vs
Buccaneers
Saturday 5th November, 2022. Gibson Park, Belfast
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We are extremely proud to be supporting Malone RFC, who have played such a significant role in the rugby community both locally and nationally for over a century. At this time, Walsin and Malone make a great team as both are aiming high; Malone on their rugby journey and Walsin experiencing unprecedented growth to become one of the largest facade companies in Ireland. I have always had an interest in the sport, having played for my local club for many years and was delighted to be asked to get involved with Malone. Staff members regularly attend home and away games and there is a real buzz in the company around the club’s recent successes. So far we have been delighted to play a small part in the club’s ongoing refurbishment programme and will continue to support Malone RFC as it goes forward. Ian Sinclair, Managing Director, Walsin Ltd.
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Gibson Park, Gibson Park Avenue, Cregagh Road, Belfast. BT6 9GL Tel: 028 9045 7819 email: malonerfc@gmail.com web:www.malone-rfc.com Executive Committee: Stuart Duncan Gerry Gibbons Mark Dowds Gary Brown David Heron Ken Campbell Gary Kirkpatrick Jonathan McAllister Michael Kearney Raymond Thomas Secretary: Raymond Thomas Rugby Committee: Chair: Michael Kearney Vice-Chair: David Heron Clubhouse and facilities: Mark Dowds Grounds: Gerry Gibbons Programme and Social Media: Ken Campbell Advertising and sponsorship: Jonathan McAllister
Malone RFC proudly supports:
President: Gerry Gibbons
Senior Vice President: Ken Campbell
Junior Vice President: Gary Kirkpatrick
Chairman: Stuart Duncan
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T
his week the Energia AIL brings us, from Athlone, Buccaneers RFC. They have come up on promotion this year and congratulations to them on their success and I pass on a warm welcome to their presdient, Billy McMickan and his team today. I am indisposed this weekend and Ken Campbell (Snr VP) is doing the necessary for me, but I look forward to meeting up at the return fixture in Athlone next year. In our last game at Gibson Park we gained a well earned victory against Banbridge . This was followed by a trip to Naas where we lost to the home team. It is a tight fit, this 1B. Around the Club all the different sections continue to push forward and project a positive image for Malone.
The women’s section held an introductory evening recently which was well attended. The minis continue to appear in good numbers and the Youth section welcomed tourists from the Welsh Valleys. It’s great to see the 3rds and 4ths getting matches under their belts as well. The 2nd XV recently played a very entertaining game against QUB and won a hard fought contest. I wish them well in their game against Omagh this weekend. We have a lot to be proud of at Malone. Good luck today to Josh and the Boys ! Please remember the Code of Conduct and lets give a warm welcome to all from Buccaneers and the match officials. Up above !
Gerry
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Buccaneers arrive at Gibson Park today sitting second in the table, four points behind UCC and one ahead of St. Mary’s in third. Their only AIL defeat this season was in their first outing, at Armagh in October, going down 22-20 at the Palace grounds. They went on to record wins against Old Wesley 35-7, a tough away encounter at Highfield, winning 14-17 and then at home last week they beat Old Belvedere 24-13. Michael Hanley sits second in the top AIL points scorers for 1B with 33 points. Our own Rory Campbell is not far behind in fouth on 26 points. The name Buccaneers derives from the original Shannon Buccaneers who were founded in the early 1930’s. Shannon Buccaneers was a formidable Leinster rugby club in their day, winning a pair of Towns Cups, however the dream of building a strong midlands based rugby club was brought to a sudden halt by the onset of the Second World War which effectively ended the short life of Shannon Buccaneers. In October, 1951, rugby was revived in Athlone with the formation of Athlone Rugby Football Club. Various pitches were utilised until the club purchased its own grounds at Cornamagh where a clubhouse was opened in 1965. Title of this ground was transferred to the IRFU from whom the club rented it back at the princely sum of £1 per annum. A decade later it was named Keane Park in honour of Dr. Keane, who died shortly after taking up office as President of the IRFU in 1975. A converted Bord Na Mona prefab provided the original facility there with dressing-rooms and members’ bar. With road widening taking away part of the main pitch, the club purchased the current site in the mid 1980’s where three pitches were provided over a period of time with covered terracing erected in 1996. The first trophy won by Athlone was the Connacht Senior Cup in 1955 with the Connacht Senior League being captured the following year. Further
Former Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan is back in charge at Buccaneers.
