schools. 

Well done to the various committees and 

of course the team back at base in UCD; 

Phil Lawlor, Declan Fassbender, Dermot 

O’Mahony and Lisa Doyle. The list goes 

on and apologies for anyone I have left 

out because there is a much wider team 

and they all deserve enormous credit for 

getting rugby back up and running. 

Particular credit must also go to the Covid 

Officers in our clubs. Without you and 

your tremendous efforts clubs would 

not be open at all. It is an onerous task 

but one that has been carried out with 

tremendous efficiency and I thank you 

most sincerely on behalf of us all because 

it has been wonderful to see training and 

games back in our clubs again. 

I would also like to thank Ray McCabe 

and all that worked so hard to ensure our 

Bank of Ireland Leinster Rugby Summer 

Camps got going. These camps were of 

course initially cancelled but again with 

huge diligence and an adherence to all 

Covid guidelines, they were resumed and 

were a resounding success. These camps 

were the first signs of rugby returning 

during the summer to our clubs and it was 

brilliant to see our venues full of boys and 

girls enjoying themselves again. 

As always thank you to all our sponsors, 

partners and suppliers but in particular 

to Bank of Ireland, adidas, Laya 

Healthcare, Guinness, Life Style 

Sports, Energia and BearingPoint for 

your continued support and indeed I 

would like to welcome Vodafone to 

the Leinster Rugby family as one of 

our new partners and suppliers for 

the next few seasons. 

Finally I would like to 

acknowledge the recent passing 

of Colm O’Shea. 

Having served alongside Colm on the 

Competitions Committee I am very aware 

that Leinster Rugby were the beneficiary 

of his many talents as Chair and the 

ability Colm had to guide us Committee 

Members in making the right decisions 

for the benefit of rugby and players. 

Furthermore it was fun to work with him 

and the bottom line is that rugby has to 

be fun. 

He will be sorely missed and our thoughts 

are with his wife Deirdre and all the 

family and of course his many friends in 

Lansdowne FC. 

Here’s to a great game and wherever 

you are, wear your blue and enjoy it as 

much as you can! 

Yours, 

John Walsh 

PRESIDENT, LEINSTER RUGBY 2020/21 


Leo Cullen 

HEAD COACH WELCOME 

GOOD EVENING 

AND WELCOME 

TO EVERYONE. 

THAT IS WHAT 

WE WOULD 

NORMALLY BE 

SAYING BUT 

UNFORTUNATELY, 

WE’LL BE 

STARTING THE 

SEASON AT 

THE RDS ARENA 

WITHOUT 

OUR LOYAL 

SUPPORTERS 

TO CHEER US 

ON. EVERYONE 

INVOLVED WITH 

THE TEAM IS 

COUNTING 

DOWN TO THE 

DAY WE SEE 

THE FAMOUS 

‘SEA OF BLUE’ 

BACK WHERE IT 

BELONGS! 

A warm Dublin welcome to Dean Ryan 

and his Dragons team as we quickly 

head into the start of a new season. 

Rugby without spectators is missing a 

vital ingredient, but it’s better than no 

rugby at all, so well done to everyone 

who helped get the 2019/20 Guinness 

PRO14 season completed during these 

difficult times. 

The season had a bittersweet conclusion for us. 

It was fantastic, and fitting, to see Rob Kearney 

and Fergus McFadden go up to accept the 

PRO14 trophy on behalf of the club. That’s an 

image we’ll remember. Unfortunately, we were 

unable to back that up in our Champions Cup 

quarter-final a week later. It just shows how 

tight the margins are in those big knock-out 

games. As a team, we have since re-set and 

worked hard to learn the lessons from that day. 

Still on Europe and congratulations to Will 

Connors, Ryan Baird and Hugo Keenan who 

made their Heineken Champions Cup debuts 

in the quarter-final. All three players have 

come through our system and we hope they 

go on to have long and successful Leinster 

careers. 

Congratulations also to Tom Clarkson on 

making his Leinster debut in the Guinness 

PRO14 game against Ulster. Tom is still in our 

Academy and he was the 53rd player to have 

represented Leinster during the course of the 

campaign. 

Will, Ryan, Hugo and Tom are great examples 

of all the coaching and development work that 

goes on ‘behind the scenes’ at Leinster. As we 

start another season, we hope to build on that 

work and further deepen our pool of talent. 

A big thanks to all our coaches and staff who 

work tirelessly for the good of the club, no 

matter what. 

Thanks also to our loyal sponsors, in particular 

Bank of Ireland, for their continued support. 

We know that all businesses have their 

challenges at the moment, but we look forward 

to continuing our hugely successful partnership 

long into the future. 

To our supporters, I can’t emphasise enough 

how much we all miss your presence… 

and never more so than during those last 

15 minutes against Saracens, with just a try 

between the teams! 

But of course, we understand the need for 

vigilance and patience at this delicate time. 

Our thanks and appreciation go out to all 

public health workers and the Leinster medical 

team, many of whom are on the frontline and 

doing a brilliant job. We must all continue 

to do our bit and to play our part and we 

would call on everyone to continue to follow 

Government and HSE advice. 

Only by us all doing that can we make strides 

and take the steps that will hopefully allow 

you, our supporters, back into stadia very 

soon. 

Take care and I hope you enjoy the game. 

Thanks, 

Leo 


JOANN 

HOSEY 

PROVINCIAL DIRECTOR 

BANK OF IRELAND DUBLIN 

Good evening, 

A very warm welcome to the start of 

another season of the Guinness PRO14. 

Of course we would all love nothing 

more than to be welcoming each other 

back to the RDS Arena and the start of 

another season but with Covid-19, it is not 

meant to be. 

We miss our family, our friends, going 

out and meeting people, staying in with 

groups of friends at home and of course 

attending events. Sport, the arts, culture, 

music. Everything that we hold dear has 

been rocked and questions asked that we 

still don’t have answers for. 

And yet here we are for the start of 

another season and credit must go to the 

Guinness PRO14, the unions, the clubs 

and of course to Leinster Rugby and 

Dragons, for all the effort in getting to 

this point. 

Of course we must all continue to play 

our part in ensuring that games can 

continue. Social distancing, washing 

hands, wearing masks, sneeze etiquette 

and of course following the latest 

Government guidelines. We can all play 

our part. 

While the last few months have been 

difficult it has been brilliant to see rugby 

back in our clubs and in our schools. 

Huge credit to Ray McCabe and all 

of his teams for another successful 

completion of the Bank of Ireland Leinster 

Rugby Summer Camps, albeit in a 

reduced capacity. They faced significant 

challenges with the cancelation initially 

and then of course its resumption. 

It really was wonderful to see those first 

few steps taken by the boys and girls 

across the twenty plus camps and them 

enjoying it so much and it is everyone’s 

hope that that can now continue in the 

coming months as rugby returns to our 

fields. 

One element that must be acknowledged 

for this evening is the Bank of Ireland 

mascots and of course the half time minis. 

Mascots running out with our captain and 

the minis running onto the RDS Arena or 

Aviva Stadium pitch is a much cherished 

tradition of Leinster Rugby and I know 

that there are countless teams of boys 

and girls out there very disappointed that 

they may miss out on their opportunity. 

It is just another example of the impact 

that Covid-19 has had on our youngsters 

and it narrows the focus that we need 

to support them and be there for them 

at times like these when they are feeling 

down and unable to do the things that 

they love to do. 

We have seen over the last six months 

numerous examples of our communities 

coming together and supporting each 

other and no doubt the next few months 

will be challenging but hopefully the 

community spirit that has got us to this 

point will sustain us all again. 

Wherever in the 12 counties you may 

be watching the game from, enjoy it 

and hopefully we will be in each other’s 

company again soon. 

JH 


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WHY IT 

MATTERS 

ASHTON HEWITT | DRAGONS 

When you decide to speak out on a sensitive topic, 

there is often a fear of how what you say will be 

received by both people you do and do not know. 

Whilst it’s not always easy to be 

confronted with opinions you do not 

agree with, as well as the overwhelming 

abuse dished out by Twitter trolls, 

I’m pleased to be able to say that the 

positivity that has come as a result of 

speaking out about racism outweighs 

the negativity. 

You may know me as a Dragons rugby 

player and, more recently, you may have 

seen conversations around racism that I 

have been encouraging on social media. 

Being a 25-year-old, mixed-race man, born 

and raised in Newport, with both Welsh 

and Jamaican heritage, you can imagine 

that the topic of racism is something that 

I am extremely passionate about. This 

passion was amplified by the Black Lives 

Matter movement and the recent peaceful 

protests that took place across the world. 

I’d like to take this opportunity to explain 

what ‘black lives matter’ means to me. It 

is a simple statement, calling 

for black people to be treated 

equally and for the social 

problem that is racism to be 

solved. Therefore, when myself, 

family, friends or teammates 

stand (or kneel) in support 

of black lives matter, it is the 

movement and not the organisation that is 

being supported. I support the movement 

because there are many people in my life 

that I care about who have far too often 

been victims of racism and knowing 

how it feels, it is something that has to be 

addressed. 

From a young age, I have experienced 

racism on the street and in sport. This has 

come as a shock to many of the people 

in the rugby community that I have had 

conversations with on this topic – with 

many of them not expecting a player 

such as myself to be faced with racism. 

Even in the rugby environment, hearing 

racist nicknames and stereotypical jokes 

would make me feel isolated and unable 

to be myself in a space that I should be 

completely comfortable in. Some incidents 

occurred more when I was younger, but 

it never goes away entirely and that is 

what’s jarred most with people I speak to. 

Whether it be monkey chants targeted at 

me from the side-lines whilst I played as 

a child, to being stopped and searched 

countless times. These conversations 

often consist of them being able to count 

the number of encounters they’ve had 

with the police on one hand (or finger) 

and that they couldn’t even imagine being 

stopped and searched whilst walking 

their dog! 

This is one of the main positives that came 

as a result of speaking out. It encouraged 

these conversations that otherwise 

probably wouldn’t have happened, and 

helped others understand my experiences 

and how racism, in all of its different 

forms, has made me feel. 

I’m proud to say that these conversations 

have led to more positivity, with teammates 

calling and texting to find out more 

and gain greater understanding of the 

deep-rooted social issue that they now 

recognise. Also, it’s not only players that 

have been supportive of everything I have 

been doing. I have to thank the Dragons 

as a club for the way they have supported 

me over the last few months. From David 

Buttress (our Chairman) to Dean Ryan 

(Director of Rugby) and James Chapron 

(General Manager), who have all been 

great in supporting me and allowing me 

to be myself. I know that this is not the 

case at every other organisation and in 

every other sector – with black people 

often concerned that they will face 

consequences for being so vocal on such 

a topic. 

I also have to extend my thanks to the 

community team at the Dragons, who I 

know are coming up with ways to actively 

improve inclusivity and diversity at the 

grassroots level by trying to engage with 

more black and minority children. 

Furthermore, I can’t express how 

encouraging the support from fans 

has been. It has truly shown how great 

the game of rugby is, with it not only 

being Dragons fans sending me positive 

messages and shutting down the trolls 

of Twitter in my defence, but rugby 

fans from all over (although some have 

wished for a bad performance when 

playing their team!). 

I’d also like to shed light on, and thank, 

Positive Futures for all of the work that 

they do within my community. Myself and 

team-mate Leon Brown (you know, the 

rather large tight head that enjoys finishing 

30m tries) are proud ambassadors of 

the organisation that works with young 

people from disadvantaged backgrounds, 

trying to combine sport and 

education with rugby often being 

used to develop core values 

and encourage inclusivity. With 

racism and discrimination often 

being an issue that the young 

people they work with face in 

their day-to-day lives, Positive 

Futures actively do what they can to 

tackle the issue. 

I’d like to finish by saying that I don’t 

expect everybody to agree with 

absolutely everything that I say and I 

can’t force anybody to do so. But I’d like 

to think that most would agree to taking 

a stand against racism. I’d really love, 

and appreciate, if everybody just asked 

questions and gave a little time to learn 

a bit more about the issues and the ways 

in which they can be tackled. If you do, 

then please educate others – that is what 

is going to help others not to feel isolated 

because of their skin colour, wherever it 

may be - and encourage change. 

Thank you for reading. 

Ashton

Welcome 

to the Guinness PRO14 season 2018/19 

Welcome 

I am privileged to welcome you to an exciting new season 

of the Guinness PRO14 Championship. We are a proud 

and to committed the GUINNESS partner of PRO14 this competition season 2020/21 and Guinness 

as a brand strongly identifies with the power, strength and 

communion I am privileged which to welcome underpins you to an the exciting sport new of season Rugby. of We the look 

forward GUINNESS to an PRO14 exciting Championship. season We coming are a proud off the partner back of this of last 

year’s competition sensational and of the offering. sport rugby. We look forward to an exciting 

season coming off the back of last year’s sensational offering. 

As seasons go, it was nothing short of gripping. The year 

culminated Last season in was an another edge-of-seat thrilling season finale of epic at Aviva tackles, Stadium 

running 

which rugby saw and history-making Leinster defeat tries reigning that culminated champions with Leinster Scarlets Rugby 

to defeating cap a remarkable Ulster Rugby season in an exciting for Irish Final in Rugby. AVIVA Stadium. This feat 

was even more remarkable when we consider that it was 

the It first goes without occasion saying a Guinness that 2020 has PRO14 been a club year unlike completed any other, a 

European one that none and of League us could double. 

have predicted and one that continues to 

challenge us all daily. Over the course of the year, the absence of 

There sport is left a wealth a gap in so of many proof people’s points lives. which The return clearly of rugby has 

demonstrate been so welcome, the as strength we reignite of our this passion competition and a hope and for the its future 

place when as we one will of all be the able most to be prestigious together again in the club stands. rugby. From 

the expansion of the competition into the Southern 

Hemisphere, We are delighted the that increased fans of the size GUINNESS and excitement PRO14 will be of able the to 

Final continue Series, to watch to the all domination GUINNESS PRO14 of PRO14 matches clubs played in live the with our 

European broadcast Champions partners and are Cup looking - this forward competition to the introduction is history of in 

the Monday making. night rugby into the GUINNESS PRO14 schedule. 

We 

Finally, 

are delighted 

as we move 

that 

into a 

fans 

new season 

of the 

of 

Guinness 

rugby, let us 

PRO14 

all embrace 

will 

the 

be 

able season to watch as it kicks all on. 152 matches played live for the first time 

ever, thanks to the new broadcast partners. 

Hilary Quinn 

Marketing Director | Diageo Ireland 

Finally, we are so proud to stand shoulder to shoulder 

with a competition that continues to grow so fearlessly. 

We savour the memories and wait excitedly for the feats 

of the future to make themselves known. 

Rory Sheridan, Head of Partnerships 

Diageo Europe 


Sexton 

Johnny 

WITH A NEW 

GUINNESS PRO14 

SEASON ABOUT 

TO KICK-OFF THE 

CHATTER AROUND 

UCD AND WIDER 

RUGBY CIRCLES 

SHOULD BE ONE OF 

EXCITEMENT AHEAD 

OF A NEW YEAR. 

BUT. 

THE SHADOW OF 

HOW THE LAST 

SEASON FINISHED 

LESS THAN TWO 

WEEKS AGO STILL 

LOOMS LARGE. 

From The Ground Up | 14 | www.leinsterrugby.ie


The off-season or even pre-season 

didn’t exist. One season finished in 

despair at Aviva Stadium as another 

one came very large into view days 

later. 

All of this of course in the context of the new 

Covid-world we all live in but it’s definitely a 

strange build up to the Dragons game in the 

RDS Arena with Saracens still very much in 

everyone’s minds as Leinster Rugby captain 

Johnny Sexton reflects on the quarter-final loss. 

“We couldn’t have started the game any worse 

really. Credit Saracens and how they dealt with 

that and took their chances but a couple of 

parts of our game didn’t quite hit the notes we 

know they can on the day. 

