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Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Round Up Saturday 24th February 2018
On Tuesday 20th February the one remaining Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Trophy semi-final game was played when Friends’ School, Lisburn hosted Carrickfergus Grammar School. Carrickfergus Grammar School won the game by 17-12.
On Wednesday 21st February the first of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ finals took place when Banbridge Academy played Belfast High School in the final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Trophy at Friends’ School, Lisburn.
The Banbridge Academy team won this entertaining game by 25-18. The Banbridge Academy team took a 5-0 lead early in the game when centre, Troy Pinion, cut a great line to run in for an unconverted try. Five minutes later this became 10-0 when the Banbridge Academy wing, Hugo Bertholoen, finished off a flowing Banbridge attack with an unconverted try. Midway through the first half the Banbridge Academy lead increased to 15-0 when their full back, Andrew Denvir, touched down for their third unconverted try of the game. The Belfast High School team then started to gain some momentum in terms of both possession and territory. They forced the Banbridge team into conceding a number of penalties. Brandon McMinn successfully converted two of these to leave the scoreline reading 15-6 in favour of the Banbridge Academy team at the interval.
Five minutes into the second half Tom Flanagan increased the Banbridge Academy lead to 18-6 when he converted a penalty opportunity. Shortly after this the Banbridge Academy 2nd Row, Andrew Shannon, took advantage of good work from Peter Sleith and Adam Hanna, before crashing over for a try, which was converted by Tom Flanagan, to increase the Banbridge lead to 25-6. Once again the Belfast High School team mounted something of a revival. Following a well-organised driven maul after a lineout, Ryan Gibson touched down for an unconverted try to reduce the Belfast High School deficit to 25-11. In the closing stages of the game the Belfast High School team scored another try through Jack Ferguson. Peter Harvey added the extras to leave the final score reading Banbridge Academy 25 Belfast High School 18 at the end of this entertaining Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Trophy Final.
Once the game had finished Graffin Parke, President of the Ulster Branch, IRFU, presented medals to all the players involved and the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Trophy to the captain of the Banbridge Academy team. Timothy Beattie. Graffin, an Old Boy of Banbridge Academy, congratulated both teams on reaching the final and providing such an exciting game of schoolboy rugby for the many spectators to watch. He thanked the referee and his assistants for the positive manner in which they controlled the game, thanked the Danske Bank for their continued sponsorship of Ulster Schools’ Rugby and thanked the Principal, Governors and staff at Friends’ School, Lisburn for the provision of facilities and hosting the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Trophy Final.
Royal Belfast Academical Institution played Wallace High School in the semi-final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Cup. The Royal Belfast Academical Institution team won the high scoring game by 64-5.
Omagh Academy played Coleraine Grammar School in the semi-final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Plate. The Coleraine Grammar School team won this high scoring game by 33-25.
In the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 3rdxv Cup Methodist College, Belfast 3rdxv played Royal Belfast Academical Institution 3rdxv. The Methodist College team won the game by 31-8.
In the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 3rdxv Plate St Columba’s College, Stranorlar hosted the Royal School, Dungannon 3rdxv. The Royal School, Dungannon team won the closely contested game by 7-5.
In the same competition Colaiste Colmcille, Ballyshannon hosted Bangor Grammar School 3rdxv in a game the Bangor Grammar School team won by 39-26. The game was played at Enniskillen Rugby Club and both schools would like to thank Enniskillen RFC for the use of their facilities.
On Friday 23rd February Campbell College, Belfast 2ndxv played Methodist College, Belfast in a replay of their drawn Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Cup semi-final match. The Methodist College 2ndxv team won the game by 26-16 and will now play the Royal Belfast Academical Institution 2ndxv in the final. This Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Cup Final will be played on Wednesday 7th March. Venue and time TBC.
On Saturday 24th February Friends’ School, Lisburn played Portadown College in the second of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Plate semi-finals. The Portadown College team won the game by 6-3. Portadown College will now play Coleraine Grammar School in the final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Plate. The date, venue and time for the final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Plate are to be confirmed.
There were two Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield semi-final games played on Saturday 24th February.
At Osborne Park Methodist College, Belfast played Campbell College, Belfast in a game the Campbell College team won by 26-22.
Enniskillen Royal Grammar School played Ballymena Academy at the Royal School, Dungannon in a game the Ballymena Academy team won by 27-10.
The final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield will be played at the Kingspan Stadium on Tuesday 13th March at 2-30pm.
There were also two Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Plate semi-finals played on Saturday 24th February.
Sullivan Upper School defeated Rainey Endowed School by 24-15 while Regent House School lost to Royal School, Armagh by 25-12. The date, venue and time for the final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Bowl are still to be confirmed.
In the final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Bowl Limavady Grammar School played Bangor Grammar School at the Belfast Royal Academy grounds at Roughfort. The Bangor Grammar School team won the game by 39-14.
Following the game, Stephen Robinson, a member of the Ulster Schools’ Rugby Committee, presented Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Bowl finalists medals to the players from both teams and the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Bowl to the captain of the Bangor Grammar School team. Stephen congratulated both teams on reaching the final and providing such an exciting game of schoolboy rugby for the many spectators to watch. He thanked the referee and his assistants for the positive manner in which they controlled the game, thanked the Danske Bank for their continued sponsorship of Ulster Schools’ Rugby and thanked the Principal, Governors and staff at Belfast Royal Academy for the provision of facilities and hosting the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Bowl Final.
Meanwhile, at Belfast High School, Larne Grammar School played Carrickfergus Grammar School in the final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Trophy. The Larne Grammar School team won the game by 22-15.
Following the game, Terry McCracken, a member of the Ulster Branch Committee, presented Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Trophy finalists medals to the players from both teams and the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Trophy to the captain of the Larne Grammar School team. Terry congratulated both teams on reaching the final and providing such an exciting game of schoolboy rugby for the many spectators to watch. He thanked the referee and his assistants for the positive manner in which they controlled the game, thanked the Danske Bank for their continued sponsorship of Ulster Schools’ Rugby and thanked the Principal, Governors and staff at Belfast High School for the provision of facilities and hosting the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Trophy Final.
The Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Bowl Final will take place at Campbell College on Wednesday 28th February when Belfast Royal Academy will play Portadown College in a game that will kick off at 2-30pm.
