Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Round Up Saturday 5th September 2024.
The second series of games in the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Cup, Shield and Trophy games were, in the main, played on Wednesday 2nd October.
In Group A of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Cup, Ballymena Academy played Campbell College, Belfast while Belfast Royal Academy played Dalriada School.
The results in these games were Ballymena Academy 17 Campbell College, Belfast 19 and Belfast Royal Academy 14 Dalriada School 12.
In Group B of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Cup, Sullivan Upper School hosted the Royal Belfast Academical Institution U16 team and recorded a 21-19 victory.
In the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Shield competition, two Group A games took place when Dromore High School played Wallace High School and Regent House School entertained Ballyclare High School, the current holders of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Shield.
The Wallace High School team emerged from their fixture with a bonus five points while Ballyclare High School won their close encounter at Regent House School with a 23-22 victory.
In Group B of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Shield, Royal School, Armagh played Rainey Endowed School and recorded a 31-14 victory.
In the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Trophy Group A, Limavady Grammar School played Bangor Academy. Bangor Academy won this game by 24-20.
At the same time as the Limavady Grammar School U16 Trophy game with Bangor Academy, Limavady Grammar School 1stxv was scheduled to have played Bangor Academy 1stxv. However, a clash with the Ulster High Schools’ Seven-a-Side games ensured this game did not take place.
Meanwhile, in Magherafelt, the Rainey Endowed School played Foyle and Londonderry College in a game the Rainey Endowed School team won by 47-5.
The Rainey Endowed School scored seven tries through Owen O’Kane, Ross Nugent, Sebastian Steele, Luke Caskey, Ewan McKay, Matthew Chambers and Charlie McConville. Owen was also successful with six of his conversion kicks.
The Foyle College team contributed much to the game and got some reward for their hard work when Cain O’Leary crossed the Rainey whitewash for an unconverted try.
On Thursday 3rd October, in Group B of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Trophy, Antrim Grammar School played Our Lady and St Patrick’s College, Knock.
The Antrim Grammar School team won the game by 43-3 and will now await the outcome of the Bangor Academy v Omagh Academy Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Group B Trophy game to ascertain who they will play in the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Trophy final on Wednesday 23td October.
On Friday 4th October Royal School, Dungannon hosted Dilworth School from Auckland, New Zealand.
This was the fourth, and final, game of the Dilworth School tour which left Auckland on 21st September with games played already against Rugby Football, Los Angeles, Millfield School and Blackrock College.
Included in the Dilworth Itinerary were visits to Universal Studios in LA, Twickenham Stadium and the London Eye, Trinity College, Dublin and the Leinster Rugby Academy and the Giant’s Causeway.
The Dilworth School team, made up mainly of school leavers, defeated the much younger Royal School, Dungannon team by 40-5.
The Royal School, Dunagannon team played well throughout the game and scored an excellent unconverted try through Jacob McNutt, who, alongside the Royal School, Dungannon captain, Josh Ferguson, and players such as James Shaw, Isaac Busby, Jack Evans and Alfie Blair, impressed with their performances throughout the game.
Led by their captain, Zeph Lewis, Dilworth School had good performances from players such as Orlando Afeaki, Fuao Katoa, Siosuia Vea, James Mabe, Giorvianni Leupoulu and Quinton Roderick.
On Saturday 5th October, the last of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Shield Group B Round 2 games took place when Enniskillen Royal Grammar School played the Foyle and Londonderry College U16 team.
This highly entertaining game finished as a 29-29 draw.
As well as 1stxv games played earlier in the week, quite a few 1atxv games were played on Saturday 5th October.
Antrim Grammar School played Limavady Grammar School and won the game by 21-0.
On the back of good performances from players such as Eoin Magee, Alex Moss, Dylan Bailie and Calum Laver, the Antrim Grammar School team scored three tries through Angelo Simangan, Jack McNeilly and Eoin Byrne. Three successful Isaac Lynn conversions secured the 21-0 win for the Antrim Grammar School team.
Ballymena Academy played Coleraine Grammar School and recorded an impressive, as well as convincing, 40-0 victory.
Reuben Allen, Ollie Collins, James Worthington, Billy Wylie, Charlie Hargy, Jacob Casson and Ruairi Kennedy were among the Ballymena Academy players who contributed a lot to the victory.
Belfast High School played Bangor Grammar School in a game from which the Bangor Grammar School team emerged as 40-0 winners.
