claremorris
colts
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Claremorris Colts
RFC
C
laremorris Colts RFC was
founded in the summer of 2009 on the
back of an adult Tag Rugby league run
in the town over the summer. From the
onset, the mission of the club has been
to promote the core values of rugby
- Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment,
Discipline and Sportsmanship to
children, youths and latterly adults
in the town of Claremorris and the
surrounding South Mayo vicinity.
From an initial membership of 80 children
aged 6-12 years old playing mini rugby
on Saturday mornings, the club has
grown to having over 270 child, youth
and adult rugby players in the 2014/15
season despite having no dedicated
rugby playing facilities to call its own.
Claremorris Colts RFC inaugural season
34 Issue 52
began in September of 2009 with an
enthusiastic group of coaches mentoring
80 boys and girls in the skills of the game
and playing in blitzes within commutable
distance of Claremorris.
Membership rose to over 150 players in
the 2010/2011 season with under-13 and
under-15 boys teams added to the mini
rugby programme established in year 1.
The tag rugby league continued to grow
with in excess of 100 male and female
players turning out each week over
summer 2010.
Claremorris Colts RFC’s third season
commenced with over 180 children
registering in September 2011. The youth
rugby programme was expanded with
the addition of a boy’s under-16 team
and a girl’s only mini rugby programme
was introduced to develop the budding
ladies rugby stars of the future.
The club achieved a major milestone
in April 2012 when recognised as ‘Club
of the Year 2012’ by the Connacht
Branch of the IRFU. The award citation
acknowledged the giant strides made
by the ‘Colts’ in bringing rugby to an
area not traditionally recognised as a
stronghold and opening up the rugby
family to a cohort of players who would
have been lost to the game under normal
circumstances.
The ‘Colts’ have not rested on its laurels
since this landmark award. Playing
membership has continued to expand
and an adult rugby team entered the
Connacht Rugby Junior 2 League in
2013/14.
The club undertook its first overseas trip
in 2014 when the U-12 mini’s and U-15