SPORT
TRINITY NEWS April 16, 2009
Ladies escape Division One drop By Conor James McKinney College Sport Editor IT’S BEEN a long season for the Ladies First XI, but as of the end of March their place in Leinster hockey’s top division is secure. With Bray having pulled away into 8th place thanks to wins over both the bottom sides and a draw with UCD, Trinity were left to battle it out with Corinthians for 9th place and safety. In truth, the team were never in as much danger as might have appeared, as due to the vagaries of Leinster Branch regulations the bottom-placed side would not this season be relegated automatically, but rather have to play off against Genesis, the top team in Division 2. Since Trinity put five goals past this opposition in the course of a cup fixture before Christmas, such a prospect was hardly calculated to inspire terror in the ranks of the DULHC faithful. Nonetheless, avoiding the ignominy of last place was a prize worth fighting for. It all came down to a head-to-head
with Corinthians at St. Columba’s College at the end of March. A match against Old Alexandra on March 24 gave the Ladies a chance to warm up, and they gave as good as they got in an open game at Santry. Bearing in mind that Trinity shipped five without reply against Alex early in the season, they matched the Milltown outfit for long periods and created several good chances. Unfortunately Alex were more clinical, knocking in two goals from open play in the first half and managing to hold onto their lead. Trinity were “fairly confident” when it came to the Corinthians crunch, according to First XI captain Claire Hearnden, despite losing the fixture at Santry earlier in the season when the umpiring ensured that “it wasn’t the fairest of matches”. Self-belief proved to be a vital factor, as Trinity knew that they had improved throughout the season and had acheived better results than their rivals. Hearnden pointed out, noting that “when we played good
Lucy Small in action for DU Ladies. Photo: Jessica Pakenham-Money teams like Pembroke we were able to put it up to them”. Their confidence was certainly tested as they fell behind to a Susie Geoffroy goal, and were behind at half time. According to Hearnden, however, there was no negativity as the team
huddled up: “the focus was on... how we were going to come back, because we knew we would”. Forward Lucy Small (pictured above) got the equaliser, while fresher Rachel Scott, who has chipped in with some notable performances this season, bagged the winner. A relaxed
outing against Railway Union, who had the title in the bag already, on the final day of season didn’t have any bearing on Trinity’s final standing either; they finished ninth in Division 1, the same as in 2007/08. The Seconds, meanwhile, narrowly missed out on promotion from Division Four, losing a couple of key games late in the season that allowed Muckross and Weston to progress. Hearnden’s year as Firsts captain has not been an easy one, but she can be proud that her side improved consistently throughout and put in the hard work necessary to get the job done in the end. She points out that it was more of a roller-coaster than a bland ninth place, with most of the results coming towards the end as the students gelled as a unit. “I knew when I took over that we had a really good team”, she says, but after seven consecutive losses did feel a certain culpability for the side’s performance. The weight of responsibility is certainly heavy; the best of luck to her successor.
