SEASON REVIEW 2015 - 2016 BY EVAN MORTON www.armaghrfc.com www.facebook.com/city.of.armagh.rugby.club twitter@armaghrugbyclub
Chairman’s Report This season has seen the new Executive Committee beginning the work of putting the administration of the Club on a more organised and business footing. Whilst this may fit the IRFU policy of recommending that clubs are run more like a business, it was the clear desire of many in our Club to do this for ourselves. This however is just the beginning. Due to the work, expertise and good sense of many members of the Club in recent years, the season began in a healthy financial position. Within the Executive Committee, the role of Noel Conn and Andy Rowan has been to ensure that it is kept this way. The aim is to maintain a sound financial base. Helping to deliver this in the Commercial and Marketing roles are Andrew Nesbitt and Evan Morton, a most successful partnership. However it should be mentioned that the Club will need even more in the way of fundraising to meet the demands that face the Club in the future. Building a sustainable future is key. Raymond Donnelly is heading up a strong six man sub-committee, driving forward the Development Plan, begun two years ago, the first for forty years in our Club. The Plan will lay out a safe and sustainable foundation making sure that our Club is not put at risk and setting out a development proposal for members to consider. Each member of the Executive has a specific role with John Lennon dealing with all matters relating to rugby playing. Much time has been taken up with the bedding-in process of the new coaching team led by Brian McLaughlin. Their vision of the importance of co-ordinating the work of all sections of the Club, from minis to adults, is a major and significant change, aimed at increasing the numbers in the adult game, improving skills and ensuring a strong Club and not just a strong 1st XV. For years a great number of our members acted as volunteers doing all sorts of valuable work, often unseen and unrewarded by the Club. The appointment of Brian Lamb as Volunteer Convenor will ensure that the value of these volunteers will be recognised. Mervyn Watts as Honorary Secretary also keeps the administration of the club running smoothly. Our first Lady President, Shirley Anne Donaldson, together with husband Ian, proved a great working combination and fine ambassadors for City of Armagh RFC. Shirley Anne’s accession has highlighted the wonderful contribution the ladies of Armagh make to our Club. Whilst Elizabeth Atkinson and her committee emphasise another significant aspect of the Club, in the hospitality that is afforded to all visitors. All of our female members point to the extraordinary family club that we are and the possibility of making the clubhouse an even busier social hub in the future. Our sport is a team sport, which in turn requires it to be administered by a team. The Executive Committee provides the leadership for that team in our Club but for success it is necessary for all of our members to play a part. Engagement and involvement with all our members, playing and non-playing is imperative. And one further factor which is necessary for the winning combination is PASSION. There is PASSION in our Club.
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Brian McLaughlin signs for Armagh In July, the hard work of the Executive Committee came to fruition when an announcement was made that Brian McLaughlin would be joining the Club as Rugby Consultant, heading up the new coaching team of Alex McCloy and Willie Faloon. Our press release obtained extensive coverage across Ireland and even made it on to the national BBC Rugby website.
Golf Day at County Armagh Golf Club The Annual Golf Day is a popular date in the club diary and an important fund-raising event. In August over 40 four balls participated in beautiful weather and a super meal was prepared for the hungry golfers back at the clubhouse.
PRE-SEASON SUCCESS City of Armagh win Fiddler’s Green 10s Tournament
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First XV Following impressive wins in pre-season friendlies against Dundalk and Queens University, City of Armagh started their season in earnest when they travelled to play Malone RFC on the last Saturday in August. This Ulster Senior League fixture was played in glorious sunshine. In a free-flowing game, 15 - 0 down at half time looked ominous but 39 points in the second half secured a memorable win for the visitors, 27-39, with James Morton receiving the man of the match award.
Following their impressive win at Malone, Armagh travelled to City of Derry for a first round fixture in the First Trust Senior Cup. A weakened team suffered a heavy defeat 40-18. Luke Crozier, making his senior debut on the wing scored a try but Armagh’s focus was now on the start of the All Ireland League with a home fixture to neighbours Dungannon kicking off their campaign.
