City of Armagh RFC Season Review 2017-2018

CITY OF

RUGBY CLUB

SEASON REVIEW 2017 - 2018

PRODUCED BY EVAN MORTON www.armaghrfc.com www.facebook.com/city.of.armagh.rugby.club twitter@armaghrugbyclub

Chairman’s Report For City of Armagh RFC the 2017-2018 season will be remembered as one of resounding success, but the year will reflect something else and that is the meaning and importance of the word ‘club’.

The results on the field of play have come from sound pre-season preparation, hard work and guidance from the coaching staff and ultimately from the efforts of the players themselves. Topping this, another factor has emerged. Three young men from the 2016-17 U18 squad made a considerable impact on the drive of our 1st XV towards achieving promotion to the Ulster Bank All Ireland League Division 1B this year. We are now beginning to see a genuine connect from our Mini Section, all the way through to the adult game. This is the word ‘Club’ in action.

That action requires an army of volunteers. It is pleasing to report that our ‘treasury’ is in the black and that we continue to build on the club’s reserves. This has been much contributed to from the commercial efforts being made in sponsorship and the engagement of local businesses.

Our Development programme is well on track, both in the various planning exercises required for our clubhouse and grounds and also in reaching the ‘state of readiness’ required for grant applications, setting the pace in terms of clubs in Ulster. The ‘Club’ team off the field is growing and working.

The ethos and traditions of our sport encompass much more that prowess on the field of play or hard work beyond. Fun and friendship should remain part of the rugby scene and we should be proud that these are aspects we continue to uphold. Our Ladies in particular are to be lauded as it is they who set the tone and welcoming atmosphere which is prevalent in the clubhouse and something we do not intend to lose. A tour to Italy enjoyed by a party of over 60 of our minis and parents and organisers will surely have cemented those values of enjoyment which should work hand in hand with rugby football.

So this season, the winning of Ulster Rugby’s Club of the Year Award is a ‘Club’ achievement, the consequence of a myriad of aspects of ‘Club’ life. The success of the 2017-18 season belongs to all of our members. They deserve to savour it and all can be inspired to continue to work for and support a great club.

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FUNDRAISING DINNER In July, prior to the 2017-18 season commencing, City of Armagh RFC hosted a massive fundraising event in a giant marquee erected in the club carpark.

Over 400 members and guests enjoyed an evening with Ireland coach Joe Schmidt.

Joe was interviewed by MC Adrian Logan and had the audience enthralled with his insight on rugby matters. Other key speakers were rugby stars, Tommy Bowe and Fiona Coghlan and GAA All Star Daragh O SĂŠ.

Our caterers, Yellow Door, served up a delicious meal enjoyed by all and a raffle and auction resulted in a fantastic sum being raised on the night to kick start the Club’s Development appeal.

A tremendous number of volunteers from the club worked really hard to make the event such a success and they deserve immense thanks as compliments after the event came from far and wide.

FUNDRAISING DINNER

First XV City of Armagh First XV began their 2017-18 season with two matches in the SONI Ulster Premiership. First up at the end of August was Ballynahinch at home, always a stern test for any team. The Armagh side hit the ground running and their intensive pre-season preparation was evident with a bonus point victory on a scoreline of 32-19. Two weeks later, a second bonus point win was recorded at Eton Park when Ballymena were defeated 27-38 in a high scoring match.

The team were then in good form when the AIL League campaign began with a home fixture against Greystones, the team that pipped them to the Division 2A title the previous season. Two tries scored by John and Neil Faloon in the first 8 minutes saw the home team of to a great start and they led 20-13 at the break. Greystones fought back in the second half to draw level aided by two yellow cards to Armagh and the visitors took the lead with ten minutes remaining. A penalty try following a powerful Armagh scrum saw the home team hold out for a 30-26 victory with the boot of Cormac Fox proving influential.

The first away match of the season was to Galwegians and Armagh secured a creditable win in difficult weather conditions.

A strong wind advantage helped the visitors to an 0-18 halftime lead following tries by Peter Starrett and Andrew Willis. Willis picked up a second try after halftime and a sound defensive performance kept the home side restricted to a single try and a penalty resulting in the final scoreline of 10-26.

Armagh’s final match in September was at home to the other Galway side, Corinthians. In perfect sunny conditions, the visitors took the lead with an early try and dominated the first period. Ryan Purvis scored a try to put Armagh ahead but two penalties to the visitors saw them ahead at the interval, 10-13.

The home team then had an outstanding second half, scoring 32 points with tries from Willis, Starrett, Smyth and Birch. The final score was 42-18 and with three wins from three starts, City of Armagh topped the league table on points difference from Malone.

The Armagh side then travelled to Dublin to play bottom of the table Blackrock and on a day to forget, the home team produced a surprise result to win 28-20. Despite a try from Andrew Willis Armagh were 15-8 down at halftime time but in the second period, tries from Smyth and a penalty try saw the visitors take the lead at 18-20. They failed to close out the match however and Blackrock scored in injury time to wrap up the points, also denying Armagh a losing bonus point and sending the visitors home disappointed.

Following this setback, City of Armagh had to pick themselves up for their next fixture, home to Banbridge in the Quarter Final of the First Trust Senior Cup. Both teams rotated their squads and Chris Cousins made his senior debut for Armagh. On a historic day, Armagh reached the semi-final for the first time ever when they won 16-6.

A minute’s silence was marked in memory of Past President, Des Fitzgerald who had passed away that week. Two penalties from Cormac Fox saw Armagh lead 6-0 at halftime and an exchange of penalties in the third quarter saw Armagh still ahead 9-6. With 20 minutes remaining, Banbridge brought on 4 experience subs and dominated the final quarter. It was Armagh however who got the crucial score and Ali Birch crossed following a fine attacking move. Fox converted and Armagh had secured a memorable victory.