“That being said I was very proud of the way 

we battled back in that second half and who 

knows if a couple more decisions go our way 

or we start firing a little better towards the end 

of that second half, it might have been different 

and we could have clinched it. 

“I don’t think we would have deserved it but we 

still could have won it and that’s what’s tough 

to take. You play your worst half of rugby of the 

season in the biggest game of the season. 

“It was even tough watching the semi-finals last 

weekend and seeing Racing come out on top 

and that will be compounded in a few weeks 

when we watch them and Exeter go at it in the 

final. 

“But look if we learn from it and down the line 

we get our rewards then maybe we can look 

back and say it was a good thing, but right 

now it definitely hurts.” 

There is no sentimentality towards Racing, 

Sexton acknowledges, with so much water 

under the bridge now since his two year stint 

in France. 

This is more to do with Leinster, his team, his 

team mates and wishing they were there. 

“Yeah not really, that is a very different Racing 

team now to the one I was involved with so 

seeing them get there doesn’t make it any 

better. 

“This just hurts because it’s not us and because 

we put so much into this campaign and OK the 

areas we need to fix, we can fix and we can 

get better but there are no second chances in 

professional sport. 

“We will be waiting a long time for another 

quarter-final and it is hard to get to that 

“HOPEFULLY 

AS THE 

CROWDS 

COME BACK 

THEY WILL 

GET THEIR 

MOMENT TO 

SAY A PROPER 

GOOD-BYE 

BECAUSE 

THEY 

DESERVE IT.” 

point with no guarantees so the priority 

for us now is the new season, getting back 

out there, defending our title and while the 

disappointment of two weeks ago is there, we 

are also very excited to get back out there and 

start the defence of our PRO14 title.” 

Ah yes. The small matter of last season and 

what they achieved. 

An unbeaten domestic season in the Guinness 

PRO14. Seventeen games in total achieved by 

a wider squad of 53 players. 

While the Saracens loss still lingers there is also 

a captain’s pride in what his team achieved 

over the previous 12 months. 

“It was very strange lifting a trophy with 

nobody there, there is no point in saying 


otherwise. All the ceremony and celebrations 

that come with it, champagne on the pitch to 

spray, the fireworks and supporters there and 

family and friends and then being able to enjoy 

it after with them on a lap of honour. 

“Then into the changing rooms and the craic 

there and enjoying that night together again. 

There was none of that because of Covid-19 

so it was definitely strange and a little bit of an 

anti-climax and I felt for Rob and Ferg in that 

regard too, their big moment and send-off that 

they didn’t get. Hopefully as the crowds come 

back they will get their moment to say a proper 

good-bye because they deserve it. 

“So definitely strange but it doesn’t take away 

in the slightest from what this group achieved. 

“Going that amount of games unbeaten during 

a World Cup year, unbeaten in the league, 

unbeaten in the pool stages in Europe and 

I think it stretched to 25 games unbeaten 

including the end of last season. 

“That takes a huge amount of work and 

sacrifice from the players and the coaching 

and back room team as well and I couldn’t 

be prouder of all of the lads. The way it all 

ended to Saracens was and is painful but 

what we achieved as a group over those 25 

games, it was something special no doubt 

about it.” 

He has already mentioned Rob 

Kearney and Fergus McFadden 

and their send-off and lifting 

the Guinness PRO14 

trophy on behalf of 

the squad of 53 

players. 


A special gesture by him as club captain but 

also by the match day captain Garry Ringrose 

but you get the sense also of a deeper 

connection to the two beyond the playing 

pitch and that was revealed in his two posts on 

Instagram. 

“Was weird being in Leinster 

Rugby and not having 

this fella beside me in the 

changing room making 

sarcastic comments about 

everyone and everything. Met 

him for the first time at Leinster 

Under-16 trial and finished up 

together 20 years later. Great 

friend and team mate. What a 

career for Lions, Ireland and 

Leinster. Finished as one of the 

greats. Congrats Rob. Miss 

you already.” 

28 September 2020 - 

@sexton_johnny10 

“Congrats on a great career Ferg. Going to 

miss you so much when you hang up the boots. 

You will leave a big hole in the environment 

and will be tough to fill. It’s been an honour 

to be your team mate for the last 14 years. 

Thankfully our friendship will last a lot longer. 

Hope we get to give you the send-off you 

deserve.” 

4 May 2020 - @sexton_johnny10 


With his first week of training nearly complete 

without them by his side, how does he reflect 

on their time and his time with them. 

“Both of them brought so much to the dressing 

room and the environment over the years. 

Rob’s accolades speak for themselves and the 

career he has had. But what he leaves behind 

is a lot of young kids out there in the province 

wanting to be as good as him, to win what he 

has won. That is his legacy and I think it’s a 

brilliant legacy to leave behind. Inspiring that 

next generation. 

“With Rob though it’s one thing to be great 

and to act well off the pitch when things are 

going well but for me it’s how he carried 

himself when things didn’t go well. The way he 

bounced back from set-backs, from injuries, 

from criticism and often times really unfair 

criticism and even the way his last few weeks 

played out. But that’s the manner of Rob and 

the character he is. You’d want any young 

player to be like him. 

“Ferg very similar in how he went about his 

work but he was also a great character around 

“SO ON MATCH DAY WEARING OUR MASKS WHEN NOT PLAYING, WASHING 

OUR HANDS, STAYING THE TWO METRES APART AND EVERYTHING ELSE. SMALL 

LITTLE THINGS BUT WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT OUR GAMES 

AND WE CAN DO OUR BIT AND HOPEFULLY BE ROLE MODELS. 


the place. And then in battles on the pitch he 

was one of the toughest players you could ever 

meet. And again, Ferg he’ll be missed so much 

on and off the field and that is a true measure 

of their impact on the place.” 

That many years though in one club and 

carrying themselves in the way that they did, 

leaves something deeper. 

“Both of them will go with everyone in the 

environment loving them and I mean that and 

that’s what everyone wants when you leave 

any place, isn’t it? 

“You don’t have to be best mates with 

everyone because that’s just the nature of 

working in any environment and everyone is 

different but to leave and nobody to have a 

bad word to say and everyone to have loved 

you as a team mate and to have admired you, 

it’s the ultimate. And both go with that level of 

admiration left behind. 

“It’s all our hopes that we will get that final 

proper send-off for them as I said when 

supporters return in the future but they know 

how much we all love them and will miss them.” 

To tonight and the RDS Arena and the start of 

the Guinness PRO14 season. 

He’ll lead the team out and ‘All of the Lights’ 

will be blaring but then once it stops it will be 

the eerie silence of an empty stadium again. 

The nearly 13,000 Season Ticket Holders of 

last year will be at home. 

“We speak about the supporters a lot and their 

impact on us and our performances and that 

was even before Covid and I think we are even 

more mindful of them now and being at home. 

“Our first game back it was a very clear 

message for us. All those fans at home, 

watching us and Munster, wanting that 

game so much to be played and giving them 

something to support and the onus on us to 

get out there and play for them and to try to 

give a lift. 

“The same with the Final and winning it for the 

third time in a row, how much that would mean 

to all those at home and the enjoyment that 

that can bring to them. It’s the same tonight 

against Dragons. 

“We know they are at home but that they will 

be watching and we want to make them proud 

of us and of our performances and that we can 

give them something to get behind. 

“But the reality is of course that we want to get 

them back. Fill the RDS, the Aviva and have 

them there with us because it’s not the same 

without them. 

“And of course, it was very clearly outlined 

recently how much we need them back from a 

financial point of view and hopefully we can 

get to the point soon to help the Union and 

the Leinster Branch and whether that is a few 

thousand in the RDS or ten thousand in the 

Aviva, just taking those small steps. 

“Hopefully those small steps can be taken in 

the near future.” 

With Dublin in Level 3 restrictions for the time 

being, there will of course be no supporters at 

the RDS Arena while in that Level but there will 

be 200 for Munster and Connacht games and 

of course a trial for 600 in Ulster. 

All positive steps but Sexton is also mindful of 

the reasons behind these restrictions and of the 

need to stay on top of the little things that we 

can all do. 

“Absolutely and we have spoken about that as 

a group as well and how we need to be doing 


the right things and leading by example as role 

models for the younger generation but also in 

a wider context. 

“So on match day wearing our masks when not 

playing, washing our hands, staying the two 

metres apart and everything else. Small little 

things but we know that people are looking 

at our games and we can do our bit and 

hopefully be role models. 

“It’s not just on us alone of course, everyone 

needs to do their part to help those on the 

front-lines who are really taking the fight to this 

pandemic.” 

So as the man said, we are where we are. 

What has Sexton made of their progress under 

relatively new head coach Dean Ryan? 

“They are a team that are littered with Welsh 

internationals across their squad. The back 

row have class throughout, Richard Hibbard 

at hooker, a Lion, Leon Brown, at prop, their 

back line have a lot of internationals, then Nick 

Tompkins and Jamie Roberts, two excellent 

centres. 

“So we know what they have in their ranks 

and we respect them and their coach and that 

is reflected in our selection too and that we 

expect a really tough game against them.” 

And then before he knows it, it will be time to 

get back into last season one last time and 

the completion of the internationals. The Six 

Nations and the new Autumn Series. 

He is quick to point out that Leinster duties 

come first, doing that well and earning a slot in 

Andy Farrell’s plans but provided he can do all 

that, there is plenty still at stake. 

“Of course, if I can do my bit for Leinster first 

and perform and hopefully I can earn my 

spot in the squad that is announced next week 

or the week after, then great because there 

is an excitement to finish it out and also the 

realisation that if we win our games we are in 

with a shot of a Six Nations title. 

“So yeah, let’s get the next few weeks under 

our belts first and then hopefully we can focus 

on Ireland and it will be a hugely exciting few 

weeks.” 


Did you know? 

• Leinster Rugby’s most recent 

defeat in the Guinness PRO14 

was by a single point at Ulster 

in April 2019. 

• The reigning Champions 

have not been defeated by 

a Welsh Region since they 

visited Parc y Scarlets in 

September 2018. 

• The last time the 

Leinstermen lost on the 

opening weekend was against 

Edinburgh at Meggetland in 

2015. 

• Dragons most recent victory 

was 13-10 at home to Toyota 

Cheetahs on 29 February. 

• Dragons have not won 

away from home in the 

Championship since visiting 

Zebre in October 2019. 

• The Welshmen have not 

been victorious in a round one 

fixture since beating Ulster at 

Rodney Parade in 2013. 

• Leinster have won their 

last seven encounters against 

Dragons since the Welshmen’s 

23-13 success at Rodney 

Parade in January 2016 whilst 

their only previous victory on 

Leinster soil came at the RDS 

Arena in February 2015. 

#LEIVDRA 

Overall Guinness 

PRO14 head to head 

record: 

33 24 9 0 

PLAYED Leinster won Leinster lost DRAWs 

COMPARISON 

Last 3 PRO14 results: 

LEINSTER 

29 Aug - Ulster (A) 

W 28-10 

4 Sep - Munster (H) 

W 13-3 

12 Sep - Ulster (N) 

W 27-5 

Conf A: 

1st - W15 D0 L0 - 69pts 

WWWWWW 

(27pts) 

Dave Kearney 9 

Ross Byrne 93 

PRO14 

2019/20 

PRO14 

form 

Top try 

scorer 

Top points 

scorer 

DRAGONS 

6 Mar - Benetton (H) 

L 25-37 

23 Aug - Ospreys (A) 

D 20-20 

29 Aug - Scarlets (H) 

L 20-41 

Conf A: 

5th - W5 D1 L9 - 24pts 

WLWLDL 

(10pts) 

Date Venue L D Leinster scorers Dragons scorers 

Fri 24 Feb 17 Rodney Parade 54 22 Jack Conan(2T) Ross Byrne(7C) James Tracy(T) Jamison 

Gibson-Park(T) Luke McGrath(2T) Ross Molony(T) 

Hayden Triggs(T) 

Sat 2 Sep 17 Rodney Parade 39 16 Ross Byrne(2C/2P) Cathal Marsh(T/C) Jamison Gibson- 

Park(T) Jordan Larmour(T) Dan Leavy(T) Penalty Try(T) 

Fri 24 Nov 17 RDS Arena 54 10 Ross Byrne(5C) Max Deegan(T) Cathal Marsh(C) 

Jamison Gibson-Park(T) Josh Murphy(T) Jordan 

Larmour(T) Rory O'Loughlin(T) Penalty Try(T) Isa 

Nacewa(2T) 

Sat 15 Sep 18 RDS Arena 52 10 Noel Reid(C) Tadhg Furlong(T) Scott Fardy(T) Sean 

Cronin(T) Jamison Gibson-Park(2T) Jordan Larmour(T) 

Johnny Sexton(6C/P) Josh van der Flier(T) 

Sat 1 Dec 18 Rodney Parade 59 10 Ross Byrne(5C) Ciaran Frawley(2C) Scott Penny(T) Scott 

Fardy(T) Bryan Byrne(T) Dave Kearney(2T) Caelan 

Doris(T) Hugo Keenan(T) Jimmy O'Brien(2T) 

Fri 1 Nov 19 RDS Arena 50 15 Michael Bent(T) James Lowe(2T) Harry Byrne(T/5C) 

Dave Kearney(2T) Ronan Kelleher(T) Hugh O'Sullivan(T) 

6 Taine Basham 

94 Sam Davies 

Matthew Screech(T) Dorian Jones(2C/P) Adam 

Hughes(T) Sarel Pretorius(T) 

Gavin Henson(3P) Penalty Try(T) 

James Benjamin(T) Gavin Henson(C/D) 

Jordan Williams(T) Arwel Robson(C) Josh Lewis(P) 

Rhodri Williams(T) Jason Tovey(C/P) 

Jordan Williams(T) Sam Davies(C/P) Owen Jenkins(T) 



Metal Overload: 

ANDREW PORTER TACKLES OUR NEW MUSIC Q&A 

LEINSTER RUGBY’S 

RESIDENT 

METALHEAD 

ANDREW 

PORTER 

IS FIRST UP TO 

TACKLE THE 10 

QUESTIONS IN 

OUR MUSIC Q&A 

AND ADD HIS 

TRACKS TO OUR 

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST. 

1. What was the last song you listened to? 

The last song I listened to was “MOSKAU” by Rammstein. 

2. Tell us a song you’re currently obsessed with. 

“Angry Again” by Megadeth. 

3. You’re booking your dream festival line-up: 

who are the main stage headliners for the Friday, 

Saturday and Sunday? 

If I was booking the festival line up I’d have Iron 

Maiden on the Friday, Slipknot on the Saturday and 

Metallica on the Sunday. 

4. Earliest music memory? 

Listening to Dire Straits in the car on the way to primary school. 

5. Your guilty pleasure? 

I love listening to soul music. 

6. You can only listen to one album for the rest of 

your life, what is it? 

Ride the Lightning by Metallica. 

7. What was the first concert you ever went to? 

The first concert I went to…I went to P Diddy and 

Snoop Dogg in The Point when I was eight… With my mum. 

8. Favourite Irish band/artist? 

The Cranberries. I started listening to them when I 

first heard “Zombie” when I was younger. 

9. What two songs do you want to add to the 

Leinster Rugby Home Workout Mix on Spotify? 

I’d add “Duality” by Slipknot and “Master of 

Puppets” by Metallica. 

10. And what one song do you want to remove? 

I’d remove “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd. 

YOU CAN LISTEN TO LEINSTER RUGBY’S HOME WORKOUT MIX 

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST HERE, WITH TRACKS SELECTED BY PLAYERS 

FROM LEINSTER RUGBY’S MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TEAMS. 


Gorey claimed both the South 

East League Women’s Plate and 

the Bryan Murphy South East 

Women’s Cup on Sunday in 

Enniscorthy RFC. 

