Leinster Rugby v Dragons
Leinster Rugby v Dragons, Guinness Pro14 Rainbow Cup | Issue 13 Leinster Rugby Official Matchday Programme Friday 11th June, 2021 | Kick-off: 20:15
Leinster Rugby v Dragons, Guinness Pro14 Rainbow Cup | Issue 13
Leinster Rugby Official Matchday Programme
Friday 11th June, 2021 | Kick-off: 20:15
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JOHN WALSHWEL COME<br />
We extend a warm welcome to<br />
rugby fans joining us at the RDS<br />
Arena for our final game in the<br />
Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup<br />
against Welsh visitors <strong>Dragons</strong>.<br />
Our recent clashes with <strong>Dragons</strong> have<br />
resulted in <strong>Leinster</strong> victories with a 35-<br />
29 win in their historic Rodney Parade<br />
grounds in February of this year and a<br />
35-5 win at the RDS in October 2020.<br />
The ‘local derbies’ element to the<br />
competition has provided some<br />
outstanding games with very close<br />
outcomes. The excellent coverage of<br />
these games has been a major bonus<br />
for us fans who have been unable to<br />
attend to give our players our passionate<br />
support.<br />
Thank you to eir Sport for all you have<br />
done for the coverage of the games.<br />
This is the last <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> game to<br />
be shown on your channel and we wish<br />
your staff and team the very best of<br />
luck for the future with eir Sport winding<br />
down. We have enjoyed immensely the<br />
coverage and the professionalism that<br />
you have brought to the Guinness PRO14<br />
and you will be missed.<br />
On behalf of <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> we welcome<br />
the <strong>Dragons</strong> Management team of David<br />
Buttress (Chair), Dean Ryan (Director of<br />
<strong>Rugby</strong>) and Rhodri Williams (Captain)<br />
and travelling squad to the RDS.<br />
The restructured 2020/21 season has<br />
been a difficult one for <strong>Dragons</strong> but with<br />
Dean Ryan at the helm and young Welsh<br />
talent coming through better days are<br />
only around the corner.<br />
As we bring the curtain down on the<br />
2020/21 season, I’m sure that Dean<br />
Ryan and Williams will be motivating<br />
their players to avail of the opportunity<br />
to deliver a fitting performance against<br />
the reigning Guinness PRO14 Champions<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> in our home here at the RDS.<br />
“Oh hard times come again no more”<br />
I am doubtful that since <strong>Leinster</strong>’s<br />
foundation in 1879 if we have ever<br />
encountered a 15-month period that<br />
has decimated our domestic rugby<br />
programmes to the extent that it has<br />
during this Covid pandemic.<br />
As the nationwide vaccination<br />
programme is making significant progress<br />
we are more optimistic than ever that<br />
there is a possibility that we can get<br />
back playing soon. We have effectively<br />
lost two playing seasons that involved in<br />
excess of 10,000 club and school fixtures<br />
that have impacted on our 73 clubs,<br />
120 schools and 13 third level colleges/<br />
universities.<br />
The pandemic also brought into focus the<br />
important role that sport plays in our lives<br />
and communities both in terms of physical<br />
and mental wellness.<br />
All involved in <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> are very<br />
appreciative of the Irish Government’s<br />
support for sporting organisations during<br />
this pandemic period and in particular<br />
to the financial support that they have<br />
allocated to the sector (€85 million to 42<br />
sporting organisations which included a<br />
sum of €18 million for distribution to the<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong>, Munster, Connacht and Ulster<br />
provinces).<br />
A total of 59 <strong>Leinster</strong> based clubs have<br />
availed of approximately €2 million in<br />
grants and this is most appreciated by all<br />
as we face the challenge of re-energising<br />
and re-financing our domestic game,<br />
which serves as the bedrock from where<br />
our success has been achieved.<br />
During 20 seasons of representing my<br />
club, Naas RFC, on the various <strong>Leinster</strong>,<br />
IRFU and Area Committees I have to state<br />
that <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> has always strived to<br />
be an inclusive and progressive outward<br />
looking sporting organisation.<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> have had considerable success<br />
in developing the game of rugby in its<br />
many formats throughout our 12-county<br />
province. “From The Ground Up” is<br />
not a clever marketing statement that<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> has adopted but it outlines<br />
our total belief that in order to have<br />
a progressive and sustainable rugby<br />
game in place we must establish a solid<br />
foundation from which to build on.<br />
Success is not a destination but a<br />
continuous journey and <strong>Leinster</strong>’s success<br />
record is the envy of many as we have<br />
developed and continue to expand our<br />
mini, youths, schools, U-20, third level<br />
colleges and mixed-ability programmes<br />
for boys and girls, men and women.<br />
To accomplish these progressive<br />
programmes <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> has in excess<br />
of 300 elected individuals who serve on<br />
our 21 <strong>Leinster</strong> Committees and on the<br />
five Area Committees. These volunteers<br />
are so generous with their time and<br />
expertise in giving back to our sport the<br />
benefit of their knowledge and I wish to<br />
acknowledge and thank them on behalf<br />
of <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> for their support during<br />
the past two seasons.<br />
A special word of thanks to <strong>Leinster</strong>’s<br />
Inclusivity Committee Members (Chaired<br />
by Moira Flahive) for the outstanding<br />
work that they have undertaken against<br />
the background of the pandemic in<br />
engaging with all our stakeholders in<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> and in bringing forward several<br />
key amendments to our bye-laws for<br />
consideration at our recent Annual<br />
General Meeting.<br />
I am pleased to report that these changes<br />
received overwhelming acceptance by<br />
all our delegates. This will result in three<br />
additional <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> clubs gaining<br />
direct representation on the Executive<br />
Committee for 2021/22.<br />
We extend a welcome to Railway Union<br />
(Founded 1905), Suttonians (1924)<br />
and Wicklow (1963) as they join the<br />
18 existing Energia All-Ireland League<br />
club delegates, as well as additional<br />
club, schools, youths, women’s rugby<br />
delegates that will see our Executive<br />
Committee expanded to 45 members,<br />
who serve all the stakeholders of <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
<strong>Rugby</strong>.<br />
Wishing you and all associated with<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> and <strong>Dragons</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> the very best<br />
for the future.<br />
John Walsh<br />
PRESIDENT, LEINSTER RUGBY 2020/21<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 5 | From The Ground Up