Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Round Up Saturday 23rd September 2023.
On Monday 18th September the first of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Plate competition games took place when the Foyle and Londonderry College U16 team played the Lurgan College U16 team. At the end of an entertaining game the Foyle College team emerged as 50-14 winners.
Bangor Academy U16 team will now enter the Danske Bank U16 Plate competition with games against both Lurgan College and Foyle College in the weeks ahead.
On Tuesday 19th September the first of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Shield competition games took place when Ballyclare High School hosted Omagh Academy in a Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Shield Group B game.
The Ballyclare High School team won the game by 22-7.
On Wednesday 20th September the previously postponed game, involving Belfast High School and Carrickfergus Grammar School, took place at the Shore Road venue.
This high scoring 3×20 minute series of games ended with the Belfast High School recording a 45-35 victory against a resurgent Carrickfergus Grammar School team.
The Belfast High School team scored seven tries through Ben Gardner, with two, Lucas Thompson, with two, Robbie McMinn. with two and Leo O’Lonigsigh, with one. Leo and Archie Cruickshank were successful with two conversion kicks each.
Star of the game for the Carrickfergus Grammar School team was Ellis Branagh who touched down for a hattrick of tries and weighed in with five successful conversion kicks. Joshua Oluwatula and Cameron Brown were the other try scorers for the Carrickfergus Grammar School team. Adam Magill, Rhys Logan and Jacob Craig were among other Carrickfergus Grammar School players whose performances impressed during the games.
Lurgan College hosted Antrim Grammar School in a game which turned out to be a very closely contested game the Antrim Grammar School won by 27-24 with a last play of the game goal.
The Lurgan College team played a flowing brand of rugby and scored four tries through Dylan Newell, Euan Jenks, Craig Hibble and Denis Lastik. Ben Maxwell was successful with two conversions.
The Antrim Grammar School team matched the opposition with four tries and two conversions but had a successful early penalty to secure the win.
Alexander Lynn kicked an early penalty and Jack McNeilly scored an unconverted try in the first half for the Antrim Grammar School team.
Peter Kane scored a second half try, which was converted by Alexander Lynn, Boris Lestiansky sniped in for an unconverted try, and, with the last play of the game, Man of the Match, Alexander Lynn, ran in for a try, which he converted from the touchline, to secure the 27-24 victory for the Antrim Grammar School team.
On the same afternoon the first of the 2023/24 season’s Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Cup games took place.
In the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Cup Group A Ballymena Academy hosted Methodist College, Belfast and won the game by 50-0.
In the same group Dromore High School played Wallace High School, the current holders of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Cup. At the end of this closely contested encounter the Wallace High School team emerged as 22-14 winners and scored four tries in the process.
In Group B Campbell College, Belfast entertained Belfast Royal Academy and recorded a 68-5 victory.
In the second Danske Bank Ulster Schools U16 Cup Group B game Royal Belfast Academical Institution played Sullivan Upper School and won the game by 40-14.
In a Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Shield Group A game Larne Grammar School hosted Rainey Endowed School and won the game with a 12-3 victory. Both Larne Grammar School and Rainey Endowed School will play Regent House School in the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Shield in the coming weeks.
On Friday 22nd September Limavady Grammar School played Strabane Academy and won the game by 31-5.
Freddie Gault scored two tries for the Limavady Grammar School team with Arlen Magee, MacKenzie Guthrie, and James Laird each scoring one try. James was successful also with three conversion kicks.
The Strabane Academy players gave a good account of themselves throughout the game. Players to the fore included Felix Foley and Cahair McGrath who scored the unconverted try for the Strabane Academy team.
On the same afternoon Friends’ School, Lisburn played an U16 team against the visiting Robert Gordon’s College from Aberdeen.
The Friends’ School team won the entertaining game by 36-10 and scored six tries in the process.
Gethin Mageean, Paddy Donaghy, Paddy Arnold, Tagh McMaster, Joel Collins and Oliver Logue each scored one try with Ross Glover adding three successful conversions.
The Robert Gordon’s College team added considerably to the game and got some reward for their endeavours with two unconverted tries from Archie Lowe and Rorie Humphreys.
On Saturday 23rd September quite a few games were played with one Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Shield game and thirteen 1stxv games.
In a Group B game in the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Shield Limavady Grammar School hosted Dalriada School and won the game by 38-12.
At 1stxv level Ballyclare High School “Select” played Larne Grammar School in a game the Larne Grammar School team won by 45-12.
The Ballyclare High School points came through tries from Ross Ferguson and Aaron Beattie with Isaac Shield adding one conversion.
On the back of top-class performances from Jonathan Dallas and Joel Farquhar the Larne Grammar School team scored seven tries. Daniel Halliday and Ryan McDowell each scored a brace with Ethan Duncan, Luke Farquhar and Charlie Wilson touching down for one try apiece. Ethan Duncan added five successful conversion kicks.
Ballymena Academy hosted Wesley College, Dublin and won the high scoring game by 37-21.
The Ballymena Academy team scored their points through tries from Sean McKay, Reuben Allen, who scored two, Ben Neely, who scored two and Callum Mustoe. Robbie Coleman was successful with two conversion kicks as well as one penalty kick.
For the Wesley College team Chris Hempenstall scored two tries, Colin Gilmore scored one try to which Colin added three successful conversions.
Belfast High School played Portadown College in a game the Portadown College team won by 45-7.