In the Plate game, Gorey J1 overcame 

newly reformed Enniscorthy 12-7. 

Enniscorthy displayed some exciting 

phases of play but, ultimately, Gorey’s 

experience was the deciding factor in 

the game. 

We look forward to welcoming 

Enniscorthy into Division 4 of the 

Women’s Leinster League this season. 

BY: RACHAEL O’BRIEN 

GOREY DO THE DOUBLE IN 

SOUTH EAST LEAGUE FINALS 

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TAKING UP RUGBY OR YOU 

WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW OUR UPDATES, CHECK OUT 

OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS: 

Leinster Women’s Rugby 

LeinsterWomensRugby 

@LeinsterWomen 

womenspro@leinsterrugby.ie 

In the Bryan Murphy South East Women’s 

Cup final, Tullow, beaten finalists in the 

last South East League final in 2015 were 

on paper as the favourites. 

Both teams traded scores early on. 

Gorey’s Triona Murray clinched the 

game for the Wexford women with two 

intercepts deep in her own half, striding 

home both times in the 38-24 win. 

The decision to name the cup after Bryan 

was unanimously made by clubs in the 

South East who wanted to honour the 

memory of Bryan who sadly passed 

away in July. 

All in attendance on Sunday were 

delighted to see Bryan’s wife, Mairead, 

children, Emma and James, as well as 

his brother, Stuart and parents, Ruby and 

David at the games. David was on hand 

to make the presentation of the cup to 

Gorey’s captain. 

Stuart said: “The support from the rugby 

community has been greatly appreciated 

by all the family, not just from Enniscorthy 

but from the wider South East rugby 

community. Bryan would been highly 

honoured and proud to have a cup in 

his name. The family would also like to 

thank Debbie Carty for her involvement in 

setting this up.” 

On behalf of Enniscorthy RFC, President 

Niall Wall said, “Bryan was a true 

Enniscorthy RFC stalwart. As a player he 

represented the club right up to First XV, 

and was a consistent performer through 

the years on whatever team he played. 

“When his playing days were over Bryan 

continued to be a true clubman taking up 

the whistle to referee tag rugby, youths’ 

games and later to represent the club as 

an ARLB referee in the Leinster League. 

He was also touch judge throughout the 

club’s rise to senior ranks for both home 

and away games, where his support of 

the team was unwavering. 

“When not required as touch judge, 

Bryan was one of Enniscorthy’s most 

well-travelled supporters and enjoyed the 

company of his many friends throughout 

the club. 

“Bryan will be remembered fondly 

in Enniscorthy RFC for his long 

playing career, continued support, 

encouragement of up and coming players 

and selfless assistance through refereeing 

and touch judging.” 


WOMEN'S 

SECTION 

WELCOMES FIVE 

NEW TEAMS 

In a welcomed development, 

five clubs in Leinster will field 

a new women’s team in the 

2020/21 season; Wicklow RFC 

J1, Enniscorthy RFC, De La Salle 

Palmerstown RFC, Wexford 

Wanderers RFC and Kilkenny RFC. 

Four of the five new teams are in the 

South East area, a testament to the 

strength of women’s rugby in the area. 

With the additional teams joining the 

leagues the decision was made to create 

a new league, Division 5. 

DIVISION 1 

Railway Union RFC J1 

PortDara Falcons 

DCU RFC 

MU Barnhall RFC 

Tullow RFC 

Tullamore RFC 

Edenderry RFC 

CYM RFC 

DIVISION 2 

Blackrock College RFC J1 

Dublin University FC 

Gorey RFC 

Rathdrum RFC 

Old Belvedere RFC J1 

Clontarf RFC 

Mullingar RFC 

Balbriggan RFC 

DIVISION 4 

North Meath/Swords 

Enniscorthy RFC 

Wicklow RFC J1 

Wanderers FC 

DIVISION 3 

Longford RFC 

Portlaoise RFC 

Greystones RFC 

New Ross RFC 

Garda/Westmanstown RFC 

Clondalkin RFC 

Naas RFC 

Arklow RFC 

DIVISION 5 

De La Salle Palmerstown RFC 

Navan RFC 

Wexford Wanderers RFC 

Tallaght RFC 

Divisions 1-4 will kick off their campaigns 

on Sunday, October 4, with Division 5 

starting on Sunday, October 18. 

Fixtures for the 2020/21 season are 

available on the Leinster Rugby website. 

CYM RFC J1 

Suttonians RFC J1 

MU Barnhall RFC J1 

Athy RFC 

Kilkenny RFC 


Leo 

Kids 

the Lion's 

Corner 

spot the 

differences 

ANAGRAMS 

Can you un-jumble the 

names of these players? 

HA NOUN 

GEEK 

SORRY GRIN 

RAGE 

GUESS 

WHO? 

Can you name these 

three players? 

ANSWERS 

ANAGRAMS 

Hugo Keenan 

Garry Ringrose 

GUESS WHO? 

Cian Kelleher 

Robbie Henshaw 

Dan Sheehan 


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QUEST10NS 

with... 


Ryan 

James 

1. What is currently on your playlist? 

Everything from Christy Moore to 

Daft Punk. Enjoying the Coronas 

at the moment also. 

2. Best advice you ever got? 

It’s all about the top two inches. 

3. Worst advice you ever got? 

We’ll just go for one. 

4. What is your phone screensaver 

at the moment? 

Lough Corrib. 

5. You can be another sportsperson for 

one event...who and what is the event? 

Usain Bolt in the 100m 

Olympics Final. 

6. What is your favourite 

sandwich filling? 

Chicken and sausage meat stuffing – 

a St. Stephen’s Day special 

in my house. 

7. Favourite piece of rugby 

memorabilia and why? 

My first Ireland test jersey – a dream 

to represent my country and brilliant 

to finally achieve it. 

8. What is one staple item all men 

should own and why? 

A pair of runners - be active! 

9. Book or Kindle and why? 

Book - more life to it. 

10. Which young rugby player 

should fans be looking out for this 

season and why? 

Scott Fardy - exuberant youth. 


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How blue are you? 

Show 

Support 

Your 

Become an official member TODAY 

at leinsterrugby.ie

Thank you! Go raibh maith agaibh! 

AS WITH ANY SEASON END, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PLAYERS 

THAT LEAVE LEINSTER RUGBY WITH ALL OUR SINCERE THANKS AND 

THIS SUMMER WAS NO DIFFERENT. ALTHOUGH WITH COVID-19 

A NUMBER OF OBSTACLES WERE OBVIOUSLY PRESENT WHICH 

INVOLVED TWO CONTRACT DURATIONS BEING EXTENDED IN THE 

CASE OF FERGUS MCFADDEN AND ROB KEARNEY. 

But Leinster Rugby would like 

to acknowledge all those that 

left us over the last few months 

and acknowledge the role that 

they played in achieving a third 

Guinness PRO14 title in a row as 

part of the wider squad of 53 that 

represented the 12 counties over 

the 2019/20 season. 

Here is the full list of Leinster Rugby 

departees and their next destination, if 

known, at the time of going to press: 

Jack Aungier 

(Connacht Rugby), 5 Leinster Caps (LC), 

0 Tries (T) 

Bryan Byrne 

(Bristol Bears), 47 LC, 12 T 

Barry Daly 

(Retired), 36 LC, 19 T 

Oisín Dowling 

(Connacht Rugby), 6 LC, 0 T 

Rob Kearney 

(Western Force), 219 LC, 42 T, 95 Ireland 

Caps (IC), 8 British & Irish Lions Caps 

Fergus McFadden 

(Retired), 184 LC, 29 T, 34 IC 

Gavin Mullin 

2 LC, 0 T 

Roman Salanoa 

(Munster Rugby), 3 LC, 0 T 

Joe Tomane 

17 AC, 21 LC, 3 T 

Leinster Rugby wishes each of the players 

the very best of luck with their future 

endeavours. 


2020/21 squad 

VAKH ABDALADZE - #1263 

DOB 6 FERUARY 1996 

From KUTAISI, GEORGIA 

Height 1.85M (6’ 1”) 

Weight 117KG (18st 6lbs) 

Position PROP 

Club CLONTARF FC 

Leinster Debut 2 DECEMBER 2017 

Honours IRELAND U20S (2 caps) 

MICHAEL BENT - #1212 

DOB 25 APRIL 1986 

From HAWERA, NEW ZEALAND 

Height 1.85M (6’ 1”) 


Position PROP 

Club DUBLIN UNIVERSITY FC 


Honours IRELAND (4 caps) 

ED BYRNE - #1222 

DOB 9 SEPTEMBER 1993 

From CARLOW 

Height 1.80M (5’ 11”) 


Position PROP 

Club UCD RFC 

Leinster Debut 9 FEBRUARY 2014 


ROSS BYRNE - #1236 


From DUBLIN 

Height 1.88M (6’ 3”) 


Position OUTHALF 

Club UCD RFC 

Leinster Debut 4 SEPTEMBER 2015 


WILL CONNORS - #1264 


From DONADEA, KILDARE 

Height 1.94 (6’ 4”) 


Position BACK ROW 

Club UCD RFC 



RYAN BAIRD - #1278 

DOB 26 JULY 1999 

From DUBLIN 

Height 1.98M (6’ 6”) 


Position SECOND ROW 


Leinster Debut 27 APRIL 2019 


ADAM BYRNE - #1213 


From KILDARE 

Height 1.93M (6’ 4”) 


Position WING / FULL BACK 

Club UCD RFC 


Honours IRELAND (1 cap) 

HARRY BYRNE - #1280 


From DUBLIN 

Height 1.88M (6’ 2”) 



Club LANSDOWNE 



JACK CONAN - #1223 


From BRAY, WICKLOW 

Height 1.93M (6’ 4”) 


Position NO. 8 

Club OLD BELVEDERE RFC 



SEÁN CRONIN - #1202 

DOB 6 MAY 1986 

From LIMERICK 

Height 1.80M (5’ 11”) 


Position HOOKER 

Club ST. MARY’S COLLEGE RFC 

Leinster Debut 28 OCTOBER 2011 



MAX DEEGAN - #1256 

DOB 1 OCTOBER 1996 

From DUBLIN 

Height 1.93M (6’ 3”) 


Position NO. 8 

Club LANSDOWNE FC 



CAELAN DORIS - #1268 


From MAYO 

Height 1.94M (6’ 4”) 




Leinster Debut 28 APRIL 2018 


SCOTT FARDY - #1257 


From SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 

Height 1.98 M (6’ 6”) 

Weight 111 KG (17st 7lbs) 


Club UNASSIGNED 


Honours AUSTRALIA (39 caps) 

TADHG FURLONG - #1220 

DOB 14 NOVEMBER 1992 

From WEXFORD 

Height 1.85M (6’ 1”) 


Position PROP 

Club NEW ROSS RFC / CLONTARF FC 

Leinster Debut 1 NOVEMBER 2013 

Honours IRELAND (44 caps) AND 

BRITISH & IRISH LIONS (6 caps) 

CIAN HEALY - #1142 

DOB 7 OCTOBER 1987 

From DUBLIN 

Height 1.85M (6’ 1”) 


Position PROP 


Leinster Debut 5 MAY 2007 



DAVE KEARNEY - #1158 

DOB 19 JUNE 1989 

From LOUTH 

Height 1.81M (5’ 11”) 






CIAN KELLEHER - #1234 

DOB 7 AUGUST 1994 

From DUBLIN 

Height 1.85M (6’ 0”) 


Position WINGER/FULL BACK 




PETER DOOLEY - #1230 

DOB 4 AUGUST 1994 

Birthplace OFFALY 

Height 1.85M (6’ 1”) 


Position PROP 




JACK DUNNE - #1276 


From DUBLIN 

Height 2.02M (6’ 7”) 



School ST. MICHAEL’S COLLEGE 




CIARÁN FRAWLEY - #1265 

DOB 4 DECEMBER 1997 

From DUBLIN 

Height 1.92M (6’ 3”) 

Weight 95.6KG (15st 1lbs) 


Club UCD RFC 



JAMISON GIBSON-PARK - #1247 

DOB 23 FEBRUARY 1992 

From GREAT BARRIER ISLAND, NEW 

ZEALAND 

Height 1.76M (5’ 9”) 


Position SCRUM HALF 

Club UNASSIGNED 


Honours MAORI ALL BLACKS 

ROBBIE HENSHAW - #1251 


From ATHLONE 

Height 1.91M (6’ 3”) 


Position CENTRE / FULL BACK 

Club BUCCANEERS RFC 




HUGO KEENAN - #1253 


From DUBLIN 

Height 1.85M (6’ 1”) 


Position FULL BACK 

Club UCD RFC 



RÓNAN KELLEHER - #1277 

DOB 24 JANUARY 1998 

From DUBLIN 

Height 1.85M (6’ 0”) 







JORDAN LARMOUR - #1258 


From DUBLIN 

Height 1.78M (5’ 10”) 


Position WING 




JAMES LOWE - #1262 


From NELSON, NEW ZEALAND 

Height 1.88M (6’ 2”) 



Club CLONDALKIN RFC 


Honours MAORI ALL BLACKS 

ROSS MOLONY - #1233 

DOB 11 MAY 1994 

From DUBLIN 

Height 2.00M (6’ 6”) 



Club UCD RFC 



ROWAN OSBORNE - #1281 


From EADESTOWN, KILDARE 

Height 1.71M (5’ 7”) 





Honours IRELAND SCHOOLS 

JIMMY O'BRIEN - #1272 


From KILDARE 

Height 1.84M (6’ 0”) 


Position CENTRE 

Club NAAS RFC 



RORY O'LOUGHLIN - #1248 

DOB 21 JANUARY1994 

From DUBLIN 

Height 1.88M (6’ 2”) 



Club OLD BELVEDERE RFC 



CIARAN PARKER 

DOB: 5 OCTOBER 1995 

From: STOCKPORT, ENGLAND 

Height: 1.88M (6’ 2”) 

Weight: 120KG (18st 10lbs) 

Position: PROP 

Club: UNASSIGNED 

Leinster Debut: - 

Honours: ENGLAND U20S 

DAN LEAVY - #1231 

DOB 23 MAY 1994 

From DUBLIN 

Height 1.91M (6’ 3”) 


Position FLANKER 

Club UCD RFC 



LUKE McGRATH - #1206 


From ONTARIO, CANADA 

Height 1.75M (5’ 9”) 



Club UCD RFC 



JOSH MURPHY - #1261 

DOB 17 FERUARY 1995 

From DUBLIN 

Height 1.96M (6’ 5”) 



Club UCD RFC 



CONOR O'BRIEN - #1260 


From WESTMEATH 

Height 1.90M (6’ 3”) 






TOMMY O'BRIEN - #1283 

DOB 28 MAY 1998 

From DUBLIN 

Height 1.83M (6’ 0”) 



Club UCD RFC 



HUGH O'SULLIVAN - #1270 


From MEATH 

Height 1.79M (5’ 9”) 






SCOTT PENNY - #1271 


From DUBLIN 

Height 1.85M (6’ 0”) 



Club UCD RFC 




ANDREW PORTER - #1246 

DOB 16 JANUARY 1996 

Birthplace DUBLIN 

Height 1.84M (6’ 1”) 


Position PROP 

Club UCD RFC 



RHYS RUDDOCK - #1167 


From DUBLIN 

Height 1.91M (6’ 3”) 






JOHNNY SEXTON - #1127 

DOB 11 JUY 1985 

From DUBLIN 

Height 1.88M (6’ 2”) 




Leinster Debut 27 JANUARY 2006 

Honours IRELAND (91 caps) AND BRITISH & 

IRISH LIONS (14 caps) 

DEVIN TONER - #1128 


From MEATH 

Height 2.08M (6’ 10”) 




Leinster Debut 27 JANUARY 2006 


GARRY RINGROSE - #1237 

DOB 26 JAUARY 1995 

From DUBLIN 

Height 1.87M (6’ 2”) 



Club UCD RFC 



JAMES RYAN - #1259 


From DUBLIN 

Height 2.04M (6’ 7”) 



Club UCD RFC 



DAN SHEEHAN 


From DUBLIN 

Height 1.91 M (6’ 3”) 




Leinster Debut - 


JAMES TRACY - #1211 


From KILDARE 

Height 1.85M (6’ 1”) 



Club UCD RFC 



JOSH VAN DER FLIER - #1228 


From WICKLOW 

Height 1.87M (6’ 2”) 



Club UCD RFC 



Coaching Staff 

LEO CULLEN 

HEAD COACH 

STUART LANCASTER 

SENIOR COACH 

ROBIN MCBRYDE 

ASSISTANT COACH 

FELIPE CONTEPOMI 

BACKS COACH 

EMMET FARRELL 

KICKING COACH AND 

LEAD PERFORMANCE ANALYST 

GUY EASTERBY 

HEAD OF RUGBY OPERATIONS 

HUGH HOGAN 

CONTACT SKILLS COACH 


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ENERGIA COMMUNITY SERIES 

Leinster Conferences Kick Off 

ROUND ONE OF THE ENERGIA COMMUNITY SERIES 

LEINSTER CONFERENCES TOOK PLACE LAST SATURDAY 

WITH FIXTURES PLAYED AROUND THE PROVINCE. 