Returning to All Ireland League action, the First XV welcomed high flying Nenagh Ormond to the Palace Grounds and the match was a classic game of two halves. Armagh played their best rugby of the season to race into a 29-3 lead in the first half. Nenagh sneaked a soft score to make it 29-10 at the break and then stunned Armagh with a second half performance that saw them take the lead on 55 minutes, 29-31. A penalty from Fox put Armagh back into the lead but the Munster spirit came to the fore with a converted try in the final minute for Nenagh to win 32-38. A tough lesson for the Armagh players and coaching staff, who now had to travel to Belfast to challenge table-topping Malone. They would also be without Andrew Willis who had picked up a long-term injury and would miss the next four months of the season.

As usual, underdogs Armagh raised their game for this Ulster derby and in a tense opening period it was 0-0 after 30 minutes. Malone then hit the visitors with two tries in 5 minutes and went in at the break 15-0 ahead. Timmy McNeice was to make a welcome return from injury and the Armagh team dominated the third quarter. The boot of Cormac Fox and two tries from Purvis and McNeice remarkably saw the match level at 18-18. Malone went ahead with a soft try only for Robbie Faloon to score for Armagh to reduce arrears to 25-23.

Fox then kicked a penalty for 25-26 and the Armagh support were ecstatic. Crucially Malone secured the restart and a drop goal saw them victorious 28-26.

The coaching staff had mixed emotions after this match with a superb second half performance but critical mistakes had gifted the opposition key scores.

Queens University, who had just defeated Malone, were the next visitors to Armagh in the All Ireland League and another classic game of two halves ensued at the Palace Grounds.

It looked like another tough day at the office for Willie Fallon and Chris Parker when Queens dominated the first half to lead 3-24 at halftime.

Evin Crummie scored for Armagh early in the second half but the visitors kicked a penalty to remain 13-27 ahead. Scrum half Harry Doyle led the Armagh fightback with a converted try and the home pack of forwards set up the platform for a penalty try to tie the match at 27-27. In the final minute Queens were penalised for a high tackle and Cormac Fox scored with the last kick of the match for an improbable Armagh win.

Final score, 30-27.

City of Armagh had slipped to fifth position in the league table and Cork side, Highfield in second place, were the next visitors to the Palace Grounds. Both defences played well and in a tight first half it was Highfield who led 3-7 at the break. The visitors scored early in the second half but Armagh replied with a try by John Faloon. Highfield punished Armagh mistakes to score two tries in the final 12 minutes and despite a consolation score by Robbie Faloon, the visitors ran out victorious with a scoreline of 17-29.

Following two defeats, Armagh now had to prepare for the semi-final of the First Trust Senior Cup and Malone would be formidable opponents. Both teams were understrength for this match and in another classic encounter, the team in red and black came out on top to reach their first Senior Cup Final in the club’s 142 year history. The match kicked off and Malone raced into an early lead scoring 11 points in 15 minutes. Neil Faloon got a try back for Armagh and a Fox penalty had the home team back in the game at 10-11 as halftime approached.

Malone got an early penalty in the second half but Neil Faloon scored his second of the match to put Armagh ahead for the first time at 17-14. On 60 minutes, Armagh introduced Paul Mullen, Evin Crummie and Barry Finn, all from last year’s under 18s and they fitted in seamlessly. Three penalties from Cormac Fox put Armagh into a strong position at 26-14 and a late Malone score by Matthew Dalton saw the match finish at 26-19 with Armagh making history with a deserved win.

Following the heroics against Queens, City of Armagh now faced back to back fixture with Cashel and the first was a trip to Tipperary.

With both teams level on points in the league, a close encounter was expected and the home side squeezed out a narrow victory, 13-10. Ryan Purvis got the Armagh try with Chris Cousins successful with two kicks.

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The return fixture at the Palace Grounds was a more onesided affair with Armagh securing a bonus point victory. The match only took place after an army of volunteers cleared 4 inches of snow from the pitch, showing our great club spirit! Early tries from Robbie and Neil Faloon got the home team off to a great start and Chris Colvin got Armagh’s third. The bonus point try was again by Robbie Faloon and it was 24-10 at the interval. Three successful penalties for the visitors hinted at a revival for Cashel but Armagh finished strongly with a converted try and a penalty by Ryan Purvis closing out the game at 37-19 resulting in Armagh moving up to fourth place in the league table.

After the match, it was announced that team captain Ali Birch had announced his retirement from playing for medical reasons. Ali who had missed the last 6 matches and would be sorely missed on the pitch but the Club were delighted to appoint the former Ulster player as assistant forwards coach, a great asset to the coaching panel.

Next up for City of Armagh was the final of the First Trust Senior Cup at the Kingspan stadium when Division 1B outfit Ballymena would be the opponents following their surprise victory over Ballynahinch. Excitement had been building in the city for a number of weeks in the build-up to the final and a tremendous turnout of supporters had travelled to cheer on the Armagh team. Armagh as underdogs took the game to Ballymena and had the best chances in the first half but the score was level at halftime, 3-3. In the second half Ballymena scored a crucial try and a penalty to put them 13-3 ahead going into the last 10 minutes.

The Armagh team however showed great resilience and spirit and scored a try by Andy Smyth following a lineout drive to get back into contention at 10-13. Five minutes later, the huge Armagh support erupted when TC Campbell scampered over for the match winning try, superbly converted from the touchline by Cormac Fox. The team had to defend Ballymena pressure in the final minutes but the final whistle went with Armagh putting their name on the cup following a 13-17 victory.

The final match for the team in 2017 was a home SONI Ulster Premiership match against City of Derry and a final score of 82-0 to Armagh emphasized the gulf between the two sides.

The first AIL match in 2018 was a trip to Cork to play Highfield who were challenging Malone at the top of the league table.

A large number of travelling supporters saw a gutsy Armagh performance but the home side prevailed with a 17-10 victory and a losing bonus point for the visitors was a reasonable reward. Stuart Hooks who was starting to shine in the back row scored the Armagh try.

Armagh’s season took on a fresh challenge when, as Senior Cup holders, they had to represent Ulster in the All Ireland Bateman Cup. The team had a home tie in the semi-final and the distinguished visitors to the Palace Grounds were Division 1A outfit, Cork Constitution. The biggest crowd of the season to date turned up to witness another heroic Armagh performance where they gave the Cork side a real fright before going down narrowly, 13-20.

