AIL Energia Leage Rugby/Ulster League

[Gerald the Mole]

Sadly we're in big trouble. From Ail2 at inception to Junior 2... The days of Young Munster bringing about 6 coaches of fans to Belmont long gone

Belfast club rugby is seriously up sh#t street. Given the contraction/ folding of clubs over the years and even teams fielded within Belfast clubs, there is a serious problem for UR to tackle. Given the second largest city / conurbation on the Island, not to have a club in AIL1 is damning.

The fact that we can't beat Grosvenor and are now a league below them in Junior 2, says it all. When I was playing, we put out our thirds against them.. not that we have any divine right. But for a team that supplied so many Ulster and indeed Ireland players , and beat a full strength Wasps in the 70's , it's heartbreaking. The old traditional feeders are gone or deteriorating. How Hollywood survives is a source of amazement.

MAYBE , if your mini section stopped running the club and you stop getting crap coaches you might do something, CI on slippery slope to complete failure.

[Bigfacthunt]

Coaches much better this year at CIYMS. Working on their youth too I hear.

What club in Ulster does not rely upon their minis to bolster finances, big input with little output bar the odd bus trip and some hot dogs.

Paying players does not bring long term success.

No minis going into youth then senior club will result in clubs folding. This will happen to a few in the next 5 years

[CIMANFOREVER]

Sadly we're in big trouble. From Ail2 at inception to Junior 2... The days of Young Munster bringing about 6 coaches of fans to Belmont long gone

Belfast club rugby is seriously up sh#t street. Given the contraction/ folding of clubs over the years and even teams fielded within Belfast clubs, there is a serious problem for UR to tackle. Given the second largest city / conurbation on the Island, not to have a club in AIL1 is damning.

The fact that we can't beat Grosvenor and are now a league below them in Junior 2, says it all. When I was playing, we put out our thirds against them.. not that we have any divine right. But for a team that supplied so many Ulster and indeed Ireland players , and beat a full strength Wasps in the 70's , it's heartbreaking. The old traditional feeders are gone or deteriorating. How Hollywood survives is a source of amazement.

MAYBE , if your mini section stopped running the club and you stop getting crap coaches you might do something, CI on slippery slope to complete failure.

Bit of a reductive argument Moley. The traditional feeders and players are just not there. We're symptomatic of Belfast rugby in general, so by no means an outlier.

[nonplussed]

Some of the clubs will have to merge or collapse, we have to many. there are 6 clubs in a 7 mile radius of where i live, and I am not in Belfast and only 1, possibly 2 could be said to be thriving. Tough decisions need to be made.

[nonplussed]

It FEEnomimal all right!!

Club rugby heading back to the good old days

What brown envelopes in boots before professionalism?

Or the Bank of Ireland 'jobs' for Blackrock players etc

didn't Blackrock ultimately have to sell part of its ground to figuratively, and indeed literally , 'keep the lights on'? A salutary lesson to the likes of Dromore as there's likely to be more excess Euro in D'Four than spare ££ in D'More .

I wish Dromore well, a top club but I fear they may regret this investment. Promotion will cost even more!

[Bigfacthunt]

2c gives 4 fixtures with possible overnight stays.
In addition 3 bus trips if wanting to stick together as a team

Not much change out of £25k

Compulsory fee to join huddle £1500

Loss of bar revenue from smaller numbers of visiting supporters, may be balanced by extra home support but unlikely. New local derby will be well attended.

Additional is that gate money may be charged, most AIL is £10

Irfu funding hardly touches the sides but that would be another story…..

[The_Nose_Knows]

Does anyone have a list of confirmed transfers for all Ulster clubs? Like what I touch used to do a few years ago? Or for the Ulster AIL clubs at least? Any ail significantly stronger or weaker this year?

