MALONE v BANBRIDGE 20 NOVEMBER

MALONE The Cregagh Redsocks

RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB Versus

BANBRIDGE

Saturday 20th November Kick off 2.30pm

Encasing architecture

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.

Proud Sponsors of

Walsin Limited | Blaris Industrial Estate | Altona Road | Lisburn, BT27 5PU www.walsin.co.uk

A MESSAGE FROM KEITH MURRAY PRESIDENT MALONE RFC On behalf of all the members of Malone Rugby Football Club, welcome to Gibson Park Today we have two games at the club, the first xv play a crucial All Ireland League game against Banbridge and the seconds play Larne in a Conference 2 league game.

It is an honour and privilege to be the 85th President of Malone RFC in our 129th year and I would like to extend a special Malone welcome to both Banbridge RFC and Larne RFC and their presidents Maynard Sinton (Banbridge), John Wilson (Larne), their guests and supporters. It’s been quite a while since both teams visited Malone.

Division 1B is again proving to be a very competitive league with Highfield and Old Wesley presently undefeated.

The league is a real test of endurance and commitment and we hope to back to full strength as soon as possible.

Conference 2 league is also proving to be equally competitive and both games look to be finely balanced affairs.

We have three teams out today, firsts and seconds you know about and our 4th XV are playing in Donaghadee - good luck to everyone As ever we are indebted to our sponsors both large and small as we could not function without your assistance, thank you on behalf of all our members.

I would like to thank all our club volunteers who turn up to look after our club on a regular basis. Your hard work is grately appreciated. Thank you all!

To all our supporters, families and friends, I ask for 100% support and commitment for all our teams, and respect for the opposition and the officials.

My thanks to our Club chairman, Michael Kearney, and the executive for all their time, commitment and hard work they have given on behalf of the Club, especially over the past 18 months when running any business has proved difficult, keeping staff , members and visitors safe.

I would also like to thank Arthur and his staff who, when restrictions did allow, had the Clubhouse open safely and with a welcome for everyone After today's match I want to welcome everyone back inside the clubhouse for some traditional Malone hospitality.

Finally I hope you all enjoy your day at Gibson Park, and I look forward to welcoming you again in the future.

Keith Murray, President, Malone RFC

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OUR VISITORS TODAY

BANBRIDGE RFC Banbridge RFC was formed late in 1925 when a group of former Banbridge Academy pupils got together to form a team to play Newry on 2 January 1926.

One of the players in that first game was F. E. McWilliam; the well known Irish surrealist sculptor.

The Banbridge Chronicle noted that “they had hard luck in not crossing the Newry line”.

Banbridge spent the next 72 years in the ranks of Ulster junior rugby, with mixed fortunes, highlights being Towns Cup wins in 1932-33, 1988-89 and 1992-93 but have a look at some of the names in their 1927-28 league campaign - Knock, Sydenham, Bangor, Portadown, King’s The first Banbridge team.

Scholars, Newry, Carrick and Cooke.

Their greatest cup success as a junior club came in 1990 when captain John Best lifted the Junior Cup for the first and only time in the Club’s history. Tyrone Howe, later to earn fame as captain of Oxford University and with the British and Irish Lions, Ulster and Ireland, raced 60 metres for the winning try against RUC. By the mid-90’s thoughts turned to the All-Ireland League which was opening its ranks to successful Qualifying Clubs. However, Banbridge had to watch enviously as first Ballynahinch and then Omagh went up ahead of them. They were not to be denied however and after round robin wins over Naas, Monivea and Midleton, they earned their place in Division Four of the AIL for the 1998-99 season. The 1st XV has maintained AIL status ever since.

Banbridge is extremely proud to have six of its members who have represented Ireland; namely Tyrone Howe (also British and Irish Lions), Simon Best and Rory Best also a British and Irish Lion and more recently James Hume, Eric O’Sullivan and Nick Timoney.

In addition to the senior team, the club fields another 5 adult junior-standard teams, and youth U18, U16 and U14 teams, as well as a large mini & Maxi rugby section, Mixed Ability Rugby Team named The Barbarians, a Girls/ Ladies Section.

The Club also have a touring team called the Bluesox that has travelled extensively Tyrone Howe in action for the British and all over Europe since 1997.

Irish Lions in Australia.

e r a s y o B e Th ! n w o t n i back Malone is excited to see two former players back at the club in a coaching capacity.

Chris Henry and Gareth Fry have taken over the Malone Academy as Dan Thuoy has had to sadly withdraw due to work and family commitments.

Both need no introduction but it is worth mentioning that Chris has been at Malone since he started as a mini rugby player. Since then he has played for the first team, been first team captain, first team coach, played 184 times for Ulster, was a Churchill Cup winner with Ireland ‘A’ and won 24 Ireland Caps.