On an emotional night for the City of Armagh club, coaches Willie Faloon and Chris Parker paid tribute to the entire squad for this fantastic achievement.

The foundations of the win had been laid much earlier with the commitment and dedication to training. Ali Birch missed out on playing in the final but the club had achieved its goal and he congratulated every player on rising to the occasion and giving a performance that was a credit to the club. Ian McCall was also thanked for the background work he and many others had undertaken throughout the whole season. Everyone’s thoughts were also with Club Chairman, John Callaghan who watched the match from his hospital bed and who afterwards spoke of his immense pride with everyone involved.

President, John Lennon summed up everyone’s thoughts after the game when he spoke of the journey the Armagh club has undertaken and the continuation of this success throughout the whole club is something he is extremely proud of.

Armagh scored two tries in the first half through Tim McNeice and Neil Faloon before the visitors capitalised on a home team yellow card to cross for a try and lead 10-13 at halftime. Three minutes into the second half and Cork Con. scored a soft try to stretch ahead. Fox converted a penalty and Armagh dominated the final quarter but just failed to get a score that would have taken the match into extra time. Cork Con. were delighted to hear the final whistle and they progressed to the final to play fellow 1A side, Lansdowne.

In a rearranged match due to the weather, Armagh faced neighbours Banbridge on a Thursday night in the SONI Ulster Premiership. The team continued their fine form in this competition and they comfortably defeated the Co Down side 34-18 to remain top of the SONI League. Tim McNeice and Neil Faloon scored first half tries for a 15-13 halftime lead and the second half belonged to the home side with tries from Smyth, Willis and John Faloon wrapping up the points.

With four games remaining in the All Ireland League, Armagh had a target of fourth place to reach the playoffs and many said Armagh had an easy run in, with fixtures against the bottom four sides in the league. Next up was a trip to Galway to play Corinthians who they had defeated comfortably at the Palace Grounds. The script didn’t go to plan, however and the Galway side won by a point with a conversion in injury time making the final score 30-29. Cormac Fox scored all of Armagh’s points in the first half including a try to lead 13-19.

Andrew Willis scored in the second half and Armagh led 2329 before that last gasp try for the home side.

Armagh took out their frustrations in their next match at home to Blackrock and scored 54 points to get back to winning ways as the season reached its climax. Try scorers on the day were Daryl Morton, Andrew Willis, Peter Starrett and Neil Faloon, with Robert Whitten and Ryan Purvis getting two each.

Two games remained and two victories were required for a playoff place. Galwegians were the next visitors to the Palace Grounds and the wheels potentially came off Armagh’s season when the visitors kicked a last minute penalty to win the match 36-39.

Remarkably Armagh led 31-19 at halftime, following tries by Evin Crummie, Andrew Smyth, Neil Faloon and a penalty try.

Not for the first time this season, Armagh went to sleep in the second period and Galwegians, fighting against relegation, staged a comeback, despite a second try for Crummie, to tie the match at 36-36 before that winning penalty took the points back to Connacht.

Unfortunately Armagh had conceded 8 tries in their last two AIL matches and reaching the playoffs was now out of their hands.

For the final match, the team had to travel to a much-improved Greystones side, get a bonus point win and hope other results went their way.

This time the script did go Armagh’s way. The bonus point was secured with a hard-fought victory, 14-24 with tries by TC Campbell, Robbie Faloon, Andrew Willis and Neil Faloon.

Word then came through that Nenagh Ormond and Cashel had both lost their final matches with no bonus points and in a remarkable twist of fate, City of Armagh had jumped up to third place in the final league table on points difference.

Instead of a trip to Limerick to play UL Bohemians, Armagh now found themselves travelling back to Cork to play league runners-up Highfield. The home side may have defeated Armagh twice already in the current season but it was a pumped-up Armagh side that turned up and soundly beat the Cork side 13-27. The Armagh supporters again travelled in large numbers and witnessed another superb performance from Willie Faloon’s side. Andrew Willis, back to his best form scored an early try, followed by a Timmy McNeice score and Cormac Fox’s superb kicking had Armagh ahead at the break, 6-18. Cormac scored three further penalties in the second half to secure an impressive victory which none of the pundits had predicted.

In a further twist, Nenagh Ormond had beaten favourites UL Bohemians in Limerick and by good fortune the league playoff final would now be at the Palace Grounds.

The Division 1B playoff final brought a huge crowd of spectators to the Palace Grounds and both sides played excellent rugby in the first half. Tries by Stuart Hooks and Robbie Faloon saw Armagh ahead early on, only for Nenegh to close the gap to a point. Chris Colvin’s interception just before halftime saw Faloon score his second and Armagh were ahead 24-13 at the interval. In the second half Fox converted two penalties and Armagh seemed home and dry at 30-13. Yet again Armagh’s opposition staged a fightback and suddenly, it was a one score match at 30-23 with ten minutes remaining. A dogged and resilient defensive display

by Armagh pinned Nenagh back in their half and in the final minute Fox kicked a penalty to seal the game for the home team, 33-23, sparking huge celebrations for the home supporters.

With two promotions secured in successive seasons, City of Armagh’s season still wasn’t over and match number 28 was arranged for the following Tuesday evening when Malone hosted Armagh to decide who would be SONI Premiership League champions.

The visitors needed one point for the title while Malone needed a bonus point win. Both sides were not at full strength and in a tight game, Malone scored after 10 minutes. Robert Whitten’s try leveled the match in the second quarter and an Andrew Willis try, superbly converted by Cormac Fox had Armagh in the lead at halftime, 7-14. Poor weather spoilt the game as a spectacle in the second half and Malone tied the match in the final quarter with a penalty try. With two minutes remaining on the clock, Armagh had one final attack and Andrew Smyth crossed for the match winning try.