Matches took place, in the main, 

behind closed doors as clubs 

adhered to strict Government 

and IRFU guidelines as every 

effort is made to create a safe 

environment to enable rugby to 

be played during these difficult 

times we are all enduring. 

Conference 1: 

Four fixtures were played in 

Conference 1 with victories going 

to Naas, Dublin University, Old 

Wesley and Clontarf. 

Naas entertained Terenure in 

Forenaughts where a limited number of 

spectators were permitted and ran out 19- 

12 winners despite conceding an early 

seven points to the visitors. 

Dublin University continued their good 

start to the season with a comprehensive 

victory against Old Belvedere in Ollie 

Campbell Park winning 37-14. 

In Energia Park, Old Wesley played 

hosts to the students of University College 

and it was the home side who enjoyed 

success with a 18-14 victory, despite the 

first-half being scoreless due mainly to a 

number of missed penalty opportunities 

by Old Wesley. 

St. Mary’s took on in-form Clontarf at 

Templeville Road and it was the Castle 

Avenue side who came out on top by a 

27-19 score-line in a highly entertaining 

game with plenty of running rugby by 

both sides. 

Conference 2: 

Unfortunately, only two of the 

four fixtures scheduled took 

place in Conference 2 with the 

cancellation of the matches 

between Skerries and Navan 

along with the game between MU 

Barnhall and Tullamore due to 

precautionary measures. 

Enniscorthy made the journey from 

Wexford to Merrion Road to take on 


Wanderers but were on the receiving end 

of a 25-10 score-line. 

Blackrock welcomed Greystones as 

visitors to Stradbrook but could not 

contain the rampant Wicklow men who 

took control of the second-half prevailing 

by 43-22 in another entertaining 

encounter. 

With the majority of these games having 

to be played with no spectators allowed, 

all the participating clubs are to be 

commended for the hard work by their 

members behind the scenes to enable 

these games to take place safely for the 

players, who, in turn are complying with 

the various protocols around match day 

procedures. 

Also, clubs are to be congratulated for 

their initiative in providing live streaming 

of these games giving members the 

opportunity to watch their teams in action 

during these strange times. 

Round two of the Energia Community 

Series takes place tomorrow so check in 

with participating club’s media platforms 

or the Leinster domestic website for 

fixtures and information. 

PHOTOS: 

DERYCK VINCENT 


usiness differently 

For further information please contact: 

Michael Costello, Managing Partner, 

on 01 470 0130 or email mcostello@bdo.ie 

Click here to visit bdo.ie 

BDO is authorised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland to carry on investment business. BDO, a partnership established under 

Irish Law, is a member of BDO International Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, and forms part of the international BDO network of 

independent members firms.

Birr RFC and Roscrea RFC 

join forces for exciting initiative 

In these turbulent times it seems 

that genuine good news is hard 

to come by. With the constant 

trepidation and anxiety that has 

become part and parcel of daily 

life, one would be forgiven for 

thinking that positive stories have 

been put on hold. 

Sport however has become a shining 

beacon and a positive distraction for 

many against the backdrop of the current 

pandemic. As such it is fitting that the 

combined enthusiasm of neighbours 

Roscrea RFC and Birr RFC have found 

their own perfect sporting antidote. 

It is generally acknowledged that the 

principal objective of any sporting 

organisation is to provide and cater for 

every age group’s development in terms 

of training and eventually, meaningful 

competition. 

This is what keeps the player production 

line in motion and is the fundamental 

basis for the strategy of every successful 

club. Like so many things in life, 

participation is the key and having the 

required numbers of playing personnel 

at every level is essential to providing the 

desired outcome. 

When this point is not reached and a 

club is finding it challenging to build a 

squad, then creative decisions need to be 

made in terms of direction. 

Birr RFC and Roscrea RFC share many 

things, a geographical hinterland, a rich 

sporting heritage, a social history, but 

perhaps most significantly both clubs 

share a collective ethos whereby their 

commitment to providing for their players 

is paramount above all else. 

As such, when the decision to initiate 

a new alliance at various age grades 

was first considered, both clubs made 

considerable efforts to make the 

ambitious dream a reality. 

The result of these endeavours is an 

exciting and dynamic new brand to be 

named the Ravens encapsulating the 

Boys Under-17 and Under-18 teams and 

the Girls Under-14 and Under-16 teams 

from both clubs. 

The objective is to provide a strong, 

progressive, and positive rugby 

experience for all local youths interested 

in a unique sporting adventure. The 

combined knowledge, resources and 

pedigree of both clubs will provide the 

fundamental basis for the new venture, 

with shared coaching and a revolving 

training base. 

Both parent clubs are very excited 

about the new amalgamation and have 

complete confidence that it will provide 

an overwhelmingly positive outcome for 

all involved long into the future. 


Leinster Player Statistics 

Final stats for the 2019/20 Season 

SQUAD 

2019/20 SEASON FOR LEINSTER LEINSTER CAREER 

CAP 

ALL GAMES PRO14 EPCR ALL GAMES PRO14 EPCR 

NO DEBUT 

App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts 

VAKH ABDALADZE 1263 2 DEC 17 0+4 - - 0+4 - - - - - 0+11 1 5 0+11 1 5 - - - 10 - 

JACK AUNGIER 1282 1 NOV 19 0+4 - - 0+4 - - - - - 0+4 - - 0+4 - - - - - - - 

RYAN BAIRD 1278 27 APR 19 1+4 - - 1+4 - - - - - 1+5 - - 1+5 - - - - - - - 

MICHAEL BENT 1212 1 DEC 12 8+2 3 15 8+1 3 15 0+1 - - 77+57 4 20 73+36 4 20 4+21 - - 2 IR 4 

ADAM BYRNE 1213 29 DEC 12 5 1 5 5 1 5 - - - 49+8 20 100 39+8 14 70 10 6 30 5 IR 1 

BRYAN BYRNE 1224 6 SEP 14 0+5 - - 0+4 - - 0+1 - - 8+39 12 60 8+36 12 60 0+3 - - 9 - 

ED BYRNE 1222 9 FEB 14 1+6 2 10 1+3 1 5 0+3 1 5 13+39 7 35 13+31 6 30 0+8 1 5 2 - 

HARRY BYRNE 1280 28 SEP 19 2+6 2 45 2+6 2 45 - - - 2+6 2 45 2+6 2 45 - - - 5 - 

ROSS BYRNE 1236 4 SEP 15 10+3 2 109 7 1 69 3+3 1 40 56+28 5 494 47+14 2 370 9+14 3 124 5 IR 6 

TOM CLARKSON 1285 29 AUG 20 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

JACK CONAN 1223 20 FEB 14 - - - - - - - - - 68+21 21 105 50+11 14 70 18+10 7 35 6 IR 17 

WILL CONNORS 1264 9 FEB 18 8+1 2 10 8+1 2 10 - - - 11+3 2 10 11+3 2 10 - - - 1 - 

SEAN CRONIN 1202 28 OCT 11 3+4 1 5 2+3 - - 1+1 1 5 112+68 41 205 69+47 24 120 42+19 16 80 4 IR 72 

BARRY DALY 1250 1 OCT 16 - - - - - - - - - 25+11 19 95 23+11 18 90 2 1 5 5 - 

MAX DEEGAN 1256 3 DEC 16 11+4 7 35 8+1 5 25 3+3 2 10 33+28 18 90 30+20 16 80 3+8 2 10 3 IR 1 

BRIAN DEENY - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

PETER DOOLEY 1230 31 OCT 14 10+4 - - 10+1 - - 0+3 - - 27+48 2 10 26+43 2 10 1+5 - - 38 - 

CAELAN DORIS 1268 28 APR 18 10+3 3 15 6+2 1 5 4+1 2 10 21+8 4 20 17+6 2 10 4+2 2 10 1 IR 2 

OISIN DOWLING 1275 5 JAN 19 0+2 - - 0+2 - - - - - 1+5 - - 1+5 - - - - - - - 

JACK DUNNE 1276 16 FEB 19 0+1 - - 0+1 - - - - - 1+5 - - 1+5 - - - - - - - 

SCOTT FARDY 1257 2 SEP 17 11+2 - - 8 - - 3+2 - - 47+10 9 45 33+5 5 25 14+5 4 20 17 AU 39 

CIARAN FRAWLEY 1265 17 FEB 18 3+7 1 38 3+4 1 32 0+3 - 6 8+16 3 120 8+13 3 114 0+3 - 6 5 - 

TADHG FURLONG 1220 1 NOV 13 4+2 1 5 1 - - 3+2 1 5 69+39 7 35 40+31 3 15 29+8 4 20 4 IR 44 

JAMISON GIBSON-PARK 1247 2 SEP 16 9+8 1 5 8+3 1 5 1+5 - - 42+45 16 80 38+23 14 70 4+22 2 10 15 - 

DAVID HAWKSHAW - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

CIAN HEALY 1142 5 MAY 07 7+1 1 5 1+1 - - 6 1 5 144+72 24 120 82+46 11 55 60+25 12 60 5 IR 98 

ROBBIE HENSHAW 1251 8 OCT 16 6+1 1 5 1 1 5 5+1 - - 43+1 8 40 17 2 10 26+1 6 30 3 IR 43 

DAVE KEARNEY 1158 16 MAY 09 10+1 9 45 5 6 30 5+1 3 15 126+21 38 190 102+15 33 165 23+5 5 25 3 IR 19 

ROB KEARNEY 1117 4 SEP 05 3+5 1 5 2+1 1 5 1+4 - - 187+31 42 238 116+16 23 132 68+15 17 96 4 IR 95 

HUGO KEENAN 1253 5 NOV 16 7+1 - - 7+1 - - - - - 10+3 1 5 10+3 1 5 - - - 10 - 

CIAN KELLEHER 1234 16 MAY 15 4+3 4 20 4+3 4 20 - - - 5+9 5 25 5+9 5 25 - - - 1 - 

RONAN KELLEHER 1277 22 FEB 19 9 8 40 6 7 35 3 1 5 10+1 8 40 7+1 7 35 3 1 5 1 IR 3 

JACK KELLY 1273 23 NOV 18 - - - - - - - - - 0+1 - - 0+1 - - - - - - - 

JORDAN LARMOUR 1258 2 SEP 17 7 - - 1 - - 6 - - 38+8 12 60 20+5 10 50 18+3 2 10 18 IR 24 

DAN LEAVY 1231 31 OCT 14 - - - - - - - - - 39+24 14 70 31+16 11 55 8+8 3 15 3 IR 11 

JAMES LOWE 1262 2 DEC 17 12 5 25 6 3 15 6 2 10 42 26 130 27 18 90 15 8 40 5 - 

FERGUS MCFADDEN 1145 28 SEP 07 4+1 2 10 4+1 2 10 - - - 155+28 29 444 121+15 23 390 31+13 6 54 3 IR 34 

LUKE MCGRATH 1206 5 MAY 12 8+1 2 10 3 1 5 5+1 1 5 79+43 31 155 50+38 23 115 29+5 8 40 4 IR 19 

MICHAEL MILNE 1279 28 SEP 19 0+7 2 10 0+7 2 10 - - - 0+7 2 10 0+7 2 10 - - - 5 - 

MARTIN MOLONEY - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

SINCE LAST TRY 

CAPS 


ROSS MOLONY 1233 20 FEB 15 6+7 - - 6+5 - - 0+2 - - 51+44 3 15 49+31 3 15 2+13 - - 57 - 

GAVIN MULLIN 1267 7 APR 18 - - - - - - - - - 0+2 - - 0+2 - - - - - - - 

JOSH MURPHY 1261 3 NOV 17 7+3 1 5 7+2 1 5 0+1 - - 26+5 2 10 26+4 2 10 0+1 - - 1 - 

ROWAN OSBORNE 1281 4 OCT 19 1+3 1 5 1+3 1 5 - - - 1+3 1 5 1+3 1 5 - - - 3 - 

CONOR O'BRIEN 1260 3 NOV 17 4+2 - - 4+2 - - - - - 16+7 6 30 16+6 6 30 0+1 - - 9 - 

JIMMY O'BRIEN 1272 23 NOV 18 7+2 - - 7+2 - - - - - 10+6 3 15 10+6 3 15 - - - 10 - 

TOMMY O'BRIEN 1283 20 DEC 19 1+2 1 5 1+2 1 5 - - - 1+2 1 5 1+2 1 5 - - - 1 - 

RORY O'LOUGHLIN 1248 2 SEP 16 6 - - 5 - - 1 - - 50+17 21 105 44+11 18 90 6+6 3 15 10 IR 1 

AARON O'SULLIVAN - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

HUGH O'SULLIVAN 1270 15 SEP 18 0+6 1 5 0+6 1 5 - - - 2+18 1 5 2+16 1 5 0+2 - - 4 - 

PADDY PATTERSON 1274 1 DEC 18 - - - - - - - - - 0+3 1 5 0+3 1 5 - - - 2 - 

SCOTT PENNY 1271 23 NOV 18 5+2 3 15 5+2 3 15 - - - 10+3 5 25 10+3 5 25 - - - 4 - 

ANDREW PORTER 1246 2 SEP 16 6+3 4 20 3 2 10 3+3 2 10 18+44 9 45 15+28 7 35 3+16 2 10 2 IR 26 

GARRY RINGROSE 1237 12 SEP 15 7 8 40 1 2 10 6 6 30 70+2 24 120 41+1 13 65 29+1 11 55 3 IR 29 

RHYS RUDDOCK 1167 6 DEC 09 8+2 2 10 3+1 1 5 5+1 1 5 129+42 10 50 96+28 8 40 32+12 2 10 2 IR 26 

CHARLIE RYAN - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

JAMES RYAN 1259 2 SEP 17 6 - - 1 - - 5 - - 32+5 2 10 13+1 - - 19+4 2 10 18 IR 26 

ROMAN SALANOA 1284 20 DEC 19 0+3 - - 0+3 - - - - - 0+3 - - 0+3 - - - - - - - 

JOHNNY SEXTON 1127 27 JAN 06 3 1 23 - - - 3 1 23 140+23 26 1469 81+17 13 804 57+6 12 634 3 IR 91 

DAN SHEEHAN - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

MICHAEL SILVESTER - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

JOE TOMANE 1269 31 AUG 18 7 2 10 7 2 10 - - - 16+4 3 15 15+3 3 15 1+1 - - 2 AU 17 

DEVIN TONER 1128 27 Jan 06 11+2 - - 7 - - 4+2 - - 191+53 4 20 129+35 4 20 59+18 - - 27 IR 70 

JAMES TRACY 1211 4 NOV 12 6+9 1 5 4+5 - - 2+4 1 5 46+61 8 40 40+36 7 35 6+25 1 5 2 IR 6 

LIAM TURNER - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

JOSH VAN DER FLIER 1228 11 Oct 14 6+1 1 5 0+1 - - 6 1 5 62+18 9 45 36+13 6 30 26+5 3 15 2 IR 26 

KICKING 

2019/20 SEASON FOR LEINSTER LEINSTER CAREER 

ALL GAMES PRO14 EPCR ALL GAMES PRO14 EPCR OVERALL 

SUCCESS 

RATE 

C PG DG C PG DG C PG DG C PG DG C PG DG C PG DG ATT Career 

% 

- - - - - - - - - - HARRY BYRNE 77.27% 16 1 16 1 16 1 16 1 22 77.27% 

ROSS BYRNE 81.48% 33 11 - 20 8 - 13 3 - 158 50 1 123 37 1 35 13 - 281 74.02% 

CIARAN FRAWLEY 88.89% 15 1 - 12 1 - 3 - - 42 7 - 39 7 - 3 - - 57 85.96% 

ROB KEARNEY - - - - - - - - - - 2 5 3 1 4 1 1 1 2 16 43.75% 

FERGUS MCFADDEN - - - - - - - - - - 46 68 1 40 64 1 6 4 - 151 75.50% 

JOHNNY SEXTON 72.73% 6 2 - - - - 6 2 - 224 286 11 113 164 7 104 118 4 640 79.69% 

JOE TOMANE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 0.00% 


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ENERGIA, THE POWER 

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Hello and welcome to the 2020/21 Leinster 

Rugby season and to what is indeed the strangest 

start that any of us could've imagined. 

