MALONE The Cregagh Redsocks
RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB Saturday 2nd October, 2021 versus
NAVAN
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 Dear Members & Guests I would like to welcome Navan RFC, their President, Rosi Meegan and all their supporters to Gibson Park for the opening AIL fixture of the season. Good luck to both teams. For the AIL season ahead, I wish all our teams, coaches, management, captains and players, both new and returning the very best of luck for the season. A particular big note of thanks to our sponsors, volunteers and contributors without whom we would not be able to compete. 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. Let's hope we all get an entertaining match that will in injury free for both sides.
After today's match I want to welcome everyone back inside the clubhouse for some traditional Malone hospitality. Keith Murray President Malone RFC
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Great Patrick Street Belfast BT1 2NX Tel. 028 9023 5791 Fax. 028 9023 3273
A message from the president of the IRFU It is my privilege to write to you in the capacity of President of the Irish Rugby Football Union for the upcoming season, 2021/22. As you know this is my second year as President, a unique occurrence in unprecedented times, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to represent you throughout the year. The past year has had a huge impact on society. Many of us have lost family, friends, colleagues or indeed clubmates. This has been the huge tragedy of COVID 19, and these people will live long in our memories. COVID 19 paused our domestic game competitions, but our working relationships have become stronger, and I know from my conversations with Colin McEntee, and from seeing the huge amount of work done across new platforms, such as MS Teams and Zoom, that there will be positives that we will take from this time. The Rugby Department has worked hard during the lockdown to stay connected with all our stakeholders through online platforms; player and coach webinars, refereeing and coaching courses delivered online and a suite of webinars for our volunteers and many more. I know that this is a very busy time in clubs so anything that can help improve how we work together will be a positive. I know we are all eager to get back to normal interpersonal activities, to meet up at committee level and to be personally involved in many of our Club activities. However, we have learned through adversity that technology may provide solutions that will help reduce the burden carried by our volunteers each season. While there is still a lot of uncertainty ahead, it is my hope that I will get to as many clubs as possible, in line with COVID 19 guidelines, and I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible in the year ahead.
Sport has always played an important part in our society, and as we emerge from COVID 19 rugby will help to strengthen the physical and mental health of everyone involved in and around our games. In my many conversations with members of the rugby family over the past 18 months I know that I speak for all when I acknowledge the great pleasure, we all gained from the TV coverage of our games throughout the lockdown. In this regard I am pleased to acknowledge the work of everyone involved in managing to keep the Provincial and National team bubbles COVID free so that we could enjoy the wonderful efforts of all our professional players. I close by encouraging us all to keep an eye out for each other – we have been through so much and some may be struggling in silence, but we will get through it shoulder to shoulder. The very best of luck to you and all your teams in the year ahead. Yours sincerely,
DES KAVANAGH President
Energia All Ireland League sponsors
On behalf of everyone at Energia, I’d like to say how delighted we are to see the Energia AIL resume for the 2021/22 season. Following the most challenging of years, the absence of sport has been a reminder of how important it is in our lives and we hope that the return of the Energia AIL will help to reignite the passion for our grassroots game in communities across the country. We would like to acknowledge and thank the clubs, players, and volunteers for their efforts to incorporate and adhere to the health and safety requirements and guidelines that have allowed for the safe return of teams and supporters. This has been a significant undertaking. This year we celebrate 30 years of the All Ireland League and now more than ever it’s important that we harness the power of #PositiveEnergy that is at the core of
Energia’s commitment to rugby at all levels and to shine a light on the quality of our grassroots game across the 55 clubs and 60 teams partaking in this year’s Energia AIL. We are excited for everyone involved in the game of rugby to get back in their clubs, on the buses and on the pitches. After a long period on the side-lines, we’re sure this will be a very special season. Gary Ryan Managing Director Energia Customer Solutions
OUR VISITORS TODAY
NAVAN RFC Navan Rugby Football Club is based in Floodlights were erected in the 1980s and Navan, County Meath. The club was tennis courts were also built but were founded in 1924, founder member Willie disposed of to the newly formed Navan Sullivan was also the president of Meath Tennis Club. Agricultural Society at the time, so the The 1990s began well with victory in the county showgrounds became the 1990 Provincial Cups final. The title home grounds for Navan RFC. was retained in 1991. Navan Like most organisations, the ended the decade as they had club had its good and bad begun, by winning the 1999 days. The decades following final. WWII were particularly harsh In 1999 the Committees and and in 1962, thirty-seven Trustees of the club years after its formation, the unanimously agreed to the club had no grounds or construction of a brand pavilion. There were two new ¤1m state-of-the-art alternatives-to close down clubhouse, this was officially the club or to provide new opened in April 2000 by the headquarters for the club. then IRFU President Bill In 1964, the club purchased land Lavery. It is built on three levels, in Balreask Old Townland for comprising 10 dressing rooms, a IR£660 for a permanent rugby weights room, a medical room, Navan President shower rooms and toilet facilities pitch and clubhouse. Rosi Meegan The 1960’s proved to be one of the in the lower ground floor. On the prosperous eras in the history of Navan raised ground floor there is a bar and large RFC. winning many cups and titles. The club function rooms. reached Towns Cup final in 1970 and ’71 but In 2009 Navan won the Leinster League the rest of the decade was lean on the Division 1 for the second time and playing field for the adult team. The only subsequently were promoted to the senior trophy won in the 1970s was the Houston ranks of Irish rugby trophy at J1 level. Navan moved through the leagues and in The late 1980s produced some memorable 2019, they won promotion to Division 1B victories for the club and the team also after defeating Queen's University in the contested its first senior cup match, having promotion play-off. won through the preliminary rounds for the Malone’s previous two games against Navan first time. The Towns Cup was won again in resulted in home and away wins for the 1990 Cregagh Road side pre-covid.
