Old Belvedere vs UCC Match Programme

OLD BELVEDERE RFC

VS ENERGIA AIL DIV 1B ROUND 1 OLLIE CAMPBELL PARK

21 SEPT 2024

MATCH PROGRAMME Proudly sponsored by

TABLE OF CONTENTS 01 President's Message 02 About today 03 Energia Welcome Message 04 Old Belvedere Team Sheet (H) 05 UCC Team Sheet (A) 06 AIL Fixtures (Men) 07 AIL Fixtures (Women) 08 Leinster President’s Message 09 U20's Article 10 Gallery 11 IRFU President’s Message 12 Sponsors ENERGIA AIL ROUND 1 | OLD BELVEDERE VS UCC

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Dear Members, It is a great honour for me to represent Old Belvedere RFC this season as its President.

On behalf of everyone in the club, I would like to extend a very warm welcome to all members and guests along with their families and friends to Ollie Campbell Park throughout the season. I would particularly like to welcome all visiting teams and match officials and I hope that you find OCP a welcoming environment.

I hope this year that we continue to build on the fantastic work that has been carried out by so many people over the last few years in making Old Belvedere such a warm and welcoming place to visit. This effort has been spearheaded by Philip Byrne and his colleagues. Many thanks also to all those who have contributed to this effort and I hope to see this continue to develop.

Under the guidance of our Director of Rugby, Quenton O’Neale, we are very proud to be fielding so many teams again this season – boys and girls minis, boys and girls youths, men’s under 20’s, senior men’s and women’s, junior men’s and women’s and a resurgent Veteran’s XV. I wish all of our teams success and unlimited enjoyment over the months ahead.

A special word of congratulations to the Men’s Shed which has grown in stature since its inception in 2019. The Shed members are valuable contributors to the club in so many ways and they complete the spectrum of participants in the club.

There are two other groups who merit a particular mention. Sincere thanks to all the volunteers in the club who contribute so much in so many different ways – the club would be lost without you. And finally, sincere thanks to all our sponsors for their kindness and support. Managing a club is becoming increasingly challenging and could not be done without the generous support we receive from all our sponsors.

I know that every season has its ups and downs. My personal wish for this season is there will be more ups than downs! Above all, irrespective of what happens, I hope I can retain my belief that the reason we are all here, and a part of this club, is to have fun!

Paul Dowling, Club President

02. ABOUT TODAY I am delighted to welcome UCC to Ollie Campbell Park for the opening AIL fixture of the 2024-25 season. I’m particularly pleased to welcome UCC’s President Charlie Haly, along with his fellow officers – the UCC President courageously does a 2 year stint which takes phenomenal stamina.

Over the last couple of seasons we have had all sorts of matches against UCC. Two seasons ago, following a postponement due to freezing weather, we had a convincing win in Musgrave Park that was a turning point in our season. Last season, the honours were shared, with narrow home victories for each team. I have no doubt that today’s game will be very keenly contested as both teams look to settle in to the new year.

This is our first digital match day programme. I

I’m looking would like to extend a huge thank you to Ama forward to a good Addo, our Club PRO, for her incredible work in getting this project off the ground. I feel it will be contest today – very good for the club in so many ways, not least please God with of which will be improving visibility for our no injuries and sponsors and reaching a wider audience in general. I would welcome any feedback or played in proper suggestions regarding the programme and I will be hunting various people down to contribute spirit. articles during the season!

Last season, our Under 20’s exhibited terrific determination and focus to win the JP Fanagan League for the first time in Old Belvedere’s history. Head Coach Kieran Hurrell kindly wrote a summary of the season which appears in this programme. In the article, the only person not to receive credit or praise was Kieran himself. I would like to set that straight by highlighting the enormous effort Kieran put in during the season. He was methodical, strategic and highly skilled in leading the group and deserves so much credit for all his work.

Finally, I’m looking forward to a good contest today – please God with no injuries and played in proper spirit. Thanks in advance to the match day officials who will hopefully have a hassle-free day and also enjoy the occasion.

Paul Dowling

ENERGIA AIL ROUND 1 | OLD BELVEDERE VS UCC

03. ENERGIA WELCOME MESSAGE On behalf of everyone at Energia Group, we are delighted to kick off the Energia All Ireland League (AIL) for the 2024/25 season. We look forward to seeing lots of familiar faces out on the pitch, as well as welcoming some new ones, in what we’re sure will be another thrilling year of club rugby.

The increase in attendance at last season's Energia AIL games was testament to the League's exceptional quality, and we hope to see even more enthusiastic fans this year. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the clubs, players, and volunteers for their commitment and hard work, which played a vital role in the success of the 2023/24 season.

