MALONE vs St. Marys 1 April 23

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

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

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

President: Gerry Gibbons

Senior

Vice President: Ken Campbell

Malone RFC proudly supports:

Chairman: Stuart Duncan

Unus et Omnia (Google it),

The last home match of the 22-23 season is upon us and it brings our rivals and friends from Templeogue up on a visit. A warm BT6 welcome is extended to the team from the Templeville Road, Dublin, St Mary’s and their President, the affable Mr. Gareth Roche Esq.

Mary’s always provide us with a first class entertainment fest and who could ever forget the 42 all draw of January 2022 ? Dave Cave said it was the one and only occasion that he saw Gareth Millar run at speed , take a line, break through a defence and score (all in the same game).

This week we shall mourn but also celebrate ‘Kirky’. I was not alone in that he was a great friend and colleague for many years and I will miss him greatly. The pitch and lines will always bear his brand and his attention to detail. The ‘Gourley’s Hillbillies’ will miss him, his infectious laugh and his ability to get on with everybody. We all want Avril, Kyle, Aaron, Ellen and the family circle to know that they are in our thoughts. A minute’s applause will be held before kick-off as a mark of respect to our longstanding and popular member. In other news, the Minis head off to Madrid this weekend. Eagle’s been there that often, the locals are calling him ‘General Franco’. The U16’s are in Magherafelt to play Coleraine/Limavady in the Plate Final. Good Luck one and all !

The Belles of Malone are facing Queens in the Junior Cup on Monday 10th April (‘yes’, Monday) at 12.30. Their veteran leader, Miss Mc, has arranged for the Bar to be open afterwards and she’s meeting the tab.

QUB are also the opposition for our 2nd XV today. We meet them in the semi final of the McCrea Cup and we wish Conor Spence and Co. ‘Good Luck’ and ‘All the best’.

Last but not least ! Shane ‘Quick Tap’ Kelly celebrates his 150th AIL appearance for Malone today. His best (but treacherous) amigos, Vin Diesel Maxwell and Angry B, say it would be 200 if he hadn’t have gone on vacation to Carrick that time. His Dad Jim was at a lunch recently and he confided that he was proud of of SK, his ability and sporting prowess, but that he always believed CK was the ‘Gifted One’. Suck it up Shane !

On a serious but joyful note, congratulations to yourself and Jenny on the birth of Clare . The important things in life count the most. All the best Shane and thanks for your service. May I also take this opportunity to thank Michael Kearney and the long suffering Paula for their time and service to the Club. Michael has decided to withdraw from the front of house as he and Paula have other interests , including family, to pursue and the egg timer’s running. Thanks for everything Michael and all the best for the future. You might keep up some administrative role and sure Paula can return for the odd raffle ? Thanks again from all at Malone.

Final reminder as to the IRFU Code of Conduct. Let’s all enjoy it, cheer the Boys on but show respect to the Match Officials and the St Mary’s crew.

‘As I was slowly walking, down the Cregagh Road one day…..’ G.G.

St. Mary’s

Four trys from Aaron Sexton and a late 35 metre penalty from Rory Campbell saw Malone take two losing bonus points from their game with Banbridge last week and keep the three-way relegation battle running for at least another week. There are now eight points separating the bottom three teams with two games remaining.

Malone welcome St. Mary’s this week, and with recent meetings between these two being any indicatior, there should be a glut of tries on offer for the spectators. However, Malone will want to keep St. Mary’s well behind them on the scoreboard as UCC travel to Armagh, who need a win to keep at the top of the league, and Banbridge travel to Old Belvedere, who sit in second and covet the top spot - Malone will be looking to go into the final week with 8th place and safety in their sights. The great thing about sport though is that nothing is certain, and all three of the bottom teams could be relegated, in a promotion play off or safe - there are many permutations - it will be a tense finish to the season for Malone, UCC and Banbridge with all three hoping that the opposition for the other two will do them a favour or two over the coming weeks..

St Mary's College Rugby Football Club is based in South Dublin. The club was founded in 1900 by former pupils of St. Mary's College, Dublin and was originally known as Old St Mary's.

The club was formerly sited at College Drive, Templeogue from 1955 until the 1970s when the club moved to Templeville Road to rugby grounds formerly owned and used by Templeogue College, the Holy Ghost Fathers, sister school of St Mary's College.

In the early days, the matches were played in the front field at the college, and the first trophy, the Leinster Junior Cup was won in 1905 In 1911, the club earned senior status and secured its own grounds off Beaver Row in Donnybrook. There it thrived until the First World War when, along with the college, it closed down and although the college reopened after the war, the club did not get going again until 1932.

In 1955 a new clubhouse and grounds

were opened on College Drive. It took only a few years to taste success and in 1958 the Leinster Senior Cup for the first time.

