Naas vs Shannon Match Day Programme_22Mar by NRFCMatchProgramme

Saturday 22 March 2025

Forenaughts, Naas Kick-Off: 14:30

Match Referee: Daniel Carson

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

On behalf of Naas Rugby Club, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to Forenaughts for this afternoon’s Energia All-Ireland League Division 1B fixture

A warm welcome to our visitors from Shannon, their President Neil O’Carroll, players, coaches & supporters who have made the trip up the motorway to Naas. It is always an honour to host Shannon With a record nine All-Ireland titles they are Ireland's most successful club and have set the standards for all other clubs in the country

We have enjoyed some tremendous contests with Shannon over the years, including the memorable occasion when we contested the Division 1B final in Coonagh in April 2022. Earlier this season in terrible conditions, we came out the right side of the result, winning 23-18 on the Thomand back pitch

Shannon are currently bottom of the table and come to Forenaughts fighting for their survival. They beat UCC 20-10 in their last fixture and I’ve no doubt that they will bring their traditional fighting spirit and pride in their club to Naas today Naas will be looking to repeat our last performance against Old Wesley, where we played some breathtaking rugby in running out 57-20 winners and claiming the Stephen Mooney Memorial Cup

It promises to be a fiercely competitive game of AIL rugby this afternoon and I wish both sets of players good luck and an injury free match

Naas RFC and the game of rugby itself is founded on the values of integrity and respect. Please take a minute to read through the Code of Conduct included in the programme, adhere to these guiding principles and especially show respect for our match officials

Many thanks to our club sponsors for their continued support A list of their names is at the back of the programme, and I would encourage you to support them where possible. Before I finish, I would like to draw your attention to two exciting items -

We have been selected by the Leinster Branch to host the 2025 Bank Of Ireland Provincial Towns Cup final This is a huge honour for the club and there is already a lot of planning underway behind the scenes to have everything in place for the big day on 27 April. If you are asked to help in any way, before or on the day of the final, we would be very grateful for your support to ensure a successful occasion for all

And finally for now, we are already planning for the start of next season! We hope to introduce jersey ambassadors, where an individual, a family or a business can become the exclusive ambassador of their preferred squad jersey for the whole of the 2025/26 season. More details are included in the programme, including a link to register your interest Or you can drop a note to naasrugbypro@gmail.com

Enjoy the match. Yours in rugby,

Gerry Prendergast President Naas RFC 2024/25

NAAS RFC SQUAD THE PACK

John King

NaasAILCaps:9

NaasAILCaps:20

JamesO’Loughlin

9NaasAILCaps:29

Muiris Cleary

Naas AIL Caps: 33

Naas AIL Caps: 133 1 2 3 4 6 8 7

NaasAILCaps:14

Eoin Walsh

NaasAILCaps:82

Ryan Casey

Naas AIL Caps: 117

Will O’Brien(Capt)

Aidan O’Kane

Adam Deay

NAAS RFC SQUAD THE ATTACK

CormacKing

NaasAILCaps:15

PaddyTaylor

NaasAILCaps:15

Bryan Croke

NaasAILCaps:70

CharlieSheridan

NaasAILCaps:47

13 12 10 9 11 15 14

JackSheridan

NaasAILCaps:36

Peter Osborne

NaasAILCaps:167

DonalConroy

NaasAILCaps:68

NAAS RFC SQUAD THE IMPACT

Conor Doyle

NaasAILCaps:95

StephenLackey

NaasAILCaps:57

PaulieTolofua

NaasAILCaps:95

DerryLenehan

NaasAILCaps:33

CillianDempsey

NaasAILCaps:83

18 20 21

David O’Sullivan

NaasAILCaps:9 16 17

Fixtures & Results

NAAS RFC MENS SENIOR TEAM

JERSEY AMBASSADORS 2025-26 AIL SEASON

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

Over the past two years we have published a squad announcement video for every senior mens AIL match together with a digital programme for each home game.

For next season we are looking to introduce jersey ambassadors, where an individual, a family or a business can become the exclusive ambassador of their preferred squad jersey for the whole season.

Your name or business brand would be associated with the jersey on all 27 senior men’s publications across all 18 AIL matches, with a reach of 3,000+ per match. Samples of both publications with ambassadors are included on the next page.

Are you a past player with an affiliation to a jersey number? Do you have a family member playing? Do you have a lucky or special number? Do you want an opportunity to promote your business? Let us know by registering your interest - click below.

Matchday programme extract sample Squad announcement video

Old Wesley 20 – 57 Naas | 01 March | Match Report

Fixtures between Naas and Old Wesley in the Energia All-Ireland League Div 1B are usually high scoring, close affairs. Naas bucked that trend last Saturday in Donnybrook. Although the game saw no less than 77 points scored, it certainly was not close, with Old Wesley having no answers to the rampant visitors.

Straight from the off there was a pace and flair about the Naas play that cut Wesley apart at will, with their forwards providing an ample supply of ball for the backs who ran riot. Naas got off to a great start and were in front after just three minutes Some quick passing by the backs moved the ball wide left to Jack Sheridan, who ducked under an attempted tackle before racing clear to score.