[Bigfacthunt]

Quins have been very busy recruiting, showing on Facebook. Ritchie Stevens, new DOR, is requesting lots of DM me on a Facebook rugby recruitment page, asking players that clearing want to come to Belfast for the weatherDromore and Portadown spending well too

[The_Nose_Knows]

Quins have been very busy recruiting, showing on Facebook. Ritchie Stevens, new DOR, is requesting lots of DM me on a Facebook rugby recruitment page, asking players that clearing want to come to Belfast for the weatherDromore and Portadown spending well too

That'll come back to haunt them.Paying big $ to stay in 2c. They have an ever ageing squad with a couple of good players who won't be able to go on for airever. Ben alexander was a game changer when he returned. Looks like lots of clubs need to learn to play for the name on the front of your shirt not the back!!! Clubs are built on local support, fall out with the locals and forget about the support, many clubs have found that out too late

Malone seem be struggling too. McNamee a bright spark but will he still be there next year? doesn't look to be a great amont of squad depth their with their seconds conceeding a couple fixtures last year, but they did put faith in several kids last year so they'll be stronger. Instonians are instonans - nothing more needed to say $$$$ it'll fold like a deck chair before too long. I don't give it too long before they try to take over cooke (again)

Meanhile in the other part of the province Country clubs are going from strength to strength. Whilst the belfast based sides seem to be struggling or $$$. Cooke seem to be the contradiction to that, will be a three way for promotion between them, dromore and enniskillen. Can't see any other provinces junior side stopping an Ulsterside in the AIL round robin. Queens will be hoping their ail fixtures fall kindly with the U20 sixnations and six nations window. Assuming all the leinster imports are assigned there next year

Ballycare on the up (I predict they'll go up again if they have the same squad as last year), clogher promoted two years in a row (offield issues could be their hindering factor), Enniskillen (possibly next to reach ail), dromore recruiting well from players from their locality despite the strong banbridge $$ "links" banbridge will be keeping an eye on them I assume can see them becoming the noisy neighbours this year, a promtion season and can see the local talent moving back to dromore from banbridge,

Ballynahinch and Armagh maintained 1A status hopefully have both recruited well and can maintain again a couple of scalps in that league can put you from 8t to 3rd. Alot will probably lie on whoever holds the 10shirt for both sides. Omagh seem to have a bit of a blip last year, never an easy game against them so could come good - always seem to have 2/3 Ulster underage representatives, and a big back 5 in the pack, dunagnnon several very near losses in the last few years which would have seen them promoted in either the last two years, balymena to be stronger this year after a blip last year hopefully will push for a top three finish, the only unknown for me at the minute is rainey big physical side with rumors of unrest in the playing department that AIL 2B league was very tight last year not much between 3rd and 8th place

coleraine and ards seem to producing alot more underage talent hopefully they can keep them playing for their town as opposed to leaving for bigger clubs in the locality. For me Coleraine will be an AIL bolter in the next 3-5 years if they can keep their youth prospects

Portadown have several good players who could be playing at a much higher level. Could probably push for starts at AIL clubs, Not sure how deep they go squad depth wise, can see a top 5 finsih if it clicks but can't see them getting past dromore, cooke or enniskillen

Bangor and COD are an unknown, Ards seem to be picking up the bangor player pool meanwhile COD have a big catchment area but I'm totally out of the loop of players in their catchment area. But that Championship 1 league will be firecly contested with little separting the top 3/4. With ballymoney also in the mix

Anyone know anything contradictory? Or any big signings which could influence matters?

[solidarity]

Thanks for the roundup, Nose.

[robrfc15]

Rainey In:-
Killene Thornton (back three player) from City of Derry
Ross McLaughlin (back three player) from City of Derry
Jim McCartney (Centre) from Limivady
Ryan Davies (Scrumhalf) from Queens
Rossa Bell (lock/backrow) from Rainey School , was in Ulster schools setup
Tom Pitts (Prop) from Rainey School, was in Ulster schools setup
James Cappell (back) from Rainey school
Jack Hardy (outhalf/utility back) from Australia

Rainey Out
Ronan McCusker (lock) - to Ballynahinch


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ljsulster]

Quins have been very busy recruiting, showing on Facebook. Ritchie Stevens, new DOR, is requesting lots of DM me on a Facebook rugby recruitment page, asking players that clearing want to come to Belfast for the weatherDromore and Portadown spending well too

That'll come back to haunt them.Paying big $ to stay in 2c. They have an ever ageing squad with a couple of good players who won't be able to go on for airever. Ben alexander was a game changer when he returned. Looks like lots of clubs need to learn to play for the name on the front of your shirt not the back!!! Clubs are built on local support, fall out with the locals and forget about the support, many clubs have found that out too late

