letterkenny
Letterkenny
L
etterkenny RFC is a terrific example of a club making good progress on the back of a strong set up behind the scenes.
Publicity Officer Michael MacGinty took the time to tell us more about the good work that has been going on at the
club lately.
Atmosphere
Youth
He told us, “The mood here
is excellent at the moment.
The Club goes from strength
to strength every year, with
numbers going up and member
retention getting better and
better. We built a new clubhouse
which opened last year and
this has added tremendously
to the facilities, with 6 changing
rooms, showers, kitchen and
clubroom. Mums and Dads
are more involved since the
clubhouse opened and their
support makes the club a better
place for all concerned.”
“Youth Rugby is the exciting bit,
where the passion really shows
and the teams gel better every
year they stay together, which
shows in their performances
and their camaraderie. These
kids then go off to college and
immediately join the University
Rugby Club, so they have a
sense of belonging by the first
Saturday afternoon and a social
scene by Saturday night.
Ensuring a smooth integration
into senior rugby is a big
challenge in a small town in the
North West corner of Ireland,
where our kids mostly leave
home for University or work
elsewhere, so it is hard to get
enough committed players
to form a squad locally. How
we do it is simple; by having
the players bring their friends
and make it an enjoyable
experience, even if the team is
not going to be a world beating
squad. They are here for the
sport and to simply participate,
have fun, compete and grow
- then give back to the next
generation. At least 50% of the
1st XV came through our Youth
programme which is vital in a
geographic area where rugby
is very much a minority sport.”
This Season
“This season was one that
seemed to start low and
gather momentum, due to the
commitment of the players and
coaches. The Firsts inspired
themselves to improve as the
season moved forward and
finished 2nd in their league,
their compadres in the Seconds
won their league and both
senior sides had a good cup run
with great determination.
At Youth level our U18s
ended as league runners up to
eventual Ulster U18 champions
and narrowly missed out on
the Ulster Cup Final. Our
U16s finished runners up in
the league and lifted the U16
Ulster Shield. The U14s had
a great season, but missed
out on the Cup finals, mainly
due to a school holiday date
affecting numbers playing in a
key game. Our Minis just seem
to grow self-belief and hammer
the competition at all ages,
which bodes well for the future
seasons.”
Community
“We are a community set up
and it is evident in that we
share facilities and grounds
with the local GAA Gaelic
Athletic Association club, I
believe the only dual code
facility in Ireland. Our club
transcends all local political,
religious and ethnic barriers
and tries to encourage our girls
and ladies players.
www.pitchero.com/clubs/letterkennyrfc - Twitter : @LetterkennyRFC
www.sportip.biz
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