Victorious by a scoreline of 14-21, City of Armagh had retained the Stevenson Shield which Ulster Branch President, Graffin Park presented to a joyous Armagh team and supporters.

A truly remarkable season had come to a close.

Second XV City of Armagh RFC second fifteen made history in the 2017-2018 season by winning the Second XV Premier league, winning Kukri Ulster Conference League One, reaching the final of the Millar McCall Wylie Junior Cup played at the Kingspan Stadium and also reaching the semi-final of the Towns Cup, losing to eventual winners Ballyclare. Never before had Armagh rugby club’s second fifteen competed at the highest possible level of Ulster junior rugby. To win both leagues and be competitive in the cup competitions is a real credit to the playing squad and coaching staff in a season where 25 games were won with 1 game drawn and only 4 games lost out of a total of 30 played.

The season started on the 26th of August with a narrow win at home against a physical Carrickfergus side in the Conference league. September produced wins in the Conference league against Enniskillen, Dromore, CIYMS and Junior Cup wins against PSNI and an exhilarating away win against Ballyclare 40-34. In October Cooke and Coleraine were next to fall in the league and Coleraine again the following Saturday at home in the Junior Cup quarter final 32-7. In November an 18-18 drawn game at home to Clogher Valley disappointed the faithful supporters which showed how high the expectations were for this young exciting team. High flying Qualifying One kingpins Instonians visited the Palace Grounds a couple of weeks later and were heavily beaten 54-29 sending out vibes to the rugby fraternity that this Armagh seconds side were a team to be reckoned with. Next up was a trip to Ballymoney who were defeated in the Junior cup semi final 17-7 in a bruising encounter watched by a massive crowd. December brought the team’s first defeat in the Conference league, away to Ballynahinch 2’s, although what was to prove to be a very important losing bonus point was gained.

Two weeks later, the Junior Cup final was played at the Kingspan Stadium two days after the First XV had won the first Trust Senior cup, but unfortunately the occasion got to the side on a damp night and the team played well below par.

The experienced Ballynahinch outfit ended up 21-7 winners, however the side will learn from the experience and will look to return next season.

A new year’s eve derby match away to Portadown was won 31-18 to round off 2017 with the team sitting on top of the Conference league with one game to play. The new year brought new competitions in the Second XV Premier league and the River Rock Towns cup. Rainey seconds were comprehensively beaten in the Towns cup 1st round and the following week the side travelled again to Ballynahinch for a league game and were once again narrowly beaten 18-16 after having led for most of the game. This game was a turning point for the seconds after having played some great rugby throughout, lessons were learned.

Next up were Malone seconds who were dispatched well beaten with the game finishing early. The Towns Cup brought Armagh and Ballynahinch together in the second round, and for the third time at Ballymacarn Park. Armagh proceeded to play their best game of the season with some fantastic rugby throughout, ending up comfortable winners 31-7. Try scorers were Matthew Hooks (two), Harry Boyd and James Morton with Harry Boyd kicking 11 points. The following week brought another local derby away to Banbridge seconds and in a tough game the bonus point was only gained late on in a 27-11 win. The last Saturday in February saw the quarter final of the Towns Cup away to Clogher Valley and the drawn earlier league match was still fresh in the team’s mind.

However, in another top drawer performance, the seconds ran out easy 47-14 winners, putting them into the following week’s semi final draw. Omagh seconds were dispatched with ease in the league the following week and then it was the Towns Cup semi-final against a Ballyclare side full of confidence on St Patricks day at the Palace Grounds. In front of a big crowd, the seconds, after being behind early on, found themselves 12-5 ahead with an intercept try from Pau Gimeno-Alvarez the highlight. In the second half, the home side succumbed to two converted Ballyclare tries with the game finishing 19-12 to Ballyclare.

For the first time in five meetings this season, the seconds entertained Ballynahinch seconds at the Palace Grounds in a crunch Second XV Premier league game. With confidence high after their previous Towns Cup meeting, the seconds again excelled, coming out on the right side of a 27-23 scoreline. This win gave Armagh the edge in the title race which was to go down to the last game. Away to Omagh seconds the following week with a weakened side, it was a late try by Pau Gimeno-Alvarez to save the day, albeit with no winning bonus point.

With two games left to play, Malone seconds failed to field, which left the Armagh side to play Banbridge seconds at home to win the Second XV league. In a thrilling display the home side won with ease, 54-12 to become league champions with a point to spare. The outstanding Ballyclare Conference league game which had been postponed three times due to the weather, was scheduled for the 19th April at the Cloughan with the seconds needing to win with a bonus point to secure the league. With a much changed side, the seconds put in another excellent display to come away with a 54-15 win and the league title. Celebrations ensued and the player’s camaraderie shown throughout the season was again great to see.

Thanks should also be extended to the numerous players who stepped up when required, giving top drawer performances and maintaining the second’s momentum in this season’s competitions. Coach David Eakin and team manager Gary Morton guided the team successfully throughout this memorable season and deserve immense credit. High standards have now been set for next season!

With City of Armagh Third XV newly promoted into Provincial League 3 on the back of their success in 2016/2017, it was obvious that this season was to be a challenging one. The commitment of the team however was apparent in the early weeks of the season, with coaches David Eakin and Trevor Knipe at the helm, devoting almost every Thursday night to improving the ball skills, shape of play and fitness of an extended squad all season long. The squad started with a run of four league games unbeaten with notable results including a 58-5 win over Ballynahinch, a 43-19 win over Ballymena 3rds and a 21-28 point win over Randalstown 2nds.

This season the Thirds were to play in a new cup competition, the Crawford Cup. Drawn away to Portadown seconds, it was unfortunate that on the day the home side prevailed and the Thirds entered the Crawford Plate. The squad were playing with confidence with teams being put to the sword each week. The Crawford Plate run had progressed well with a win over Carrickfergus to reach the semi-final away to Dromore Seconds. A challenging week for selection and extremely poor weather conditions contributed to an 11-12 point defeat which was disheartening but by no means the end of the season for the team.

