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Diego wrote:Yeah I'd imagine. My comment was a bit dickish in fairness.
Did your 10 get fcuked up against us?Mullet 2 wrote:I am not hopeful.
Worst time of the year to have no fúcking 10
Not that surprised remember when Fergal used to play the first team was made up of Internationals/Provincal players who main focus was the club. I remember in Marys there were Leinster players who could not make the 1st team- Emmet Bryne being one. Heineken cup winner Ronan McCormack never played above J2 in Marys, in my first year I played a J6 final at centre, the fullback played for Ireland 2 years later debuting against Christian Cullen at his peak.Banana Man wrote:Piece on Bective going down - find the bolded piece ridiculous.
You lads saying how incredible the Malahide/Sligo game was - and then just a division up our 36-36 game with Crescent last week was a joy to watch
On Saturday, Bective Rangers will play their final match in the Ulster Bank League, at lest for the time being, when they host Malahide at Donnybrook.
Relegation from Division 2C means that next season they will play in the Leinster Senior League Division 1A.
It’s been something of a freefall. Relegation has been a regular bedfellow over the last four or five years as they have plummeted down the divisions, marking a downturn in fortune for a club with a proud history. Among their achievements are 12 Leinster Senior Cup wins, the last in 1962, and two Bateman Cups.
The Donnybrook club (founded in 1881) contributed players to the Lions, to Ireland, the first John Waites in 1886 and the last, former Leinster defence coach Kurt McQuilkin 110 years later.
Wales and Lions icon Cliff Morgan played for Bective Rangers in the 1954-1955 season helping them to win a Leinster Senior Cup, while working as a manager at Irish Ropes in Wicklow Town.
Five IRFU presidents, JH O’Conor (1911-1912), WG Fallon (1949-1950), Mick Cuddy (1993-1994), John Lyons (2008-2009) and Louis Magee (2014-2015) came from the Bective club while Lions, Ireland and Leinster outhalf Johnny Sexton – his father Jerry was a renowned player and administrator at the club – and Leinster and Ireland centre Rory O’Loughlin played mini-rugby in the distinctive rose, green and white jersey.
They came within touching distance of the old Division One of the All-Ireland League and for a substantial period of time were a mainstay in Division Two. But declining playing numbers, representative of the changing face of club rugby over the past 20 years, took an appreciable toll on a club that perhaps lost its identity along the way. In a sense they dwelt on who they were, took their eye off the ball, rather than recognising the need to constantly evolve in the modern club rugby environment.
Bective Rangers are not alone. Monkstown, Suttonians, DLSP, Naas and Wanderers, all suffered a similar fate in dropping to the Leinster Senior League with only the latter two managing to regain their Ulster Bank League status.
Last game
Fergal Campion will step down as head coach at the end of the season with Dave Plummer, a schoolteacher at King’s Hospital, taking over. Earlier this season Campion, roughly 10 years after playing what he thought was his last game, came out of retirement, aged 43, because the team needed him and he subsequently played three matches. On Saturday he’ll start on the bench. He’s promised his wife that it’ll be the last time he’ll lace up the boots.
A lavishly gifted outhalf, he was part of an Ireland Schools team that won a Triple Crown (1993) with Declan Kidney as coach, a member of a St Mary’s College side that won the All Ireland League (2000) and also played for Leinster. His career spanned the amateur and professional eras in rugby.
He spoke about the lack of depth and quality in playing numbers – outside of minis, Bective field U-18, U-20, first, second and third teams.
“The standard in Division 2C is probably the equivalent of J2 in the old days, the commitment to the club isn’t the same, there are other attractions from a lifestyle perspective which is understandable and that includes the professional game. Some players would rather go and watch Leinster than play a junior match; different times.”
There is a belated recognition that Bective require rebranding, that they have to go back into the community, essentially the local schools of which there are many, and sell the club with all its superb playing facilities, complemented by a framework off the pitch that underscores that vision.
It’s about coaching, it’s about youth development and it’s about creating an environment where men and women, boys and girls can enjoy playing rugby, irrespective of the level.
That will be the key to regeneration. If they are to bounce back to Ulster Bank League status, Bective can’t seek refuge in the past; instead they must live in the present and build for the future.
Their pack did a right number on us last week. Top notch scrum and some big carriers up front, but we robbed a few of their lineouts and their breakdown and defence weren't great so we beat them fairly handily in the end. Could probably have scored a few more tries but the lads switched off a bit once the bonus point was in the bag shortly after half time.Banana Man wrote:I am - decent enough. We've gotten lads back from injuries. They thumped us at home, albeit we had a man sent off early doors and we beat them in a tight one at home.DiscoHips D'Arcy wrote:Banbridge seem to have Hinchs number. You're Barnhall arent you BMan. What are your chances against Rainey? I'd say Malahide have a good shout against QuinsBanana Man wrote:Promotion/Relegation Play-Offs this weekend
1A/1B
St Marys V UCC
Banbridge v Ballynahinch
1B/2A
UL Bohs v Nenagh
Highfield v Armagh
2A/2B
Greystones v Navan
Rainey v Barnhall
2B/2C
Belfast Quins v Malahide
Omagh v Thomond
Think the next batch of round robin games are on too
Bandon v Ashbourne
Instonians v Ballina
Only team not to lose to Crescent this year - 36-36 belter 2 weeks ago has us in good form.
It's a long spin up though and their pack is excellent.
Quins can shift the ball about pretty well, pack is/was rubbish but they got a good draw with Navan away last week too.
Greystones v Navan should actually be a really good game.