The schedule has been set, the fixtures 

agreed and in place and the teams are 

all ready to go. What’s the problem 

then you ask? Well given the strange 

times we find ourselves in, the one 

vital piece of the picture missing is, 

quite simply, the fans. 

Due to the worldwide impact COVID-19 has 

had on what we previously took for granted, 

we are, for the moment (fingers crossed), 

unable to attend the games in person to do 

what we all do best, cheer on the Boys in Blue. 

Given that we recently secured our third 

Guinness PRO14 title in-a-row, we know that 

all of us, fans, players and those involved in 

Leinster Rugby, would’ve liked nothing more 

than to hear the familiar roar as the team take 

to the hallowed turf of the RDS for our first 

fixture of this new season. 

Back to matters at hand though and, similar 

to last Autumn which included the Rugby 

World Cup, this season is again shaping up to 

be a busy one for us with no doubt a cohort 

of Leinster players due to be called into the 

Ireland squad for the fixtures to be played in 

the postponed 2020 Guinness Six Nations, 

as well as a newly launched tournament – the 

Autumn Nations Cup. 

Six Nations fixtures against Italy and France 

are due to be played at the end of October 

and then, after a rest week, Ireland will open 

their Autumn Nations Cup campaign which 

will see us play against Wales, England and 

Georgia plus a fourth team from a pick of 

Scotland, France, Italy or Fiji. 

The Autumn Nations Cup is scheduled to run 

from Friday, November 13, until Sunday, 

December 6, during which time we have 

three fixtures of our own so no doubt Leo and 

team will be looking to call from the squad 

to ensure that the blue run of form is not 

impacted by the absence of those called up to 

pull on the green shirt. 

At the time of going to print, Leinster have 

11 games scheduled starting this weekend 

and running up until the weekend of January 

9/10. Hopefully, all going to plan, Guinness 

PRO14 will be in a position to announce 

the rest of the fixtures from January 2021 

onwards, right up to the conclusion of the 

season. Those 11 games coincide with six 

Ireland games, and the yet to be announced 

Heineken Champions Cup so all in all, 17 

games announced to date to keep us rugby 

happy. 

For the moment, let’s continue to support the 

best way we can, through the power of social 

media. The OLSC trialled a number of fan 

approaches since rugby restarted in August, 

print-at-home banners, supporter posts and 

videos as well as match-day messages along 

the route to the stadium on game day for the 

team. 

We’ll be working on lots more over the season 

as we look to continue to support the team 

from afar until the time comes when we can 

pass through the turnstiles and take our seats 

back in the RDS. 

For now though, stay safe as we do it all 

again for another season! 

Yours in Rugby, 

OLSC Committee 


OFFICIAL 

LEINSTER 

SUPPORTERS 

CLUB 

ONLINE SHOP 

The Official Leinster Supporters Club are delighted to announce that we have 

now launched our online shop. Our range of supporter items include: 

° FACEMASK ° 

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OFFICIAL LEINSTER 

SUPPORTERS CLUB 

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#SEA 

OF 

BLUE

Helping Clubs to Self Promote 

Leinster Rugby Domestic PR Committee 

The Leinster Rugby Domestic 

PR Committee is made up of a 

vibrant group of volunteers who 

each fulfil a significant role and 

together they offer clubs and club 

PROs the support and resources 

that they need to promote their 

activities, recruit new players and 

volunteers and add value to their 

sponsors. 

Over recent years, the PR Committee has 

run various workshops and seminars for 

PROs that have helped them to widen 

their knowledge around areas such 

as article writing, social media, sports 

photography, communicating with local 

media and accessing Leinster Rugby’s 

media channels. 

Following these events, Leinster Rugby’s 

Domestic Marketing Executive Lisa Doyle 

compiled a PRO Handbook which is 

always available online and has become 

the document that new and experienced 

Public Relations Officers rely on to help 

them to build their strategy and make the 

most of the promotional opportunities 

available to them. 

The Domestic Rugby PR Committee is 

made up of representatives from all 

areas and all levels of the game. Led 

by chairperson Jacinta O’Rourke, the 

group works hard to ensure that there is 

constant communication with all clubs 

and that everyone who is interested in 

rugby in Leinster gets to hear about the 

competitions and stories that matter. 

The committee ensures that every Leinster 

Rugby matchday programme contains 

stories of interest from around the clubs 

as well as updates and topical articles 

about refereeing, women’s rugby, youths 

rugby, schools rugby and men’s rugby. 

The opportunity to share stories about 

their successes and milestone events is 

something that is important clubs and so 

the Area PROs on the Domestic Rugby 

Committee are in constant contact with 

the clubs in their part of the province 

to see if they have any stories to share 

not just in match day programmes but 

also on the Leinster Rugby website. 

Representatives of women’s rugby, minis 

& youths rugby, junior rugby, senior 

rugby and development schools rugby 

are also constantly ensuring that the 

widest possible audience gets to hear 

about significant developments in those 

areas of the game. 

Chairperson Jacinta O’Rourke tells us 

how important a strong team is to the 

success of the committee: “Our primary 

purpose is to help clubs and their PROs 

to get the positive messages about what 

they are doing within their communities 

out to their local audience but also, 

when relevant, to the wider rugby family. 

“We want clubs to let us know when 

they need help with developing any 

aspect of PR and marketing and when 

they have an interesting story to share. 

As a team, we are always working 

together to make sure that we are in 

regular contact with clubs to offer our 

support. 

“At a time like this we can help individual 

clubs to introduce, for example, live 

streaming and other ways of keeping 

their supporters updated despite 

restrictions. Our team is always adapting 

to help clubs to react to changing times”. 

The committee’s work is supported by 

the communications team within Leinster 

Rugby who ensure that the stories that 

matter to grass roots rugby volunteers 

are given the same exposure as stories 

about the professional teams. This means 

that the valuable time devoted to their 

clubs by our PROs is as effective as it 

can possibly be. 

The committee members for 

the 2020/21 season are: 

Jacinta O'Rourke 

CHAIRPERSON 

Barry Lambkin 

VICE CHAIRPERSON 

MINIS & YOUTHS RUGBY 

Karen Ennis 

WOMEN’S RUGBY 

Marta Harper & 

Rachael O'Brien 

JUNIOR RUGBY 

Dave McFadden 

SENIOR RUGBY 

Robert Deacon 

DEVELOPMENT SCHOOLS 

Lorcan Balfe 

MIDLANDS AREA PRO 

Will Macken 

NORTH MIDLANDS AREA PRO 

Kevin Greene 

NORTH EAST AREA PRO 

Caroline McFadden 

SOUTH EAST AREA PRO 

Debbie Carty 

METRO AREA PRO 

Darren Morrin 

PLEASE CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE TO 

VIEW CONTACT INFORMATION ON 

PAGE 13 OF OUR HANDBOOK 


ONE FROM 

The Vaults 

LEINSTER 50 DRAGONS 15 

1 November 2019 | Guinness PRO14 | 10,568 | Referee: Andrea Piardi 

Dave Kearney and James Lowe both 

touched down twice as Leinster Rugby 

ran out 50-15 bonus point winners 

over Dragons in rain-soaked conditions 

at the RDS Arena last November. 

The in-form Kearney took his Guinness PRO14 

season’s haul to five tries in three matches, 

while 20-year-old Academy out-half Harry 

Byrne marked his first start with a try and five 

conversions in a man-of-the-match performance. 

Michael Bent, with his second score in three 

games, Kearney and Byrne all touched down 

to establish a 19-8 half-time lead. Dragons 

deserved to be closer on the scoreboard but 

an opportunist Jordan Williams try did keep 

them in contention. 

Nonetheless, Leo Cullen’s men were in rampant 

form in the second half as efforts from Ronan 

Kelleher, Kearney, Lowe (2) and replacement 

Hugh O’Sullivan took them to the half-century 

mark. Owen Jenkins scored Dragons’ second 

try from a last-minute turnover. 

Settling the quicker of the sides, Leinster 

pressed from a lineout won by captain Devin 

Toner. Dragons did well to hold the maul at 

bay but Bent was able to burrow over from a 

close-in ruck, eight minutes in. 

The increasingly-influential Rory O’Loughlin 

went close – a knock-on denied them – before 

LEINSTER: 

Jimmy O’Brien; Dave 

Kearney, Rory O’Loughlin 

(Cian Kelleher 63), Conor 

O’Brien (Ciarán Frawley 60), 

James Lowe; Harry Byrne, 

Jamison Gibson-Park (Hugh 

O’Sullivan 60); Peter Dooley 

(Michael Milne 52), Rónan 

Kelleher (James Tracy 52), 

Michael Bent (Jack Aungier 

52); Devin Toner (Ross 

Molony 57), Ryan Baird; 

Max Deegan, Scott Penny, 

Caelan Doris (Will Connors 

70). 

DRAGONS: 

Jordan Williams; Owen 

Jenkins, Adam Warren, 

Connor Edwards (Tyler 

Morgan 47), Ashton Hewitt; 

Sam Davies, Rhodri Williams 

(Luke Baldwin 60); Brok 

Harris (Josh Reynolds 73), 

Richard Hibbard (Ellis Shipp 

70), Leon Brown (Lloyd 

Fairbrother 70); Joseph 

Davies, Matthew Screech 

(Max Williams 65); Harrison 

Keddie (James Benjamin 60), 

Taine Basham, Huw Taylor. 

Sam Davies opened the visitors’ account with 

a 19th-minute penalty, rewarding an initial 

surging break from Taine Basham. 

A slick move out to the right wing saw Leinster 

respond with their second try, Byrne and 

O’Loughlin releasing Scott Penny up the 

touchline and Kearney timed his support run to 

perfection as he gobbled up Penny’s looping 

inside pass to make it 12-3. 

The margin was down to four points after a 

scrappy phase of play resulted in Williams 

diving over in the left corner. Dragons 

managed to advance into Leinster’s 22, and 

although the ball went loose, Jenkins got his 

boot to it ahead of Jimmy O’Brien and the wellplaced 

full-back snapped it up to score. 

Leinster’s third try arrived when Byrne’s closerange 

run-in from a Jamison-Gibson Park pass 

ended with the Ireland Under-20 Grand Slam 

winner scoring his second in the senior shirt 

after a TMO check. 

He also converted his own touchdown, and the 

home crowd were treated to a rampant second 

half display from the province. They racked 

up five tries and 31 points in a tremendous 

21-minute spell. 

Young hooker Kelleher piled over from a 

43rd-minute lineout maul to register the bonus 

point. Just three minutes later, Kearney darted 


forward from a Byrne cross-field kick, and some 

terrific support play from Conor O’Brien and 

Penny allowed Kearney to cut in past three 

defenders and complete his classy brace. 

Cullen’s charges hammered home their 

advantage with three more tries – all converted 

by Byrne. Ryan Baird, another first-time starter, 

and prop Jack Aungier, who made his debut 

off the bench, also played their part as they left 

Dragons trailing in their wake. 

O’Loughlin and Jimmy O’Brien used some deft 

footwork and a draw-and-pass to release Lowe 

for try number six, before O’Loughlin’s kick 

through went loose from the retreating Davies 

and O’Sullivan swooped in to score. 

Early in the final quarter, Lowe’s second of the 

night saw the powerful winger galloping clear 

after Williams had taken his eye off a pass and 

turned over possession near halfway. 

Determined defending near their own line 

saw Leinster continue to frustrate Dragons. 

Replacement Max Deegan’s textbook tackle 

denied Basham near the right corner, but the 

Welshmen gained some consolation when Luke 

Baldwin and Adam Warren combined to send 

Jenkins over to the right of the posts. 


EVERY FIXTURE 

EVERY TRY 

EVERY TACKLE 

ALL IN 

ONE APP

HANGING WITH THE STARS SINCE 2004. 

OFFICIAL 

CLOTHING 

PARTNER

Where are they now? 

By Des Berry 

REGGIE 

CORRIGAN 

THEN: LED LEINSTER TO THEIR FIRST MAJOR TROPHY, THE 

2001/2002 CELTIC LEAGUE TITLE, IN A 10-YEAR CAREER THAT 

RETURNED 136 CAPS FOR LEINSTER AND 47 FOR IRELAND. 

NOW: SUNSHINE 106.8FM RADIO SHOW HOST & PREMIER 

SPORTS PRO14 LEAGUE COMMENTATOR & CO-OWNER 

BRIGHTWAVE SOLUTIONS. 

There was a time, not so long 

ago, when Leinster found trophies 

hard to come by. 

Before the first of the four Heineken 

Champions Cup stars could be 

embroidered onto the shirt, there was 

much toil by many for little reward. 

That was until the 2001/2002 Celtic 

League final, played just before 

Christmas that season, when Reggie 

Corrigan led Leinster to the inaugural 

title. 

It all came about in the most unexpected 

circumstances as Eric Miller was redcarded 

in the 25th minute to put Leinster 

in a hole they climbed out of due to a 

collective willingness to go the extra mile 

in a 24-20 triumph. 

Ever since, that standout moment has 

been depicted as an exception to the rule 

that Leinster just didn't come through in 

the clutch. 

Something that still rankles with Corrigan: 

“I don't know if it did prove to be a false 

dawn. I sometimes get annoyed with 

people's descriptions at how Leinster 

never did anything for many years. 

“We won the first Celtic League title 

in front of a crowd of 40,000 with 14 

players. I always see that as being a 

major achievement. I suppose, because 

we won that one, everyone thought 

everything else would all fall into place. 

“I think that does a huge disservice 

to the other sides that were around at 

the time, how hard you had to work 

to win something. Swansea were in 

their pomp. Glasgow was a tough 

environment to win. Even places 

like Ebbw Vale, Bridgend, 

Newport, Pontypridd were 

far from easy. Ulster 

were at the top of their 


game after being crowned Heineken 

champions in 1999; Munster making 

the Heineken final in 2000 and 2002. 

Every match was a battle. There were 

no soft touches in that league.” 