Third XI promotion success By David Adley Third XI Captain FROM LOWLY origins in Division 10 the Dublin University Hockey Club Thirds have been promoted a remarkable five times in the last seven years. The teams have undergone plenty of variation of the years but have always consisted of good friends and a few very skilful players, who have always believed in and lived by a contemporarily suspect philosophy: namely, “effortless success”. To succeed whilst appearing to expend a bare minimum of effort and curtailing no obvious vices or lifestyle choices is no mean feat, yet the Thirds have been remarkably consistent in this approach. Due to this remarkable run of success it was with some trepidation that I accepted the captaincy, bestowed not in recognition of leadership or indeed competence but simply as I had outlasted all rivals. However any nervousness was unfounded as it was an immensely enjoyable and varied year, during the course of which I was to encounter excuses that stretched the limits of plausibility, trips to all corners of Leinster, renewed friendships and rivalries, emotional highs and lows, stressful Friday nights, massively increased phone bills and unrealistic demands on friends. Despite the numerous promotions the Thirds have never won a division, always being promoted in the second spot. Spurned on by thoughts of finally
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achieving league glory and Commons at college expense, the team began the year with an excellent turnout at training and a large squad of eager players including several freshmen and newly enthused peripheral players from last year. Up to bolster the Munster contingent formerly consisting of myself were Jonathan Hackett from Midleton College and Daniel Ryan from Bandon GS; both proved to be valuable additions to the team. Doug Montgomery from Methodist College, Belfast was another to earn his first cap for Trinity and soon established himself as one of the team’s most important players in the vein of Will Wilshere and many Thirds greats before him. The season got off to a great start against Three Rock Rovers whom we beat convincingly 4-0. The old players reacquainted themselves with our unique style of Champagne hockey while our new players quickly gelled with the team. The strong backline of Rob Murtagh, Alan Bell, Doug Montgomery and Peter Collings demonstrated the resilience and structure that would prove crucial to an enviable defensive record, conceding only sixteen goals in eighteen matches. However, the next game came as a blow to possibly inflated egos as a strong Pembroke Wanderers side beat us 4-3, clinching the game with a final desperate goal in the final minute after trailing 3-0 at half time. Clutching defeat from the jaws of victory was not something I or the team
SHORT CUTS ALUMNI
DUNNE VICTORY WBA SUPER-BANTAMWEIGHT World Championship Bernard Dunne is to be honoured at Sporting Commons next month. He attended Trinity in 1999/2000, undertaking a course in “Maximising Performance and Monitoring for Training in Sport”, if you please. He received a Trinity Sports Scholarship and represented DU Boxing Club throughout the season. SOCCER
FUTSAL SUCCESS SEVEN DUAFC footballers represented the college at the Regional University Futsal Championships and ended up winning their group. The team demolished St Pat’s 14-1 in the first game, beat hosts Blanchardstown IT 3-0 in the second game and then wrapped up the group with comprehensive 4-0 victories over both DIT and Dundalk IT. The team boasted the three top scorers in the competition, Niall Walsh (9), Darren Burke (6) and Chris Allen (5) and were a cut above the other colleges competing. Trinity now progress to the final day of the competition and if they can win two more games will represent Ireland at the European University Futsal Championships in Serbia this summer. RUGBY
Hal Sutherland celebrates a goal during the Thirds’ victorious league campaign. Photo: Jessica Pakenham-Money wanted to make habit of. So compulsory benching was introduced for rakish behaviour, such as late arrivals, last minute cancellations, drunkenness etc. With a good turnout at training the following week and a slightly less complacent attitude, possibly helped by my now infamous half time talks, we quickly rebounded. Now playing ‘total’ hockey and sweeping aside all teams before us we had an unbroken run of twelve games without defeat. Notable events included revenge against Pembroke at home 4-0 followed by post match celebration in their own bar, a Santa hat-clad draw with Fingal in the darkest coldest day of December on a frozen pitch, and an unforgettable trip to Grangegorman to play St Brendan’s Phoenix Park on a grass pitch, a new experience for the majority of the team including myself. Cillian Gray, who only joined the club after his Freshman years, formed a strong partnership with Cian Denham at the top of the field terrorising defences across Leinster and scoring in the vast majority of games. DUHC veterans and loyal club members Jonny Drennan and Robbie Woods (who seems to be on every committee in college) played in the important wing midfield positions and were the bane of many an opposition team, supplying the tireless Jack Mills
REGATTA SKETCH
