IRISH STUDENTS VS FRENCH UNIVERSITIES

This season UCC RFC is celebrating its 150th Anniversary. UCC is the oldest rugby club in Munster and the third oldest in Ireland. Founded in 1872 when UCC was still known as Queen’s College Cork, UCC Rugby was the first sports club in college, and has defined the look of sports in UCC through its iconic Skull & Crossbones emblem.

Today we welcome the Irish Students and the French Universities to the Mardyke for what I hope, will be a great game of rugby. I would like to thank the Irish Universities Rugby Union (IURU) committee and particularly their President Fergus Ahern for allowing UCC to host this international match, at the Mardyke, as part of our 150th Anniversary celebrations.

The Mardyke has hosted some historic Irish Universities matches in the past. I personally remember these three games at the Mardyke.

1) 1974 Irish Universities 3 New Zealand 10

This match was to celebrate the Centenary of the IRFU. 8,000 spectators came to see Andy Leslie’s All blacks play the Irish University side. UCC’s Pat Parfrey was picked to play for Ireland against New Zealand 10 days later.

2) 1976 Irish Universities 18 New Zealand Universities 16

Four players from Cork that day, Ollie Waldron, Jerry Holland, Anthony O’Leary and Charlie McCarthy.

3) 1994 Irish Universities 11 USA 9

As coach of this team, it gave me great satisfaction that four of the Irish Universities players that day, went on to earn full Irish International caps, Dominic Crotty, John Kelly, Darragh O’Mahony and Denis Hickey.

Finally, I would like to thank our sponsors and commercial partners for their continued support of the club.

Finbar Dennehy President UCC RFC

IURU PRESIDENT’S LETTER

Bienvenue à tous nos amies de Français.

On behalf of the Irish Universities Rugby Union (IURU) I would like to welcome our friends from the Federation Francaise du Sport Universitaire (FFSU) and the French Universities Rugby squad and management team to Ireland.

There is a great tradition to this fixture going back to the 1980s where students from both countries have no doubt great memories and developed friendships as a result. In 2022 the IURU and FFSU re-established it as an annual fixture between the sides.

We truly value the strong bonds and relationship developed with our French partners and hope that the fixture today reflects the best of both countries rugby, sporting and cultural traditions.

I would also like to congratulate UCC RFC on reaching such a significant milestone of 150th years in existence and thank UCC for hosting this fixture and related events as part of its celebrations this year.

The Mardyke is synonymous with Cork’s sporting heritage across all codes and it is a great honour for the Irish Universities to be playing this fixture in The ‘dyke today.

I hope that today’s match showcases the best of University rugby’s skills, flair and sportsmanship and in the spirit that we all appreciate so much in our game.

Fergus Aherne President – Irish Universities Rugby Union