Terrific preformances throughout the season led to the winning of Provincial League 3 with the team victorious in 12 matches from the 15 played, finishing up with 64 points, 10 ahead of their nearest opponents.

The Third XV ‘Player of the Year’ award was decided amongst senior players and coaching staff within the squad.

Having played every minute of rugby this season with outstanding performances throughout, it was decided that Connor Simms should receive the accolade. Luke Crozier’s efforts throughout the season were also recognised by being awarded the Club’s Top Try Scorer Award.

All the players who featured for the Third XV must be commended on their efforts this year both on and off the pitch, and Neil Lutton was an outstanding team captain. Team Manager Trevor Knipe superbly directed operations in conjunction with coach Davy Eakin for a real season to remember.

Third XV

Fourth XV City of Armagh 4XV has been steadily improving over the past number of seasons and this season in particular has seen some more milestones in their development. From struggling to fulfil fixtures in the Minor League a few years ago, they have really come a long way.

Having not lost a game in the Regional League before Christmas, City of Armagh 4XV finished top of the Southern Section and earned themselves a place in the Minor League, Premier Division. The Team recorded some great victories along the way including a memorable 47-7 win against neighbours and close rivals Portadown and a 48-12 victory over Ballynahinch Evergreens to name but a few.

In-between the two league competitions, the Fourths had a superb run in the McCambley Cup, making it all the way to the Quarter-Final. This cup run was almost over before it started had it not been for a last-minute penalty scored by team captain, David Loughran with the last kick of the game against Inishowen 1XV at the Palace Grounds. In the next round, the team beat Ophir 2XV comfortably and were then unfortunate to be drawn away from home to face the formidable Ballymena 4ths. The Eton Park side won comfortably and went on to retain the cup they have now won on four out of the past five seasons.

City of Armagh 4XV competed in the Minor League, Premier Division last season but it proved to be a steep learning curve for this young team who failed to record a single win in the competition. This year they vowed to right that wrong.

The Armagh team this season recorded wins over Academy 3XV and Grosvenor 3XV and picked up a few losing bonus points on the road and were unlucky not to come away with more against BHSFP 2XV and last year’s league winners Enniskillen 4XV. The Fourths finished the Premier League in mid-table and already are looking forward to the new season where they will play in a restructured league. They are confident they will be back in the Premier League come the business end of the season and competing for the coveted Ravenhill Cup once more.

Adam Hume picked up the 4XV Player of the Year at the end of season awards, although it was a difficult choice with many others putting in some memorable performances in the red and black shirt of Armagh, including Ross Crozier, Andrew Pogue, Patrick Chapman, Jonny Kirkland and Gareth Graham, any of whom would have been equally deserving of picking up the accolade.

Team managers, Ian Watson and Graham Crozier deserve great credit for giving up their time to travel all over Ulster with the side on Saturday afternoons. It makes a tremendous difference having these guys at the side of the pitch, providing transport and much-needed words of wisdom and encouragement. Ian is departing the 4XV Management team after four years of service and the entire squad would all like to thank him for his efforts while in the role.

For another season, team captain David Loughran continued to run the team with great dedication and enthusiasm. He is a terrific example of the type of volunteer every club needs and it is a tremendous credit to him and his managers that the Fourth XV fulfilled every fixture for the second season running. Best wishes to David as he now stands down from the captaincy role but he has a very capable replacement in Adam Hume, ready to fill his boots.

YOUTH RUGBY City of Armagh RFC has built its foundations on its mini and youth sections. The young players who start playing rugby for fun and progress through our youth structures are the life-blood for our senior teams. This was epitomised with four of last year’s under 18’s putting on the shirt for our First XV this season, Barry Finn, Paul Mullen, Cormac Fox and Evin Crummie. Others played regularly for our successful Second XV. Our youth structure is something we are immensely proud off and many clubs envy. Of course it is a team by all concerned, sponsors, coaches, managers, bag handlers, kit washers, parents and players!

One of the season highlights for our youth section was the Under 14s winning the Ulster Plate. The team defeated Dungannon 48-5 in the semi-final and progressed to the Final at the Mid Ulster Arena in Cookstown. In the final Armagh defeated Clogher Valley 34-5 and scored 6 tries.

Mark Herron and his team of volunteers including Peter Hazelton, Andrew Wakenshaw and Colin Morrison had a large squad of players all season and indeed a second team was fielded for a friendly match with Lurgan.

The Under 16s won their Ulster Regional League unbeaten but were defeated by Virginia in the League Final by a single point when Virginia converted a last minute penalty.

In the Ulster Carpets U16 Cup the team defeated Malone in the quarter final 27-0. They were then drawn away to Clogher Valley in the semi-final and were unfortunate to lose narrowly to the eventual cup winners.

During the season the team only lost two matches which is a fantastic achievement, a fact recognised they the U16s took the Youth Team of the Year trophy at our club awards.

Congratulations to the players and coaches Harry Doyle, Philip Agnew, Basil Magowan and team manager Adrian Irvine.

The Under 18s this year were hampered by a small squad but still did remarkably well on the field, winning the Nutty Krust tournament in Portadown and reaching the final of the U18 Bowman Cup at the Kingspan stadium.They finished League runners-up and Antoine Finn and Niall Chapman, assisted as ever by Gervaise O’Brien deserve immense credit for their efforts over the season.

The Nutty Krust Wells Cup was won after beating favourites Rainey OB in the semi-final and then comprehensively defeating Ballynahinch in the final. The County Down side played well in the first half and Armagh led 15-7 at the interval. In the second half, centre Shay O’Brien completed a hat-trick of tries, a remarkable feat in a cup final. The final score was 36-7 to City of Armagh.

Three days later the team faced Rainey in the U18 Cup final and despite a gutsy performance, the side lost 21-29.

The club was well represented in the Ulster youth squads. At U16/17 age group, we had 10 players called up to the Ulster squad, Philip Nichol, James Agnew, Sean Hannaway, James Crummie, Ben Reynolds, Michael Burnett James Campbell and Matthew Nichol.