HE ANNUAL Trinity Boat Regatta was held on April 18th this year in Islandbridge, which apparently is neither a bridge nor an island. Although regatta sounds like some sort of delicious dessert, it is in fact a boating tournament held between Trinity and various other clubs and colleges. It’s basically the biggest day of the year for Trinity’s rowers; i.e. the lads and ladies who are crap at rugby and didn’t get into Oxford or Cambridge. Events held at the regatta include the Three Men in a Boat Race, the Three Men and a Little Lady in a Boat Race, the Big Long Boat Race, the Only One Race Allowed Race, the Row Row Row Your Boat Not So Gently Down the Stream Race, and of course the eagerly awaited main event, the Sir William H.S.L. Toffington-Boothsby the Third Memorial Race, named after the creator of the word boat. The Regatta was founded over 106 years ago when a group of debauched and demented lunatics decided to adapt an already popular and dangerous drinking game into a sport. They based their new sport “rowing” around the traditional drinking challenge of “The Boat Race”, in which two teams of 6 stand in line and each player downs a pint. The first team finished all their booze wins. The founders of the Trinity Regatta, John Trinity and Joe Regatta, decided to replace the drinking element with “rowing”, or pushing a stick back and forth. The land-based nature of the game caused some problems until, as Joe Regatta himself put it, “We decided to sit on this log yoke and do some rowing. We were just doing it for a laugh, being a bit mad or whatever but it seemed so
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much more natural than just standing in a line waving sticks”. The real eureka moment came during the 5th Trinity Regatta when one of the teams fell into a river. The threat of drowning spurred them on to victory so the next year every team tried the rowing on a river idea and the Trinity Regatta as we know it was born. A surprising fact about the Trinity Boat Regatta is that every rower is, in the words of our source, “completely and utterly arseholed” for the duration of the day. The Cox (the shouty bloke at the other end of the boat facing the wrong way) is there to ensure that the rowers remember to row and don’t wander off or start singing instead or even, in one memorable incident back in ‘87, take off all of their clothes and walk back to shore using the oars as stilts. Visitors on the day can expect plenty of boating-related frivolity, the event being notorious for the copious amounts of alcohol consumed by spectators and competitors alike. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own drink, and then to throw their empty (or full) containers at annoying English toffs who say nonwords like “Rah-Rah” and “Tally-Ho”. The regatta concludes with a boat-related disco, where such classics as “Sail Away” by Enya, “Rock the Boat” by The Hues Corporation (that’s apparently who sang it), and Rod Stewart’s “I am Sailing” are played. Visitors are also encouraged to bring their own boats if they wish, so that you and your friends can boat around socially, or simply put the boat on your heads and pretend to be a giant turtle. By Peter Murnane and Darren Henry
and Will with strong options on the wings. Philip McCutcheon developed massively over the year as a player and was soon an important and integral member of the squad. Mike Sexton was back in his customary commanding role displaying some new skills he picked up while on Erasmus in Germany, the world’s premier hockey nation. Moritz Muhler, a German Erasmus student, was a strong presence between the posts and his stirring words were always a welcome addition at half time. The annual Colours match against UCD was a highlight this year. We emerged 2-0 victors after an intensely competitive match and were the only men’s team from Trinity to win. Given the current strength of UCD hockey this was my personal highlight of the year and the game in which I felt the team really started to show their potential. This potential was fully realised in the first round of our cup competition. We were drawn against YMCA, finalists the previous year and a strong team in the division above us. It was the perfect opportunity to prove that we were capable of competing at a higher level and we didn’t disappoint, producing our game of the season and winning 3-1. Over the years rivalries between teams build up and new ones develop, Weston, a Lucan side, was our grudge
match. They had claimed three points the previous year as we had arrived thirty minutes after tip off. We made no such mistakes this year and took six points from them. As old rivalries develop so new ones are created and this year was no exception. YMCA, unhappy with an umpiring decision demanded the result be overturn and the points shared. A heated email debate later dubbed “YMgate” ensued, at times descending into hilarity and farce. We kept the points. A strong core group of good skilful players who are committed and willing to make personal sacrifices to play games is an integral part of any successful team and I would particularly like to thank Alan Bell and Cian Denham, excellent servants to the club and team, among the many others who impressed this year. This includes the likes of Aaron Jolley, Murrough Connellan, Jack Hegarty, Shane Kelly, Hal Sutherland, Tolly Humphreys and Cian O’Reilly who all played an important part during the season. Thanks to Jessica PakenhamMoney for the photos, the umpires and most importantly to everyone who decided to be a participant not a spectator. It was great to know that regardless of what the week brought my Saturdays were always guaranteed to be enjoyable and unpredictable.