Our commitment to Irish Rugby, as Official Energy Partner to the IRFU and title sponsor of the Energia AlL, focuses on supporting rugby at all levels, from grassroots to professional.

We’re delighted to have 60 teams partaking in this year’s Energia AIL and wish everyone the best of luck in the upcoming season.

Gary Ryan Managing Director Energia Customer Solutions

ENERGIA AIL ROUND 1 | OLD BELVEDERE VS UCC

OLD BELVEDERE TEAM SHEET 1.

HUGH FLOOD

2. CALUM DOWLING (C)

4. FIONN MCWEY

6. PADDY DOWLING

3. RYAN MCMAHON

5. KALE THATCHER

7. WILL MCDONALD

8. TASIPALE VALAVALA

9. JACK DUNNE

10. SAM WISNIEWSKI

12. JUSTIN LEONARD

13. JAYDEN BECKETT

11. ANDRE RYAN

15. GAVIN NUGENT

14. JACK KEATING

MATCH REFEREE: STUART DOUGLAS

COACHES & MANAGEMENT QUENTON O'NEALE – DOR & HEAD COACH ALEX CODLING – SENIOR COACH EOIN SMYTH – ASSISTANT BRYAN MOLLEN – ASSISTANT SEAMUS TOOMEY – SCRUM COACH DAN HOGAN – STRENGTH & CONDITIONING DARAGH GERAGHTY – MANAGER JAMES ALLEN – PHYSIO DECLAN CASSIDY – ANALYST GAVIN DOWLING - DOCTOR

REPLACEMENTS 16. LUKE MCLAUGHLIN 17. HUGH HOGAN 18. FELIX CAMPBELL 19. JOE WHITE 20. DAVID WILKINSON 21. PETER O'BEIRNE

UCC TEAM SHEET 1.

MICHAEL COGAN

2. ADAM WRONA

4. SAM O'SULLIVAN (C)

6. JASON AHERNE

3. DANIEL MCCARTHY

5. CONOR RYAN

7. KAMIS NOVAK

10. HARRY MURPHY

9. JACK CASEY

12. DANIEL SQUIRES

11. TOM COUGHLAN

8. PETER HYLAND

13. GENE O'LEARY KAREEM

15. JAMES WIXTED

14. SEAN CONDON

MATCH REFEREE: STUART DOUGLAS

COACHES & MANAGEMENT TOMAS O'LEARY - COACH SCOTT DEASY - ASSISTANT COACH PAUL MCCARTHY - ASSISTANT COACH LUKE CAHILL - ASSISTANT COACH NOLLAIG PARFREY - MANAGER

REPLACEMENTS 16. LUKE MCAULIFFE 17. SEÁN DUNNE 18. ALEX HAMILTON 19. PATRICK JONES 20. PADDY GAFFNEY 21. PAUL GRAHAM

06. UPCOMING AIL FIXTURES (MEN) 2024

2025

U.C.C

NAAS

SEPT. 21 | 2.30 PM | OLLIE CAMPBELL PARK

JAN. 11 | 2.30 PM | OLLIE CAMPBELL PARK

SEPT. 28 | 2.30 PM | COLLEGE PARK

JAN. 18 | 2.30 PM | THOMOND PARK

BLACKROCK COLLEGE

QUEENS

OCT. 19 | 2.30 PM | NEW ORMOND PARK

FEB. 8 | 2.30 PM | WOODLEIGH PARK

OLD WESLEY

2024 /25 FIXTURES FOR THE STRENGTH OF THE PACK IS THE WOLF, AND THE STRENGTH OF THE WOLF IS THE PACK.

OCT. 26 | 2.30 PM | ENERGIA PARK

FEB. 15 | 2.30 PM | OLLIE CAMPBELL PARK

HIGHFIELD

NENAGH ORMOND

NOV. 16 | 2.30 PM | DUB LANE

SHANNON

DUBLIN UNIVERSITY

HOME

DEC. 14 | 2.30 PM | FORENAUGHTS

FOR THE STRENGTH OF THE PACK IS THE WOLF, AND THE STRENGTH OF THE WOLF IS THE PACK.