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A packed Palace Grounds saw a thrilling match where the home team came out as victors by the narrowest of margins, 21 - 20. Armagh were 10 - 3 down at half time but second half tries from Willie Martin, Andrew Willis and Harry Boyd put the home team ahead 21-13. The visitors earned a losing bonus point with a try in injury time. A trip to Greystones was next on the schedule for Armagh and with several players away at the World Cup in Wales, the visitors were missing key personnel. A Conlith McGillan try and the boot of Johnny Pollock saw Armagh take a 6 - 13 half time lead. The home team however kicked a last minute penalty to squeeze home 17 - 16 and a losing bonus point was all the visitors went home with despite a terrific performance.
Highfield were the visitors to the Palace Grounds at the end of September. A tight first half saw the visitors lead 15 - 16 but they dominated the second half to outscore Armagh 15 - 29.
An Ulster Senior League trip to City of Derry did not result in an away win and the home team recorded a comfortable victory 35 - 17 maintaining their unbeaten start to the season.
Rainey Old Boys were Armagh’s next opponents in the All Ireland League and the home team returned to winning ways with a resounding victory, 29 points to 5. Early tries from James Hanna and Matthew Hooks were followed by scores from Josh Morton and Andrew Willis resulting in a bonus point win for the home team.
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A good October for the First XV was rounded off with another bonus point win, this time on the road at NUIM Barnhall. Armagh found themselves 10 - 3 down in the early stages but a try from Matthew Hooks levelled the match at the half time break. A James Morton try gave the visitors the lead shortly into the second half but a Barnhall try brought the score to 15 - 17. Captain Neil Faloon’s try stretched Armagh ahead and the bonus point try was scored by Josh Morton following an interception in his own half. Armagh were now third in the AIL with 3 wins from 6 matches.
Dublin side Bective Rangers travelled to Armagh in November and scored the fastest try of the season after 60 seconds! James Morton replied for Armagh two minutes later and an entertaining first half ended with the visitors ahead 14 - 17. Into the secind half and a second penalty try for Armagh meant they had 30 minutes to get the bonus point. Disappointingly it never arrived but on a positive note, Armagh’s 24 - 17 victory kept them in contention at the top end of the table.
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Ballymena defeated Armagh in the SONI Ulster Senior League 7 - 26 and the following week Armagh made the long trip to Cork to face Sundays Well in the AIL. As expected the first half was a tense affair with the home team shading it 9 - 3 at half time. An intercept try in the second half for the home team was a blow to Armagh but James Hanna scored to make it 19 - 15 with the visitors dominating the final ten minutes. No further scores saw the home team secure the points with a losing bonus point some reward for the Armagh men. Early December saw bottom of the table Seapoint travel to Armagh and the form book would have predicted a comfortable home victory. Seapoint however had lost all their matches by narrow margins and the horrendous weather in Armagh led to a very even encounter. Two penalties from Harry Boyd gave Armagh a 6 - 0 half time lead and a third penalty in the second half was the final score of the match, ending with a 9 - 0 home win. The Armagh forwards were tremendous in the conditions and man of the match Daryl Morton had a storming game. Ironically the return fixture at Seapoint the following Saturday was postponed and the rearranged second date also fell foul of the weather.
With the Seapoint postponement, Portadown facilitated a friendly fixture at Chambers Park to keep the team ticking over and the next match in the All Ireland League was at home to Sundays Well. Another close encounter took place and Armagh dominated the first half but only had a 9 - 6 lead at the break. A try to the visitors put them ahead and three yellow cards disrupted the Armagh team throughout the match. A try at the death by Matthew Hooks gave Armagh a chance of a draw but the conversion was unsuccessful and the home team had to settle for a losing bonus point at 14 - 16. The match was also notable for the first ever female referee to officiate an AIL match in Armagh.
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Armagh returned to winning ways when they travelled to Dublin for the return fixture with Bective Rangers on the 3G pitch at Donnybrook. A scrappy high tempo game ensued with Armagh 3 nil up at the break from a Steenson penalty. A solitary try from Neil Faloon in the final quarter completed the scoring at 0 - 8 as the visitors failed to turn their dominance into points. The team were back in Dublin the following Saturday for the rearranged fixture with Seapoint. The home defence was in good form and a low scoring first half ended 3 - 3 with the visitors failing to use the wind advantage. Seapoint took the lead in the second half which Armagh were dominating and the visitors had to rely on a penalty ten minutes from time to rescue a draw from the match in probably the teams poorest performance of the season to date.