The sixties saw a stream of cups come home to St Marys at junior level and then having been so close on a few occasions, in 1969 the great Sean Lynch, who afterward became be their first international and British and Irish Lion, drove his super team to win the Leinster Senior Cup again.

The cup was to be won again in ‘71, ‘74, ‘75,’87, ‘93, ’95, 2005, 2010, and 2012. The IRFU centenary all Ireland cup was won by Marys, led by the incomparable Johnny Moloney in 1975.

The seventies also saw the club outgrow College Drive and a new ground was purchased from the Holy Ghost Community.

In the eighties, the club continued to make strong progress, and as well as three senior trophies, cups and leagues were won at all levels right through the decade. It added to it’s international

members with Paul Dean and Vincent Cunningham

The nineties saw the commencement of the All Ireland League in season 1990-91 and the club started in the 1st division

During the decade, the quality of play increased rapidly, with Brent Pope coming over from New Zealand in 1991 and others such as Victor Costello, Peter

Smyth, and Trevor Brennan joining from outside the club to add to the talent. St. Mary’s has produced a plethora of internationals and British and Irish Lions including Sean Lynch, Ciaran Fitzgerald, Tony Ward, Paul Dean, Jack McGrath, and Johnny Sexton to name a few.

Today’s Game in numbers

10thMalone sit in tenth place after 16 games

12 3 WON LOST

DRAWN 1

269424 Points forPoints against

429401

Points forPoints against

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.

•Accept the referee's decision and let your captain ask any relevant questions.

•Play with control. Do not lose your temper.

•Always do your best and be committed to the game, your team and your club.

•Be a "good sport". Applaud all good play whether by your team or the opposition.

•Respect your opponent. Treat all players as you would like to be treated. Do not "bully" or take advantage of any player.

•Rugby is a team sport so make sure you co-operate with your coach, teammates and members of your club.

•At the end of the match thank your opponents and the referee for the match.

•Always remember that you owe a duty of care to your opponents. Tackle hard but fairly, do not intend to hurt your opponent.

•Winning and losing is part of sport: Win with humility - lose with dignity.

•As part of the team it is important that you attend training regularly, listen to your coach and help your team.

•As a team sport it is important to understand that all members are important to the team!

•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.

•Applaud good play by the visiting team as well as your own.

•Show respect for your team's opponents. Without them there would not be a match.

•Condemn the use of violence in all forms at every opportunity.

•Verbal abuse of players or referees cannot be accepted in any shape or form.

•Players or referees are not fair targets for ignorant behaviour.

•Encourage players to play by the Laws of the Game.

•Spectators can contribute to the enjoyment of the event and all involved.

•Be proud of your club and the Game of Rugby

Shane and his brother Connor started their rugby careers together in Malone’s mini rugby section along with other first team stalwarts Andy Bryans, Daryl Maxwell and James McAlister. He came through the youth system and in 2009 made his first team debut and apart from a brief visit to the USA and another season as player coach at Carrick, Shane has been an ever-present with Malone’s first team.

Shane’s 150th appearance sees him top the standings as the Malone player with the most AIL games - no-one has even thought about how many Ulster League and Senior Cup games

Shane has played!

Shane has had many memorable days at Gibson Park, but the club’s two promotions, the most recent in 2018 to put Malone in Division 1B of the All Ireland league are major highlights of his playing days. Away from the rugby pitch the Ballymena schoolteacher has hit another milestone with the birth of his first child - a girl, Alice Clare Kelly. Shane, Jenny and baby are all doing very well. Having hit the 150 mark, Shane shows no signs of slowing down and there’s no doubt he will want to push on towards 200 - congratulations and well done Shane.

A Malone man since birth - thats Shane Kelly - the ‘Glass Collector’.*

* Shane was dubbed the ‘Glass Collector’ by Stuart Duncan after his brief first job in the club’s bar. He was sacked before his first shift ended!

MALONE R.F.C.

1.Ben Halliday

2.Sam Green

3.Ricky Greenwood

4.Cory Tipping

5.Adam McNamee

6.Patrick Fullarton-Healey

7.Dave Cave (Capt)

8.Declan Moore

9Shane Kelly

10.Angus Curtis

11.Davy McMaster

12.Nathan Brown

13.Ben Gibson

14.Andy Bryans

15.Aaron Sexton

16.Lawson Porter

17.Gary Crawford

18.Niall Greenan

19.Jack McMurtry

20.Yasser Omar

21.Rory Campbell

St. Mary’s

Forwards:

1.Adam Mulvihill

2.Richard Halpin

Backs:

9.Richard Fany

10.Conor Dean

3.Michael McCormack

4.Peter Starrett

5.Daniel Leane

6.Niall Hurley

7. Ethan Baxter

8. Ronan Watters (C)

Referee: Keane Davidson

11.Ryan O’Loughlin

12.Mick O’Gara

13.Conor Hickey

14.Hugo Conway

15. Mark Fogarty

Replacements:

16. Thomas O'Reilly

17. Jack Reidy Walsh

18. Harry MacDonald

19. Ian Wickham

20. Adam McEvoy

21. Steven Kilgallen

22. Aaron O’Neill

23. Leandre Sellier

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 15th April AWAY GAME

2.30 pm kick off at The Mardyke, Cork.