HOME

AWAY

AWAY

Sat 21st Sept - Old Belvedere v U.C.C. Sat 28th Sept - Dublin University v Old Belvedere Sat 5th Oct - Old Belvedere v Blackrock College Sat 19th Oct - Nenagh Ormond v Old Belvedere Sat 26th Oct - Old Wesley v Old Belvedere Sat 9th Nov - Old Belvedere v Highfield Sat 16th Nov - Queen's University v Old Belvedere Sat 7th Dec - Old Belvedere v Shannon Sat 14th Dec - Naas v Old Belvedere Sat 11th Jan - Old Belvedere v Naas Sat 18th Jan - Shannon v Old Belvedere Sat 25th Jan - Old Belvedere v Queen's University Sat 8th Feb - Highfield v Old Belvedere Sat 15th Feb - Old Belvedere v Old Wesley Sat 1st March - Old Belvedere v Nenagh Ormond Sat 22nd March - Blackrock College v Old Belvedere Sat 29th March - Old Belvedere v Dublin University Sat 5th April - U.C.C. v Old Belvedere Sat 19th April Semi-Finals Sat 26th April Relegation Play Off

ENERGIA AIL ROUND 1 | OLD BELVEDERE VS UCC

Sun 27th April Final

U.C.C

DOUBLE

APR. 5 | 2.30 PM | MARDYKE DOUBLE

07. UPCOMING AIL FIXTURES (WOMEN) 2024

2025

SEPT. 28 | 5.00 PM | WILLOW LODGE

JAN. 11 | 5.00 PM | THE BLACK GATES JAN. 18 | 5.00 PM | CROWLEY PARK

SUTTONIANS

OCT. 26 | 5.00 PM | TANNER PARK

FEB. 8 | 5.00 PM | OLLIE CAMPBELL PARK FEB. 15 | 5.00 PM | ASHTOWN LANE

2024 /25 FIXTURES

NOV. 23 | 5.00 PM | JJ MCDOWELL MEMORIAL

GALWEGIANS

BLACKROCK COLLEGE RAILWAY UNION

DEC. 14 | 5.00 PM | OLLIE CAMPBELL PARK

FOR THE STRENGTH OF THE PACK IS THE WOLF, AND THE STRENGTH OF THE WOLF IS THE PACK.

HOME

AWAY

28th Sept - Railway Union v Old Belvedere 5th Oct - Old Belvedere v Blackrock College 19th Oct - Old Belvedere v U.L. Bohemian 26th Oct - Ballincollig v Old Belvedere 9th Nov - Old Belvedere v Wicklow 16th Nov - Cooke v Old Belvedere 23rd Nov - Suttonians v Old Belvedere 7th Dec - Old Belvedere v Galwegians 14th Dec - Old Belvedere v Tullow 11th Jan - Tullow v Old Belvedere 18th Jan - Galwegians v Old Belvedere 25th Jan - Old Belvedere v Suttonians 8th Feb - Old Belvedere v Cooke 15th Feb - Wicklow v Old Belvedere 1st March - Old Belvedere v Ballincollig 8th March - U.L. Bohemian v Old Belvedere 15th March - Blackrock College v Old Belvedere 29th March - Old Belvedere v Railway Union 12th April Semi-Final 26th April Final

ENERGIA AIL ROUND 1 | OLD BELVEDERE VS UCC

DOUBLE

LEINSTER PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Dear Members, Supporters, and Friends of Old Belvedere RFC, it is my great pleasure as President of Leinster Rugby to wish you the very best of luck for season 2024/25 and to welcome you all to today's match. Your presence and support are invaluable to your Club. I would also like to wish your President, Paul Dowling, an enjoyable and successful year at the helm, with all the highs (and some lows) that a rugby season will inevitably bring. I have known Dow for many years, and he will be a wonderful President. Leinster Rugby and the IRFU are well served by Tony O’Beirne, now Junior Vice President of the IRFU, and I wish him well in his new role. It will be a great honour for your Club to see him elected as President of the IRFU in 2026.

Dorothy Collins has been involved in Leinster Rugby for more years than she cares to remember and this season we welcome her as the new Chair of the Women’s Committee and thank her for her long commitment to the Leinster cause.

To your men’s club captain, Calum Dowling, your Head Coach and Director of Rugby Quenton O’Neale, your backroom staff, and to your senior squad, go well in the AIL, you have been knocking on the door of promotion to Division 1A for a number of years now and hopefully you can reach your goal this season.

Your Women’s team have been at the forefront of Women’s Rugby in Ireland for many years, and I wish yourDirector of Women’s Rugby Cathy Murphy, head coach Tania Rosser, your captain Lesley Ring every success in the WAIL this season. The Women’s game continues to grow at a rapid rate in Leinster, and it is heartening to see the structures that are now in place to support this growth.

You can be justifiably proud of your mini rugby section, which is one of the most successful in Leinster and I wish them, your youths, u20s, and juniors, a successful and enjoyable season.