January came to a close when Barnhall travelled to Armagh and despite a snow blizzard before and during the match, the visitors inflicted a third defeat on the home team during a miserable January. Barnhall knew how to play the conditions, kicking for territory and converted five penalties which came their way and running out winners with a 0 - 15 scoreline. Armagh’s form had dropped alarmingly and their slide down the league table was a concern.
Things didn’t get any better for Armagh when they travelled to struggling Rainey OB in February. The game kicked off and the home team scored 13 points in as many minutes and at half time Armagh were in trouble, losing 18 - 3. Torrential rain made conditions difficult but the home team raised their game and won comfortably 21 - 10.
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Next up for Armagh was the massive challenge of City of Derry who had inflicted two defeats on Armagh earlier in the season. City of Derry’s early season dominance in the league had shown signs of slipping so Armagh knew if they played to their ability a shock might be possible. A massive crowd were treated to an epic encounter and Armagh got off to a dream start with a try by Daryl Morton after 5 minutes. Harry Boyd kicked the conversion and three further penalties to give Armagh a 16 - 6 lead at halftime after an impressive first half performance. A try by Derry shortly into the second half brought them back into the match but another penalty from Boyd nudged Armagh ahead 19 - 13. Derry closed the gap to 19 - 16 and a yellow card to Josh Morton added to the pressure on the home team. The Armagh players, from 1 to 15 defended like demons and the final whistle went with Armagh victorious, much to the delight of the home supporters. This was a tremendous result for Armagh and the team inflicted a heavier defeat on City of Derry a few weeks later in the SONI Ulster Senior League by 36 points to 5.
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A defeat away to Highfield, 22 - 5, resulted in another losing bonus point for Armagh and by the time they played Greystones in their final home fixture of the season, sixth place in the league meant a top four finish was ruled out for this season. Not for the first time this season, the first half was a close affair with a penalty a piece making it 3 - 3 at the break. An Andrew Willis try at the start of the second half gave momentum to Armagh but the visitors were back in the match soon after with a try from their number eight. Worse was to follow when an interception gifted a try to Greystones giving them the lead at 8 - 15. With two minutes remaining on the clock, Matthew Hooks broke through for a try and Harry Boyd converted from the touchline to give Armagh a share of the spoils at 15 - 15. The final match of the season for the First XV was at Dungannon where the home team’s good end of season form had seen them creep above Armagh in the league table. The game kicked off and the heavier home pack began to exert their influence on the match. An early penalty had Dungannon ahead but Armagh scored a try after 15 minutes through full back Johnny Pollock. Dungannon replied with a try through their forwards for a 10 - 7 lead. Two penalties from Harry Boyd edged Armagh into a 10 - 13 half time lead. Into the second half and another penalty had Armagh 10 - 16 ahead when the game exploded into life with two Armagh tries in a five minute spell. John Faloon and Josh McKinley touched down and the visitors now had a commanding lead 10 - 30. Two late tries were a consolation for Dungannon and the final whistle went with Armagh victorious 22 - 30. Results elsewhere saw City of Armagh jump to fifth place in the Ulster Bank AIL table, rounding off an exciting campaign. A third place finish in Section A of the Ulster Senior league completed a successful season for the new coaching team and delighted the Armagh supporters.
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Second XV Gareth Warnock’s Third XV had an excellent league campaign playing in Junior League 4 and winning 15 matches out of 20. The team finished in third place pushing Belfast Harlequins and Ballynahinch all the way for the title.
Armagh Seconds had a successful season under the experienced guidance of Gary Morton and David Eakin. Due to restructuring the team found themselves in Junior league One and finished comfortably in third place winning 12 out of 18 matches. Armagh were one of only three teams to beat the eventual league winners, Ballynahinch 3s, 13-7 in an epic match at the Palace Grounds in October. Armagh were also one of only 4 teams to complete all their league fixtures. In the Towns Cup, the team drew Dungannon at home in the first round and won impressively 27 - 6 with tries from Grant Hutchinson, Robbie and Kyle Faloon. In the second round, visitors, Clogher Valley were comfortable winners in Armagh.