Gareth has been at Malone for nearly 20 years, 15 of those as a player including two as first team captain.

Gareth has represented Ulster at Under 20 and ‘A’ level and also was a player coach for Malone for four years. Gareth also coached CIYMS. That’s a lot of experience that will be passed down to our Academy players!

The two coaches were at Malone

recently to start planning the Academy season. Their first games will be in a pre-Christmas Bliz with other local clubs, then there will be a series of games in the new year, culminatiing with a run of sevens tournaments at the end of the season.

Chris and Gareth are looking forward to building on the work that Dan Thuoy and Mattie Hamilton had been doing with our local non-rugby playing schools, meeting the squad and getting the Academy season up and running.

Malone is also delighted to announce that George Martin is joining the academy set-up as team manager.

George has a wealth of experience in this role and will be a valuable assett going forward.

If you, or anyone you know, would be interested in playing age grade rugby 18-21 with Malone Academy, call George Martin on 07802 805 840 or email on MRFC1892@outlook.com

A dander down At the end of the war things returned quite quickly to normal and by the 1946/47 season the club had returned to its pre-war strength of four teams.

The Senior League also resumed that season but Malone could only finish fifth out of seven teams. The war had meant that few new players ahd come to Malone, so most members were still there from the 1930s.

In December 1946 a ‘Welcome Home dinner for members who had served in the forces was held in Thompson’s Restaurant in Donegall Place and the Hon. Treasurer reported that “he had approximately £100 to give them a ‘right Royal welcome’.”

In the immediate post war period the clu maintained its place at top administrative level and during the years 1944-49 provided three Ulster Branch presidents, W.E. Crawford, Major E.R.H. May and S. Donaldson.

However, the club’s playing record in

these years was not so distinguished, the best performance being the 1st XV reaching the Senior Cup final in the 1949/50 season, and despite having three internationals on the pitch, lost 11-0. Jimmy Nelson was unavailable as he was in Australia with the British Lions.

In 1948, as for most of the previous 50 years, obtaining sufficient playing pitches was a problem. At this time the club started to look at purchasing grounds to give the club a permanent base. Several sites were looked at, including one at Malone Road and one where Instonians’ Shane Park used to stand, but they were either not suitable or too expensive.

Eventually in 1953 it was decided to buy Gibson Park from the Ulster Branch for £2,500, payable in ten instalments of £250.

More income was needed to cover the purchase of the ground as well as the increase in running expenses. A Social Committe was formed and they organised Saturday night dances at

3rd XV 1952-53. Winners of the Harden Cup. Bryce Fleming captain.

various venues across Belfast, Miss Foster’s on the Lisburn Road, the King George Vi Memorial Hall in May Street and the Albany Rooms in Royal Aveue to name a few.

Also at this time there was a joint venture dances with Collegians and CIYMS held under the name of MCC. These dances made a major contribution to the purchase of Gibson Park which was completed in 1960.

They provided between £300 and £1,000 per annum for club funds and did much to create an excellent club spirit.

Between 1951 and 1955 the number of teams increased from four to seven and the Fixture Secretary, Bryce Fleming, was congratulated at the AGM in 1956 for his efforts in fielding teams.

May of you will remember Bryce’s efforts throughout the years bringing players to the club and increasing the number of teams playing.

It must be difficult for players now to imagine how a club the size of Malone organised teams and carried on the business of management without a central meeting place.

On Saturday players would meet on the steps of the International Hotel, at the back of the City Hall and were dispatched by bus, trolley bus and train, with anyone who had a car waiting to pick up stragglers. And, at the centre of it all, was Bryce Fleming.

After match festivities were held in Pop Convery’s Bar in College Square East, The Cregagh Inn and the Rosetta Bar, all popular watering places for members.

In 1959, Sam Donaldson retired from the post of Hon Secretary and when he left the club had £1,500 in hand, money which would shortly be put to good use in developing Gibson Park.

Next time: The Swinging Sixties

IN THESE YEARS

1945 - World War Two ends.

1950 -The first polio vaccine is developed by Jonas Salk.

The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit the earth, in October 1957.

Elvis Presley becomes the leading figure of the newly popular music genre of rock and roll in the mid-1950s.