The onset of Covid-19 caused people 

to ponder the past and Corrigan even 

took the time to have a look back at 

that Celtic League final. 

“I watched it there recently. There 

was an amazing collection of 

Irish players involved in that 

match. I was almost worried to 

watch in case it aged badly. 

In fact, it was phenomenal 

quality.” 

Captain Corrigan eventually 

retired from playing in 2007 

with 136 caps for his province 

and 47 for Ireland. He stayed 

inside the game as a scrum 

coach, originally part-time with 

Matt Williams up in Ulster and 

then for Michael Cheika at 

Leinster. 

Now 50, the former loosehead 

prop has kept in touch with the 

game through his punditry for a 

variety of outlets and his work for the 

last two years as a lead commentator 

for Premier Sports, primarily for the 

PRO14 League matches played in 

Scotland, Wales, Italy and South 

Africa. 

In addition, there is the popular cohosting 

of Sunshine Radio's (106.8FM) 

programme Dublin's Talking 

Sport with former World Snooker 

champion Ken Doherty. 

Covid-19 has even prompted 

Corrigan to sometimes go it 

alone as Doherty, still active on 

the professional circuit, has not 

always been available. 

“I have been doing the show 

for seven or eight years. I've 

known Ken for a long time and 

he originally asked me to come 

on as a guest contributor for 

the rugby. 

“Then, Ken suggested I come 

in to co-present the show as 

a different dynamic. I have 

been doing it ever since. It is 

a double-act. There are two 

of us in it. I love it. It is a really 

good show, covering everything 

rugby, GAA, soccer, horse 

racing, golf and so on, more as 

a chat than an in-depth analysis.” 


The worldwide pandemic has also led 

to an opportunity for Corrigan to delve 

into the business world. He started up 

Brightwave Solutions, a company devised 

to come up with technology to futureproof 

against other outbreaks, centred 

around installing temperature screening 

solutions to companies and schools. 

Those years grinding it out in the game 

have given the Wicklow man a solid 

grounding in many of the finer points of 

achieving his goals. 

“I took a lot of what I learned from rugby 

into my working life around problem 

solving, coming up with strategies, 

working in a team environment, 

understanding people,” he said. 

“For instance, I would have been 

captain of Leinster for four years and on 

leadership groups all the way through 

my rugby career. You very quickly learn 

about how to read people and the social 

skills in interacting with them.” 

He is also realistic about how much the 

game has changed and how he is on the 

outside looking in. 

“I'm very wary about giving my opinion 

on rugby anymore. I'm conscious 

of the fact I'm 13 years out of the 

professionalism. It is not the game that 

I knew. I don't feel I have a right or the 

insight to comment on what goes on 

inside a dressing-room because I don't 

know. I back away from that now. 

“Rugby is a very different game now 

to what it was when I played it, entirely 

different. I don't buy into it being tougher. 

It was a hard game in the 1980s and 

1990s but the techniques, training and 

science behind what Leinster do now is 

so different.” 

Perhaps, Leinster's greatest virtue has 

been how the organisation has changed 

with the times, catching-up, adapting, 

overcoming. 

“I have nothing but admiration for what 

Leinster have achieved, where they have 

gotten to. I just hope they can sustain it. In 

terms of a team to look at and hold up as 

a standard, it is phenomenal, what they 

have done. 

“I think, to bring it back around, that has 

been evolving since my day, even before 

my day. In order, for good organisations 

to succeed in the long-term, you've got 

to be able to take the bad times, like the 

2000 Heineken Cup semi-final loss to 

Perpignan and 2003 defeat to Munster, 

and learn from them. 

“I think they have done that brilliantly. 

Even though Leinster waited until 2001 

for their first trophy and 2008 for their 

second, they used the Perpignan and 

Munster losses as lessons. You had to 

move on and do your best to not let them 

happen again. 

“Of course, it isn't perfect. You never stop 

learning. You never stop evolving. No 

team or club can ever stop and think they 

have it all figured out. But, in terms of 

where Leinster have gotten to, the brand 

they have developed, the organisation as 

a whole, it is phenomenal.” 



IT IS GREAT TO SEE ANOTHER SEASON KICKING OFF BOTH 

DOMESTICALLY AND ACROSS THE HOME NATIONS, FOLLOWING 

WHAT HAS BEEN AN UNCERTAIN TIME FOR EVERYONE. WHILST 

OUR REFEREES HAVE RETURNED TO THE PITCH FOR THE MOST 

PART, OUR DUBLIN REFEREES ARE STAYING PUT. 

As you are all probably aware 

Dublin City and County has been 

placed on Level 3 restrictions 

which remain in place for another 

few weeks. This means all 

fixtures in Dublin have sadly been 

postponed for that period. We all 

hope to be back on the pitch soon. 

Whilst we have been dealing with 

the Coronavirus pandemic, we still 

had a busy summer, with many ups 

and downs. In July we were deeply 

saddened to hear about the passing of 

our refereeing colleague Bryan Murphy 

from Enniscorthy. Bryan not only played 

an important part in Enniscorthy RFC, 

but also the Leinster Rugby Referees and, 

in particular, the South East area. Our 

thoughts and prayers are with Bryan’s 

family at this time. 

National Panel 

and IPAS Updates 

Following the announcement of the 

IRFU National Referee Panel for the 

2020/2021 season in May, we were 

delighted to see that two more Leinster 

Rugby referees were added to the 

National Panel. 

Congratulations to both Sam Holt and 

Michael Forrestal. Following on from that, 

the Interprovincial Appointments System 

(IPAS) referees for the coming season 

were also confirmed. 

There are three new ARLB referees on 

IPAS for 2020/2021. They are Kevin 

Beakey (Unattached), Katie Byrne 

(Tullamore) and Robbie Jenkinson 

(Skerries). These three referees currently 

officiate top level junior rugby in Leinster. 

IPAS will give them the opportunity to 

be challenged with matches in the other 

provinces in the latter half of next season. 

These matches will allow them to develop 

in the hope of progressing to the IRFU 

National Referee Panel in future seasons. 

Congratulations to Kevin, Katie and 

Robbie on their promotions and best 

wishes for the season ahead. 

AGM Update 

Our AGM was delayed until earlier this 

month. We offer our congratulations to 

David Robb of Railway Union RFC who 

was elected President of the Leinster 

Rugby Referees for the 2020/21 season 

on September 1st. Gordon Condell 

of Clondalkin and Helen O’Reilly of 

Ashbourne were elected as Senior and 

Junior Vice Presidents. 


for those who come onto our pathway 

and avail of the support programs and 

mentoring in place. 

“These referee courses bring people 

together from a wide variety of 

backgrounds. For many, it’s a way back 

into the sport after playing or coaching 

while some are new to the game as 

parents or from another field sport. 

Regardless of your rugby knowledge or 

ambition there is a level for everyone and 

we’re looking forward to providing that 

opportunity again in October.” 

At the same meeting, two legends of 

the whistle, Stephen Kennedy and Paul 

Dorman were inducted as Life Members 

of the Leinster Rugby Referees after many 

years of service on and off the pitch. We 

thank outgoing President Norman Carter 

of Roscrea for his difficult and somewhat 

shortened year in service. 

Become a Referee 

New Referees Courses are being made 

available across the four provinces 

in October 2020. The programme is 

designed to offer people with an interest 

in sport the opportunity to try their hand 

at rugby refereeing. 

DATE: 

Saturday October 10th, 2020 

LOCATION: 

Dublin 

TO ATTEND: 

Please register your interest with 

Leinster Rugby Referee 

Development Officer 

Sam Holt by emailing 

sam.holt@leinsterrugby.ie 

MORE INFO: 

https://arlb.ie/newreferees-course-2/ 

The one-day courses typically start at 

9.30am in the morning and run until 

4.30pm with an hour for lunch. 

Please note that due to ongoing public 

health measures, attendance is only 

possibly by pre-registering. Strict health & 

safety protocols will be in place at each 

event. 

Dudley Phillips, IRFU Head Of Referees 

said, “The value of sport as an outlet 

for mental and physical wellbeing has 

come into clear focus in recent months, 

particularly the opportunity to be part of 

a live sporting experience,” he said. 

“Refereeing offers unique access to the 

world of rugby and is highly rewarding 

Want to get involved? 

Feel free to make contact with the Leinster Rugby 

Referees at hayley.whyte@leinsterrugby.ie. 

If you are interested in becoming a referee get in 

contact with us through our Facebook and Google + 

pages, our website www.arlb.ie or through twitter 

@leinsterreferee. 


TO MAXIMISE YOUR SPORTS AND EXERCISE 

PERFORMANCE THROUGH NUTRITION 

Optimum Nutrition and Leinster Rugby have partnered to help share good nutrition tips throughout 

the season to help you achieve your performance goals. Here are some simple tips and things to 

remember to help maximise your performance and help you recover quickly to come back stronger. 

Protein Rich. 

Protein provides your muscles with 

the building blocks to repair & grow. 

Carb-Up. 

Carbohydrate foods are king as they 

power high intensity play. 

Fuel-Up. 

Consume the majority of your 

carbohydrates around training to 

support fuelling and recovery. 

Recover. 

Quality rest & nutrition between 

training sessions is the key to 

recovery. Remember to: 

Repair with protein, 

Refuel with carbohydrate, 

Rehydrate with fluid. 

Hydrate. 

Dehydration can lead to a drop in 

exercise intensity & can impact your 

decision making. Drink 2-3 litres of 

fluid each day to ensure hydration. 

Game Day. 

To fuel performance on the field, 

consume a large carbohydrate rich 

meal 2-3 hours before kick-off, i.e. 

chicken & pasta, turkey bolognaise 

wraps. 

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CCROS UNDERGO INDUCTION 

DAY AT CO CARLOW FC 

WITH THE NEW SEASON UPON US, LEINSTER RUGBY’S CLUB 

COMMUNITY RUGBY OFFICERS (CCRO) ARE AGAIN READY TO 

SUPPORT CLUBS AND SCHOOLS AROUND THE PROVINCE. 

Under new circumstances, our 

CCROs will continue to encourage 

boys and girls of all ages to take 

to the rugby pitch. 

This year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, 

the CCRO induction day has been 

conducted via the five regions within the 

province. 

Recently, we visited Co Carlow FC where 

the North Midlands and South East 

CCROs were able to get together and 

receive guidance from Coach Player 

Development Officers (CPDO) for the 

year ahead. 

“With their learning here today with 

(CPDOs) John Bagnall and Ben 

Armstrong, our CCROs are learning 

small-sided games to make them better 

to be able to coach in the school 

environment,” explains Corey Carty, 

South East Community Rugby Officer. 

“The Community Rugby Department 

which would be the CCROs and the 

CROs and the CPDOs, will all help 

the club engage around their COVID 

compliance training. Each club will need 

to have a COVID safety officer, a COVID 

compliance officer, and then each team 

will need to have a COVID officer as well 

aligned to that team. 

“Part of our role as well was to make 

those COVID officers and COVID 

compliance officers ready for the return 

of rugby come September.” 

Daisy Earle, the new rugby officer for 

Gorey RFC and a member of the Leinster 

Women’s squad, is an example of how 

the programme can be successful, herself 

being encouraged to take up the game 

by a CCRO in the past. 

“I’ll be going around to the schools in the 

Gorey catchment area, primary schools 

and secondary schools, trying to bring 

in young kids that want to be out playing 

sport, and hopefully get them to join 

rugby and stay playing,” says Daisy. 

“That’s how I started, a CCRO came into 

my school, Ballygarrett national school, 

and dragged me in and said I’d be better 

at rugby than my brothers and here I am. 

“I’m really excited to be on the other 

end of things. I’ve only really been on 

the player side of it so it’ll be really fun 

now. It’s great to see the hard work that 

goes in behind everything.” 

For the more experienced Mick Bolger 

(Enniscorthy RFC), now in his sixth year 

as a CCRO, this year will see new 

challenges to overcome. 

“We’ve worked really hard with Leinster 

Rugby and with the clubs over the 

summer,” he says. “We’ve worked with 

the COVID compliance officer to look 

at the risk assessment with the club, with 

their safety statement within the club, 

and, as a CCRO, we’re lucky enough 

to work with Sport Ireland and with 

Leinster. 

“What we do is, work with the clubs 

and the schools first of all, to make sure 

they’ve done their risk assessments and 

their safety, and then bring it alongside 

what we’ve been doing with Leinster to 

make sure they adhere to their safety 

plan.” 



Club Community 


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IN OPPOSITION 

Dragons 

RYAN LOOKING TO EMBRACE 

LEINSTER CHALLENGE 

Words: dragonsrugby.wales 

Boss Dean Ryan wants his Dragons to 

be excited by the challenge of facing 

reigning Guinness PRO14 champions 

Leinster in their own backyard to 

launch the new season. 

Dragons jet to Dublin to face the hugely 

successful Irish province at the RDS Arena this 

evening. 

Director of Dragons Rugby Ryan admits his 

team have been handed a tough assignment 

to start the new campaign – just weeks after 

the European Challenge Cup quarter-final with 

Bristol Bears. 

After their Guinness PRO14 triumph, Leinster 

were beaten by Saracens the following 

weekend in the European Champions Cup 

quarter-final and now face Dragons in the first 

game back. 

But Ryan insists his side must embrace the 

challenge, as it is the only way they will be 

competitive at the highest level. 

“There are two ways of looking at this fixture,” 

said Ryan. “You are either daunted by going to 

Leinster or really excited by the challenge - we 

have tried to sit in that second camp. 

“We’ve had a strange start to the season, in 

that two weeks ago we played in a European 

quarter-final. None of those look like a nice 

easy way into a season. 

“A quarter-final against Bristol after six months 

doing nothing and then into Leinster who get 

wounded in Europe last time out. 

“There are easier ways to start, but for us we 

are really excited about trying to be more 

competitive at the highest level. 

“If we played Leinster six weeks later in the 

middle of the autumn series then we would still 

be challenged, because the Leinster back-up 

team is an outstanding team. 

“Starting the season there, playing against 

a side that potentially is licking its wounds, 

is exactly where we are going to learn and 

exactly how we get better. We learnt more 

about ourselves in the Bristol game than in 

many others. 

“The team are in a space that is all about 

getting out there, being excited and looking 

to learn from playing some of the best teams 

around.” 

Ryan has said that Dragons have no major 

injury concerns for the clash, but added that 

"bumps and bruises" would be assessed ahead 

of the trip to Ireland. 



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Squad | Positions 2020/21 

Director of Rugby | Dean Ryan 

Dean Ryan was appointed 

Director of Dragons Rugby in 

May 2019, joining from the RFU 

where he had been working as 

England’s Head of International 

Player Development. 

Ryan’s coaching career began at Bristol 

Rugby, the last club he played for in a 

career that included stints at Saracens, 

Wasps and Newcastle Falcons as well as 

making six appearances for England. 

From Bristol, he moved to Gloucester 

where he worked under Nigel Melville. 

He eventually graduated to Director of 

Rugby at Gloucester in 2005 and the 

Cherry and Whites lifted the European 

Challenge Cup in 2006 before reaching 

the Premiership Final in 2007. 

He also guided Worcester Warriors back 

to the top tier of English rugby in 2014. 

Captain | Rhodri Williams 

Wales international scrum 

half Rhodri Williams moved to 

Dragons in the summer of 2018 

from Bristol Bears. 

Born in Swansea, Williams started his 

rugby career with Llandovery before 

winning selection for Scarlets where he 

would play between 2011 and 2016. 

Williams won Wales Under-20 honours 

in the 2013 Six Nations. He went on to 

make his full senior Wales debut against 

Tonga on November 2013. 

Williams represented the Barbarians 

against England at Twickenham in 

May 2018 and again in the summer of 

2019, scoring a second half try as a 

replacement. 