Third XV
The Thirds also had a good cup run similar to the previous season. Derry 3rds were unable to field a team to play Armagh in round one and in round two, Armagh defeated Cooke 3rds, 34 - 14. Unfortunately the team lost their quarter-final match to a very strong Dromore team by the narrow margin of 8 - 3.
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Fourth XV Armagh Fourth XV under the captaincy of David Loughran began the season with a home win against Ards 3rds. Getting a settled side is never easy at this level and cancelled fixtures often leaves players without a game for weeks. The team suffered a number of defeats but recorded a big win, 6 - 48, over Civil Service 2nds. In the McCambley Cup, the team had an excellent 0 - 38 victory in the first round away to Carrickfergus 4ths. Omagh 4ths were too strong in round two and won comfortably 27 - 0. It is great to see the great improvement the Club has made in reducing the number of cancelled games at 3rds and 4ths level. Both captains deserve great credit for the hard work they do in getting teams out on the pitch and more help will be required next season to further improve in this area.
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YOUTH RUGBY
The season for City of Armagh’s youth teams was undoubtedly a success with the under 18s winning both the League and the Bowman Cup in fine style. The team were unbeaten from October onward and only lost 3 matches all season, twice to Letterkenny and once to Randalstown. They also were beaten semi-finalists in the Nutty Crust Tournament in Portadown. In the league they played 16 league games won 13 and had a points differential of 367 for with 175 against. In the league playoffs they had comfortable wins against Enniskillen and Newry and squeezed past Letterkenny in the final. They also beat Letterkenny in the final of the U18 Bowman cup at the Kingspan 22-15 after tight games against Clogher, Omagh and Ballymoney in the earlier rounds. While they were a very hard working team who played really well for each other, several were awarded representative honours with Paul Mullen making the Ireland Under 18 team, Armagh’s first ever Youth International! Along with Paul, Barry Finn, Aaron Kennedy, Cormac Fox and Shea O’Brien all played for Ulster U18 s. Other players in the regional squads were Evin Crummie and Shane McKeever. They were very ably coached by Antoine Finn and managed by Gervaise O’Brien. The team also got a lot of support from Martin Fox, Ian Donnelly and Bill Holden. Our U16s also had a good year after losing their first 3 league games. Additional players arrived from Keady High School and this strengthened the side. They played 14 league games winning 8 and losing 6 with a points differential of 221 for and 214 against. Niall Chapman coached the side assisted by Philip Doyle and they were able to boast that they too had players in the regional squads with Sam Murray, still only 15, Ryan Morton, Aaron Whyte, Tiernan O’Neil, Tim Henry and Nathan Rodgers all making the representative panels. They also had a very strong run in the cup losing to a very strong Rainey side in the semi-final. The team were well supported by parents throughout the season.
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Our U14s had bags of ability but didn’t seem to be able to transfer it on the pitch. They had some very fine wins but also some heavy defeats and ended up the season winning 7 league games and losing 7 with a points differential of 265 for and 295 against. They had a very good cup run getting to the quarter final before losing to finalists Carrick. This side were fortunate to be able to call on the services of Harry Doyle, Harry Boyd and Andrew Smith to coach them. They were well supported by manager Adrian Irvine, Philip Agnew and Mickey Watton and a big thank you to quite a number of parents who supported the team. Things look reasonably good for next season with the 18s and 16s being reasonably strong, but the 14s will be very dependent on who moves up from the minis. We could do with a few more coaches and the Club will pay for people to undertake the relevant courses so please contact Richard Black or Antoine Finn.
Paul Mullen with fellow Ulster players on the Ireland U18 team that defeated England 21 - 17.
Armagh players Barry Finn, Aaron Kennedy, Cormac Fox and Paul Mullen represented Ulster Under 18s.
Paul Mullen presents his Ireland jersey to Club President Shirley Anne Donaldson for display in the clubhouse.