TRINITY DRAW WITH OXFORD TRINITY PLAYED out an entertaining 24-all draw against Oxford University on March 24. After each opposition wings dotted down an early try, Trinity regrouped and hit back with unconverted scores from Pat Danahy, who galloped in from well outside the ‘22, and second row partner Scott LaValla who was driven over from close range. In the second half, playing with the breeze, Trinity went ahead via an intercept try. Oxford stuck to their expansive style of play, however, and with LaValla in the bin Browne added his second, closely followed by Ross Swanson who converted his own try to make it 24-17. Mick Boland, the Trinity 10, stepped up with a moment of magic, gathering his own kick and was held up just short of the line. A subsequent penalty went to touch, the pack drove over, and Boland himself converted from the corner for 24 apiece.
Rowers keep up winning ways in Colours despite Gannon Cup loss By Alexander Floyd DU Boat Club Captain AFTER A PHENOMENAL success at the Irish National Championships last July, with DUBC’s top crew winning the senior pot, making them the fastest crew in Ireland, there was some apprehension going into this season. Of a possible six who could have returned, only two have seen the season through to this stage. This meant that the squad was made up mainly of last year’s novice group, presenting the coaches with the exciting possibility of building a crew from scratch on the one hand, and the daunting task of teaching the whole group how to row on the other. Before anyone actually took to the water, it was off to Lanzarote for a week in the sun at the end of September. Despite a number of injuries that were sustained on the basketball court (a fine indication of most oarsmen’s lack of any kind of coordination on land perhaps), and some rather near misses with a diving board, the trip was a success. It also gave the powers some time to cook up a plan to draw new recruits in during Freshers’ Week. Although we never saw the lycra-clad models that were promised in front square, something that would have almost definitely pulled in even more recruits, there was a record influx of new talent. The result of this has been two very large, successful novice crews who are looking set to dominate the novice events this season. To
date, DUBC have won every novice race. Now, both crews need to get faster and keep learning in order to stay ahead of the competition and create a more competitive inter/senior squad for next year. This year’s inter/senior group has not been idle. With the addition of a new coach and a fleet of new single sculls, the winter training was an arduous learning experience for everyone, with some particularly long sessions on the lake out at Blessington. As can only be expected in Ireland, any races that would have been raced early in the season were either blown off or the rivers were so flooded they were cancelled. There was plenty of work done, however, which one would hope will stand to us in good stead for the season. The first head race was Erne Head in Enniskillen, a good place to stretch the legs and gain experience before the Head Of The River Race in London. Erne was a useful experience, until a cataclysmic collision with UCD upset the rhythm. And so we travelled to London. Unfortunately, though we arrived on Thursday morning, our boat didn’t arrive until the evening. Never a group to waste time, however, we took the opportunity to jog the course, which is the same as The Boat Race course except in reverse. Needless to say, it is quite a long way and come Friday the crew were glad to be rowing it instead of running it. The Thames in London is a very large and sometimes incredibly rough
stretch of water, totally unlike the Liffey at Islandbridge. Thankfully, the weather was amazing for the three days we were there. The race itself was quite a spectacle, with over 400 VIIIs competing. We finished 81st, which was a fair reflection of our boat speed. The crew that won was made up of six Beijing Olympians. This race signifies the end of winter training for more or less everyone in the UK, which was cause for some celebration. Neptune Regatta, which took place last weekend marks the beginning of the summer season in Ireland, cause for some more. The intermediate VIII that raced against a visiting Queens University crew won in impressive fashion. While this race is only a small hurdle in a long season, a win bodes well for the University Championships. The Gannon Cup took place on April 16th as clouds congregated overhead in similar volume to the spectators that congregated on Sean O’Casey Bridge to see the Senior VIIIs off. Trinity were successful in both novice events, held above the weir, and also reclaimed the Senior Women’s trophy, the Corcoran Cup. The club were denied a clean sweep, however, as UCD won the final event of the day, the Gannon Cup, as their Men’s Senior VIII came through the Eastlink bridge a full length ahead. The annual Trinity Regatta took place on Saturday at Islandbridge. The teams entered well up on last year - got the benefit of glorious sunshine over the course of an entertaining and competitive afternoon.