FORWARDS 

DYLAN BARTLETT 

PROP 

TAINE BASHAM 

FLANKER 

JAMES BENJAMIN 

NO. 8 

RYAN BEVINGTON 

PROP 

LEON BROWN 

PROP 

CHRIS COLEMAN 

PROP 

JOSEPH DAVIES 

LOCK 

ELLIOT DEE 

HOOKER 

TOM DEVINE 

PROP 

LEWIS EVANS 

BACK ROW 

LLOYD FAIRBROTHER 

PROP 

BEN FRY 

BACK ROW 

LENNON GREGGAINS 

BACK ROW 

OLLIE GRIFFITHS 

BACK ROW 

BROK HARRIS 

PROP 

RICHARD HIBBARD 

HOOKER 

AARON JARVIS 

PROP 

HARRISON KEDDIE 

NO. 8 

CONOR MAGUIRE 

PROP 

JOE MAKSYMIW 

LOCK 

ROSS MORIARTY 

BACK ROW 

BRANDON NANSEN 

LOCK 

JOSH REYNOLDS 

PROP 

MATTHEW SCREECH 

LOCK 

ELLIS SHIPP 

HOOKER 

HUW TAYLOR 

LOCK 

AARON 

WAINWRIGHT 

BACK ROW 

MAX WILLIAMS 

LOCK 

LUKE YENDLE 

PROP 

BACKS 

DAN BABOS 

SCRUM HALF 

LUKE BALDWIN 

SCRUM HALF 

SAM DAVIES 

FLY HALF 

JACK DIXON 

CENTRE 

RIO DYER 

WINGER 

CONNOR EDWARDS 

CENTRE 

JOE GOODCHILD 

WINGER 

THOMAS GRIFFITHS 

CENTRE 

ASHTON HEWITT 

WINGER 

JONAH HOLMES 

WINGER 

DAFYDD HOWELLS 

WINGER 

OWEN JENKINS 

WINGER 

WILL KELLY 

FLY HALF 

TAVIS KNOYLE 

SCRUM HALF 

JOSH LEWIS 

FLY HALF 

EVAN LLOYD 

CENTRE 

ANEURIN OWEN 

CENTRE 

CARWYN PENNY 

FLY HALF 

JAMIE ROBERTS 

CENTRE 

ARWEL ROBSON 

FLY HALF 

JARED ROSSER 

WINGER 

DEON SMITH 

WINGER 

WILL TALBOT-DAVIES 

FULL BACK 

NICK TOMPKINS 

CENTRE 

ADAM WARREN 

CENTRE 

JORDAN WILLIAMS 

FLY HALF 

RHODRI WILLIAMS 

SCRUM HALF 


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Landsdowne F C 

These have been strange times 

indeed. 

The life and soul have been sucked out of 

so many of Ireland's sporting clubs and 

Lansdowne FC is no different as head 

coach Mark McHugh leads the way up 

a flight of stairs into the bar and lounge 

located in the shadow of Aviva Stadium. 

Almost all the lights are off as the rain 

outside pounds the glass. 

“We live in very difficult times. It is such 

a shame to see the place like this. I mean 

it is the people that make the club and 

there is no one here, most of the time,” 

said McHugh. 

“There are so many other sports all 

across the province and the country that 

are the same. Hopefully, it won't be too 

long before we can all get back to the 

way life used to be.” 

Even before Covid happened, it wasn't 

exactly a bed of roses when McHugh 

took over as head coach in the middle of 

last season. 

Lansdowne had lorded over the Energia 

All-Ireland League for three of the 

seven previous seasons when they dug 

a deep hole. The sage Mike Ruddock 

had presided over a disappointing start, 

losing five from the opening six rounds. 

And then the Grand Slam-winning coach 

was gone back to Swansea, to The 

Ospreys. 

The ex-Leinster and Connacht 

professional moved from six seasons as 

Ruddock's backs coach to taking over 

the main role, triggering seven wins from 

the ensuing eight encounters to climb into 

a play-off position. 

“It was great for me to learn from Mike 

and be part of his coaching ticket. When 

his old team came asking for help, it was 

difficult for him to turn it down. We all 

understood that. 

“We moved from bottom-of-the-table to 

fourth with a number of last-minute wins. 

We had turned the season around and, 

then, it was over.” 

The call came the night before 

Lansdowne were due to play Trinity 

College. One match postponed turned 

into a campaign cancelled. 

“It was such a shame we couldn't see 

out the season. We had made great 

progress in three months, winning so 

many games in injury-time and losing 

our only match to Young Munster by a 

point.” 

Since then, the country has been in 

limbo, the clubs rolling out their rugby 

programmes as best they can within strict 

guidelines. 

“The most challenging thing is you 

are working on a week-by-week basis 

because the landscape can change so 

quickly,” said McHugh. 

“We started back training the second 

week of July and, at that time, we were 

restricted to our pods of six players. The 

amount of rugby work you can get done 

in those small groups is limited to your 

technical skills, your pass-catch, decisionmaking. 

“You are disinfecting balls when one 

group is finished with them. You're 

disinfecting cones. You can't use bibs. 

You can't do this. You can't do that. 

“Certainly, initially, it was a challenge 

and our senior squad this year is large. 

We've got the guts of 50 players training 

on a Tuesday and Thursday night. As 

restrictions have eased, we have been 

able to get back to real rugby training, 

managing to make the best use of our 

time. 

“From a Covid point of view, the reality 

is we just don't know what will happen in 

the weeks ahead,” he stated. 

“The only thing we can do is approach 

this season thoroughly, in terms of our 

preparation. As soon as the gremlins 

get in and doubt creeps into what is 

ahead, all of sudden, you are not as wellprepared 

as you should be. That is when 

you get caught out. 

“There is uncertainty, a little anxiety, 

about what's happening. We have to 

prepare like we would for any other 

season.” 


Even then, there are no guarantees. 

This season started out on September 

12th when Lansdowne played 

Greystones in the Leinster Senior Cup in 

their only match to date. 

For one reason or another, they were idle 

for the next two weeks, ahead of their 

opening round of the Energia Community 

Series against Old Wesley at Lansdowne 

Road tomorrow (KO 2.30pm). 

“We do constantly remind the guys 

about their responsibility,” he added. 

“They are young men and they do like 

to socialise, as we all did when we 

were their age. We have been quite 

clear. Their responsibility extends to 

representing Lansdowne. 

“If they are not doing what they should, 

they risk bringing Covid-19 to the club 

and that could jeopardise the season.” 

Director of Rugby Stephen Rooney and 

Covid Officer Kieran Walsh are heavily 

involved in the logistical side of the club. 

Where there are challenges, there are 

also opportunities. The strict guidelines 

around what events can take place and 

who can and can't attend the matches 

hurt the club financially. 

It has also pushed clubs to come up with 

new and interesting ways of reaching out 

to their members or persons of interest 

who have drifted away. 

“We do have plans to stream the games 

live. We are looking at technology 

providers at the moment,” issued 

McHugh. 

“From what I understand, it is as simple 

as connecting to the cameras the club 

already has on site to record the games 

for video analysis. There are people who 

can't get to Lansdowne for a variety of 

reasons. They could have young families 

at home. They may be living outside 

Dublin or even abroad. Something like 

this is brilliant for providing a way of 

keeping in touch with the club. 

“It probably should have been out there 

a long time ago. I guess it is here now. 

It is definitely a really useful tool for 

keeping members engaged in the rugby 

club.” 

It is this kind of positive thinking that 

enables clubs to reach out. Some day, 

the atmosphere at Lansdowne will be 

revived, the people will come back and 

there will be renewed life where now 

there is a state of limbo. 

“This is different gravy. It is not something 

any of us have ever seen before. We 

just have to do what we can within the 

guidelines laid down. 

“The government and sporting governing 

bodies have been very reactive to this. 

How can they possibly be pro-active? 

They don't know what is coming down 

the line. 

“The mindset has to be the same as it 

is every other season. We have to be 

ready to play. We don't want to start this 

season like we did the All-Ireland League 

last season. 

“We just have to continue as normal as 

possible from a rugby point of view. For 

the club, it is very different to run it when 

you have no income coming through the 

door. 

“That is the challenge for every club, 

every sport in the country.” 


These clubs have chosen Macron 

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THE EPCR 

BOARD HAS 

UNANIMOUSLY 

AGREED THAT 

NEW HEINEKEN 

CHAMPIONS 

CUP AND 

CHALLENGE CUP 

TOURNAMENT 

FORMATS WILL 

BE INTRODUCED 

FOR THE 2020/21 

SEASON. 

2020/21 season Heineken 

Champions Cup and Challenge Cup 

tournament formats 

The decision to alter the formats for 

next season on an exceptional basis 

has been made against the backdrop 

of the COVID-19 public health crisis and 

its ongoing impact on the professional 

club game in Europe. 

The 2020/21 Heineken Champions Cup 

will be competed for by 24 clubs with the 

eight highest-ranked representatives from the 

Gallagher Premiership, the Guinness PRO14 

and the TOP 14 securing their places. 

The clubs will be divided into two pools of 

12 by means of a draw and the tournament 

will be played over eight weekends with four 

rounds of matches in the pool stage followed 

by a knockout stage consisting of home and 

away quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final in 

Marseille on 22 May 2021. 

For the purposes of the pool draw, the clubs 

will be separated into tiers, and clubs from the 

same league in the same tier will not be drawn 

into the same pool. The number 1 and number 

2 ranked clubs from each league will be in Tier 

1, the number 3 and number 4 ranked clubs 

will be in Tier 2, the number 5 and 6 ranked 

clubs will be in Tier 3, and the number 7 and 

number 8 ranked clubs will be in Tier 4. 

The Tier 1 and the Tier 4 clubs which have 

been drawn in the same pool, but which are 

not in the same league, will play one another 

home and away during the pool stage, as will 

the Tier 2 and Tier 3 clubs which have been 

drawn in the same pool, but which are not in 

the same league. 

Click above for a video 

explaining the new Heineken 

Champions Cup format 

Click above for a summary 

of the 2020/21 Heineken 

Champions Cup rules 


Hawkshaw 

David 

WORDS: RYAN CORRY 


UNDERNEATH THE 

LIGHTS OF THE 

RDS ARENA LAST 

FRIDAY EVENING, 

LEINSTER RUGBY 

‘A’ TOOK ON 

THEIR ULSTER 

EQUIVALENT 

IN AN 

INTERPROVINCIAL 

FRIENDLY, 

THE VISITORS 

EVENTUALLY 

DEPARTING WITH 

A 29-10 VICTORY. 

As with any loss, no matter the grade 

or competition, there was a sense of 

disappointment among the home side 

with head coach Noel McNamara later 

saying, “we’ve shone a light on some 

of the areas we need to work on”. 

For one player among the 28 who featured 

for Leinster on the night, the most prominent 

emotion was, instead, an overwhelming sense 

of relief. 

Coming on at outhalf as a 66th-minute 

replacement for Harry Byrne marked the end 

of an 18-month injury lay off for the Leinster 

Rugby Academy’s David Hawkshaw. 

“It was certainly relief. With everything that 

has been going on around the world, it was a 

long build up towards it for myself,” Hawkshaw 

explains. 

“It was a special feeling after it, although the 

result didn’t go our way. On a personal note, 

it meant everything, the work throughout the 

18 months, to be able to get out there again, 

to put on the jersey and start a new chapter 

again.” 

It was January 2019 when Hawkshaw suffered 

a cruel training ground injury in the week 

leading up to the start of the Under-20 Six 

Nations tournament, for which he had been 

named captain by McNamara who is also 

head coach of that side. 

On the Monday ahead of the tournament’s kick 

off Friday evening, a routine kick chase from 

Hawkshaw resulted in a torn cruciate ligament, 

lateral collateral ligament and hamstring. 

The injury was a crushing 

blow to Hawkshaw who, 

like anyone would be, 

was hugely excited 

about leading his 

country into a 

Six Nations 

campaign, 


and with a squad that had generated a lot of 

positivity. 

“Everything was just right and everything 

seemed to be going to plan, you know? When 

something like that happens to you, and I 

remember saying it a while ago, it’s like one 

second you’re preparing for a game against 

France and a Grand Slam and the next 

minute, you’re looking at a couple of months 

or 18 months on the sidelines,” he reflects. 

“Everything kind of falls around you 

because you’re in this bubble where you 

don’t think a lot can go wrong. To be 

honest with you, it was one of those where 

I knew straight away myself that it wasn’t 

good at all. I couldn’t put weight on my 

leg or anything like that. 

“I was lucky I got in to see Ray Moran 

(Santry Sports Surgery Clinic), I did it on 

a Monday and was in to see him on a 

Thursday. Then, I had my first operation on 

the Friday so I was blessed that I got in that 

quickly and we got the process started as 

quick as we could.” 

Ireland would go on to win the Under-20 

Grand Slam, coming away from Wales’ 

Colwyn Bay with a first Irish victory at the 

venue. 

Having started the Six Nations campaign 

watching from a hospital bed following his first 

operation, Hawkshaw was able to travel with 

the squad to Wales and credits his teammates 

with ensuring that he remained, and felt, a part 

of the squad. 

“It would be silly of me to say it wasn’t tough. It 

was very hard watching it. My operation was 

late on Friday so I watched the last 20 minutes 

of the France game after my op. At that stage, I 

was delighted, after the operation I was happy 

with everything. 

“Considering how tight all of the group were, 

it was amazing to be able to go over to 

Wales and share that moment with all the 

lads. 

“It was very tough at stages but you were part 

of it, you were part of that journey. I think in 

a few years’ time or a little while’s time, I’ll 

appreciate it a lot and there’ll be some great 

stories to talk back on as well.” 

Still, it was early days as far as recovery 

would go for Hawkshaw and on his return 

to Leinster, he was placed under the 

watchful eye of Academy physiotherapist 

Darragh Curley who, Hawkshaw 

says, kept him motivated with simple 

guiding advice. 


Curley’s mantra of ‘trusting the process’ aligned 

with setting small weekly goals helped the DCU 

student avoid falling into the trap of looking too 

far ahead. 

“You’re coming back to something that you 

love doing and the one thing that kept me 

going was that I’m lucky enough to be able 

to come back playing. That was enough of a 

drive for me. 

“You have bad days and you have days when 

you’re sore but the physio team around me, 

the physio team in Leinster, are the best there is 

and they keep you on process and they keep 

you on target. 

“I never really wanted to think too far ahead, 

because once you start thinking too far ahead, 

that’s when I found myself to start getting 

annoyed or pissed off.” 

At the end of March 2019, after coming on as 

a substitute in the Heineken Champions Cup 

quarter-final against Ulster, a similar fate befell 

flanker Dan Leavy. 

The Ireland international suffered serious knee 

ligament damage which would rule him out 

of the remainder of that campaign, the 2019 

Rugby World Cup in Japan and all of the 

following season. 


While extremely unfortunate for Leavy, it 

proved to be a major help to Hawkshaw as the 

two partnered up in their rehabilitation with the 

Academy man able to gauge the mindset and 

determination of the more experienced, though 

not much older, Leavy. 

“I was very lucky and still am very lucky to 

work with and be doing things with Dan,” 

Hawkshaw says. 

“We were lucky that we had each other to 

bounce things off. That pushed me as well, 

seeing how driven he was and how positive 

a mindset and enthusiastic he was about the 

injury and how much better he would come 

back. 

“That struck a chord with me and made me 

really want to push myself as much as I could 

as well. It was awful what happened to Dan 

with his injury but I was very lucky to have 

someone like that be so good to me during the 

process. 

“You’re looking at him, a Grand Slam winner, 

and he’s just a professional in every single way. 

I definitely learned a lot with Dan throughout 

that time.” 

As well as Leavy, Curley, the continuous 

backing from McNamara, both in his role as 

Leinster’s Academy Manager and as Ireland 

Under-20 head coach, and the wider team in 

Leinster Rugby, Hawkshaw also had a strong 

support system at home despite, he suspects, 

his family bearing the brunt of his torment 

during the more difficult days. 