MALONE 1. Tommy O’Hagan

3. Ricky Greenwood

2. Clayton Milligan

4. Adam McNamee

6. James McAlister

5. Stewart McKendrick

7. Dan Kerr

8. Dave Cave Captain

9. Lewis Finlay 11. Andy Bryans

10. Callum Smith

12. Nathan Brown 13. David McMaster 15. Aaron Sexton

14. Rory Campbell

TEAM PL W HIghfield 5 5 Old Wesley 5 5 St Mary’s 5 3 Armagh 5 3 Shannon 5 2 Naas 5 2 Old Belvedere 5 2 Navan 5 2 Malone 5 1 Banbridge 5 0

L 0 0 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 5

D 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

PF 145 140 120 101 123 105 96 89 92 79

16. Harry Andrews

17 Aidan McSwiggin

18 James Welling

19 Conor Spence

20 Shane Kelly

21 Ben Halliday

PA 74 78 88 101 87 136 111 150 126 139

DIFF 71 62 32 0 36 -31 -15 -61 -34 -60

B 2 2 4 2 5 3 2 0 2 2

PTS 22 22 16 14 13 11 10 8 6 2

BANBRIDGE 1. Michael Cromie (Capt) 2. Peter Cromie 3. Stuart Cromie 4. Alexander Thompson 5. Brendan McSorley 6. David O’Connor 7. Max Lyttle 8. Robin Sinton 9. Niall Kilpatrick 10. Andrew Morrison 11. Ross Cartmill 12. Josh Cromie 13. Joe Finnegan 14. Conor Field 15. Adam Doherty Subs: 16. Tim Savage 17. Josh Chambers 18. Matthew Laird 19. Alexander Weir 21. Aaron Kennedy 22. Dean Hayes

Alan O’Connor with the women’s youth team

SPREADING One of the many unseen projects that Malone undertakes is the outreach work it does with local non-rugby playing schools and organisations, as well as with its own youth section.

Learning good rucking technique

Since September, club members such as Matty Hamilton, Michael McAlister and Holly Brannigan have been visiting Our Lady and St. Patrick’s, Aquinas and Ashfield Girls’ schools and in the coming weeks we will be starting courses at Lagan College, Grovsvenor Grammar School and Wellington College.

As many of the children on the courses have never played rugby before, core skills have to be developed from the ground up, but Stewart Moore with the Under-18 youth team.

Holly Brannigan (left) running a drill

THE WORD also keeping the fun element of the game to the forefront, allowing the participants to enjoy the sessions whilst learning.

Malone’s Ulster players Alan O’Connor and Stewart Moore have also been down at the club. Alan working with the senior women’s and girl’s youth sides Stewart helping the Under-18s with their match preparation.

The aim of the outreach is to spread the word about rugby to a new audience and ultimately, hope that they make their way to Malone to continue their rugby experience.

Youth rugby continues every Wednesday at the club, contact Gary on 07544 527 668 (male) or Emily on 07770 896 590 (female) or email MRFC1892@outlook.com

In full swing at Aquinas.

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Player Profile Prop forward Ricky Greenwood started his rugby odyssey as a pupil at Rockport House Preparatory School before moving on to Campbell College.

At Campbell, Ricky was a Medallion Shield winner and also a Schools’ Cup winner.

In his final year at Campbell he fell outside the Schools’ Cup age bracket, so he was able to play club rugby. Ricky played for the very successful Malone Under-19 side that appeared in four finals, winning two of them.

His senior rugby career started at CIYMS but it wasn’t long before Ricky was back at Malone and he has been a part of the senior squad ever since, as well as captaining the 2nd XV to a McCrea Cup win.

Ricky’s working week is taken up as a senior management recruiter for a well known local firm.

RICKY GREENWOOD

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The Coach’s Corner We return to Gibson Park today with both senior teams playing.

The 1st XV welcome Banbridge and the 2nd XV line up against Larne 1st XV. With no games last weekend, we returned to training this week and the boys have worked honestly and consistently.

After playing the two unbeaten sides in the league we are disappointed not to have won at least one of the games. Again, decision making at key times in the games cost us and we must be ruthless when these opportunities arise.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish Josh Pentland all the best in

retirement. Josh has fully recovered from the spinal injury that he suffered against Queens but has taken the sensible decision to hang up his boots.

Josh has been a key part of the senior squad this season and is an outstanding young man. I would like to thank him for his efforts and friendship this season.

William Leacock

Covering rugby in Ulster

With the women

WELL DONE NEVE!

The womens’ team play Railway Union in the Energia All at Gibson Park on Friday 19th October, we’ll have a round up of that in our Shannon programme but the big news this week is that Neve Jones has been selected to start for Ireland this weekend in their game against Japan.

Well done and well deserved - the whole club are behind you all the way!

Well done also to our four Under 18 girls who lined out against Munster at the end of October.

Four of our U16 girls travelled to Armagh with the Eastern Panthers for a game with Virginia. Great rugby on show, well done to all of our girls!

Our U14 girls were out on 7th November with a friendly away to Lurgan. Fantastic rugby from both sides with plenty of tries on show! Well done to all involved and a big thank you to Lurgan for hosting us.

POTTINGER’S ENTRY, BELFAST