The lead was increased after 13 minutes. When Eoin Walsh passed to Paddy Taylor just inside the Wesley half. There did not appear to be a lot on for the Naas player, but a great sidestep left two defenders in his wake before he rounded Tom Larke for a sublime try. With Peter Osborne converting both scores Naas led 14 - nil

Both sides exchanged penalties – Ian Cassidy after 15 minutes and Peter Osborne on 19 minutes – before Naas scored a third try with 25 minutes played From a scrum on the Wesley 22 the ball was moved into midfield to Jack Sheridan, who put in a deft grubber behind the defence, before gathering and scoring beside the posts. Peter Osborne was again on the mark with the conversion, to make it 24-3 to Naas.

Wesley did reduce the gap after 31 minutes, when a quick tap penalty caught the Naas defence unawares and led to Alex Molloy scoring a try that Ian Cassidy was unable to convert

Then the visitors responded with a fourth try after 37 minutes – securing a try bonus point into the bargain Again it came from a Naas scrum – this time on the ten metre line From it, Cormac King moved the ball to Paddy Taylor and his lovely, soft pass found Charlie Sheridan who took it on a great line, spitting the Wesley defence apart, before racing away to score under the posts. The conversion by Peter Osborne made it 31-8 to Naas.

To their credit Wesley responded with a fine try of their own just on half-time, when Charlie Meagher made a good break, before passing inside to the supporting Willem Johnstone who finished off the move Ian Cassidy was again off the mark with the conversion attempt, to leave the score when referee Henry Richmond blew the half-time score: Old Wesley 13 – Naas 31.

The home side needed a fast start to the second period to have any chance, and they got just that with a try after 44 minutes. From a line-out they set up a driving maul that powered over the Naas line, with Kieran O’Shea being awarded the try. Ian Cassidy did convert this score to reduce the margin to 11 points

However Naas continued to dominate and came close to adding to their lead on a number of occasions, particularly so on 52 minutes when Jack Sheridan got over the line but was unable to ground the ball.

Then five minutes later Charlie Sheridan put in a chip ahead for his brother Jack to chase, but the ball just went over the dead-ball line before being touched down, with the Wesley defence well beaten.

Old Wesley 20 – 57 Naas | 01 March | Match Report

But this was only delaying the inevitable, and Naas finally put the game out of the reach of Wesley after 66 minutes.

Great hands by the visiting backs created an overlap out wide right, with Donal Conroy taking the final pass before sliding in at the corner

Although Peter Osborne narrowly missed the conversion, he only had to wait two minutes before having another attempt after another try by Conroy.

This time a loose Wesley pass was hacked forward by Paddy Taylor, and Conroy showed blistering pace to win the foot race to the loose ball, which he gathered before racing around the back of the posts for another try. Peter Osborne tapped over the conversion to leave the score 43-20 to Naas

The visitors were in top gear and a bewildered Wesley side had no answers On 74 minutes a crossfield kick by Bryan Croke was gathered by Jack Sheridan, who passed inside to his brother Charlie, who raced away for a seventh Naas try.

On the stroke of full-time a Naas ruck drove Wesley off the ball, a long pass by Adam Deay found Jack Sheridan out wide, he passed it on to Paddy Taylor who finished off the try scoring for the day. Peter Osborne converted both scores, to leave Naas emphatic winners by 57-20.

This was a brilliant display by Naas Wesley went into this match lying in 4th place in the league, but they simply had no answer to a visiting side that tore them apart and left them shell shocked after the eighty mins

Wesley were unlucky to have faced Naas in this mood, as on the day the visitors would have been a match for any club side in the country.

In addition to the five AIL league points, Naas also won the Stephen Mooney Memorial Cup, played for each year in memory of Stephen, who lined out for both clubs It is based on the aggregate points over the two AIL matches, with Naas coming out on top on a scoreline of 67–42

Captain, Will O’Brien is pictured below with the trophy, along with President, Gerry and Vice President, Ross.

Old Wesley: Tom Larke, Sam Burns, Alex Molloy, Eoin Deegan, Eoin Murphy, Ian Cassidy, Willem Johnstone, Adam Watchhorn, Kieran O’Shea, Evin Coyle, Reuben Pim (capt), David Motyer, Charlie Meagher, Gavin Meagher, Will Fay. Replacements: Rian Handley, Rory Duggan, Oisin Linnane, Fergus Jemphrey, Adam O’Connor, Charlie O’Regan.

Naas: Peter Osborne, Donal Conroy, Charlie Sheridan, Paddy Taylor, Jack Sheridan, Bryan Croke (capt), Cormac King, John King, Aidan O’Kane, Adam Deay, James O’Loughlin, Eoin Walsh, Cillian Dempsey, Muiris Cleary, Ryan Casey. Replacements: Francisco Bartorelli, Stephen Lackey, Darragh Murphy, Mikkel Andresen, Derry Lenehan, David O’Sullivan.

Referee: Henry Richmond Match report: Mark Herbert

Spirit of Rugby

NAAS RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB

Respect our Game Respect our Game

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR MEMBERS, PLAYERS, COACHES & SUPPORTERS

A person shall NOT ABUSE, THREATEN OR INTIMIDATE a player, referee, touch judge, match official or steward whether on or off the field of play and on club grounds.

A person (inclusive of players) shall NOT USE RACIAL, CRUDE OR ABUSIVE LANGUAGE OR GESTURES TOWARDS a player, referee, touch judge, match official, steward or spectator.

CLUB OFFICIALS AND STEWARDS

Shall be entitled to request any person to leave the club grounds for behaviour that they deem to be inappropriate or in breach of the code of conduct.