Senior League championships were won in 1977, 1987 and 1988 while the Cup triumphs accrued in 1976, 1977 (making it a Cup and League double), 1990 and 1991. The Connacht Junior League was won in 1957, 1980 and 1988 while Junior Cup successes occurred in 1960 and 1979. Leo Galvin, who was later to be instrumental in the alliance with Ballinasloe RFC, was the first Athlone clubman to play Senior rugby for Ireland in an Buccaneers won promotion from international against Argentina in 1973. Athlone played in Division 2 of the inaugural All-Ireland League when Tommy Conlon scored the first ever try by any player on the opening day of that then new competition. During the 1993-1994 season Athlone Rugby Football Club and Ballinasloe Rugby Football Club tested the amalgamation waters by playing as a joint team in Division Three of the All-Ireland League under the cumbersome title of Athlone/Ballinasloe RFC. The following year the relationship was consolidated and formalised and the title Buccaneers R.F.C. came into being. The success the club has enjoyed would have been difficult to envisage during the initial 1993/94 season which was a sharp wake-up call. The Pirates were lucky to escape relegation to Division Four. The following season Buccaneers began to acclimatise themselves with the realities of the competition finishing in mid-table, an achievement which was helped greatly by the return to his native heath of former Ireland No.8 Noel Mannion from Ballinasloe. The following season, 1995/96 witnessed the arrival of the Rigney brothers, Brian and Des, from Portlaoise while Donal was already playing with Buccaneers. Coached by Kenny Tarrant and captained by Mike Devine, Buccaneers scorched through Division Three winning the title outright. The 1997/98 season heralded the arrival in the club of one the best tactical coaches in the northern
hemisphere, Eddie O’Sullivan. The onslaught that had begun in Division Three continued in Division Two. That season saw them lose just one league game and they qualified for a two-leg home and away promotion battle with Dungannon. Buccaneers lost the first leg by 17-7, but the away game proved to be one of the biggest upsets in Irish club rugby history with the home side going down by 27-10 leaving Buccs the outright victors with Division 2A last season. an aggregate score of 34-27. It was a defining moment in the short history of the club and one which propelled them into Division 1. In their first year in Division 1 Buccaneers neglected to read the rugby writers’ scripts which made them hot favourites for one of the two relegation spots. The 98/99 season was a remarkable journey for the team, the club and the supporters to a third place finish in the League and a play-off spot away to Cork Constitution which they narrowly failed to win. The 1999/2000 season saw the Ireland come calling for Eddie O’Sullivan to join Ireland and Brian Rigney took over as Director of Rugby. John McKee succeeded the former Ireland international and guided the midlanders to two Top Four finishes in three seasons. Geoff Moylan then took up the mantle of Senior Coach for two seasons in 2005/6 but Buccs struggled in his first season at the helm and were relegated to Division Two after the following campaign. Buccaneers claimed the Division 2 title on the final day of a memorable 2007/8 campaign to regain their Division One status. But the Athlone club dropped straight back to 1B and Neil Culleton came in as coach for 2009/10 with South African Hendrik Marnitz taking over the reins in 2010/11 for two seasons and Tony Dolan returned to the helm for a second stint in charge. Brett Wilkinson was appointed head coach in 2015 and helmed the Pirates, captained by Kolo Kiripati, back to Division
1A in his second year. However, Buccs sojourn in the top flight lasted just one season and Peter O’Donnell came on board as head coach in 2018 but a second successive relegation meant Buccaneers kicked off season 2019/20 in Division 2A where they remained until their remarkable play off win against Queens in April. Robbie Henshaw became Buccaneers first home grown Ireland Senior international when only 19 in 2013 with another Athlonian Jack Carty earning his first Senior caps in 2019. Both were in the Connacht squad that captured the province’s first ever trophy the PRO12 in 2015/16. Robbie became British & Irish Lion no.824 in 2017 on their tour to New Zealand. Ballinasloe withdrew from the amalgamation at the end of season 2005/6 and returned to the junior ranks in Connacht, winning the J2 league title at the first attempt. Meanwhile, all Buccaneers teams are now based in Athlone with the underage teams also playing as Buccaneers since season 2006/7 following the AGM of Athlone RFC which voted to change the name of the club to Buccaneers RFC. Buccaneers grounds was renamed Dubarry Park in 2003 when the brand new clubhouse and ancilliary facilities including bar was officially opened by IRFU President Don Crowley. Since then the main pitch has been developed into a top class venue including a 650-seater Stand, covered terracing, international standard playing surface and TV quality floodlights. It has hosted regular All-Ireland League and Cup finals in the interim and was a particularly successful stadium, on and off the playing field, for the staging of Ireland’s U-20 Six Nations Championship fixtures for a decade.