Between parents Sean and Ann, brothers 

James and Daniel, and sister Sarah, there’s 

plenty of sporting activity in the family, with all 

enjoying various highs and lows in their field, 

putting them in a good place to support this 

decline in David’s fortunes. 

“Your family live every moment that you’re 

living as well in a sporting context. The good 

days and bad days, they’re there. My poor 

mother, I think she suffers more than me with 

losses. 

“It was just as long a journey for them as it 

was for me but we were lucky enough with my 

sister, who has been involved with the hockey, 

we were lucky enough to qualify for the 

Olympics this year, so having moments like that 

in the house is just brilliant and it really boosts 

everyone. 

“You only really appreciate all the support that 

you have when things like this happen. They 

were unbelievable during it all.” 

“YOU HAVE 

BAD DAYS AND 

YOU HAVE DAYS 

WHEN YOU’RE 

SORE BUT THE 

PHYSIO TEAM 

AROUND ME, 

THE PHYSIO 

TEAM IN 

LEINSTER, ARE 

THE BEST THERE 

IS AND THEY 

KEEP YOU ON 

PROCESS AND 

THEY KEEP YOU 

ON TARGET.” 

And so back to last Friday night and that relief 

at the full-time whistle. 

What next? 

For Hawkshaw, there’s still no looking too far 

ahead. With the extent of the injury he has 

just put behind him, caution will exist in the 

immediate future. But, there’s also no time for 

sitting back as he enters his third year in the 

Leinster Rugby Academy. 

“At the minute, I’m really looking forward to 

hopefully just training with the Seniors, and 

there’s a busy year ahead so you don’t know 

what could happen. 

“For me, personally, I just want to be back 

training regularly. If opportunities come, I want 

to stay in the shop window and take them with 

both hands and really go after it.” 

With the resilience shown by the former 

Belvedere College man over the last year-anda-half, 

few would back against him taking those 

opportunities if they do materialise. 



Academy squad 

2020|21 

DOB: 15 December 1999 

From: Hampshire, England 

Height: 1.88m (6’ 2”) 

Weight: 92kg (14st 5lbs) 

Position: Back Three 

School: Henley College 

Honours: Ireland U20 (1 cap) 

AARON O’SULLIVAN 

Did You Know: Aaron was signed from Wasps where 

he made two appearances for the Senior team in the 

2017/18 Anglo Welsh Cup. Aaron’s dad, Barry, had trials at 

Newcastle and his grandad, at the age of 80, completed 

five stages of the Tour de France in 2011. 

Instagram: aaron_sullivan11 

DOB: 02 March 2000 

From: Wexford 

Height: 1.99m (6’ 6”) 


Position: Second Row 

School: St Peter’s College 

Club: Clontarf FC 

Honours: Ireland U20 (8 caps) 

BRIAN DEENY 

Did You Know: Brian played youth rugby with Wexford 

Wanderers RFC. He got his first Irish cap playing for 

Ireland Under-18 Sevens. Brian played midfield for his 

school St Peter’s College in Gaelic football and reached the 

All-Ireland Colleges Final in 2017. He is currently studying 

Science in Trinity and lives in Abbey House B&B, Wexford... 

if you are looking for a room?! Instagram: brian_deeny 

DOB: 03 July 1999 

From: Dublin 

Height: 1.77m (5’ 10”) 


Position: Centre/Outhalf 

School: Belvedere College 

Club: Clontarf RFC 


DAVID HAWKSHAW 

Did You Know: David started playing rugby at Coolmine RFC before 

joining Belvedere College and won two Schools Senior Cup titles. He has 

represented Ireland U18 Schools and was selected as Ireland U20s captain 

for the 2019 Grand Slam winning campaign only to have his season cut 

short after three games. He played hurling and Gaelic football for St Brigid’s 

GAA club and also represented Dublin minors, winning a Leinster hurling 

title. Currently studying humanities in DCU. Instagram: davidhawkshaw99 

DOB: 30 December 1998 

From: Dublin 

Height: 1.72m (5’ 8”) 


Position: Scrum Half 

School: Blackrock College 

Club: UCD RFC 

Honours: Ireland U20 (1 cap) 

& Leinster Rugby (3 caps) 

PATRICK PATTERSON #1274 

Did You Know: Paddy made his debut for Leinster during 

the 2018/19 season when only in the first year of the 

Leinster Academy. He also scored his first Senior try for 

Leinster off the bench against Southern Kings during that 

maiden campaign. 

Instagram: paddypatterson 

Academy squad 

2020|21 

DOB: 24 October 1999 

From: Newtownmountkennedy, Wicklow 

Height: 1.81m (5’ 9”) 


Position: Scrum Half 

School: St. Gerard’s School 

Club: Lansdowne FC 


CORMAC FOLEY 

Did You Know: Started playing rugby with Greystones 

RFC when he was nine. Growing up, Cormac did a lot of 

show jumping and he is now studying Economics and 

Finance in UCD. 

Instagram: cormacfoley6 

DOB: 05 February 1999 

From: Birr, Offaly 

Height: 1.82m (6’ 0”) 


Position: Prop 

School: Cistercian College, Roscrea 

Club: Birr RFC/UCD RFC 


& Leinster Rugby (8 caps) 

MICHAEL MILNE #1279 

Did You Know: Michael has won two All-Ireland hurling 

titles, one with his school in Roscrea and another with 

Offaly Under-17s. 

Instagram: michael_milne 

DOB: 04 June 1998 

From: Dublin 

Height: 1.83m (6’ 0”) 



School: Clongowes Wood College 

Club: Dublin University FC 


MICHAEL SILVESTER 

Did You Know: Started playing rugby with Wanderers 

RFC before playing in school with St. Michaels and then 

Clongowes. Played competitive tennis from the age of nine, 

winning a national championship at age 12, before focusing 

on rugby after moving to Clongowes. Graduated from 

Trinity with a BESS degree. 

Instagram: msilvester98 


From: Dublin 

Height: 1.85m (6’ 1”) 


Position: Prop 




& Leinster Rugby (1 cap) 

TOM CLARKSON #1285 

Did You Know: Tom studies Human Health and Disease 

in Trinity College. He played underage rugby for Wicklow 

RFC before moving to Dublin to attend Willow Park 

primary school. 

Instagram: tclarkson37 

DOB: 19 October 1999 

From: Athy, Kildare 

Height: 1.88m (6’ 2”) 


Position: Back Row 

School: Clontarf FC 

Club: Old Belvedere RFC 


MARTIN MOLONEY 

Did You Know: Martin played hurling for Kildare and played 

GAA and basketball for his secondary school, Knockbeg 

College, and local GAA club, St Laurence’s. He played his 

youth rugby with Athy RFC. He is now studying Business 

and Law in UCD, He also enjoys working on the family farm. 

Instagram: martin_moloney 



From: Dublin 

Height: 2.01m (6’ 7”) 

Weight: 108kg (17st) 



Club: UCD RFC 


CHARLIE RYAN 

Did You Know: Charlie played youth rugby at Blackrock 

College RFC while also attending the school since Senior 

Infants. He captained Ireland to the U20 Grand Slam in 

2019 and again for the U20s World Cup. His friends call 

him Chuck! He is currently studying Business and Legal 

Studies in UCD. 

Instagram: chuck_ryan5 

Academy squad 

2020|21 


From: Belfast 

Height: 1.82m (6’ 0”) 


Position: Hooker 

School: Campbell College 

Club: Old Belvedere RFC 


JOHN McKEE 

Did You Know: John grew up in Belfast going to school 

at Campbell College where he won a Senior Cup. He was 

involved with Ulster at age grade level until moving to 

Dublin after school. He also has multiple medals from 

Northern Irish Schools Judo competitions. 

Instagram: johnmckee_ 

DOB: 21 July 2000 

From: Dublin 

Height: 1.83m (6’ 0”) 



School: St Michael’s College 



ANDREW SMITH 

Did You Know: Andrew is currently studying Quantity 

Surveying and Construction Economics in TUD. In 2019, 

he won the Leinster Schools Senior Cup with St Michael’s 

College. Andrew also played Gaelic football with his local 

club - Clanna Gael Fontenoy GAA Club. 

Instagram: andrew.sm1th 

DOB: 14 July 1999 

From: Dublin 

Height: 173cm (5’ 9”) 


Position: Centre 




LIAM TURNER 

Did You Know: Liam started to play rugby at the age 

of six at Blackrock College RFC. He later joined Blackrock 

College and was part of the 2018 Senior Cup winning team. 

He was also part of the Ireland U20 team that went on to 

win the 2019 Grand Slam. Liam currently studys BESS in 

Trinity College. 

Instagram: liamtn123 

DOB: 06 April 2000 

From: Dublin 

Height: 1.83m (6’ 0”) 


Position: Wing 


Club: UCD RFC 

Honours: Ireland U20 

NIALL COMERFORD 

Did You Know: Niall played both hurling and Gaelic 

football with Kilmacud Crokes for 14 years. He also 

represented Dublin in Gaelic football in the U17 Leinster 

Championship. He is currently studying Commerce in UCD. 

Instagram: niall_c123 

DOB: 31 July 2000 

From: Pittsburgh, USA 

Height: 1.90m (6’ 3”) 

Weight: 102kg (16st 1lb) 



Club: UCD RFC 


SEÁN O’BRIEN 

Did You Know: Seán started playing rugby at age six 

with Greystones RFC where he played up until Under-13. 

He then played on the Junior and Senior Cup teams in 

Blackrock College. He is currently studying Economics and 

Finance in UCD 

Instagram: seanobrien456 


From: Pearse St, Dublin 

Height: 1.95m (6’ 5”) 

Weight: 104.5kg (16st 6lbs) 


School: Belvedere College 



ALEX SOROKA 

Did You Know: Alex’s family moved to Ireland from 

Ukraine shortly before his birth. He was born in Cork 

before moving to Dublin. 

Instagram: alex._.soroka 

DOB: 26 March 2001 

From: Manhattan, NY 

Height: 1.95m (6’ 5”) 






JOE McCARTHY 

Did You Know: Joe started playing rugby with Blackrock 

College RFC at the age of six before moving to Willow Park 

and then Blackrock College. He was also on the Blackrock 

swim team for five years. He’s currently studying Global 

Business in Trinity College Dublin. 

Instagram: joetmmcc 


From: Enniskerry, Wicklow 

Height: 1.85m (6’ 1”) 


Position: Full Back 

School: St Gerard’s School 



& Ireland Mens 7s (1 cap) 

MAX O’REILLY 

Did You Know: Max is currently in his third year of Business 

and Management in DIT. His preferred sport was soccer 

until about the age of 15, which he had played at centre 

midfield with Enniskerry FC for over 10 years and also 

for Wicklow. 

Instagram: max_oreilly 


Confirmed 2020/21 

Guinness PRO14 Fixtures 

ROUND 

01 


v Dragons 

Friday 

October 2 

RDS Arena 

KO 8.15pm 

ROUND 

02 

Benetton v 


Saturday 

October 10 

Stadio Monigo 

KO 5.15pm 

(Irish time) 

ROUND 

03 


v Zebre 

Friday 

October 23 

RDS Arena 

KO 7.35pm 

ROUND 

04 

Glasgow 

Warriors v 


Monday 

November 2 

Scotstoun Stadium 

KO 8.15pm 


Freddie 

Comerford 

Age: 8 

School: Ballinabranna 

NS, Carlow 

Hobbies: Rugby. He 

plays with Tullow RFC 

Under-9s, football, art 

and soccer 

Favorite Player: Johnny 

Sexton hands down !! 

virtual match mascots 

Anabelle 

Kelly 

Age: 6 

School: St. Patricks N.S 

Hobbies: Gymnastics 

Favourite Player: Cian 

Healy 

ROUND 

05 

Ospreys v 


ROUND 

06 


v Edinburgh 

ROUND 

07 


v Cardiff 

ROUND 

08 

Scarlets v 


Sunday 

November 8 

Liberty Stadium 

KO 3pm 

Monday 

November 16 

RDS Arena 

KO 8.15pm 

Sunday 

November 22 

RDS Arena 

KO 5.15pm 

Sunday 

November 29 

Parc y Scarlets 

KO 5.15pm 


At Sword we know how important the Game is. 

We know how important your memories are ....so relax 

and enjoy yourself, you're in safe hands. 

LEINSTER RUGBY FANS .... Secured by the team at Sword 

Dublin: 01-6688220 

info@swordsecurity.com 

www.swordsecurity.com 

Securing Sports Fans around the World.

Coronavirus 

COVID-19 

Coronavirus 

COVID-19 

Public Health 

Advice 

Stay safe. 

Protect each other. 

Continue to: 

Wash 

your hands well 

and often to avoid 

contamination. 

Cover 

your mouth and nose 

with a tissue or sleeve 

when coughing or 

sneezing and discard 

used tissue safely 

Distance 

yourself at least 

2 metres (6 feet) away 

from other people, 

especially those who 

might be unwell 

Avoid 

crowds and 

crowded places 

Know 

the symptoms. If you 

have them self isolate 

and contact your GP 

immediately 

COVID-19 symptoms include 

> high temperature 

> cough 

> breathing difficulty 

> sudden loss of sense of smell or taste 

> flu-like symptoms 

If you have any symptoms, self-isolate to 

protect others and call your GP for a 

COVID-19 test. 

#holdfirm 

For more information 

www.gov.ie/health-covid-19 

www.hse.ie 

Ireland’s public health advice is guided by WHO and ECDC advice

Hugo Keenan 

Jordan Larmour 

Garry Ringrose 

Ciarán Frawley 

James Lowe 

Johnny Sexton [C] 

Jamison Gibson-Park 

15 

14 

13 

12 

11 

10 

9 

FULL BACK 

RIGHT WING 

OUTSIDE CENTRE 

INSIDE CENTRE 

LEFT WING 

FLY HALF 

SCRUM HALF 

Will Talbot-Davies 

Jonah Holmes 

Nick Tompkins 

Jamie Roberts 

Ashton Hewitt 

Sam Davies 

Rhodri Williams [C] 

Ed Byrne 

Rónan Kelleher 

Michael Bent 

Scott Fardy 

James Ryan 

Rhys Ruddock 

Josh van der Flier 

Jack Conan 

Seán Cronin 

Cian Healy 

Andrew Porter 

Ryan Baird 

Max Deegan 

Luke McGrath 

Ross Byrne 

Tommy O’Brien 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

LOOSE HEAD PROP 

HOOKER 

TIGHT HEAD PROP 

SECOND ROW 

SECOND ROW 

BLINDSIDE FLANKER 

OPENSIDE FLANKER 

NUMBER 8 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

REPLACEMENT 

REPLACEMENT 

REPLACEMENT 

REPLACEMENT 

REPLACEMENT 

REPLACEMENT 

REPLACEMENT 

REPLACEMENT 

Brok Harris 

Elliott Dee 

Aaron Jarvis 

Joseph Davies 

Joe Maksymiw 

Aaron Wainwright 

Harrison Keddie 

Ross Moriarty 

Richard Hibbard 

Conor Maguire 

Lloyd Fairbrother 

Matthew Screech 

Taine Basham 

Tavis Knoyle 

Josh Lewis 

Adam Warren 

Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR, 7th competition game) 

Assistant Referees: Frank Murphy, Chris Busby (both IRFU) 

TMO: Simon McDowell (IRFU) 

Citing Commissioner: Peter Ferguson (IRFU) 


MAKE IT A GAME 

YOU’LL REMEMBER. 

MODERATE YOUR DRINKING. 

MAKE YOUR NEXT PINT TAP WATER. 

SOMETIMES LESS IS MORE 

#GUINNESSCLEAR

Leinster Rugby v Dragons

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