The Belfast High School points came from a Robbie McMinn try which was converted by Archie Cruickshank.
The Portadown College team scored seven tries through John McQuitty, who touched down twice, Daniel Osborne, Tyler Jackson, Jack Todd, Taylor Sloan, John Speers and Danny Guy. Danny was successful also with five of his conversion kicks.
Cambridge House Grammar School played Dalriada School and recorded a 19-10, victory.
Henri Kyle, Taylor Kyle and Alex Murphy scored the Cambridge House tries with Paddy Roberts adding two successful conversions.
The Dalriada School team scored their points through unconverted tries from Ben Stewart and Isaac Moore.
Campbell College, Belfast played Wallace High School in a very closely contested game from which the Wallace High School team emerged as 31-26 winners with a last play of the game try.
The Campbell College team scored four tries through team captain, James McConnell, who touched down twice, Rian Davies and Charlie Bingham. Henry Ralston was successful with three conversion kicks.
The Wallace High School team scored five tries with Daniel Wilson running in for two and Michael McCavery, Ben Moore and Rio McDonagh each scoring one try. Quinn Armstrong added two conversions while Lewis Stevenson was successful with one conversion.
Having recently played the Bangor RFC U18 team, the Campbell College 4thxv played the Ballyclare RFC U18 team in a closely contested game, which was enjoyed by all, that the Ballyclare RFC U18 team won by 26-17.
Meanwhile, the Campbell College Medallion C team played the Malone RFC U16 team and won the game by 38-0.
Carrickfergus Grammar School played a Royal Belfast Academical Institution “Select” XV in a very enjoyable game from which the Carrickfergus Grammar School players gained a lot.
Despite losing the game by 32-8 the Carrickfergus team saw good performances from Ellis Branagh, who scored a try and kicked a penalty, Adam Magill, Colin Campbell, Dawson Taylor, Luke Rules, Mark O’Gara, Aaron McReynolds and Joshua Soeuters.
Foyle and Londonderry College hosted Rainey Endowed School and it was the Rainey Endowed School team which emerged as 54-7 winners.
The Foyle College points came through a Robbie Patterson try which was converted by Darwyn Nutt.
The Rainey Endowed School team maintained their recent run of good form and scored eight tries in the process.
Nathan Overend touched down for a hattrick, James Cappell touched down for a brace, with Ben Bell, Charlie McConville and Luke Caskey touching down for one try apiece. Owen O’Kane was successful with seven of conversion kicks.
The Friends’ School, Lisburn v Dromore High School game was postponed due to unforeseen circumstances affecting the Dromore High School team.
Grosvenor Grammar School hosted Royal School, Dungannon when they played for the annual WK Armstrong “Cheika” Shield.
The Royal School, Dungannon team won the game by 10-7.
The Grosvenor Grammar School points came through a try from Stefan Buick which was converted by Ross Millar.
The Royal School, Dungannon team scored three tries through Nathan Hamilton, Rory McClung and Matthew Burrows. James Gibson added two successful conversions.
Methodist College, Belfast played Belfast Royal Academy and had to work hard for their 21-13 victory.
The Methodist College team scored their points through Tyrese Tabolarin, Oliver Neil and Man of the Match, Jack Tindall, who was successful with all three of his conversion kicks.
The Belfast Royal Academy team scored their points with a try from Max McKittrick, which was converted by Connor McVicker, who kicked also two successful penalties.
Omagh Academy played Banbridge Academy in an exiting game at the Campsie Playing Fields.
The Banbridge Academy team was made to work hard by the young Omagh Academy team before emerging as 27-12 winners.
The Omagh Academy team started slowly but found some positives following a Sam Harper try, which was converted by Sam Busby, just before the interval. Omagh Academy pressure, in the opening stages of the second half, paved the way for Sam Beattie to touch down for an unconverted try.
The Banbridge Academy team started strongly and early tries from Man of the Match, Darragh Knox, who ran in for two, and one from Joey Mackrell, converted by Andrew Jackson, put them in a strong position. Unconverted tries from Callum Little and Andrew Jackson then followed to secure the 27-12 win for the Omagh Academy team.
Regent House School played Coleraine Grammar School and recorded an impressive 31-17 victory at the no-side whistle.
Tom Bell, Ethan Spratt, Matthew Callaghan, Sam McClements each scored one try and, Man of the Match, Evan McGonigle, with one try and three conversions, were the Regent House scorers.
The Coleraine Grammar School points were scored through tries from Zack McCartney, Joel Madden and Clarke Logan who kicked also one successful conversion.
Royal School, Armagh played Down High School and got back to winning ways with an impressive 43-21 victory, scoring seven tries in the process.
The Royal School, Armagh tries were scored by Cameron Cummings, who touched down for two, Thomas Dougan, Cameron Dale, Kai Sterritt, Tom Nicholson and Josh Lowey. Josh was successful with four of his conversion kicks.
The Down High School points came through tries from Ryan Connolly, who touched down for two, two conversions from Josh McCaughey and one penalty try.
Sullivan Upper School played Royal Belfast Academical in a very closely contested game from which the Royal Belfast Academical Institution team emerged as 19-17 winners.
The Sullivan Upper School team scored three tries through their No 8, Jake Scott, flanker, Sam Harper and centre, Harry McKeown. Harry added the extras to one of the trues.
The Royal Belfast Academical Institution scored three tries through Alex Place, James Kerr and Euan Patterson with Alex adding two successful conversion kicks.