A dander down Daddy Winker’s Lane 1892, Victoria’s reign was drawing to a close, Salisbury had desposed Gladstone as Prime Minister, Sherlock Holmes was first published, and a meeting was held at a house in Malone Park to discuss the formation of a rugby club and Malone Football Club, as it was originally known, was formed. To start with the club only had 13 playing members and around a dozen non-playing, the captain was CS Harden, who in 1989 presented the Harden Cup to the Ulster Branch, that cup has returned home on many occasions since. The new club’s first match was against Albion 2nd XV, unfortunately there is no record of whether they won or lost. in 1893 the club was affiliated to the Ulster Branch and after a year of playing in open fields the club moved
Winners of Ulster Junior League 1893-94
The house in Malone Park where the initial meeting was held
to a ground off the Lisburn Road, beside Balmoral Cemetery near Balmoral Station and could only be reached by crossing the main Belfast to Dublin railway line. In 1902 a spectator was killed and the ground was never used again. A pitch at Osborne Park was used until the club took up residence in Balmoral Showgrounds in 1903. In the following years Malone won the Junior League and was granted senior status in 1896, the first senior match, a loss against Belfast Collegians. The fixture list at
the turn of the century included Albion, Fortwilliam, Knock, Belmont, Ulster, Mount and Windsor, all now extinct, with Collegians, North, Queens, Dungannon and City of Derry. The first Dublin fixture was against Monkstown in 1897 and the first game against an English club, Furness, in 1903. The early 1900s were probably the most successful in Malone’s history, four successive Senior League Championships, the now defunct Charity Cup on three occsions and in 1904 defeating Queens to win the Ulster Senior Cup. These successes were probabaly not all that surprising as Malone had six international fowards in that pack, two of whom, Tom Smyth and Alife Tedford were Ireland captains. With the outbreak of war in 1914 many clubs were forced to disband, but Malone manged to field one team to play friendlies. Of the 150 members of the club in 1914, 103 enlisted in the forces and 25 were killed in action.
IN THESE YEARS Wright Bros first flight, 1903
San Francisco earthquake, 1906
Titanic sinks, 1912
Winners of Ulster Challenge and Ulster Senior League Cups, 1903-04
Next time: The roaring twenties and the road to Gibson Park
World War One, 1914-1918
MALONE 3. Aidan McSwiggin
1. Tommy O’Hagan 2. Clayton Milligan
5. James Welling
4. Adam McNamee
8. Max Porter
6. Dan Kerr
7. Dave Cave Captain
9. Shane Kelly 11. Andy Bryans
10. John Creighton
12. Matty Hamilton 13. Ben McCaughey 15. Aaron Sexton
14. Rory Campbell
TEAM PL W D Banbridge 0 0 0 Armagh 0 0 0 Highfield 0 0 0 Malone 0 0 0 Naas 0 0 0 Navan 0 0 0 Old Belvedere 0 0 0 Old Wesley 0 0 0 Shannon 0 0 0 St Mary's 0 0 0
L 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
PF PA DIFFTB 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16. Ben Halliday
17 Scott Finlay
18 Ricky Greenwood
19 Stewart McKendrick
20 Conor Spence
21 David McMaster
LB PTS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
NAVAN 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Liam Carroll Jack Nelson Eoin King Andrew Doyle Conor Hand Shane Faulkner Conor Farrell Hardus Van Eeden Mark Farrell Liam McLoughlin Ben McEntaggart Harry Hester Evan Dixon Sean McEntaggart Paddy Fox
Subs: 16. Gary Fulkner 17. Niall Farrelly 18. Ronan Meegan 19. Colm O’Reilly 20 Rory Gordon 21
Festival of Rugby kicks off the season
Malone started the season with a series of games against old friends and rivals Belfast Harlequins. Over 35s, Ladies, Minis, Mixed Ability and 1st XV teams all took to the Gibson Park pitches throughout the day. Not only was it a great way to remember our friend and Chairman Patrick ‘Chippy’ Baird, but it was the perfect way to kick off the season.
