AIL Energia Leage Rugby/Ulster League

[Bigfacthunt]

Love them or hate them 30 wins with 30 bonus points for instonians. some wage bill

Fixed

and sleep

[Blow in]

Instonianst beat Armagh 22-21 in cup.

[Blow in]

Armagh, Hinch stay in 1A (not involved in play offs)

Queens in Playoff against Banbridge in 1B/2A winner plays winner of 2/3 playoff from 2A

Malone relegated to 2B, Ballymena stay in 2A, Banbridge or Queens to join them next season.

Stones promoted to 2A, Quins relegated to 2C, Rainey and Dungannon Stay in 2B.

Clougher win 2C promoted to 2B, Bangor in playoffs to stay in 2B against either Ballyclare or Monkstown

[jean valjean]

Goes to show the strength of junior rugby in ulster when stones go back to back promotions and clogher Valley win 2c at the 1st attempt.

Sent from my SM-F721B using Tapatalk

[Blow in]

True but Malone have done back to back relegation

[Bigfacthunt]

Goes to show the strength of junior rugby in ulster when stones go back to back promotions and clogher Valley win 2c at the 1st attempt.

Sent from my SM-F721B using Tapatalk

Shows the strength of the qualifying leagues in Ireland with Ulster representing well over last 10 years, Bangor, Omagh, Instonians and Clogher rising out of this league with Ballyclare pending. Relegation twice for Malone is largely due to their team being stripped of Ulster players. No doubt other factors involved. Hopefully they along with all other Teams later teams will learn and improve for next year. Just keeping the lights on at clubs and actually getting teams out to play each week takes a huge effort. The shop window of first XV does not tell a clubs true position.

[Bigfacthunt]

Edit - along with all other Ulster teams

[UlsterAreBrill]

Goes to show the strength of junior rugby in ulster when stones go back to back promotions and clogher Valley win 2c at the 1st attempt.

Sent from my SM-F721B using Tapatalk

2C is absolutely pish though

[Tighthead Prod]

Congratulations to Ballyclare on gaining promotion to AIL 2C. Hopefully Bangor can retain their position in 2C by winning the playoff match in 2 weeks time!

[CIMANFOREVER]

Goes to show the strength of junior rugby in ulster when stones go back to back promotions and clogher Valley win 2c at the 1st attempt.

Sent from my SM-F721B using Tapatalk

Shows the strength of the qualifying leagues in Ireland with Ulster representing well over last 10 years, Bangor, Omagh, Instonians and Clogher rising out of this league with Ballyclare pending. Relegation twice for Malone is largely due to their team being stripped of Ulster players. No doubt other factors involved. Hopefully they along with all other Teams later teams will learn and improve for next year. Just keeping the lights on at clubs and actually getting teams out to play each week takes a huge effort. The shop window of first XV does not tell a clubs true position.

I remember when Malone could put out 9-10 teams on a Saturday so Ulster players are only part of the problem, and in Belfast in general- there's a real crisis in Ireland's seconds biggest metropolitan population.
Malone, CI , Cooke, Quins, etc all out of AIL or in trouble. Only the master race bucking the trend by throwing money at it.

[Bigfacthunt]

Instonians club seem to be growing their youth set up over the last few years and actually added a 4th xv. Speaking with one of their community officers he was telling me they now have over 100 kids in the Youth section (if you include u12s which currently sit within the mini sections with Ulster). Only other club in greater Belfast area is Malone that have stand alone youth teams. Even at that understand that their numbers are dwindling and use schools of ireland players regularily. The master race seem to be ahead of the game and seem to have invested their resources in the youth and coaches. CI have appointed Johnny Cupitt as part of coaching set up and look to renew links with ccb. That is a positive step and look forward to seeing how this develops.

[CIMANFOREVER]

Instonians club seem to be growing their youth set up over the last few years and actually added a 4th xv. Speaking with one of their community officers he was telling me they now have over 100 kids in the Youth section (if you include u12s which currently sit within the mini sections with Ulster). Only other club in greater Belfast area is Malone that have stand alone youth teams. Even at that understand that their numbers are dwindling and use schools of ireland players regularily. The master race seem to be ahead of the game and seem to have invested their resources in the youth and coaches. CI have appointed Johnny Cupitt as part of coaching set up and look to renew links with ccb. That is a positive step and look forward to seeing how this develops.

With the number of ex Model boys at CI, we need to be re-establishing that feed we used to have, even via a colts set up as rugby is more or less dead now at the Model since EW Davies and Jim Keith passed/ retired. Such a great non grammar feeder.

[Bigfacthunt]

Jim Keith is still alive and well, happy to report. Ophir in Model. Winners of schools cup in 71 but sadly after a brief run have fallen away. Ophir have now, with cooperation from Model, reignited rugby. Ship sailed on that one up the hill or rather now along the coast to Jordanstown. Few ex model and CI lads have moved on and played for other teams. Civil Service are another club (apologies Stan, omitted from previous post in error) who are doing great work in youth outreach. CIYMS and other Belfast clubs, if they want to recruit from non rugby playing schools will find it very difficult to get into schools at this late stage. Teams with viable sustainable youth and outreach programs will ensure the playing membership future of clubs. Those that do not will, sadly, will struggle to field teams.

[CIMANFOREVER]

Jim Keith is still alive and well, happy to report. Ophir in Model. Winners of schools cup in 71 but sadly after a brief run have fallen away. Ophir have now, with cooperation from Model, reignited rugby. Ship sailed on that one up the hill or rather now along the coast to Jordanstown. Few ex model and CI lads have moved on and played for other teams. Civil Service are another club (apologies Stan, omitted from previous post in error) who are doing great work in youth outreach. CIYMS and other Belfast clubs, if they want to recruit from non rugby playing schools will find it very difficult to get into schools at this late stage. Teams with viable sustainable youth and outreach programs will ensure the playing membership future of clubs. Those that do not will, sadly, will struggle to field teams.

Lol I know Jim's alive, I was at the BM old boys do at Xmas and he was guest of honour with Ronnie Flanagan. Passed as in EWD...
Ref Model 1st XV I played in the last one that got past the first round of the old style Schools cup ( no seeding). We had a decent set of forwards, a number of us whom played senior /AIL to varying degrees, even as the school team was in decline.
The point is, with CI having so many Model old boys, we have missed a trick in re-establishing what was a traditional feeder for the club, especially via boys playing Colts due to the on /off nature of the school teams year on year. Many of us played Schools first XV in the morning and colts in the afternoon , something replicated across schools and clubs in Ulster for decades. But as for so many non big 5 grammar schools, this was often supported by ex senior players driving it in these schools for the love of the game/ school. But this pathway tied us into the club as a lifelong loyalty.
Ophirs a great wee club, slope and all, but not a pathway to senior rugby and further ( and arguably neither is my club currently until we get out of Junior rugby again).

[Bigfacthunt]

Definitely lots of untapped talent out there for sure!! We need as many Ulster clubs in good health and a club like CIYMS with great location and people involved will hopefully rouse itself from its current slumber and come back to higher echelons once more. Is john Andress still coaching next year? Heard he was potentially going to Carrick.