Malone seem be struggling too. McNamee a bright spark but will he still be there next year? doesn't look to be a great amont of squad depth their with their seconds conceeding a couple fixtures last year, but they did put faith in several kids last year so they'll be stronger. Instonians are instonans - nothing more needed to say $$$$ it'll fold like a deck chair before too long. I don't give it too long before they try to take over cooke (again)

Meanhile in the other part of the province Country clubs are going from strength to strength. Whilst the belfast based sides seem to be struggling or $$$. Cooke seem to be the contradiction to that, will be a three way for promotion between them, dromore and enniskillen. Can't see any other provinces junior side stopping an Ulsterside in the AIL round robin. Queens will be hoping their ail fixtures fall kindly with the U20 sixnations and six nations window. Assuming all the leinster imports are assigned there next year

Ballycare on the up (I predict they'll go up again if they have the same squad as last year), clogher promoted two years in a row (offield issues could be their hindering factor), Enniskillen (possibly next to reach ail), dromore recruiting well from players from their locality despite the strong banbridge $$ "links" banbridge will be keeping an eye on them I assume can see them becoming the noisy neighbours this year, a promtion season and can see the local talent moving back to dromore from banbridge,

Ballynahinch and Armagh maintained 1A status hopefully have both recruited well and can maintain again a couple of scalps in that league can put you from 8t to 3rd. Alot will probably lie on whoever holds the 10shirt for both sides. Omagh seem to have a bit of a blip last year, never an easy game against them so could come good - always seem to have 2/3 Ulster underage representatives, and a big back 5 in the pack, dunagnnon several very near losses in the last few years which would have seen them promoted in either the last two years, balymena to be stronger this year after a blip last year hopefully will push for a top three finish, the only unknown for me at the minute is rainey big physical side with rumors of unrest in the playing department that AIL 2B league was very tight last year not much between 3rd and 8th place

coleraine and ards seem to producing alot more underage talent hopefully they can keep them playing for their town as opposed to leaving for bigger clubs in the locality. For me Coleraine will be an AIL bolter in the next 3-5 years if they can keep their youth prospects

Portadown have several good players who could be playing at a much higher level. Could probably push for starts at AIL clubs, Not sure how deep they go squad depth wise, can see a top 5 finsih if it clicks but can't see them getting past dromore, cooke or enniskillen

Bangor and COD are an unknown, Ards seem to be picking up the bangor player pool meanwhile COD have a big catchment area but I'm totally out of the loop of players in their catchment area. But that Championship 1 league will be firecly contested with little separting the top 3/4. With ballymoney also in the mix

Anyone know anything contradictory? Or any big signings which could influence matters?

City of Derry struggling big time this year with McCarter and senior players leaving. Dromore will push Skins very close but just think Skins will have enough. Coleraine a shambles behind the scenes changing coaches every year and losing a lot of young lads to Malone who have ex Coleraine grammar coach Boyd on their staff. Andy Ward brought in for the name rather than his coaching imo. Ballymoney the unknown this year in Q1. Good first season last year but have they strengthened enough? If they keep their backrow fit it’s probably the best unit in Irish junior rugby and Andrew Graham as coach is experienced and knowledgeable. Imagine QUB will go better this year than last. Will baby humph be able to pull the strings at 1A Hinch? Time will tell.
Malone rebuilding but can they find some sort of immediate stability?

[Bigfacthunt]

Burke touting about the place and Hinch bought him in, even Instonians couldn’t afford him. A good prop is hard to find

[RuPi]

Burke touting about the place and Hinch bought him in, even Instonians couldn’t afford him. A good prop is hard to find

But Hinch don’t pay players??? Burke was offered to everyone as far as I know, surprised Hinch outbid some of the Dublin sides.

Jack Hardy is a seriously good pick up for Rainey, not many players with super rugby appearances in 2B, should help them a lot.

Queens will have very few lads away with Irish 20’s this season and with no A games clashing with AIL, I would fully expect them to challenge at the top of 1B.

Qualifying will be interesting but hard to look past Dromore with the money they are throwing about.

[The_Nose_Knows]

Queens conceded lots of points against ballyclare. Altough they are now AIL should the Ulster Championship be exteneded and include some of the top "Junior" club sides, cooke, enniskillen and the such. More games against a higher leve opposition could only benefit them in the long run and stand them in good stead ahead of potentially making a run for AIL promotion