The Club game is the bedrock of rugby in Ireland, and it is tremendous to see the vibrancy of the game throughout the 12 counties of Leinster. Energia’s sponsorship of the AIL and WAIL has been a huge success and the League continues to go from strength to strength. A nod also to the Club Scene Podcast and the Anyscor app, which greatly enhance the excitement of AIL. Without referees we would not have a game and I urge you to respect and look after today’s refereeing panel and indeed referees at all levels of our game throughout the season. Sadly, the abuse of referees is becoming more prevalent across the game, and we must not let tolerance for such behaviour become the norm. Technical zones must be adhered to and respected. I wish the President of the Leinster Referees Association Martin Farrelly an enjoyable and successful year. I would also ask all Clubs to keep the recruitment and development of referees as a priority.

For Leinster Rugby, last season brought heartache with the loss in the Investec Cup Final in extra time, however I have no doubt that the small margins involved in that defeat will galvanise the players and coaches and push them on to success this season. The drive for five is by no means an easy road to travel, and on behalf of you all I would like to wish the squad and Leo, Jacques, Robin, Emmett, Sean, Guy and all the backroom staff the very best for the season.

We also welcome Tyler Bleyandaal on his return to Ireland. During his playing career Tyler played for Canterbury and the Crusaders in New Zealand and earned 62 caps for Munster. I have no doubt he will be a great addition to the coaching staff, and we wish him and his family all the best for the season ahead.

We are also delighted and excited to welcome three exceptional players to the squad, with the arrival of RG Snyman, Jordie Barrett and Rabah Slimani. We are looking forward to seeing the impact these players will have and we wish them every success with Leinster Rugby.

This will be a season like no other for Leinster Rugby, as we embark on the rebuilding of the Anglsea Stand in the RDS. The Senior team will play all their home games in the Aviva Stadium, and we look forward to the support of your members at the Aviva throughout the season.

The passing of the legendary Tony O’Reilly was a sad day for all of rugby and especially for your Club. I am borrowing the words of writer Grantham Rice (with a hat tip to Kingsley Aikins) which sum up his life well: “When the great scorer in the sky comes to mark against your name, he marks not that you won or lost, but how you played the game”. Tony played the game bloody well and will be sorely missed by everyone in Old Belvedere. RIP Tony.

The recent loss of Old Belvedere and Leinster Past President Ben Gormley was also a sad day for your Club. RIB Ben. As many of you will be aware, I have a strong association with your great Club as my father in law Brendan Merry, who left us far too young, was President back in 1985. I also have very fond memories of playing against some Belvo stalwarts back in the day, including the aforementioned TOB, Ollie, Sammy, Frank McGrath, Jim Walsh, John Mahony, Dave McGrath, Paul Cunningham, Ceddy, Bimbo, Marsbar, Noelie, and so many more.

I always enjoy a visit to your wonderful Clubhouse, and I look forward to doing so as Leinster President.

To all in Old Belvedere RFC I hope you have an enjoyable and successful season.

Yours in rugby, Declan Gardiner President Leinster Rugby

OLD BELVEDERE UNDER 20’S 2023-24 JP FANAGAN LEAGUE WINNERS. With the bulk of the squad returning from the previous season, the players returned from the summer break having completed a huge amount of work under the guidance of athletic development coach Dan Hogan. This work ultimately contributed to the performance of the group, as well as their low injury rate and availability to play games.

Some additions to the group came in the likes of Jack Dunne (Belvedere College), Josh Ericson (Skerries RFC) Colin Byrne (MU Barnhall RFC) and Niki Moelders (Wicklow RFC).

A total of 39 players featured and contributed in the JP Fanagan league season, showing the importance of a connected and competitive group and depth at this level.

The league season began with wins over MU Barnhall, Old Wesley and Terenure College RFC, before a thrilling away win over Lansdowne FC with Jonny Kiely kicking the winning points in the final minute of the game.

Belvo navigated the tricky pre-Christmas period with comprehensive wins over Trinity College at home in Ollie Campbell Park, another thrilling win in Castle Ave over Clontarf FC while succumbing to UCD RFCs “bomb squad” for the first league game loss.

A theme of the Belvo squad was their ability to navigate all kinds of oppositions and situations, a credit to their adaptability and ability to learn and trust in their coaches.

They were capable of playing combative styles of game, while also showing flare and scoring try’s from all over the pitch.

Coached by Ken Knaggs, the forwards developed significantly in the previous season, notably around the scrum and line out maul areas of the game which became weapons for Belvo to unleash on the opposition.

Technically excellent, Cian Russel was Mr Reliable at loose head, Woody Kinsella controlled the second row and the addition of Niki Moelders helped the scrum become a real weapon of the team.