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MINIS SECTION The busy mini rugby season began in September with registration for 250 boys and girls from over 40 local schools. Training took place most Saturday mornings with games arranged with other local clubs on a regular basis throughout the season. In October, our Under 12s had the honour of playing at the Kingspan Stadium during Ulster’s European Cup match with Saracans. In November we hosted a game for our Under 11s against Brockhurst & Marlston House School from Newbury in England. Our Halloween party is one of the highlights of the year and everyone enjoyed dressing up. Likewise our party at Christmas is a date everyone looks forward to. In March our Under 10s travelled to Ballyclare for the Ulster National Festival and excelled on the day. The boys also travelled to the Leinster National Festival at Carlow. The first Saturday in April saw our own Mini Blitz with 1200 children from 90 teams participating on the day. We were delighted that nine clubs travelled from down south, namely Navan, Virginia, Boyne, Coolmine, Greystones, Monaghan, Cavan, Ratoath and Malahide, in addition to our local Ulster clubs plus the Royal School creating a great atmosphere and blessed again with good weather! Ulster and Ireland star, Darren Cave made the trip to Armagh, thanks to sponsorship from SONI and tons of photo opportunities and selfies took place. Thanks once again to our organising committee, sponsors, parents and children for making it all such a great success. At the end of April our Under 10s travelled down to Dublin to play at the IRFU National Festival which took place in the Aviva Stadium. It was a tremendous experience for the boys who were great ambassadors for Armagh. Further honour came to Armagh at the end of the season when our Under 11/12s were invited to play at the half time interval of the Leinster v Ulster PRO 12 Semi Final match at the RDS in Dublin. A terrific reception from the crowd welcomed the boys on to the pitch and they went home with fantastic memories despite Ulster’s defeat! The minis season ended with their inaugural May Ball which was held at the Royal School at the end of May It was a tremendous success and a great fundraising effort by everyone involved. Thanks to everyone involved in the organisation of the function and we look forward to the new season ahead with excitement and lots of planning by our valued team of volunteers!
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ARMAGH MINI FESTIVAL APRIL 2016
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LADIES RUGBY The 2015/16 Season was a further step forward for Women's rugby both within the Club and the Province as a whole. With the Women's Under 18 Provincial Series gaining full status in 2016/17, it was essential that all girls across the Club had maximum exposure to 15 a-side competitive game time. We joined with Clogher Valley at U18 level to ensure a sufficient player pool existed for the competitive U18 league. Our U18 Women were quite simply outstanding all season. They finished the season unbeaten and won the Under 18 Ulster Cup. Within the team there is a very solid core of players who are now being recognised at Provincial level. Vicky Irwin, Storm Cobain, Morna O'Hanlon, Carla Rafferty and Leah McGoldrick all built on their selection as starting players for Ulster and went on to have really solid seasons. They were very ably supported this year by a number of new players. Many of these new players are now on the Provincial radar and they will continue to improve next season. We are also delighted that three Armagh girls will be representing Ulster U18 Sevens at a series of inter-provincial tournaments this summer; Leah McGoldrick, Storm Cobain and Vicky Irwin. Congratulation on their selection! At Under 15 level the club has attracted significant interest as women's rugby expands. For the first time we were able to run an Under 15 team which allows for younger players to develop and feed through into the senior team. The girls in this group are key to the continued development of Women's rugby in Armagh. Special thanks to our coaching staff, Neil Rafferty and Robert Dougan and their assistants. It is important to note that the club needs to develop more coaches as well as developing players. Special thanks also to John McCord for his enormous contribution off the pitch. There are people without whom rugby clubs just wouldn't function. They take care of everything. John's commitment to Women's rugby is above and beyond anything that could be expected. Ulster U18 Sevens Squad
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Social Events / VIP Guests ANNUAL DINNER This year’s Club Dinner in February was another terrific success with 120 members and guests attending. Bobby Stewart, President of the Ulster Branch attended and the guest speaker was former Irish International and British Lion, Stewart McKinney with MC, Tom Galbraith in masterful form as usual.
Dan Tuohy
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Willie And
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Social Events / VIP Guests
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Pr IRFU
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LADIES DAY
Over 100 ladies and quite a few gents attended the Club’s first ever Ladies Day back in January. The catering was assigned to Andy Dougan and his team of volunteers with pre-match and post-match entertainment resulting in a fantastic day which everyone enjoyed. Ulster player Dan Tuohy managed to survive the day unscathed! A donation of £500 was also raised for the Southern Area Hospice. We look forward eagerly to the new season for a repeat event.