Buccaneers in action against Highfield.
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MALONE RFC CODE OF CONDUCT Code for Players - General •
Play for enjoyment and become part of the rugby family.
•
Respect the "Game of Rugby" and play within the laws of the Game.
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Accept the referee's decision and let your captain ask any relevant questions.
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Play with control. Do not lose your temper.
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Always do your best and be committed to the game, your team and your club.
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Be a "good sport". Applaud all good play whether by your team or the opposition.
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Respect your opponent. Treat all players as you would like to be treated. Do not "bully" or take advantage of any player.
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Rugby is a team sport so make sure you co-operate with your coach, teammates and members of your club.
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At the end of the match thank your opponents and the referee for the match.
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Always remember that you owe a duty of care to your opponents. Tackle hard but fairly, do not intend to hurt your opponent.
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Winning and losing is part of sport: Win with humility - lose with dignity.
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As part of the team it is important that you attend training regularly, listen to your coach and help your team.
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As a team sport it is important to understand that all members are important to the team!
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Remember you are representing your team, club, family and the Game of Rugby.
Code for Spectators •
Be on your best behaviour and lead by example. Do not use profane language or harass referees, players or coaches.
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Applaud good play by the visiting team as well as your own.
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Show respect for your team's opponents. Without them there would not be a match.
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Condemn the use of violence in all forms at every opportunity.
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Verbal abuse of players or referees cannot be accepted in any shape or form.
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Players or referees are not fair targets for ignorant behaviour.
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Encourage players to play by the Laws of the Game.
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Spectators can contribute to the enjoyment of the event and all involved.
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Be proud of your club and the Game of Rugby
The ever expanding surroundings As Malone has grown, so has the surrounding area. These Ordinance Survey maps give a unique insight into how much the area has changed as Belfast expanded as a city. In the first two maps you can see that Loopland has not been built! Also in the first map you can see Cyprus Cottage - that may be the only remaining original part of Daddy Winker’s Lane still left. And, as we whet your appetite for nostaliga, there are also few shots of how the area around our club looked not so long ago.
The bus and trolley bus terminal at the top of the Cregagh Road.
The Ambassador cinema - now Wyse Byse.
Portallo Street.
As you turn into Gibson Park Avenue - remember Stewarts Supermarkets?
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Last two outings Malone’s last two All Ireland League outings saw a home win against Banbridge and then last Saturday a defeat away to Naas. Here are some images from those games.
MALONE R.F.C. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Ben Halliday Dan Kerr Ricky Greenwood Neill Alcorn Adam McNamee Daryl Maxwell Dave Cave (Capt) Stuart Doddington Zach Shore Conor Spence Mark McGlynn Ben Gibson David McMaster Rory Campbell Andy Bryans
16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21.
Sam Green Lawson Porter Zach Devine Michael Crothers Jack McMurtry Peter Caves
Zach Shore
Forwards:
Backs:
1.
