Towns Cup Rd2

PROVINCIAL TOWNS CUP 2024 ND 2 ROUND

VS NAAS RFC

CILL DARA RFC

Sunday 17 March 2024 Forenaughts, Naas Kick-Off: 15:00 Match Referee: Berney White GENERAL ADMISSION - €10 Club members and children go free Bar open from 14:30 to 19:00

Image thanks to Michael Linehan Photography

PROVINCIAL TOWNS CUP SECOND ROUND AND MICHAEL OSBORNE CENTENARY TROPHY I am delighted to welcome you to Forenaughts for our Bank of Ireland Provincial Towns Cup second round tie. A warm welcome also to Joe Byrne, President of Cill Dara RFC, the players, coaching staff and supporters.

Today’s fixture is Naas RFC’s 200th Towns Cup match. To date we have had 103 wins and 88 defeats, with 8 drawn games.

Naas had a comprehensive 103rd win in the first round against Skerries, while Cill Dara got a bye and come to Forenaughts hoping to add an 89th defeat to the stats.

This is only the 2nd occasion that the two teams have done battle in the Bank of Ireland Provincial Towns Cup. Our first meeting was in last year’s competition at the quarter final stage in Forenaughts, with Cill Dara winning by a single point.

While virtual strangers when it comes to the Towns Cup, Naas and Cill Dara have a long history of doing battle in the Leinster League. Today we will also be competing for the Centenary Trophy in memory of the late Michael Osborne and in recognition of his contribution to both clubs.

Michael Osborne played rugby for Naas and was Club Captain in 1953 / 1954 and Club President in 1969 to 1973. In his first year as President, the Club won the Provincial Towns Plate in 1969, the Club’s first trophy since the Leinster Junior Cup in 1924. He was also actively involved in the establishment of Youth Rugby in Naas in the early 1970s and in the negotiations for the purchase of the Club’s current home at Forenaughts.

In his capacity as manager of the Irish National Stud he became a great friend to Cill Dara providing the Club with practical assistance in terms of playing and training pitches and the conversion of stables into dressing rooms.

We are looking forward to presenting the trophy to the winning captain after the match in honour of Michael.

Best of luck to Naas RFC today and for the rest of the competition, along with all the clubs hoping to lift the famous Towns Cup trophy in 2024. I hope we have an enjoyable, sporting and injury free game.

Yours in Rugby Paula Laffan President Naas RFC 2023/24

NAAS RFC SQUAD 1. Jim Downey Two Mile House

2. Glen Condell Athy

5. Sarib Qazi Srinagar

4. Ruben Lyons Santander

6. Lorcan Murphy Kilteel

8. Evan Coyle Naas

7. Francisco Bartorelli (C) Lagomar

10. Matias Giannetti Santiago

9. Ben Noone Ballymore Eustace

11. Ruairi Cleary Naas

3. Ben Howlett Kilcock

12. Lyle O’Connell Plettenberg Bay

13. Lance Batten Harare

14. Kaelan Burke Hollywood

15. Jack Sheridan Naas

16. Tadhg Dooley

17. Stephen Lackey

18. Will O’Brien

19. Tom Jenkins

20. Ross Cleary

CILL DARA RFC SQUAD Forwards

Backs

Replacement pool

Dave Vaughan

Conor McCormack Conor Forde Tom Barron Tom Cleary Adam Quinn William Doran Leon Murphy Aaron Corrway Philip Kenny Tod Doyle Rob Dempsey

1. Rob Scully

9.

2. Gordon Shannon

10. Senan Brannock

3. D J Brannock

11. Cian Buckley

4. Billy O’Shea

12. J J McIlwrath

5. Joe Marks (Capt)

13. Josh Tuhakaraina

6. Ross Dooley

14. Bryn Moore

7. Paudi Wall

15. Michal Haznar

8. Conor Smyth

STORIES FROM THE SIDELINE

Ireland internationals go back to their roots in Naas RFC

Jimmy O’Brien and Oli Jager are former Naas minis who have gone on to achieve the highest honour of playing for Ireland.

Jimmy recently presented his Ireland jersey from his first international cap to Paula Laffan at her President’s Dinner.

Meanwhile, after the Wales game in the Aviva, in which Oli made his international debut, he was congratulated by Mike Higgins, who coached him as a mini in Naas.

OUR GENEROUS CLUB SPONSORS Many thanks to all our club sponsors for their continued support. Please, in turn, support them where possible.

MAIN CLUB SPONSOR

@naasrfc |

Naas Rugby(Naas RFC) |

naasrugbyclub