City of Armagh players, Sam Murray and Nathan Rodgers represented Ulster U18 clubs and Evin Crummie was selected for the Ulster U19 squad. It is pleasing to see a number of boys selected already for the 2018-19 squads.

Our Youth Convenor, Peter Hazelton, stepped up to the mark in taking over the role from Richard Black and led the youth section from strength to strength. Peter is standing down now, due to work commitments and we wish Jim Crummie well, as he takes over the youth convenor role next season.

To run a successful Youth and Minis section you need an excellent coaching, welfare and administration structure in place. This structure was endorsed when we achieved our Club Excellence award last year. The quality of all players passing through the club has been very evident and we strive to have at least 3-5 coaches in every age group to support them. We are very fortunate to have so many IRFU qualified coaches and ex-players involved at every age group throughout the Club.

Thanks are also due to Willie Faloon our 1st XV head coach who has assisted in youth training sessions and he has provided support and direction to our coaches on up-to-date technical drills. Thanks are also due to Mervyn Watts for the essential role in getting all our youth players registered and for submitting electronic team sheets every week‌.all of this unseen work, phone calls and emailing is greatly valued.

At the end of the season, thirty U13 players and 18 adults attended the Terenure festival over the May bank holiday weekend and the boys enjoyed some very competitive rugby, especially against the French and English teams.

Building upon our success requires planning and already youth training has been announced for August with player registration and payment of subs to take place on Friday 31st August in conjunction with the mini section.

GIRLS RUGBY The Ladies Rugby Section of City of Armagh Rugby Club started the season on a high note with two of our members being selected for the Ulster Under 18’s Ladies squad. Huge congratulations to Meabh McAleavey and Emma Kearney for achieving this honour. The girls played in all three provincial matches but unfortunately the team did not come away with the plaudits. The selection process for the upcoming season’s Under 18 squad is underway at the moment and Armagh are hoping for good representation again this year.

In October, a successful new initiative for girl’s rugby was held at the Palace Grounds by Ulster Rugby – ‘Give it a Try’.

The event was attended by nearly 70 local girls from all sporting backgrounds who had never tried rugby before.

Over half of these girls came back for several sessions and some even decided to play rugby for the season. It is hoped to follow up this initiative in the season ahead.

Our Under 18 ladies continued to play under the new blitz and league structure from the Ulster Branch and although successes were few, the strength in the team lies ahead.

With new age levels, our Under 15 Ladies were affected in terms of numbers, but it is hoped to grow the squad in the upcoming season.

The most successful Armagh team on the pitch, were the U13/U12 girls age group. This squad has tasted success in both the blitz format and also in invitational matches. They were invited to play at half time during the Ireland – Wales, Women’s Six Nation match at Donnybrook. A great honour for our club. An U12 squad also took part in the Aviva Mini Festival at The Aviva stadium in Dublin where they had the opportunity to meet stars of the men’s and women’s game and pose for photos with the 6 Nation’s trophies.

Thanks are due to all the current volunteers in our girl’s section, Susan Mercer, Ken Lyndsay, Neil Rafferty, Harry Doyle, Brian Lamb, Philip McCall, Stephen McGrane and last but not least, John McCord who gives great encouragement every season to our girl’s teams.

The club is committed to strengthening the girls section and more volunteers are required to help with coaching and team management. Training for the Ladies and Girls will be on Monday evenings from 7.00pm to 8:30pm.

During the season the P4 team attended the Maxol U8 festival in Cavan, our P5s attended an U9 festival in Mullingar, the P6 age group travelled to the Ballymena festival and the P7 group visited Carlingford, Malone and toured Lake Garda in Italy.

MINIS SECTION The season began on the last weekend in August with registration, and we were delighted that numbers had increased again this year to 270 boys and girls registering to play mini rugby for Armagh. Training commenced on a weekly basis and a group of mums agreed to take on the running of the tuck shop, which was a great success as they also assisted with kit sales and late registrations, but most importantly provided a meeting point for parents and coaches on a Saturday morning at training.

In April the club hosted our annual mini festival, which was sponsored by Dominos and a host of local businesses. Teams travelled from across Ulster and Leinster, plus returning after 3 years were our friends from Stirling County RFC in Scotland, who bring such buzz when they arrive with their pipe band and coaches in their tour theme costumes, which this year was Alice in Wonderland! Stirling also fielded an U12 girls team who played our girls after the main blitz. The boys then entertained themselves by challenging Stirling to a tug of-war match. Despite the festival having to be wrapped up before the 1st XV match and the damp conditions under foot, everything on the day went according to plan and it was a very enjoyable and memorable day for all who attended. City of Armagh Minis would like to thank everyone who helped in any way to make it a success.

A number of parents were approached and agreed to help with coaching of P1, P2 etc, and six of them have now completed the level 1 coaching course during the season. The club are indebted to the coaches and all our volunteers without whom we would not have such a successful minis section in the Armagh.

In October the club were selected by the IRFU to host the Ulster Aviva U10 minis and U13 girls festival. Despite having limited time to prepare, the festival was a great success and the IRFU was delighted with the success of the event. On 28 October 15 players from our U12 group had the privilege of playing at half time in the Kingspan stadium, when Ulster played Leinster, in what was a wonderful experience for them. At Halloween we hosted a one day Ulster Branch rugby camp during the school holidays, which was attended by around 50 players and this was followed by a Halloween party in the clubhouse for everyone which was great way to end the camp.

The minis played games against local clubs throughout the season, however a few of our fixtures fell victim of the snow.

The Saturday before our Christmas break teams from P3 – U12 played away to Banbridge who held a Christmas jumper fundraiser, while P1 & 2 attended our annual Christmas party, and were entertained by Louie the clown followed by a guest appearance by Santa.

At the end of a long season the minis entered the ‘Honda Powering Local Dreams’ competition and produced a two minute video for the chance for our U12s to play at half-time in the Pro 14 final in the Aviva Stadium. Our video was selected by Honda in the top 3 entries from Ulster and along with the Omagh and Ballymena entries, it went to an online public vote over a 2 week period. We were delighted when we received the news that we had won, as it a testament of the success of our club and the support we currently enjoy.

