2008/2009 U18s clubs Leinster

[bluerugbyrules]

Predictions for the Culliton Cup 1st round:
Tullamore to beat Ashbourne (tough to call)
Athboy to beat Tallaght
Mullingar to beat N.Kildare
Barnhall to beat Dundalk (tough to call)
Edenderry to beat Navan
Boyne to beat Swords
Longford to beat Birr
Kilkenny to beat Carlow
Enniscorthy to beat Wexford
Clane to beat Portlaoise
Newbridge to beat Gorey
Wicklow to beat Clondalkin
New Ross to beat Athy (tough to call)

[hittheruck]

has any one got any results. i know navan lost to edenderry. any others?

[jaybyrne]

wicklow beat clondalkin and newross beat athy

[pulldownthemaul]

Naas playing Tullow this week-end. Portlaoise beat Clan, Longford beat Birr, Dundalk beat Barnhall

[pulldownthemaul]

Tullamore beat Ashbourne; Boyne beat Swords; Mullingar beat North Kildare....(any news from Carlow/Kilkenny - Enniscorthy/wexford..athboy/tallaght)

[jaybyrne]

ennsicorthy won Wicklow also beat new ross

[bluerugbyrules]

Athboy got a walk over from Tallaght. Any news on Carlow v Kilkenny.

[jaybyrne]

Wicklow will be playing highfield on sunday the 19th of april in Naas rfc at 2:30. All support welcome.

[hittheruck]

Leinster Cup Final: Dundalk versus Wicklow or Enniscorthy.
Leinster Plate Final: Barnhall versus A.C.Pirates or Newbridge.

[pulldownthemaul]

Leinster Schools - Youth Cup Final is DLSP v Barnhall

[tinker]

Any word on the u-18 All Ireland Final between Wicklow & Highfield? Can't find the result online...

[never_been_dumped]

Highield won 24-22. Poor place kicking by Wicklow apparently cost them the game

[hittheruck]

U18s, Leinster Culliton Cup: Dundalk 13 - Wicklow 0.
So, the season's over and Wicklow didn't win as much as everyone predicted. Still, they won the league and that's a good achievement. Dundalk were always going to be tough, Wicklow only just beat them in the league semi-final. Congratulations to Dundalk, it's good to spread the honours around a bit.

Does any one know what Wicklow will be like at U19s next season, will a lot of this squad be 1990s and moving to U21s ?
Will Wicklow have an U21s ?

[jimmy the bone]

I'm hearing Rock and Lansdowne are going to field in the Leinster League at U19 if so none of the current U18 sides will be able compete with them. The resources these clubs have at U20 level will be far too much for the like of Wicklow or Dundalk to contend with. Lansdowne at U20 level would easily beat the Irish Youths team. If the senior clubs start fielding at U19 level it's going to change the landscape of rugby at this level. My own club Newbridge will be significantly stronger at U19'S level as we will prob pick up 10 or 12 players from Newbridge College who will be U19. With 29 of our U20's squad from last year back for U21 duty this year. The U19's will not be supplying players up I'm sure it will be the same for most other clubs that field at this level. Ultimately it will make for a very strong U19's competition but with clubs like Bective, Rock, Lansdowne set to upset the established powers like Wicklow etc it will be interesting to see what happens.

[hittheruck]

I'm hearing Rock and Lansdowne are going to field in the Leinster League at U19 if so none of the current U18 sides will be able compete with them. The resources these clubs have at U20 level will be far too much for the like of Wicklow or Dundalk to contend with. Lansdowne at U20 level would easily beat the Irish Youths team. If the senior clubs start fielding at U19 level it's going to change the landscape of rugby at this level. My own club Newbridge will be significantly stronger at U19'S level as we will prob pick up 10 or 12 players from Newbridge College who will be U19. With 29 of our U20's squad from last year back for U21 duty this year. The U19's will not be supplying players up I'm sure it will be the same for most other clubs that field at this level. Ultimately it will make for a very strong U19's competition but with clubs like Bective, Rock, Lansdowne set to upset the established powers like Wicklow etc it will be interesting to see what happens.