Players such as Aaron Evans, Albie Scott, Rory Fulton, Luke Dinely, Jack Patterson, Adam Bickerstaff, Jamie Flynn, Ryan Gowdy and Rory Harris contributed a lot to the Bangor Grammar School victory.
Belfast Royal Academy hosted Sullivan Upper School and came away from the game with a hard-earned, but impressive, 27-24 victory.
Alex French, James Murray, Aaron Caldwell and Caleb McWhinney scored the Belfast Royal Academy tries with Frank Davis adding two successful conversions as well as one decisive match winning penalty.
The Sullivan Upper School team scored four tries through Jake Scott, Nathan Noble, Hamish Johnston and Jacob McKeown. Hamish was also successful with two of his conversion kicks.
Cambridge House Grammar School hosted Grosvenor Grammar School and recorded a 33-12 victory.
The Cambridge House Grammar School team points came through tries from Scott Steele, Sam Preston, Justin Mark, with two, and Henri Kyle.
Justin added the extras to three of the tries with Paddy Roberts adding a fourth conversion.
The Grosvenor Grammar School team scored two tries through Matthew Cunningham and Dylan McCabe with Ewan Roberts adding one successful conversion kick.
Dromore High School played Regent House School in a game the Regent House School team won by 29-5.
The Dromore High School team contributed much to the pace and flow of the game and got some reward for their hard work when Joel Johnston ran in for an unconverted try.
The Regent House School team scored five tries through Lewis Robinson, Ethan Spratt, Sam McClements, Toby McSorley and Taylor Swaffield. Josh Colville was successful with two of his conversion kicks.
Enniskillen Royal Grammar School played Banbridge Academy and recorded a 38-14 victory.
Andrew Kerr, Robbie McIlwrath, Ben Foster and, Hero of the Day, Thomas Barnett, with a hattrick, were the Enniskillen Royal Grammar School try scorers. Sam Paton added the extras to four of the tries.
The Banbridge Academy team points came through tries from Ryan Hanna and Conor Comiskey with Andrew Jackson adding the conversions to both tries.
Methodist College, Belfast played Christian Brother’s College, Cork, at Kill Dara RFC in Co Kildare, in a high tempo encounter the Christian Brother’s College, Cork team won by 42-22.
James Reid, with a brace, Alex Turkington and Noah Davey scored the Methodist College, Belfast tries with Louis Curran adding one successful conversion kick.
Leo O’Leary, with two, Alex O’Connell, Cian Corkery, Conal Courane and Chris Barrett were among the Christian Bother’s College, Cork players who impressed with their try scoring performances during the game. Charlie O’Shea added the conversions to all six tries.
Both teams would like to thank Kill Dara RFC for the provision of facilities and hosting the game.
Rainey Endowed School played Portadown College in their annual Vinny Doyle Memorial Cup game.
The game ended as a 10-10 draw so both schools will share the Vinny Doyle Memorial Cup for six months each.
Eoin McGucken touched down from a driven maul for the Rainey Endowed School try with Owen O’Kane adding the conversion as well as one successful penalty kick.
Danny Guy opened the scoring for Portadown College with an early penalty kick. Danny then added the conversion to a Caleb Ruddell try close to the end of the game to secure the 10-10 draw.
As well as playing the 1stxv game, Rainey Endowed School hosted a three-way blitz series of games with Carrickfergus Grammar School, Portadown College “Select” and a Rainey Endowed School “Select”
These closely contested games gave the opportunity for all members of the Carrickfergus Grammar School Senior squad to get pitch time as they prepare for their Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup qualifier game against Lurgan College on Saturday 19th October.
Players such as Max Matuszewski, Alex McAllister, Oliver Hill, Mark Campbell, Rory Pollard and Bobbie Brown all impressed with their performances for the Carrickfergus Grammar School team over the course of the two blitz games.
All the players involved would like to thank Chris Campbell, and his colleagues at Rainey Endowed School, for organising such an enjoyable three team blitz tournament.
Royal School, Armagh hosted Campbell College, Belfast at the College Hill venue in a game which finished with the Campbell College, Belfast team winning by 31-19.
The Royal School, Armagh pack impressed with their, at times, dominant performance while the essential difference between the teams was the fluidity of the Campbell College, Belfast back division.
Charlie Reaney, James Reid and Sam Gray scored the Royal School, Armagh tries with Evan Hughes adding two successful conversion kicks.
The Campbell College, Belfast points came through tries from scrum half, James Wells, who touched down twice, Jed Dorman and Henry Ralston with Henry adding three successful conversions as well as one successful penalty kick.
