Club and Community Finals Programme Mar 3rd
March 3rd Bank of Ireland J1A and J1B Finals
March 3rd Bank of Ireland J1A and J1B Finals
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Bank of irel<strong>and</strong> j1b & j1a league <strong>Finals</strong><br />
Sunday, <strong>3rd</strong> march<br />
at dexcom stadium<br />
Sponsored by Bank of Irel<strong>and</strong>
fáilte go dtí<br />
dexcom stadium<br />
Connacht Rugby <strong>and</strong> Dexcom<br />
announce historic naming<br />
rights partnership
#NEVERSTOPCOMPETING<br />
Bank of Irel<strong>and</strong> is regulated by the Central Bank of Irel<strong>and</strong>.
2022/23 Snapshots
<strong>Club</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Community</strong><br />
A word from Head of <strong>Club</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>Community</strong>, Joe Gorham<br />
<strong>Finals</strong> Day at the mecca that is<br />
Dexcom Stadium is the pinnacle<br />
of our <strong>Club</strong> <strong>and</strong> School players’<br />
ambitions. It is a day of celebration for<br />
the whole of Connacht Rugby.<br />
It is truly a memorable occasion for all<br />
concerned which, undoubtedly, will<br />
be a source of conversation with your<br />
teammates in the many years ahead.<br />
The sport of rugby allows for all our<br />
players to realise the limits of their<br />
ambitions, it allows us to create lifelong<br />
memories, however, most importantly,<br />
it is the maker of lifelong friendships.<br />
There is no better feeling than to lift<br />
a Cup, Plate or Bowl alongside your<br />
teammates while representing your<br />
club or school. It is all about People <strong>and</strong><br />
Place.<br />
Sport also reflects life, in that, with<br />
every cup final there must be a winner
<strong>and</strong> a loser. Regardless of winning<br />
or losing, the hope is that everyone<br />
involved on <strong>Finals</strong> Days will have a<br />
quality experience on their big day.<br />
The advent of the new pitch at<br />
Dexcom Stadium has allowed <strong>Club</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>Community</strong> the opportunity to<br />
host additional Cup <strong>and</strong> League <strong>Finals</strong><br />
(male <strong>and</strong> female/<strong>Club</strong> & school)<br />
this season. In fact, we are hugely<br />
excited to host over 40 <strong>Club</strong> & School<br />
finals over the course of the next few<br />
months.<br />
Volunteers, Coaches <strong>and</strong> Managers<br />
to get you to this day. Volunteers<br />
are the life-blood of our sport <strong>and</strong> it<br />
would be remiss of me, on this day of<br />
celebration, not to say a huge thank<br />
you to each <strong>and</strong> every <strong>Club</strong> & School<br />
Volunteer for the magical work you<br />
put in day in <strong>and</strong> day out for the cause<br />
that is rugby in Connacht.<br />
Finally, we at <strong>Club</strong> & <strong>Community</strong><br />
rugby wish all our finalists <strong>and</strong> their<br />
loyal supporters the very best of luck<br />
on the day.<br />
On <strong>Finals</strong> Days, we must never<br />
forget the huge amount of work <strong>and</strong><br />
personal sacrifice put in by all the<br />
Connacht Abú.
J1B League Final<br />
Referees: Cathal Roddy, Kenneth Loughrey (AR1), <strong>Mar</strong>k Callanan (AR2)<br />
ballinasloe rfc
J1B League Final<br />
Referees: Cathal Roddy, Kenneth Loughrey (AR1), <strong>Mar</strong>k Callanan (AR2)<br />
Buccaneers rfc 2nds
Ballinasloe rfc MANAGEMENT<br />
NOEL MANNION<br />
Team Manager<br />
CONOR HIGGINS<br />
Forwards Coach<br />
STEPHEN REILLY<br />
Backs Coach<br />
KEVIN HOGARTY<br />
Kit Manager<br />
AARON LOHAN<br />
Physio
uccaneers RFC MANAGEMENT<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>tin Staunton<br />
Head Coach<br />
Niall Harney<br />
Team Manager<br />
Eoin Slevin<br />
Assistant Coach<br />
Conor Moran<br />
Assistant Manager<br />
<strong>Mar</strong>tin Webster<br />
Assistant Manager<br />
Trevor Thompson<br />
Assistant Manager
J1A League Final<br />
Referees: Jason Cairns, Gerry Geraghty (ar1), michael smith (ar2)<br />
Connemara rfc
J1A League Final<br />
Referees: Jason Cairns, Gerry Geraghty (ar1), michael smith (ar2)<br />
Creggs rfc
Connemara rfc MANAGEMENT<br />
Ambrose Conboy<br />
Head Coach<br />
Mike O’Toole<br />
Backs Coach<br />
Joe O’Connell<br />
Team Manager<br />
Rory O’Toole<br />
Team Administrator<br />
Gerard Faherty<br />
Kit Manager<br />
Alan daly<br />
Physio (Back in Motion)
creggs RFC MANAGEMENT<br />
Kolo Kiripati<br />
Head Coach<br />
Sean Adamson<br />
Coach<br />
Mike Diffley<br />
Coach<br />
Kevin O’Rourke<br />
Team Manager<br />
Sean Br<strong>and</strong>on<br />
Assistant Manager<br />
Pat O’Brien<br />
Kit Manager<br />
JJ Kennedy<br />
Assistant Manager<br />
Katlyn Gilleran<br />
Physio
J1B St<strong>and</strong>ings:<br />
J1A St<strong>and</strong>ings:
J1B League final<br />
ballinasloe rfc message<br />
“Wishing all players <strong>and</strong> management the<br />
very best in today’s fight for promotion to<br />
J1A – Hoping you can take us back to where we<br />
belong!“<br />
Buccaneers rfc message<br />
“On behalf of all our club members, we wish<br />
the best of luck to our lads in today’s J1B final<br />
against our neighbours in Ballinasloe. Here’s<br />
hoping for an entertaining <strong>and</strong> injury free<br />
game <strong>and</strong> a win for Buccs!”<br />
J1A League final<br />
connemara rfc MESSAGE<br />
“We at Connemara RFC are Wishing our J1a Team<br />
<strong>and</strong> Management the best of luck in their league<br />
Final against Creggs RFC!“<br />
creggs rfc MESSAGE<br />
“we at Creggs RFC are wishing our J1A team the<br />
very best of luck in their League Final against<br />
Connemara!”