That's very interesting. I'm not sure if the likes of Lansdowne or Blackrock will have the finances to fund an U19s and an U21s side. I would have thought that they would just stick to an U21s squad and play the school leavers in that. In fact, a lot of the school leavers this year will be late 1990s which will place them at u21s. However if they do put out an u19s side that is packed with SCT players from this season, I agree they will be a step above the current strong clubs (Wicklow, Dundalk, Enniscorthy, Barnhall, Boyne, Naas etc.)
Is there not a ruling that prevents 2008/9 SCT players from playing "youth" rugby in 2009/10 ????
Does anyone know ????
Remember that U19s will still be under the control of "youths" unlike the JP Fanagan U20s.

Newbridge will really benefit from this providing that they do not have players move away to college.
Carlow could be strong at U19s if they get the first years doing the rugby course in carlow I.T.
Barnhall will benefit from the academy they are developing with NUI Maynooth. (a good few first years will be eligable).

We may even see UCD put out a tam at U19s !!!!

[Not Releasing]

Is there not a ruling that prevents 2008/9 SCT players from playing "youth" rugby in 2009/10 ????
Does anyone know ????

Currently previous season SCT players can only play U18 League they are not allowed play in the Culleton Cup so I cannot see Lansdowne or Blackrock playing at U19 and U21 either.

[jimmy the bone]

the ruling regarding previous SCT players not being able to play Culleton will have to change. You can't alienate U19 players just because they were on a schools cup team. There will be far too many players in limbo because of the change in eligibility

[hittheruck]

Is there not a ruling that prevents 2008/9 SCT players from playing "youth" rugby in 2009/10 ????
Does anyone know ????

Currently previous season SCT players can only play U18 League they are not allowed play in the Culleton Cup so I cannot see Lansdowne or Blackrock playing at U19 and U21 either.

I agree that this wil have to change. What ever logic there is for this ruling (and I'd love to know) is totally outweighed by the arguments for dropping it. For a start, a lot of teams next season will strugle to get enough numbers. If a young man has left school, the following season should be a fresh start for him. Surely, when all we hear about is that 80% of schools players quit rugby after school, we should be doing EVERYTHING we can to keep them involved with clubs. Additionaly, if this rule remains, players who are U19s (if they do not quit) will be pushed into playing at U21s for the second half of the season - this is a safety issue.
Are there any lawyers out there ???? Is it legal to discriminate against some one because of which school they once went to?

[Not Releasing]

The rule will have to change but who drives changes through, the youths section is as political as the schools but this rule is very similar to ring-fencing and is it right to not to allow SCT players play with their clubs while still in school either?

[jaybyrne]

FORWARDS: Kieron Sutherland (Wexford); Andre Keating (Navan); Robert Bryan (Naas); Gerard Maloney (Longford); Tadgh Furlong (New Ross); Hugh Carolan (Boyne); Alan Meade (Navan); Eoghan Griffen (Naas); Chris Tonge (Skerries); Jason Byrne (Wicklow); Aaron Smyth (Navan); Richard Cronin (Naas); Graeme O’Reilly (Balbriggan); Niall Gory (Naas); Alan O’Connor (Skerries); Andrew Coffey (Bective); Michael Dunne (Kilkenny); Daniel Mannion (Wicklow); Shane Brennan (Kilkenny); Tomas McGuirk (Barnhall); Paul Maxwell (Mullingar); Pierre Bournzer (Terenure); Barry Murphy (Skerries), Naoise Dunbar (Enniscorthy); Robin Bickell (Naas); Conor Ryan (Navan); Rocky Mulvey (Malahide); Luke Cahalin (Greystones); Eoghan Masterson (Portlaoise)

BACKS: Michael Sherlock (Skerries); Luke Moran (DLSP); Tom Madden (Longford); Kevin McGrath (Skerries); Eoghan Duffy (Boyne); Stephen Nolan (Tullow); Daniel Pim (Enniscorthy); Padraig Jennings (North Kildare); Michael Hennessy (Boyne); Andrew Munnelly (Edenderry); Ross Dempsey (Skerries); Fionnbar Hayes (Kilkenny); Paul Canavan (Tullow); Finn Green (Greystones); Sean Bulman (Clontarf); Ronan Carney (Bective); Eoin Stynes (Carlow); Robbie Holt (Edenderry); Harry Dawson (Skerries); Robert Campbell (Naas); Thomas Day (Carlow); Mark Higgins (Wicklow); Graham Barry (Wexford); Ian Curry (Edenderry); Ian Kenny (Naas)