Cooke
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Cooke
C
RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
ooke RFC has been enjoying a successful season and is benefitting
from a strong set up behind the scenes. Rugby Club Magazine
recently caught up with Club Representative Colin Atkinson to find
out more about the good work they’ve been doing lately.
He told us, “I am in my fifth year as Head Coach of the
Senior Men’s section of the club. I moved to the club from
a previous assistant head coaching role at Armagh RFC,
working and living in Belfast Cooke was going to be a much
more convenient option.”
“The club 1st XV play their rugby in Kukri Championship
One which is a very competitive and local Ulster league was
also more attractive, having spent ten plus enjoyable years in
the All Ireland League with Belfast Harlequins and Armagh
enduring a great deal of travel.
“When I first arrived at the club it was a very challenging
proposition, many senior men’s players had retired from
playing or moved on. Therefore, the club has been required
to rebuild the playing resources over the last few years. Focus
has centred around strong recruitment, developing a strong
28 Issue 83
link with local school Wellington College and establishing a
thriving youth section to ensure a steady flow of players into
the adult sections of the club.
“Coaching at an amateur club in the modern day is a
challenge with the fast pace of city life providing many
distractions for players. In the current economic climate we
have also found that many players are being asked to sacrifice
their rugby for work commitments.
“However, we have worked extremely hard to build a
strong team ethos with a youthful side. The players have
developed a tight bond over the last few seasons and this really
helps build a strong and healthy atmosphere in the section.
“In season 18/19 Cooke have a thriving mini section, male/
female youth sections U14/U16/U18, two senior men’s teams
and two senior women’s teams. There is a feeling around the