finals preview<br />
This Sunday, <strong>3rd</strong> <strong>Mar</strong>ch sees the next<br />
day of Bank of Irel<strong>and</strong> <strong>Club</strong> <strong>and</strong> Schools<br />
finals in Dexcom Stadium. The J1B<br />
League Final will take place at 1:00 PM<br />
followed by the J1A League Final at<br />
3:30 PM.<br />
The first final of the day is the Bank of<br />
Irel<strong>and</strong> J1B League Final which will see<br />
Ballinasloe RFC take on Buccaneers<br />
RFC 2nds. These two teams are no<br />
strangers to each other, having faced<br />
off in Round 2 of the J1B League where<br />
Buccaneers won 23-18 <strong>and</strong> then again<br />
in the Bank of Irel<strong>and</strong> Junior Cup<br />
Quarterfinal just last weekend where<br />
Buccaneers came away with a 22-15 win.<br />
The J1B League competition proved<br />
to be a thrilling one with many close<br />
contests, including Ballinasloe’s Semi-<br />
Final against Corinthians 2nds where<br />
they came out with a 38-33 win to see<br />
them into the final against table-toppers<br />
Buccaneers. Ballinasloe have proven to<br />
be a strong side, making the J1B final<br />
after winning the J1C final last season.<br />
Buccaneers only fell to Sligo RFC 2nds<br />
in their League campaign this season<br />
<strong>and</strong> topped the table with many<br />
impressive displays of rugby. These two<br />
sides are both incredibly talented <strong>and</strong>
equally matched. Sure to be an electric<br />
atmosphere, this match is not to be<br />
missed. The Bank of Irel<strong>and</strong> J1B League<br />
Final is at 1:00 PM on Sun, <strong>3rd</strong> <strong>Mar</strong>ch in<br />
Dexcom Stadium.<br />
The second, <strong>and</strong> last, final of the<br />
day will see last year’s J1A League<br />
champions Creggs RFC face three-time<br />
champions since 2014/15 Connemara<br />
RFC in the Bank of Irel<strong>and</strong> J1A League<br />
Final. One of the most enjoyable<br />
competitive rivalries of the season,<br />
this final is going to be a thriller with<br />
both teams well-versed in what a final<br />
entails. Also having met in the Junior<br />
Cup Quarterfinal last weekend, Creggs<br />
will be looking forward to the rematch<br />
after falling just short of the win.<br />
Creggs’ near-perfect record in the<br />
League was blemished only by a loss<br />
in Round 3 by Connemara themselves<br />
who beat the home side 21-10 on that<br />
occasion. However, Creggs breezed<br />
through their Semi-Final against Tuam<br />
RFC with a decisive 37-7 win <strong>and</strong> are<br />
ready to face the All-Blacks again in<br />
Dexcom Stadium where they will<br />
surely be a team with a clear mission of<br />
bringing home the trophy. The Bank of<br />
Irel<strong>and</strong> J1A League Final is at 3:30 PM on<br />
Sun, <strong>3rd</strong> <strong>Mar</strong>ch in Dexcom Stadium.<br />
Fans are encouraged to buy their tickets<br />
in advance as all 2024 finals will be<br />
cashless.<br />
Tickets can be purchased here.<br />
Coming into the final, Connemara have<br />
impressively swept the board with their<br />
closest win being against the University<br />
of Galway in Round 2 of the League<br />
competition where they edged the<br />
college side by just 2 points. Their clean<br />
record saw them straight into Sunday’s<br />
final.
Upcoming <strong>Finals</strong><br />
WEDNESDAY, 6TH <strong>Mar</strong>ch<br />
11am: Junior Girls schools League Final<br />
1pm: senior Girls schools League Final<br />
WEDNESDAY, 13th MARCH<br />
11am: Junior boys a schools cup FINAL<br />
1:00pm: senior boys C schools cup FINAL<br />
3:30pm: senior boys b schools cup FINAl<br />
6pm: senior boys a schools cup FINAl<br />
SUNDAY, 24th MARCH<br />
11am: Men’s Junior Plate FINAL<br />
1:30pm: MEN’S Junior Cup Final<br />
Sponsored by Bank of Irel<strong>and</strong>