We are thankful to everyone for their votes, and of course those who helped to make the video! The boys (plus coaches) had a fantastic day down at the Pro-12 Final and will cherish the memory.

Finally, thanks to our hard-working Mini Convenor, Phelim Sands who carried out his duties all season with great dedication and enthusiasm. He hands over the reins for next season to Stephen Kellett with the Minis going from strength to strength.

ARMAGH MINI FESTIVAL - APRIL 2018

Italy Tour 2018 Just after Easter, the P7 mini rugby team from City of Armagh Rugby Club set off on an historic tour to Italy. The tour party were heading to the beautiful Lake Garda region and planning had started 12 months previously. Such an adventurous trip required a massive effort and dedication from the organisers.

The tour party of over 60 children and parents left Armagh in the early hours of Thursday morning and flew to Bergamo airport, near Milan. The first day in Italy was spent sightseeing in the beautiful town of Sirmione. Everyone settled into their hotel for the evening and prepared for a busy day of rugby the following day.

The Armagh team had arranged to play the Under 12 team from Calvisano Rugby Club. Calvisano are a professional rugby club playing in the Italian First Division. What made the tour experience more special was that the games would take place in the club’s impressive Peroni Stadium, similar to Ulster’s Kingspan. Two Armagh sides played two matches each against slightly older and physically bigger Italian sides. Both clubs showed great sportsmanship but in the end, it was the Armagh sides who played with more teamwork, tenacity and skill to come out on top. The home club officials were very complimentary afterwards. When the matches finished, the Armagh squad gave a compulsory rendition of “The Boys of the County Armagh” and the Calvisano club were presented with a City of Armagh club plaque as a token of gratitude for their warm hospitality.

That night the parents and children held a very enjoyable 1970’s themed night, with everyone dressing up for the occasion. The highlight of the night was a traditional rugby kangaroo court held by coaches Dougan and Harney. The names of those charged and their punishments have been withheld for obvious reasons but great entertainment was enjoyed.

On the third day, the touring party made the short bus trip to Gardaland, a major Italian theme park. During the visit, kids and parents alike could enjoy the many rides and attractions ranging from a white-knuckle roller coaster ride to a tranquil trip on a steam train. Everybody on tour then returned to their hotel that evening to enjoy their final night in Italy in what was turning out to be a memorable trip.

The final day of the tour was a relaxing day after the busy activities of the previous day. A sight-seeing boat trip along Lake Garda had been arranged and this was followed by a visit to the historic town of Desenzano. Everyone enjoyed the beautiful scenery and from there, the final bus trip set off to Bergamo airport and the realisation that the tour was reaching its conclusion.

Everyone arrived safely back in Armagh and when all the participants who took part in this historic tour look back, they will remember it not just for rugby reasons but most importantly the friendships that were forged by young and old and the craic that was had by all.

This memorable tour could not have been organised without the hard work of a number of people and City of Armagh RFC would like to thank key individuals. Firstly, Noeleen Gillan who led the organisation of the whole trip, no mean feat and her organisational skills were fantastic.

A big thank you to all the local businesses, too numerous to mention, who made donations to fund the trip. Thanks to The Yellow Door who organised the cookery demonstration as a major fund-raiser. Thank you to all the parents for helping to fundraise to make the trip possible and the coaches who have looked after these kids for the last number of years, Andy Dougan, Ken Lindsay, William Watterson and Pearse Harney, (not to forget Johnny Rainey who coached this group up until this year). Last but by no means least the kids themselves. Over four exhausting days, the children showed maturity beyond their years and were great ambassadors for City of Armagh Rugby Club.

Twenty-seven children from thirteen local schools came under the banner of City of Armagh Rugby Club and showed that when they all come together, anything is possible. No doubt most of these young men and one young lady will go on to achieve greater things in life and sport, some will enjoy future rugby tours, but few will ever forget their maiden rugby tour to Italy in 2018.

LADIES DAY Ladies Day 2018 was another huge success in the club when the ‘gents’ served a beautiful Yellow Door lunch to our ladies. Blackrock College RFC were the visitors to the Palace Grounds and Irish rugby legend Fergus Slattery told a few tales from his distinguished career.

LADIES DAY

COW PAT BINGO

ANNUAL DINNER Our Annual Dinner this year was combined with the Senior Awards Night and was a roaring success. MC for the evening was Tom (Jeep) Galbraith and we were delighted to have the Ulster Branch President, Graffin Park in attendance.

Caterers, Yellow Door, delivered another superb meal to a full house and our guest speaker Gerry Donnelly had the room in stitches.

MINI AWARDS NIGHT Ulster players, Johnny McPhillips and David Busby attended our mini and youth awards night which saw a packed clubhouse for one of the most popular events in our season.

Congratulations to all our award winners!

Club Awards 2017-2018 Mini Awards YEAR

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

U6 U7 U8 U9 U10 U11 U12

Rory Murphy Callum Williamson James Tipping Christian Johns Toby Ratcliffe Dara Gillan Jack Walbran & Aaron Scott

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER Jacob Oates Oisin McGivern Charlie Walker Jacob Willis Robbie Gray Matthew George Finbar Malone

Youth Awards U14 Best New-comer Most Improved Players of the Year

James Campbell Matthew Nicholl Michael Burnett & Lee Nesbitt

U16 Best New-comer Most Improved Player of the Year

Andrew Hewitt Jordan Chambers Philip Nicholl

U18 Best New-comer Most Improved Player of the Year

Brandon Gribben Best Ryan Morton Shay O’Brien

Youth Team of the Year Nesbitt Cup u16s

Girls Awards U13 Best New-comer Most Improved Player of the Year

Emily Dickson Kate Berry Ellie Corkey

U15 / 18 Best New-comer Most Improved Player of the Year

Emma McCreery Mollie Dunwoody Emma Kearney

BEST NEWCOMER Shay Corey Eoghan McGleenan Niall Murphy Cormac Murphy Sam George Adam McClelland Joe Flanagan