Hooker and captain Leo Dowling’s throwing, and line out operator James Ruddy ensured a platform to unleash powerful ball carriers like Josh Ericson, Hugh Reddan and Hugh Wilkinson and create scoring opportunities for those outside them.

The run in was a real test of the squad and the depth developed. A huge challenge away to UCD in horrible conditions was navigated and described as a real “character test”. Following a disappointing result in the Friday night lights return game in College Park, the league came down to a “winner takes all” final day in Ollie Campbell park v Lansdowne FC, the winners of the 3 Previous seasons.

The most level game of the season and fitting of a final, Belvo used every experience gathered in the 18 months previous, turning Lansdowne’s usual lineout and scrum dominance around and scoring some stunning team tries. The score finished 2 points in Old Belvederes favour, securing a first ever JP Fanagan premier division 1 league for the club.

Kieran Hurrell

ENERGIA AIL ROUND 1 | OLD BELVEDERE VS UCC

IRFU PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE It gives me great pleasure to write to you for the first time in the capacity of President of the Irish Rugby Football Union for the upcoming season, 2024/25.

As we head into a landmark year of celebrations to mark our 150th year of playing international rugby, it is a tremendous honour for me to represent my family, my club Garryowen FC, and my home province Munster as President of the IRFU and I will continue to work hard to represent all of Irish rugby in an appropriate and fitting manner during the season ahead. I would like to pay tribute to the outgoing President Greg Barrett, who has represented us so well throughout the year and who has been a stalwart of Irish rugby since joining the Union Committee back in the 2013/14 season.

Last season was another brilliant one for the Union, both domestically at Club level and internationally with a Rugby World Cup and Olympics 7s alongside the regular tournaments. A huge word of thanks for everyone who contributed in any way over the past season, be that as a volunteer or a staff member.

I cannot say it enough, I cannot thank them enough, but the volunteers are at the heart of every Clubs success. The heartbeat of Irish rugby is in our clubs and schools system this is the core of our game. The coaches, the match officials, the people feeding players after games or the parents driving children to games all over the country, without that free discretionary effort, rugby simply would not be the thriving game it is. The club game is the foundation of the Irish rugby eco system, we all know what happens if you try to build a house without a strong foundation.

For the first time ever last season both finals for the Men’s and Women’s Energia AIL leagues were held in Aviva Stadium and a magnificent day was had. This was a real statement of intent by the Union and a testament to the growing popularity of the Club game. We look forward to continued success at Club level, both on and off the field. The impact seen last season and the player welfare benefits of the lower tackle, has created a new, exciting, and dynamic game at Club level, tackles are missed, offloads happen, this has really opened up our game.

A huge word of thanks to the many sponsors of rugby in Ireland, who support our clubs our provinces and the IRFU, without their contribution at every level, we simply would not be able to run our successful programmes or prepare our teams as well as we do for tournaments.

...continued overleaf

The recent release of the Rugby in Ireland strategy for the next four years and its vision to inspire, connect, and thrive demonstrates an ongoing commitment by the IRFU for the further development of our game encompassing our core values of inclusivity and respect for all. Also, there is an increasing focus on the development of the women’s game, and I encourage all clubs to embrace these initiatives and get involved. I was delighted to see our Women’s National Team secure qualification for this year’s Rugby World Cup in England. With WXV1 on the horizon, a Celtic Challenge title to defend and another Guinness Six Nations to come, the year is shaping up to be a busy but exciting one for women’s rugby so I would like to wish Scott Bemand and his team all the best.

Our Men’s National Team secured back to back Guinness Six Nations titles this year, a huge achievement and we look forward to an exciting Autumn Series with four huge home games before the attention turns to defending our title. Andy Farrell takes on the huge honour of being the British & Irish Lions Head Coach for the tour to Australia at the end of the season and everyone in Irish Rugby wishes him well.

A new season brings new focuses and new energy, and I am very much looking forward to visiting and engaging with everyone in the Irish rugby community over the coming season.

Lastly, I would like to wish all Clubs and their members the very best for the season ahead.

Yours in Rugby Declan Madden

ENERGIA AIL ROUND 1 | OLD BELVEDERE VS UCC

12. SPONSORS

OLD BELVEDERE RFC

FOR THE STRENGTH OF THE PACK IS THE WOLF, AND THE STRENGTH OF THE WOLF IS THE PACK.

Contact Old Belvedere RFC 1Ailesbury Grove, Ballsbridge, Dublin, D04 HF60

@oldbelvedererfc @oldbelvedererfc