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LADIES DAY
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Club Awards 2015-2016 Club Top Try scorer
Wilson Cup
Kyle Faloon
Services to Youth Rugby
Smith Cup
Mark Herron
U20 Player of the year
Johnston Cup
Paul Mullen
Club Player of the year
Black Cup
James Morton
Performance on & off the field. Hyde Cup
David Loughran
Clubman of the year
Livingstone cup
Mervyn Watts
School Player of the year
Faloon Cup
Ryan O'Neill
Best Team of the year.
Moffitt Cup
Under 18s
Fundraiser of the year
Paddy Smith Cup
Andrew Nesbitt
Creative Player of the year
Bill Jennings Cup
James Hanna
Player of the year 1st XV
Andrew Willis
Player of the year 2nd XV
Zac Kneebone
Player of the year 3rd XV
Adam Hume
Player of the year 4th XV
John Johnston
President’s Awards
Ken Redpath & Antoine Finn
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Club Awards 2015-2016 Mini Awards YEAR
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
U6 U7 U8 U9 U10 U11
Evan McElvanna Jonathan Graham Harry Hutchinson Ryan McGahan Archie Johnston Lewis Crozier & John Anthony Livingstone Lee Nesbitt
U12
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER John Kennedy Patrick Kellet Ruari McGrane Cormac McKenna Finn Fox Pauric Morgan
Ethan Morris Mark Hobson William Flanagan Darragh McCooe Mathew Maguire
Luke McKeever
Ian Kennedy
Youth Awards U14 Best New-comer Player of the Year
Conor Crowe Sean Hannaway
U16 Best New-comer Player of the Year
Eoghan McCardle Nathan Rogers
U18 Best New-comer Player of the Year
Kamil Palka William Holding
Youth Player of the Year McCall Cup
Paul Mullen
Youth Team of the Year Nesbitt Cup
Under 18s
Girls Awards U15 Best New-comer Most Improved Player of the Year U18 Best New-comer Most Improved Players of the Year
BEST NEWCOMER
Jenna Corkey Maggie Callagan Eimer O’Connor
Emma McCreary Emma Kearney Storm Cobain & Grace Shrestha
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Club Awards 2015-2016
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Club Awards 2015-2016
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Development Update Consultation workshops were held in the first half of the season just past and excellent feedback was received from many Club members on a wide range of topics on the future of the Club and its facilities. The Development Sub-committee has recently been expanded with volunteers from the Club with specific skill sets under the leadership of Raymond Donnelly. Stage 1 involves the appointment of an Architect led Design Team to develop feasibility options. The output from this will be a preferred option and a masterplan will be communicated back to club members for endorsement. It is envisaged to have this phase completed by early next season. Stage 2 wil involve taking forward the preferred option into a planning submission. The conclusion of Stage 2 will position the development plans for the Club in a secure position to apply for funding when announcements are made by Government.
Following another successful rugby season, the last 12 months have been busy away from the playing field. It is fair to say as a Club, we have strengthened our structures, creating the platform for strategic planning and possible development of our Club’s facilities. It is over 40 years since our clubhouse and grounds were built and its now time for improved facilities to meet growing demands. We have been working very closely with Venturei Network Consultancy to get our Club into a state of readiness. Should we proceed with development plans at the Palace Grounds, possible funders, grant agencies and the Ulster Branch would want to see evidence that any such project would be sustainable, cost-effective to run in the future and could accommodate major rugby fixtures, if required, in Armagh.
If we are successful for Grant funding, it will be necessary that the Club has sufficient finances of its own in place before moving to any construction phase. It is planned to host an information evening in the Club early next season to inform members of the proposed plans and timescale and to launch a major fund-raising drive to fund our exciting development plans. Our goal will be to deliver a sustainable Development Project for the future of City of Armagh Rugby Club and the next generation of Club members.
No other Club in Ireland can claim to have three quarters of their First XV from two extended families! Four Faloons and six Morton’s took to the field against City of Derry in the All Ireland league match in February. Our story went viral on the internet! Incidentally, Morton number seven, Johnny, also played First XV rugby this season.
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Thank You to our Sponsors
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES 2016 - 2017 Opportunities are currently available for: kit sponsorship pitch side signage club handbook advertising pre-match lunch sponsorship Contact Andrew Nesbitt or Evan Morton
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Thank You to our Sponsors
Cross Group
Thank You to every business that has sponsored the Club throughout the season