Qualifying Rugby

[Neill_M]

Watched a classic 0 0 draw on Saturday down at Larne in the McCambley Cup. Their 3rds and Portadown 4ths didn't manage a single point in 100 minutes of action (extra time was played). Was played on a heavy pitch and in the crazy wind - actually not a bad watch Replay this Saturday.

[Aird]

Junior Cup final at Kingspan tonight played under very difficult conditions saw Bangor beat Instonians 7 - 5 to win the Junior Cup Final for the first time in 8 attempts. Both sides now have the Semi Finals of the All Ireland Junior cup on Saturday with Bangor travelling to Enniscorthy and Instonians hosting Clogher Valley. There could still be a reprise of this final at an Ulster venue or hopefully an All Ulster Final.

[Neill_M]

Powerade Towns Cup (Round 2)

Armagh 2 v Randalstown/ Clogher Valley, Saturday 23rd January, kick off 14.30
Ballymoney v Dromore, Saturday 23rd January, kick off 14.30
Ballynahinch 2 v Ards, Saturday 23rd January, kick off 14.30
Banbridge 2 v Portadown, Saturday 23rd January, kick off 14.30
Bangor v Ballymena 2, Saturday 23rd January, kick off 14.30
Coleraine v Omagh, Saturday 23rd January, kick off 14.30
Larne v Donaghadee, Saturday 23rd January, kick off 14.30
Lurgan v Enniskillen, Saturday 23rd January, kick off 14.30

[Russ]

Dromorw should walk this

[Kofi Annan]

Medway Rugby club will be relegated from London 1 South after the RFU found them guilty of incorrectly registering a number of players.

The club will also be docked 25 points from the start of next season.

The Rugby Football Union disciplined the club on a number of offences, relating to their registration of overseas players as amateurs.

Medway Rugby Club in action
But the RFU found the club guilty of issuing the players with “material benefits” that included flights to and from the UK, free accommodation and expenses that weren’t properly recorded.

As such the players were unable to be classed as amateurs. The club has also used an agent not registered with the RFU – even though the company Inside Running were – which was also against the regulations.

Because the player registration forms were inaccurate and the agent not registered, they were rendered invalid from competitive action. Medway Rugby Club admitted they were guilty of “poor administration” and that they had been “naive.”

Club secretary Peter Rann accepted his failings in the matter, which was in relation to the players Fred Tila, Matthew Gardner, James Rutherford and Meto Mataapa.

Over the last two seasons, up to November 16 when the four players were suspended, they had featured in 46 league games and 12 cup games. The RFU stated that they “could reasonably have been deducted a total of not less than 140 points” for the offences.

Medway were promoted last season and sit fourth in London 1 South at present, with a total of 57 points already. Their efforts this season will count for nothing.

The club have also been disqualified from this season’s Kent Cup.

The RFU were alerted to the matter after Medway went to the game’s governing body after one of the players concerned was being targeted by a rival club.

In reaching its decision, the RFU said: “The panel had no hesitation in concluding that the scale and seriousness of the offending required the relegation of the club.”

In deducting points from next season, it added: “The scale of the club’s offending was such as to also require the imposition of an additional points deduction...appropriate to underscore the seriousness of the offending.”

All four players, New Zealanders Mataapa, Gardner and Rutherford, along with Australian Tila are free to resume playing after being sidelined for nine weeks during the disciplinary process.

Medway’s club secretary Mr Rann was described as “cavalier” by the disciplinary panel in his responsibilities regards player registrations and has been banned from any administration of the game until the start of the 2016-17 season.

Mr Rann, a volunteer at the club, issued a sincere apology for his actions and the panel made clear his integrity could not be called into question.

Medway have a right to appeal and head coach Taff Gwilliam said: “This matter is in the hands of our legal team and we will be seeking advice before deciding on our next course of action.”

Pity the IRFU had no balls to properly investigate a few clubs in Q1 and USL,

[Neill_M]

So the season coming to an end in Q1-3:

Bangor have won 1 with CI dropping down to 2. Ards will play off v the loser of Carrick/Coleraine who are battling away at the top 2 - one of them will go up automatically. At the bottom of 2 - 4 teams (Donaghadee, Lisburn, Grosvenor and Ballymoney all within 1 pt - one goes down, one into a playoff v 2nd in 3 which currently is the students from Coleraine. Limavady won 3 a long time ago.

[Kofi Annan]

So the season coming to an end in Q1-3:

Bangor have won 1 with CI dropping down to 2. Ards will play off v the loser of Carrick/Coleraine who are battling away at the top 2 - one of them will go up automatically. At the bottom of 2 - 4 teams (Donaghadee, Lisburn, Grosvenor and Ballymoney all within 1 pt - one goes down, one into a playoff v 2nd in 3 which currently is the students from Coleraine. Limavady won 3 a long time ago.

if Bangor do make all Ireland it will only be for one season as it will be announced there will only be one All Ireland league 17/18 I see Bangor being in an all Ulster senior league, if they keep lucky with these backpackers making their away across the world to the seaside.