Club Awards 2017-2018

Club Awards 2017-2018

4th XV Player of the Year

The Moffit Cup, Adam Hume

3rd XV Player of the Year

The Johnston Cup, Connor Sims

2nd XV Players of the Year

The Hyde Cup, Pau Alvarez-Gimeo & Gareth McNeice

1st XV Player of the Year

The Chambers Cup, Josh McKinley

Club Top Try Scorer

The Wilson Cup, Luke Crozier

Most Improved Senior Player

The Jennings Cup, Jonathan Morton

Club Player of the Year

The Black Cup

Robert Whitten

Services to Youth Rugby

The S Smyth Cup

Phelim Sands

Fundraiser of the Year

The P Smyth Cup

Willie Boyd

Volunteer of the Year

The Livingstone Cup

Ian Watson

The President’s Award

Laura Coulter

Club Awards 2017-2018

DEVELOPMENT UPDATE

Following a highly successful year on the playing field, off the field we have continued to build and strengthen our structures away from the game. The player’s success at all levels, fuels the need to meet growing demands in providing new improved facilities at our clubhouse and grounds.

We are happy to report the Club is now getting into ‘New Territory’ in relation to Governance, Design, Planning, Deliverance, Sustainability, Coaching and Volunteer recruitment. We look forward to the new season with great optimism.

Throughout the past 12 months we continued to promote and enhance the ‘Brand’ at City of Armagh Rugby Club. Starting in July, and together with many volunteers, we delivered a very successful fundraising event over two evenings at the Palace Grounds.

On Thursday 20th July, we had the honour of welcoming our most successful National Rugby Coach ever, Joe Schmitt along with GAA star Darragh O Sé,Tommy Bowe and Fiona Coghlan at a Sports Dinner with over 400 in attendance.

The following night, we hosted the McCarragher Family /Air Ambulance Country Night and together both evenings launched our ‘Development Fundraising Programme’. It was a huge effort with great results.

Throughout the next 3 months August, September and October we continued to meet with our Consultants, Architects ,QS and Public Bodies to finalise our design for our refurbished and extended clubhouse.

In November we submitted our final plans to the Planning Department and have been back and forth since to answer their queries. We await their decision shortly and don’t foresee any further issues. I would like to thank Mark Herron in our development team for all his efforts during this busy time in the process.

In early December, following the unfortunate news that the IRFU had lost out in its bid to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup, we had to adjust our approach and direction to attract possible funding for our project.

In January and February 2018, we continued to explore with our stakeholders, possible routes to secure funding and the first one appeared in March when the Peace IV Shared Space Fund re-opened.Through our consultant, Venturei and John O’Neill we prepared the necessary documentation to submit our bid.A tremendous effort was required in a very short timeframe and our bid was completed in mid June, submitted and we now await the outcome.

We will find out in November if our application has been successful, with possible further engagement necessary throughout the next few months. It was prudent to have now collated all the appropriate information to date, should future funding options become available. I would like to thank in particular, Harry Doyle for his contribution during this time working with myself and John O Neill at Venturei.

Meanwhile, following the launch of our ‘Development Fundraising’ back in July 2017, we need to continue our efforts right throughout the whole club to build funds for the future. It is really encouraging to see new faces getting Involved across all areas and at our Club and their efforts will meet and drive our ambitions going Forward.

The club is now planning another major fundraising event in mid September with SVP James Scott and JVP Paul Johnston spearheading it.

Raymond Donnelly Development sub-committee Convenor.

ABC COUNCIL CIVIC RECEPTION City of Armagh RFC was delighted to be honoured with a civic reception by ABC Council for winning the First Trust Senior cup for the first time in their history and for their achievements during the 2017-18 season. Thank you to Deputy Mayor Sam Nicholson and Cllr Thomas O’Hanlon for hosting the event at the Palace.

KUKRI ULSTER CLUB OF THE YEAR

In May, City of Armagh RFC was presented with the Kukri Ulster Club of the Year award at the annual Heineken Ulster Rugby Awards after a season of remarkable success throughout the club.

The First XV were also nominated for Team of the Year at the Belfast Telegraph Sports Awards in February.

At the ABC Council Sports Awards, the team were again nominated for Team of the Year and Willie Faloon was a finalist for Club Coach of the Year.

At the Ulster Bank All Ireland League Awards, Armagh’s Cormac Fox was nominated Division 2A Player of the Year.

VIP GUESTS

Former City of Armagh player Jacques Van Rooyen made a return to the club in November while on holiday in Ireland with his wife Lisa. Jacques is now playing professional rugby in South Africa for the Lions and played in the final of the Currie Cup in 2017. Jacques was also selected for the Barbarians to play New Zealand and he presented his Barbarian’s shirt to the Club.

Stephen Ferris made another popular visit to one of our pre-match lunches.

Tommy Bowe had the pleasure of presenting birthday cakes to these popular ladies.

Ireland captain Rory Best was presented with a gift from City of Armagh RFC to mark Ireland’s Grand Slam in the 2017-18 Six Nations Championship.

LOST FRIENDS Sadly the Club lost two Past Presidents during the past season. Des Fitzgerald was a club stalwart in every sense of the word, holding nearly every role as a volunteer over 40 years.

George Knipe also gave a lifetime of service to the club as a player then committee member and President.

Both with be greatly missed.

Thank You to our Sponsors in 2017, City of Armagh RFC was delighted to sign a new 5 year sponsorship deal with Samurai Sports as official kit supplier to the club.

Sales Director Mike Pells commented, “Samurai Sportwear is delighted to be awarded the kit contract for City of Armagh Rugby Club, one of the most progressive rugby clubs in Ireland. We are confident our top quality products will prove immensely popular with players and club members as we develop a close working relationship with the Club�.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES 2018 - 2019 Opportunities are currently available for: kit sponsorship pitch side signage, post protectors club handbook advertising pre-match lunch sponsorship Contact Andrew Nesbitt or Evan Morton

Thank You to every business that has sponsored the Club throughout the season