James Kelly
9.
2.
Shane Delahunt
10. Harry West
3.
Martin Staunton
11. Saul O’Carroll
4.
Rauri Byrne
12. Stephen Mannion
5.
Fergus Galvin
13. Shane Layden
6.
Oisin McCormack
14. Josh O’Connor
7.
Cairan Booth
15. Michael Hanley
8.
Daniel Qualter
Frank Hopkins
Replacements: 16. Darren Browne 17. Stephen Lombard 18. Fionn McDonnell 19. William Reilly 20. Ruaidhri Fallon 21. Orrin Burgess
Malone RFC would like to remind all match patrons of the club’s code of conduct and strict anti-tolerance policy when it comes to abuse of match officials. When entering the ground, please be on your best behaviour and lead by example. Do not use profane language or harass referees, players or coaches. Players and referees are not fair targets for improper behaviour. Verbal abuse of players or referees cannot and will not be accepted in any shape or form. If you display this behaviour, you will be asked to leave the ground immediately. We ask all members to be vigilant and to comply with Malone’s code of conduct.
Be proud of your club and the game of rugby.
UPCOMING FIXTURES SATURDAY 12th November AWAY GAME
Old Wesley v MALONE 2.30 pm kick off at Donnybrook
NEXT HOME GAME SATURDAY26th November
MALONE v Highfield 2.30 pm kick off AT GIBSON PARK SATURDAY 3rd December
AWAY GAME
Old Belvedere v MALONE 2.30 pm kick off at Old Belvedere.
SATURDAY 10th December HOME GAME
MALONE v Armagh
2.30 pm kick off AT GIBSON PARK
The club’s congratulations go to former Malone player Neve Jones on winning the Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Women's Player of the year. Neve received her award alongside Josh Van Der Flier who won the men's award. Neve now plays her rugby for Gloucester Hartputy in the Alliance Premier 15s.
A great win on the road for our U14s against a combined Ards/Donaghadee side. A debut try from the youngest on the team and first opportunity as captain for one of our oldest girls. A great day of rugby! Our thanks go to Ards and Donaghadee Rugby Clubs for hosting us.
SUPPORTING MALONE RUGBY CLUB
Speedway racing at Gib Speedway was staged at Gibson Park, between1947 and 1949 when a series of challenges between four teams took place. The teams were reported to be Antrim Aces, Tyrone Typhoons, Down Buccaneers and Cregagh Panthers. It seems that meetings were staged three times per week! Speedway Researchers Jim Henry and Andy Reid passed this information on to us, so our thanks go to them for this valuable piece of historical record. It looks like the start/finish line was at the original clubhouse at the Loopand Gardens side of the grounds.
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I want to extend a warm welcome to Eddie and all the squad and supporters who have made the trip from Athlone. Buccaneers have made a great start to the season, and we are looking forward to challenging ourselves against their strong and well-coached group. After the joys of our late win over rivals Banbridge there was a return down to earth last week in Naas. Too many errors and ill-discipline at the start of the second half allowed the Naas backs to rip through us at ease. These are areas the squad and whole coaching group have worked hard on over the past week and hopefully we will see the rewards of this today. A significant positive over the last number of weeks was the 2s win over Queens. This was an excellent performance and result which is a reward for the hard work of the whole senior squad which has seen continued competition at training.
Hopefully the 2s will have their win in the bag today before the first XV take the pitch as they are hosting Omagh at 1.00pm. Enjoy the afternoon and hopefully two home wins!
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The Children’s Cancer Unit Charity depends entirely on public donations and the support of our generous fundraisers. All year round, our families, friends and supporters organise events and activities - from coffee mornings to gala balls, sponsored skydives to cookbooks, fun runs to 32 marathons in a row - all in aid of the Children’s Cancer Unit. Donations can also be made online via our website at www.childrenscancerunit.com/support-us We could not continue to assist the work of the Children’s Cancer Unit without your support. Please get in touch if you would like to help.