Festival of Rugby kicks off the season
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The Coach’s Corner
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Gibson Park today for the start of our AIL campaign. After the dark days of Covid and lockdowns we can look forward to playing some rugby. The senior squad has worked hard in preseason under the coaching team who are trying to promote a positive and challenging environment for the players to work in. We have played four Ulster Rugby Premiership games winning two and losing two. An excellent start against Armagh where we played some good rugby was followed by a disappointing result at Ballynahinch. We then welcomed Queen’s to Gibson Park where, after a poor first half, we responded well in the second half to come back and win. We then went to Rainey and lost a game we should have won but if we are honest with ourselves our performance was not up to the standard we have set ourselves so far this season. I look forward to a response from the boys against Navan. Injuries have taken their toll on our senior squad and our thoughts are with Josh Petland, Teigan Erasmus, Ryan Clarke, Stuart Doddington and the mercurial Josh Davidson who
have all suffered serious injuries. Thankfully all will recover, and we look forward to seeing the boys back at the club soon. Thank you to our main club sponsors, for their continuing support and assistance of the club this season. I hope you enjoy your day at Gibson Park and that you will join us in the clubhouse after the match. William Leacock
Covering rugby in Ulster
WOMEN KICK OFF WITH A WIN Galwegians made the 460 mile round trip to play Malone in the first womens’ AIL encounter of the season at Gibson Park last Saturday. The initial encounters were cagey, but slowly Malone began to get the upper hand and scored an unconverted try through Sarah Murphy after 13 minutes. Malone consolidated their lead with unconverted tries by Bex Smyth and Sophie Armstrong but on the stroke of half-time Galwegians hit back with a try and conversion by Maria Gorham to leave Malone with a 15-7 lead at the break. The second half started with both defences on top until on 55 minutes Laoise McGionigle squeeezed in at the cornrner to reduce the Malone lead to 15-12 Malone did not panic, and Holly Brannigan responded ten minutes later when she broke from deep for a fine solo try which was unconverted. Emma Jordan’s try (also unconverted) after 73 minutes seemed to wrap up the game up for Malone but Galwegians were not finished and Niamh O’Grady scored an unconverted try on 78 minutes Malone have many positives to take with a bonus point win in their first AIL match of the season.
Lauren and Rachel shared the Dirtbird player of the match award after their 25-17 win over Galwegians last Saturday.
Saturday 2nd October Old Belvedere vs
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
MALONE WOMEN
Sarah Murphy Neve Jones Niamh McCloskey Jasmine Ward Hannah Beattie Rebecca Greenaway Shirelle Wilson Lauren Maginnes Rachael McIlroy Alexa Grudgings Fern Wilson Peita McAlister (C) Sophie Armstrong Anna Stanfield Holly Brannigan
16 Ashleigh Curie 17 Aoife Cahill 18 Emma Taylor 19 Erin Jones 20 Caira O’Neill 21 Jill Stephens 22 Ella Durkin
Mixed bag for Seconds...
but thirds and fourths start with wins
Malone seconds have had a mixed bag of results to start the season with. They lost away to both Randalstown and Lisburn but at home, under the lights on a Friday night are unbeaten, Ballymena and Limavady failing to sparkle under the floodlights. The thirds started their season with a cracking game against HMS Lancaster. The Type 23 Frigate was docked in Belfast last weekend and sent a full team and supporters to Gibson Park for the game. The fourths started their league campaign with a derby match against Grosvenor last Saturday at Cherryvale. Malone took the bragging rights this time.
Players from Malone thirds and HMS Lancaster after their game, and below, some action shots from teh game
POTTINGER’S ENTRY, BELFAST