That's a big ask, even with their issues.Banana Man wrote:Word tonight is City of Derry have asked to skip 2C and go straight to junior
Messing up relegation
So Bruff would be safe and Bective in playoff
Get fúcked noobPobmania wrote:Rainey and Quin's to both win.
Trying to decide if I should go watch one of them.
Does anyone know wtf happened City of Derry?
Giving up your senior status is huge. There go your international ticket allocations and half the members who only pay in to get a sniff comes 6 nations time. Time must be very hard if they are just going to walk away from it all.Banana Man wrote:Get fúcked noobPobmania wrote:Rainey and Quin's to both win.
Trying to decide if I should go watch one of them.
Does anyone know wtf happened City of Derry?
No idea but conceded games in AIL resulted in big slap on wrist
Did you travel Banana Man? (If that's even your real name....)Banana Man wrote:Get fúcked noobPobmania wrote:Rainey and Quin's to both win.
Trying to decide if I should go watch one of them.
Does anyone know wtf happened City of Derry?
No idea but conceded games in AIL resulted in big slap on wrist
Aye.Lenny wrote:Christ, Ballina hockeyed Instonians 41-12 in Belfast in the round robin, and only need 1 point against Ashbourne to be sure of going up to 2c. If City of Derry are going back to junior ranks they might already be up. 2 senior clubs in the northwest.
Serious questions to be asked.Lenny wrote:Christ, Ballina hockeyed Instonians 41-12 in Belfast in the round robin, and only need 1 point against Ashbourne to be sure of going up to 2c. If City of Derry are going back to junior ranks they might already be up. 2 senior clubs in the northwest.
2B must be a fair step up from 2C if they are 2nd bottom of itMullet 2 wrote:They beat us fairly handy by all accounts.
Not really - depends on the dayReuser wrote:2B must be a fair step up from 2C if they are 2nd bottom of itMullet 2 wrote:They beat us fairly handy by all accounts.
As long as the confiscate his phone.Banana Man wrote:Not really - depends on the dayReuser wrote:2B must be a fair step up from 2C if they are 2nd bottom of itMullet 2 wrote:They beat us fairly handy by all accounts.
Navan just gone double back to back promotions. Albeit bringing in Willie Staunton to play 10 was a master stroke.
Did you play at all up in Nordieland Nols?Nolanator wrote:As long as the confiscate his phone.Banana Man wrote:Not really - depends on the dayReuser wrote:2B must be a fair step up from 2C if they are 2nd bottom of itMullet 2 wrote:They beat us fairly handy by all accounts.
Navan just gone double back to back promotions. Albeit bringing in Willie Staunton to play 10 was a master stroke.
Where's that wanking emoji when you need itNolanator wrote:Nah, I'm broken and need a significant reconstruction job on my wrist. Been putting it off as I need that hand for work (lab research). I need to plan it around a period in work where I'm away from the lab doing data analysis.
Just started a new job too, so can't rock up and then say "Oh, I can't work properly for the next three months".
Nah I know a few lads in Ashbourne - they had done recruiting too for next seasonLiathroidigloine wrote:I had heard that Ash weren't too bothered about going up to 2C but that Enniscorthy wanted to.
Fair enough.Banana Man wrote:Nah I know a few lads in Ashbourne - they had done recruiting too for next seasonLiathroidigloine wrote:I had heard that Ash weren't too bothered about going up to 2C but that Enniscorthy wanted to.
Just throwing out the excuse after they got hammered in round robin to be honest.
The All Ireland League is set to change shape to bring its top end closer to the professional game. In changes scheduled to kick in for the 2019-20 season, the new format will see two divisions of eight at the top - Premiership 1 and Premiership 2 - followed by two Championship Divisions, each of eight clubs, and then two Conference Divisions, also of eight clubs each.
Details of the new format were sent to the clubs on Friday following ratification at a IRFU committee meeting on Thursday evening and a final consultation process will start next month.
At the same meeting, Pa Whelan was replaced as one of Ireland's three representatives on the World Rugby council.
Given that research and meetings with clubs on the league structure have gone on to some degree over the last two seasons it's expected that in the event of stalemate over agreement, the Union will issue invitations to clubs to take part.
At the top end, it's planned initially to ensure representation from the four provinces of at least two clubs across the two the Premiership Divisions, and that they would be ring-fenced for two seasons. Thereafter, their make-up would be determined solely via promotion and relegation. Having a provincial spread allows for the respective provinces' academy players to be involved, which is central to the plan to align the proposed 'Premiership' with the professional game.
In the absence of the now-discontinued B&I Cup, the schedule would see a new 'A team' competition between Irish provinces and Welsh regions played over September/October, followed by the AIL in which there would be no restriction on the number of contracted players involved. The IRFU will fund the new format in which the IRFU's regulation 6, regarding inducements to players, will be rewritten.
The Premiership and Championship Divisions will be played on a national basis, but the plan for Conference Divisions is to structure them fresh each season to avoid long-distance travel for clubs who can't afford it.
At the IRFU meeting it was also decided that outgoing Union president Phil Orr would replace Pa Whelan on the World Rugby council. He will be ratified, along with John O’Driscoll and women’s rep Sue Carty, at the IRFU AGM next month. This is the second time in recent years Orr has benefited from swift political change. In 2015 he was voted in from the floor of the AGM as junior vice-president when outgoing management committee chairman Finbarr Crowley had been recommended by the Union committee.
Whelan has had a lifetime's involvement in Irish rugby, much of it with the Ireland team as coach/selector/manager and with the IRFU committee. He cut short his managerial role of the Ireland side shortly before their tour of South Africa in 1998, having been named in an alleged assault.
It is understood his position may have come under scrutiny following the fallout from Ireland's failed bid to host the 2023 World Cup.