Carrick will win Q2 and Ards will lose to Coleraine ,

Grosvenor to stay up and make life for the former landlord who had them evicted hell. Come on the cregagh green socks.

[Neill_M]

So the season coming to an end in Q1-3:

Bangor have won 1 with CI dropping down to 2. Ards will play off v the loser of Carrick/Coleraine who are battling away at the top 2 - one of them will go up automatically. At the bottom of 2 - 4 teams (Donaghadee, Lisburn, Grosvenor and Ballymoney all within 1 pt - one goes down, one into a playoff v 2nd in 3 which currently is the students from Coleraine. Limavady won 3 a long time ago.

if Bangor do make all Ireland it will only be for one season as it will be announced there will only be one All Ireland league 17/18 I see Bangor being in an all Ulster senior league, if they keep lucky with these backpackers making their away across the world to the seaside.

Carrick will win Q2 and Ards will lose to Coleraine ,

Grosvenor to stay up and make life for the former landlord who had them evicted hell. Come on the cregagh green socks.

As you predicted, Carrick beat Coleraine today 23 11 and won Q2. Ballymoney are down after a defeat to Grosvenor and Donaghadee have dropped into the playoff spot.

[Aird]

Bangor won their first round against Westport on Saturday picking up 5pts in the process.
Unfortunately Clonmell did not have playable pitch on which to play their game against Enniscorthy so at the moment it is not clear yet which fixture will take precedent next Saturday the arranged fixtures for that date or the postponed game. So will Bangor be playing ther 36 th game of the season next Saturday or the week after. The other possible solution would be to play the postponed Game midweek either at Clonmel or a suitable alternative ground in Munster.
It will come as no surprise that the younger playing members are keen to try their hand in the UBL where as older members who have experienced it in its original format do not share their enthusasm,But the prospect of a provincial senior league means that the club is prepared to suck it and see.
After all if they are in the UBL one would hope that we could perhaps influence any proposed decision in the democratic world of the IRFU.
I was also mildly surprised that there was no reference in The President 's in the Programme remarks that Bangor as Winners of QL1 were representing the Province in the Round Robin at home on Saturday afternoon.

As Kofi appears to be a self promoted expert in player recruitment he should know by now that it is a gamble and many result in as the equivalent of a Beaten Docket whereas Bangor on this occaision seem to have struck gold.
Whereas other N.Down clubs and other Ulster clubs have recruited overseas player and instead of finding a pot of gold they have lost a pot of gold over the years. I know that the majority of the Bangor team are all recruited locally and many are home produced.

[Kofi Annan]

Aird , not self confessed anything , but nice to see you rearranging fixtures for other Clubs

There is two players that if we're sidelined would make that team very average.

[Aird]

Kofi not rearranging fixtures merely laying out the logical alternatives that the IRFU run competition have before them.
The suggestion of a mid week match was tongue in cheek as it is unlikely that any club would. Give up home advantage so early in the struggle but these are matches which will have to be played and within a reasonable time span.
As for your remarks with regard to the average team I think that their record over the season suggests other wise. There ARE more than two key players on the team but fortunately Bangor have a strong squad which they have been happy to avail themselves of through out the season.

[Kofi Annan]

Kofi not rearranging fixtures merely laying out the logical alternatives that the IRFU run competition have before them.
The suggestion of a mid week match was tongue in cheek as it is unlikely that any club would. Give up home advantage so early in the struggle but these are matches which will have to be played and within a reasonable time span.
As for your remarks with regard to the average team I think that their record over the season suggests other wise. There ARE more than two key players on the team but fortunately Bangor have a strong squad which they have been happy to avail themselves of through out the season.

Results , do speak for themselves, but Morgan and Guthrie would be a massive loss , would you not agree? Anyway I hear Morgan is chatting to a few Senior Clubs , any word if he will move on? Hard to hold on to such a great coach, I mean he has taken them to the Brink of all Ireland .

[therealspratt]

I'd say Clonmel are the likely favourites to go up, they're apparently very keen and Leamy seems to be doing a great job. Enniscorthy wouldn't be a bad bet that said, from their cup final wins they've certainly shown a talent for handling high pressure situations though I wouldn't say their team exactly has the quality to live in the AIL. I don't think any Ulster Junior side currently is ready to go up, it would help if 2C were a bit more of a hospitable place with less travelling.

[BuckRogers]

I wonder what could have attracted Bradford, Ferguson and the Saffer 9?

Must have been the glorious weather and local sights....

[Gerald the Mole]

I wonder what could have attracted Bradford, Ferguson and the Saffer 9?

Must have been the glorious weather and local sights....

Special permission to have two player coaches Kiwi 9 was with inside running looking to play in Europe but he give up on that and went backpacking across the world, my , what luck to turn up in The Gold Coast, really was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.