SUPPORTING MALONE RUGBY CLUB

8th floor

The Clarence West Building

2 Clarence Street West Belfast BT2 7GP

Tel: 029 9024 8989

Proud to be Malone Mini Rugby main sponsor

13 of our womens’ squad are springing into March with the aim of covering 100 miles each throughout the month. All funds raised will go to local charity Action Mental Health who change the lives of those living with mental ill health. Any donations are hugely appreciated for such a worthy cause

www.justgiving.com/ page/malone-do-1300 Keep a look out for updates on our progress throughout the month

13km, approx. 720m ascent, lots of laughs and pints with some sleepy dogs to finish. A day in the Mournes for our senior ladies, led by Andy Goulding was a great way to rack up some distance for our March challenge.

BULLS AT MALONE

Ulster.

The club was delighed to be able to host the visitors and they reciprocated by inviting our Primary 6 and 7 mini rugby squads along on Thursday afternoon to watch their session.

Head coach Jake White and South African legend Bismark Du Plessis introduced the Malone Minis to the Bulls players and a great time was had meeting the players and getting autographs.

There is no doubt how important today is for the club with our penultimate league game and McCrea Cup semi-final.

Two wins would put us in a good position going into Easter and all your support is greatly appreciated.

I want to extend a warm welcome to Sean and his squad. Earlier in the season we had a cracking game down at Mary`s with over 70 points scored and hopefully there`s plenty more tries on show today.

I would also like to welcome several school leavers to the game today. Hopefully you have a great day, and I would love to see you all here playing your rugby here at Gibson Park next season.

Since our last home game, we have sadly lost Gary Kirkpatrick, a man who always had a supportive presence about the place and my sympathies go to his family.

I would also like to congratulate Shane Kelly on becoming a dad for the first time. I know Jenni and him will make great parents as I`ve seen how good they`ve been with my own children

. Shane is also making his 150th AIL appearance today. Although over a 100 of these have been off the bench, it is a significant achievement as he is the first Malone player to reach this milestone. Finally, I would like to thank you all for your continued support in what has been a challenging season and hopefully we have two wins to celebrate in the bar afterwards!

Primary 7 trip to Alcobendas, 2023

It will be an early start for the Primary 7 squad as they meet at Malone at 01.50 am on Friday 31st March to travel to Dublin for their 06.15 am flight to Madrid.

When they arrive in Madrid its an afernoon at the Casa de Compo fun park before checking into the hotel and dinner. On Saturday they take part in a tournament at the Polideportivo Jose Caballero grounds and after that they will travel to Alcobendas for a barbecue. On Sunday they squad will head to the famous Bernabeu stadium, home of Read Madrid, for a tour of the stadium and hopefully to see the game against Valldolid. Monday is another early start for the squad as they begin their trip back to Belfast,

History of Albobendas

The club was established in 2003 by local fans from Alcobendas, and played its first ever season in División de Honor that year, occupying the place formally occupied by Moraleja.

Rugby in this area north of Madrid dates back to the 70s. Other past teams from Alcobendas includes Teca Rugby Club (1972-1990), Club España Urogallos (1979-1990), Alcobendas Rugby Club (1990-1999), Club de Rugby La Moraleja-El Soto (1990–1999), Moraleja

Alcobendas Rugby Unión (1999-2003), Club Alcobendas Rugby (2003–).

In the summer of 2003, a group of fans of founded, the Alcobendas Rugby Club. Moraleja Alcobendas Rugby Unión gave up its competition rights to this new club and rugby in the Municipality was secured. The players, fans, Fundal (Alcobendas Sports Foundation), the Department of Sports and the Alcobendas City Council have ensured that Alcobendas will continue to have high-level rugby for a long time.

I hope you all have a brilliant time away in what will be a fantastic tour. Touring in rugby is always a special experience, whether you’re a young boy or girl or old like Dunc!

Play some great rugby, enjoy the fun with your friends and wear your Red Socks with pride!

Josh Pentland (Malone RFC Head Coach)

Primary 7 Alcobendas 2022

POTTINGER’S ENTRY, BELFAST

Malone RFC is proud to support

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.